TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
FIDE Presidential Elections 2010 (New York Proposal)
Ilyumzinov proposes to build chess centre on Twin Towers site in New York
Mark Crowther - Friday 17th September 2010
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has proposed to build a chess centre on the site of the collapsed Twin Towers in New York. Now either you're going to think this is a great idea, or, so breathtakingly inappropriate that it is yet another reason why Ilyumzhinov has to go. In addition as a friend who knows nothing about chess pointed out the name World Chess Centre is way too close to World Trade Centre for comfort.
An RIA Novosti report of 16th September 2010 says:
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has proposed a bid of $10 million for land in New York that was the site of the "Twin Towers" that were destroyed in 2001 in a terrorist attack. They want to build a chess center, according to FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov at a press conference for RIA Novosti.
According to Ilyumzhinov, he was commissioned by the FIDE Presidential Board on Wednesday to sign a letter to the mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg and owner of the land "with a proposal to buy the land for 10 million dollars."
"The sum of $10 million was brought about by the news that last week the American billionaire Donald Trump made an offer of 7,5 million dollars, and we decided to beat him," - said the head of FIDE.
Ilyumzhinov said that FIDE is going "to build an international chess center (World Chess Center) and the International Chess Academy" on this site.
"We are currently awaiting a response to our letter." - added Ilyumzhinov.
ChessDom has a copy of the letter.
The New York Times Gambit Chess Blog covers the story.
The entire world is following the controversy that has arisen over the possible construction of a mosque near the site of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. This issue has divided society in the United States and across the world, and its repercussions are global.
I believe that religious conflicts are extremely dangerous in complex times such as ours. As president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), and as a person who has always supported interreligious understanding, I propose the construction of an International Chess Center at the suggested site of the mosque.
There is a report in the Daily Telegraph about the Trump offer: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7993347/Donald-Trump-offers-to-purchase-site-of-Ground-Zero-mosque.html. This offer did not go down well: "a lawyer for another investor, Wolodymyr Starosolosy, dismissed Mr Trump’s bid as "a cheap attempt to get publicity and get in the limelight".
There is no prospect of this becoming reality, this is just a cheap publicity stunt of the worst kind.
There is now an announcement up on the FIDE site. http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/4782-fide-proposes-chess-center-on-twin-tower-site.html
