Garry Kasparov loses chess battle to 'alien abductee' who is an ally of President Putin

Russian former chess champion Garry Kasparov (right) answers journalists' questions after he lost the presidential election of the International Chess Federation in Tromso, Norway, on August, 11, 2014 in a highly politicised vote. He is seated next t
Russian former chess champion Garry Kasparov (right) answers journalists' questions after he lost the presidential election of the International Chess Federation in Tromso, Norway, on August, 11, 2014 in a highly politicised vote. He is seated next to the president of the Jamaica Chess Federation, Ian Wilkinson (left). -- PHOTO: AFP
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov smiles after his re-election as president of the International Chess Federation, in Tromso, Norway, on August 11, 2014. Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov failed on Monday in his bid to unseat Ilyumzhinov - an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin - in a chaotic and highly politicised vote. -- PHOTO: AFP

OSLO (AFP) - Chess legend Garry Kasparov failed in his attempt to dethrone the eccentric head of the World Chess Federation, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and self-professed "alien abductee", in a chaotic and highly politicised vote on Monday.

Seen as one of the sport's greatest-ever players, former world champion Kasparov could only secure the votes of 61 of 175 delegates when the federation met on the sidelines of the Chess Olympiad in Tromsoe, Norway.

Once again, the presidency was retained by Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a 52-year-old Russian with an extremely colourful background who has held the post since 1995. He took 110 votes.

A former president of Russia's only Buddhist region, the Republic of Kalmykia, Ilyumzhinov claims he was once abducted by aliens who communicated telepathically and took him to another planet in a giant spaceship.

He has also been criticised for cultivating close ties to some of the world's most brutal dictators including Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, at precisely the moments when they were facing the strongest international opposition.

At the height of Nato bombardments of Tripoli in June 2011 he travelled to the Libyan capital to play a highly publicised chess game with Gaddafi, granting him the title of "International Grandmaster".

"I will work for chess and I want to devote my entire life to the federation," he said after his re-election.

The campaign proved acrimonious, marked by allegations of corruption and political pressure on both sides.

In January, Kasparov released previously confidential documents to counter claims that financial sweeteners were offered directly to Singapore Chess Federation president Ignatius Leong to help his election campaign.

A New York Times article had earlier said Leong switched sides to help Mr Kasparov's bid and claimed that, from a draft agreement the publication obtained, he would receive US$500,000 (S$640,000) to help secure votes from this region.

While Leong confirmed he would help garner votes for the Russian grandmaster, he denied being paid directly for it.

Kasparov, a highly vocal critic of Putin who fled his native Russia last year to live in exile in New York, sought to depict Ilyumzhinov as a puppet of the Kremlin.

"When I hear Ilyumzhinov speak about democracy, it reminds me of Vladimir Putin talking about peace," he told Norway's TV2 on Monday.

Ilyumzhinov does not shy away from his support for the Kremlin.

"I am a patriot of Russia," he recently told the New York Times. "I love my country. Kasparov, who grew up in this country, received an education here, became a champion here, who was receiving money here, from my own hands - he is praised for struggling against Russia and its people. Isnt it crazy?"

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