8 June 2004

Dear Mr President,

It is with great concern that we write to you on the topic of the FIDE World Championship for Men about to take place.

The World Championship is to be held in Libya. Although we were told earlier that participants from specific countries, or with specific stamps in their passports, or from specific religious or ethnic backgrounds would not be allowed to enter Lybia, we were glad to learn subsequently that everybody would be granted a visa and that the rumor that a second venue in Malta had been arranged to accommodate these participants was malfounded.

Now we learn that there will be serious impediments after all. We have learned that some participants have had their visa application refused and that others have been referred to visa application procedures upon arrival (which makes it difficult to find an airline willing to accommodate them). We understand that these impediments have already led to the withdrawal of some participants. A situation therefore has already arisen which can no longer be fully remedied.

The Dutch Chess Federation strongly protests against staging a World Championship in a country were players are discriminated against for whatever reason be it race, religion, nationality or any other matter. This is a far cry from FIDE's own motto «Gens Una Sumus». FIDE should not organize or recognize a championship without having first ascertained that the country where it takes place complies with what should be considered a minimum requirement.

We invite the FIDE to take immediate steps to remedy this and to consider withdrawing the event from Libya should this not be possible. The Royal Dutch Chess Federation will ask the Dutch players to reconsider their participation under these circumstances.

Yours sincerely,
ROYAL DUTCH CHESS FEDERATION

Mr. E.M. Enschede
President