To the participants and guests of the World Chess Cup

Dear participants and guests of the World Chess Cup 2005!
Dear ladies and gentlemen!

On behalf of the leadership of the World Chess Federation and its Presidential Board I would like to express our cordial sincere greetings to the participants, guests, media representatives in the hospitable land of Yugra! This beautiful region possesses very rich gifts from the God. It is also known as the Oil and Gas capital of Russia. But it is mostly rich in its talented and hard working people who live in this land and make it more and more beautiful. In my capacity as President of one of the largest international sports federations, it is a real pleasure for me to realize that today we are inaugurating a new gravity center on the world’s chess map. For the coming couple of weeks Yugra will become a chess capital of the world for the millions of people from all the continents.
I am confident that all the participants representing 48 countries and all the guests of the World Cup will be given a chance to get acquainted with uncountable beauties of Siberia and will take with them unforgettable memories about this wonderful place.
As a well-known saying goes, “The riches of Russia will be multiplied by Siberia”. I also would like that this wonderful and prestigious tournament would promote the further development of the royal game and coming into existence of new chess stars, born here at this ancient land of khanty and mansi. It is also a great pleasure to me to express my sincere gratitude to the leadership of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region and personally its Governor, my great friend, Alexander Filipenko, to the sponsors, the Russian Chess Federation, the Organising Committee, journalists, volunteers and everyone who has contributed to the organization and preparation of this World Chess Cup.
I believe that it will be followed by the other tournaments, not less prestigious and important. I wish the participants interesting victories, beautiful creative innovations and let the strongest win!
Gens Una Sumus – We are one family!


Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
President