Gastón Needleman, a young 15 y.o. chess player from Argentina and without
any FIDE tittle, was eliminated in the tiebreaks of the Continental
Championship after a brilliant Tournament in which he finalized second,
but tied with other seven players, and from these only six could advance
for the World Championship. In the tiebreaks, it was seen how all G.M
accorded fast draws between them in the majority of the games, and all
played to fire the weakest player: Gaston, who was finally eliminated...
but was given a special ticket to the World Cup by FIDE President
Ilyumzhinov. In the tiebreaks, Gaston was the weakest player on the paper,
400 or more ELO points below the others, all Grand Masters, so strategy of
the G.M.´s don´t surprise to me, regardless some emotional articles some
people wrote. I´m surprised by Ilyumzhinov decision, for me absurd. If
Gaston were 5 years older, I doubt someone could give emotional opinions
about, neither the decision could be taken. Incredible, Ilyumzhinov.