Dunnygate?

This is FM Greg Canfell's version of the laughable fiasco currently happening in Elista. But too bad that it's based on an Aussie slang. Anyway, Greg asked me if the news from Elista had hit the mainstream. Well it has, actually. Here is a short list.

Note that some of these may require registration.

New York Times: Bathroom Dispute Halts Chess Championship
Telegraph UK: Loo Row Threatens Chess Championships
The Times: Chess Challenge Falls to Pieces
Guardian Unlimited: Kramnik's carry on over his own convenience
India Times: Will this prove to be Chess Waterloo?"
BBC: Toilet breaks trigger chess row

Here's an idea. Why don't these two guys just settle the whole thing with chess boxing? Stop behaving like a couple of tootsies and get it over and done with.

And where is the FIDE boss in all this? The man's in Sochi attending some government meeting of the Heads of the Regions of the South Russian Regions. He can do no more than send an open letter. You can read it here.

Ironically, in that letter addressed to Kramnik, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov says:

Millions of chess fans in the whole world are following this match with great interest and are looking forward for the just outcome produced over the chess board and not from exchanging open letters which we are receiving from both teams.

You know, is there any other sport in the world that is so plagued by open letters? That's part of the problem, I think. Instead of just talking, these guys fire off an open letter at the first opportunity thus escalating rapidly an issue that may very well have been easily solved in a face-to-face confrontation. At the risk of sounding like Oprah, or worse, Dr Phil - boys, sit down and talk it over. Take a deep breath and talk. Good for you, good for us, good for the sport.