Malcom Pein Comments on Women's World Chess Championship

From the Telegraph.co.uk: Georgia on their mind By Malcolm Pein Last Updated: 12:01am BST 03/09/2008 Six Georgian players have boycotted the Fide Women’s World Championship which got under way at Nalchik in the south western Russian province of Kabardino-Balkaria. Your correspondent does not turn down all expenses paid trips often but he made an exception in this case. A call came out of the blue from Fide offering a free trip at a time of my choosing but a little research made up my mind. The region has been somewhat unstable even before the Russian assault on Georgia and this also convinced the American Irina Krush and the French player Marie Sebag to cancel their participation. In all, eleven of the sixty four invitees did not play round one of the knockout competition.