#61. Bessel Kok Talks About The Grandmaster Association, Relationship With Kasparov, And More!

This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Dutch businessman and chess benefactor Bessel Kok.

Bessel is one of the founders of SWIFT, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which provides the main messaging network through which international payments are initiated. In the 1980's, Bessel organised the first SWIFT chess tournaments, which significantly raised the standards for chess professionalism. He befriended several of the world's strongest players, including Garry Kasparov. Together with them, he would go on to found the Grandmaster Association (GMA), an organisation aimed at creating "a high-quality environment for chess and to promote professional chess by grandmasters". Although the GMA would eventually disappear, Bessel kept his interest in chess while remaining active in other fields, such as film production and pro cycling. 

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam during the Prague Chess Festival, Bessel retells the story of the origins of the GMA, his relationship with Kasparov, and numerous anecdotes involving the greatest chess players of all time. 

0:00 – Intro

2:44 – Welcome Bessel!

4:26 – How Bessel became involved in chess

8:42 – The first SWIFT tournament

13:45 – The origins of the Grandmaster Association (GMA)

19:50 – Lubomir Kavalek, dawn of a “golden era”

24:50 – Start of the conflict between GMA and FIDE

30:30 – Kasparov’s vision for the GMA

32:12 – AD BREAK

32:52 – Kasparov breaks away from the GMA

41:16 – Bessel’s appreciation for chess players

44:44 – Bessel’s favourite: Misha Tal

46:50 – Bessel tells a Bobby Fischer story

54:21 – AD BREAK

55:19 – The Magnus vs FIDE conflict

58:10 – Chess vs cycling

1:01:30 – Bessel’s candidacy for FIDE president

1:04:10 – Bessel doesn’t see a leader in the chess world

1:05:35 – Outro