"The 'selling sausages' reference did not actually happen!" — Solomon Islands Call for an Apology from Buettner

Solomon Islands Chess Federation

National governing body

“SICF wishes to formally correct statements made by FIDE Presidential Candidate Mr. Jan Henric Buettner during the recent FIDE Presidential Debate.

During the debate, reference was made to the Solomon Islands and an alleged situation involving people ‘selling sausages on weekends’ to finance chess sets. For the record — this did not happen.

The reference arose from a private discussion in which fundraising possibilities and strategy ideas were discussed as examples. It was not an actual activity undertaken by SICF.

SICF is therefore concerned that this example was presented publicly in a manner that could lead the international chess community to believe it represented the actual circumstances of our Federation.

More importantly, our President, Simon Chottu, had previously requested Mr. Buettner not to take private discussions out of context or use them in a manner that could misrepresent our Federation. Small federations are not campaign props.

Like every FIDE member federation, the Solomon Islands deserves dignity, respect and fair representation. The challenges faced by developing chess nations should not be exaggerated or transformed into campaign narratives without proper context, verification and consent.

When candidates seeking the highest office in world chess speak publicly about a National Federation, particularly during an international presidential debate, they carry a responsibility to ensure that their statements are accurate.

For SICF, this is not about politics. It is about accuracy, dignity and respect. The Solomon Islands Chess Federation therefore calls upon Mr. Buettner to publicly retract the statement concerning SICF, to correct the record and clarify that the ‘selling sausages’ reference was only a fundraising strategy idea or example and did not actually happen, and offer a public apology to SICF for the inaccurate impression created.

FIDE represents more than 200 National Federations. Whether large or small, wealthy or developing, every Federation deserves an equal voice and equal respect. SICF will always stand up for the dignity of our players, our Federation and our country.”