Editor,It is a good gesture from Garry Kimovich Kasparov. But why now, after all these years? The answer is simple: votes. Yes, votes is what the grandmaster is after. He is seeking votes for the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Echecs) presidency to replace the incumbent president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Born Karik Kimovich Weinstein, from Baku in the then Soviet Union (now Azerbaijan), he fell out with FIDE in 1993 due to a dispute.So I consider Mr. Kasparov’s African trip as a political move to garner support for the upcoming election which is likely to take place in Athens, Greece, where FIDE is headquartered.Michael Rwiyamilira, USAReaction to the story, "Chess Federation lauds Kasparov support”, (The New Times, July 13)