Statement by Paul Truong for the USCF election

Dear friends and colleagues,

This is an absolutely critical election for the USCF. It’s also one of the most unique elections ever. Why? Because you, the members, have the power to set this federation on the right course for the next 4 years! You, the members, are in the position to take back control of our beloved federation.

What has happened to the USCF in recent years? Well, it hasn’t been great at all! Every time the USCF took a step forward, it also took two steps backward. There was little sense of pride. There was little sense of responsibility. There was little attempt to positively promote chess or the USCF. There was little sense of urgency.

However, there were plenty of internal political wars. There were plenty of horrific business and financial blunders. There was plenty of frivolous spending for political reasons. There was plenty of dishonesty and unprofessionalism.

Some believe that if it ain’t broken, why fix it? I would say something is broken when we’re losing money year after year. There’s hardly any room left for errors. As each day went by, this federation fell further behind. With massive overheads, shrinking revenues and outdated technology, we’re doomed to fail again.

Every year is a new excuse. Every year is a new finger-pointing game. The Executive Director and his staff weren’t allowed to do their jobs because some board members wanted to micromanage them. We wasted so much time, money and resources dealing with nonsense by chess politicians instead of focusing on improving many needed areas.

What are some of my areas of expertise? What can I bring to the table?

I spent the last 5+ years volunteering my full time to positively promote chess in the US, especially for the Susan Polgar Foundation. I was able to secure more publicity and media coverage for all the events that I was involved with than the entire USCF. I helped create countless headline-news chess events.

The Susan Polgar Foundation awarded approximately $400,000 in scholarships and chess prizes in the last few years. We did it with virtually a zero budget. I proved that we don’t have to spend tens and thousands of dollars to positively and correctly promote our game. We just need to know how to do it and have the passion and diligence to follow through.

I can bring my unique expertise in marketing, promotion, management and public relations, areas that the USCF sorely needs. When doubters said that the US Women’s Olympiad Training Program would not work, I spent two years without pay to help the team as their captain, manager and personal coach. We came home with an unprecedented 4 medals (2 Gold and 2 Silver), first ever in US history.

I can help restore the much-needed integrity, credibility and professionalism back to the USCF. If you’re happy with the status quo then I’m not the right person. If you want success and accountability then I can make a big difference immediately. Thank you!