US Chess Discussion

Welcome! This blog has no connection with the USCF. It's a blog where I provide chess fans with general information about US Chess as well as the USCF. It's also a site where everyone can productively discuss or ask questions about various USCF issues! Your contributions and comments are welcome! PLEASE KEEP IT CIVIL & RESPECT OTHERS! Enjoy! All posts that do not meet this guideline will be deleted -- WIN WITH GRACE, LOSE WITH DIGNITY!(TM) --- 2006 Susan Polgar©

Saturday, June 02, 2007

The distasteful tactics


On a recent Alaska chess cruise I had the great pleasure of meeting both GM Polgar and FM Truong. I was most impressed with their passion for chess. On Friday June 1, I received a rather odd orange and black postcard in the mail from Bill Goichberg that was quite derogatory toward GM Polgar's and FM Truong's campaigns for the USCF Executive Board, claiming that the 2 were running "negative" campaigns.

Several thoughts come to mind. For one, I'm not positive, but isn't it a bit negative to say that others are negative?
For another, who is paying for these postcards - mailed at the "presorted first class mail" rate! More to the point, why is someone going to such great expense to attack 2 accomplished candidates and relegate them to the "Other Candidates" section of the postcard, as if to trivialize them? And when speaking to fellow chess players, isn't it customary to refer to players by their earned titles?

Then too, who gave my USCF membership name and address for use in a direct mail campaign, and do all candidates for office have access to this list? Did all USCF members receive this same postcard? Forgetting (if one can) the direct attack on 2 fine candidates, something suspicious is afoot. Even a class B player like me can see one move deep!

Posted by Jeff Leach, Frederick MD USA
Saturday, June 02, 2007 2:27:00 AM

Here are some of sample posts by the supporters of candidates endorsed by Mr. Goichberg. It is important for everyone to see what I have to deal with and why the USCF desparately needs changes. There are 30-40 derogatory posts similar to this every single day!

If I was Bill Goichberg, I would ban Susan Polgar from the USCF. We don't need a woman in charge. It would be a tragedy if she and her team win. What does she know about chess politics? Nothing. How can she make deals with people who have been in the system for decades? Does she want to change things because it's 2007? There's nothing wrong with the USCF. Bill Goichberg, Sam Sloan, Joe Channing, Don Schultz, Randy Hough and Beatriz Marinello are great board members. I don't want to see any foreigner running this federation. This is my country. I'm proud to serve my country and send those immigrants back to where they came from. The USCF needs people like Stephen Jones, Joe Lux, Don Schultz, Mike Goodall, Sam Sloan and Jim Berry. They're born and raise in the USA and they know how things work.

Friday, June 01, 2007 3:52:00 PM

Reelect Don Schultz, Sam Sloan along with Joe Lux and Stephen Jones! We don't need any foreigner running the USCF. They should go back to to where they came from. The USCF was fine before she got here and it will be fine after. No changes are needed.

Friday, June 01, 2007 1:36:00 PM

Go back to where you came from. Leave this board and the USCF alone. We don't need a Hungarian running the show.

Friday, June 01, 2007 1:40:00 PM
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6 Comments:

  • At Saturday, June 02, 2007 7:33:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Despicable! It should be remembered that Sam Sloan was elected because of Goichberg. It's also a conflict of interest running a for profit and non-profit at the same time. But Bill will do anything for the best interest of Continental Chess.

     
  • At Saturday, June 02, 2007 7:34:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Shocking that this came from a USCF President. Very disappointing.

     
  • At Saturday, June 02, 2007 8:04:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    This is after the event is on its 4th year and it was approved by the USCF. Bill Goichberg has been protecting Sam Sloan so he can attack Goichberg's opponents:

    Susan Polgar National Invitational For Girls

    I just saw it for the first time today on the Susan Polgar website. Perhaps it has been there all along and I did not notice it, but I believe that it is new.

    Susan Polgar is calling the tournament in her name the Susan Polgar National Invitational For Girls

    Take a look at http://www.susanpolgar.com/indexone.html

    It says 07.29.2007 Susan Polgar National Invitational For Girls

    The rules and conditions page is blank. Perhaps that is an error, or perhaps she is changing the rules.

    http://www.susanpolgar.com/rulesinvitegirls2007.pdf

    Susan has been told time and again that she cannot use the word National in any of her events unless it is authorized by the office.

    There is a specific reason for this. The USCF has a National High School Championship, a National Junior High School Championship, a National Elementary Championship and so on. Those events are the official US Championships. Neither the Polgar nor the Denker is the official US Championship.

    The Polgar tournament is intended to be the girls equivalent of the Denker tournament. The official name of the Denker tournament is the Denker Tournament of High School Champions. The Denker is not an invitational tournament. Anyone can qualify to it by winning the high school championship of a state.

    The Polgar tournament is similarly the Polgar Tournament of Champions.

    Why is Polgar always pushing the envelope? She knows the rules. She knows that she cannot use the word National without permission of the office, which will not be granted in this case. Why does she insist on exceeding the limits under which the tournament in her name was set up, by adding the words National and Invitational when the actual authorized name of her tournament was good enough?

    In view of Susan’s flagrant disobedience of the rules, I think that the name of the Polgar tournament will have to be changed.

    Sam Sloan

     
  • At Saturday, June 02, 2007 9:02:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I'm against scholastic and women's chess. That's why I agree with Mr. Goichberg about Don Schultz, Joe Lux and Stephen Jones as well as Sam Sloan. I intend to vote for the 4 of them. It's time we stop spending USCF money for scholastic nonsense. We also need to abolish women's chess and stop all your all-girls tournaments. I can assure you that if Mr. Jones, Lux, Schultz and Sloan are elected, there won't be more women's events.

     
  • At Sunday, June 03, 2007 10:33:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    From Don Schultz:

    The above comments should be taken down immediately. They represent the all time low point in USCF campaigning.

    Randy Bauer and Mikhail Korenman ought to speak to Susan and disassociate themselves fromrthis racist and anti-female campaign tactic.
    Don Schultz

    Don Schultz

     
  • At Sunday, June 03, 2007 10:36:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Mr. Schultz, what is your take about the post card and email by Mr. Goichberg insulting and attacking GM Polgar and FM Truong, listing them with Sam Sloan. Do you condone his action? Do you accept his endorsement?

    Thank you for your response.

     

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