No direction, no vision, no success

Zarathustra wrote:

"After reading your postings a number of times it begs the question why so many people that volunteer they leave within a short period of time. Just think of the high turnover rated with just the United States Chess Federation Forum Oversight Committee. After reading your comments it is very clear that being a volunteer you place your personal life up for judgment and your volunteer work is taken for granted."

Volunteers leave. Supporters leave. Sponsors leave. Members leave. Many of them go on and form their own organizations and groups and they continue to thrive. Some are so fed up with the garbage within the USCF and they quit.

But the same people who dragged this federation down for decades continue to hold on to their pseudo power and they will do everything possible to maintain the status quo. They have no idea what to do to make the federation better. However, they will stand in the way of the people who have proven that they can help make things better.

Some of these people told me the following back in 2003:

- The USCF cannot get girls to be interested to stay in chess.
- The U.S. women’s teams cannot win Olympiad medals. They have never done it.
- It is not possible to get large sponsorship.
- Chess cannot be promoted or marketed.
- College chess can never be big.

Prior to 2004, there was virtually no all-girls event. Today, many states run all-girls championships to send top players to the annual SP National Invitational for Girls. Some of our all-girls events draw a few hundred girls. We won not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 Olympiad medals in 2004 (2 Gold and 2 Silver) because of a program I created. Once I left the program thanks to Bill Goichberg, it went back to the no direction and no leadership mode. I came to Lubbock, Texas less than one year ago. Within this time, Paul and I are able to raise nearly $3 million in sponsorship and organized some of the most prestigious tournaments in U.S. history. I get more publicity and coverage for events and programs I am involved with / attend than the USCF. Last but not least, SPICE was created with multi-million dollar budget with long term commitment from TTU.

These are the facts. And instead of allowing us to turn around the USCF with our experience, connection, and expertise, Bill Goichberg and his entourage started to play political games from day one. They tried to block what I do and smear my name and reputation, even if it ended up costing the USCF money and sponsorship.

And where is the USCF today? Membership is down and we are losing money again for the 10th time in the last 12 years. But the USCF continues the pattern of under the table dealings, unethical business practices, and hiding the truth from USCF members. USCF insiders continue to get jobs, contracts, and other perks without an open bidding process.

It is absolutely ridiculous that the USCF only has 80,000 members when it is the official national chess federation in the United States. And this number continues to go down and there would be no USCF it it was not for the scholastic chess boom.

If these chess politicians would spend the same amount of time doing something productive for chess instead of wasting so much time on the stupid chess politics, the USCF would not be in this mess today.

Paul and I conducted a training course today for teachers in region 17 in Texas. Region 17 has 59 school districts in West Texas. Lubbock is one of the 59 districts and Lubbock ISD has around 55 schools alone! We did not have enough room to accommodate all the teachers who want to come and learn. Some even came from a thousand miles away just to learn.

In the years to come, there is a potential for thousands of new members in this one area alone. There are countless areas like this one across the USCF. But not even one single board member is focused on promoting chess or building the future membership other than Paul and me.

They cannot lead. They cannot do the job. They continue to fail. But they will not get out of the way to let others fix the USCF. This is where we are at.

Best wishes,
Susan Polgar