The battle line has been drawn

Even though I have no choice but to discuss about the upcoming critical USCF Executive Board election, the most important USCF election in a long time, I will try to post as little as possible on the main Susan Polgar blog.

The new twist is some of the USCF EB members want to stop the momentum of scholastic chess by taking away the opportunities for young players to earn hundreds of thousands worth of college scholarships.

This has been advertised by the USCF:

Annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls
7/29 - 8/3 2007
Crowne Plaza Philadelphia-Cherry Hill
2349 West Marlton Pike
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
1-800-227-6963 - $114 chess rate
Polgar Details & Rules

This is a USCF sanctioned national event which my foundation, the Susan Polgar Foundation, and I funded for the past 3 years as well as this year. We have awarded more than $200,000 in college scholarships (UTD), cash scholarships and many other chess prizes. This is an event that motivates girls from across the country to play and stay in chess. Thousands of girls compete in regional, state and national events to qualify for this prestigious event.

I had to fight tooth and nail just to get this event off the ground in the first place. Some people did not want to see all-girls events exist. But it did and it became the most successful all-girls tournament.

After I made a decision to save each parents at least $1,000 in lodging and meal starting from next year, some of the Executive Board member decided to retaliate. This is a motion that was made by one of the board members with no objection by the other board members:

"Accordingly, I make the following motion: Resolved that the "Polgar" tournament is no longer a USCF National event and that the Polgar Committee is hereby disbanded."

The level of destruction is simply incredible. Instead of helping the scholastic and college chess community, they want to hurt it. They are asking you to vote for them so they would have another 4 years of destruction.

It is up to you to decide if you want to grant these people 4 more years of the same direction or if you want to drastic positive and professional changes. If you are sick and tired of the same old pattern of destruction from the USCF chess politicians, I ask you to vote for the team of Mikhail Korenman, Paul Truong, Randy Bauer and me. We will work hard to build a better, stronger and sound USCF.

Thank you for your support.