I am heading to Budapest, Hungary, with a group of chess enthusiasts this afternoon. It will be a week of incredible chess and cultural experience. One of the first events on the agenda is a historic Polgar sisters 100 board simul. We did an event together in Las Vegas a few years ago but it has been over a decade since we have done any project together in Budapest.
I will also have an opportunity to talk about SPICE, something that I am very proud of. I expect SPICE to change the future of chess in many ways. I will update you with many wonderful activities and news from Hungary.
I would also like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who sent me encouragement email and messages for the upcoming USCF Executive Board election. It does mean a lot to me. I have to say that it has been an eye opening experience so far. I could never imagine the extent some of the chess politicians (even from the top) are willing to go to protect their turf.
Some people can completely mislead the USCF members without blinking an eye. The sad part is when they misinform the members long enough, they would eventually believe in their own propaganda. It is like following the National Enquirer. This is the most disappointing part so far. People I thought were my friends basically stabbed me from the back for their own political agenda instead of putting the best interest of the USCF first.
Will the USCF die? Probably not! After all, chess players will continue to play chess no matter what. But will this federation grow properly with the current way of conducting business? Absolutely not! There is no chance for this unless drastic changes and improvements are made.
I am not sure if some people want to remember this but not long ago, the USCF used to basically have a monopoly in Books and Equipments sales as well as the rating system. A few years ago, the B&E got so bad that it was outsourced to ChessCafe. There was a time when items were shipped out a week or two and sometimes even a month later when other vendors can get things out the door on the same day or the next day.
The USCF used to be the King of the hill in ratings. Today, that is no longer the case. There is serious competition from FIDE and other chess organizations. While it may not sink the USCF, it does take away a big chunk of our business.
There are more kids playing organized chess in New York, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Portland, Washington and many other areas who are NOT USCF members than there are kids in this federation. Why? Because the USCF cannot offer them what they need and they do not feel that they get what they pay for.
So what is the point? We must improve or we will continue to sink. We must also work with everyone for the best interest of our sport. This is not the time or place for chess politics.
Many of our board members are out of touch and out of tune with the majority of the chess playing community. Instead of reaching out and working with everyone for the best interest of the game, our leaders play politics. They are fallen asleep behind the USCF wheels. The NBA, NFL, MBL, PGA, NASCAR and Tennis positively promote their sports just about every single day. Why not the USCF? Are we better than all of them?
The USCF is clueless when it comes to proper chess promotion, marketing and PR. We have the best ever person (Paul Truong) in this field willing, ready and able to help the USCF for FREE. Instead of seeking help, some of our leaders refused to damage their ego by admitting that they need help. And when he did it on his own, they went out of their way to attack, insult and attempt to damage his reputation because he makes things happen while they cannot and he makes them look quite incompetent.
The same goes with Mikhail Korenman and Randy Bauer. Both of these men would be incredible assets to the USCF but both were badly defeated in the last election because they could not withstand the political machine of the long time politicians. No individual can fight this destructive USCF political machine alone.
This is why changes are needed and we need to work as a team to combat these problems. Many aspects of our membership such as adult, professional, college, correspondence, military and scholastic chess need a lot of help. The future of the USCF is in your hands. You can keep this federation the way it is or you can change it for the better with your votes.
Paul Truong is one of the best chess marketing, promotion and PR persons ever. He can bring chess to the next level and create many additional sources of revenues. Mikhail Korenman has done things that no one can. He raised nearly $300,000 for chess through grants and he organized major chess events for scholastic, college, adult and professional players. He can help unite various membership groups and help increase the memberships. Randy Bauer has an incredible background in budgeting and finance. He can help stabilize the finance of the USCF.
I highly recommend the three of them. They are not the only qualified candidates but they are what this federation needs the most RIGHT NOW. Please vote and thank you for your support.
I wish I could join you in Budapest. Good luck with the election. The USCF needs it.
I voted for your whole team. Thanks for helping!
We wish we were going on the trip. Have a safe flight and a great time in Budapest. We are pulling for you and your team.
Susan, I just got some stamps and dropped my ballot in the mail. I voted for your recommended team. Keep up the good work.
Marc Partsch USCF # 12493332
You know it is funny. In defending Bill Goichberg everyone says, “Look at his record…” “In the PAST Bill Goichberg has done this and that.” “Bill Goichberg HAS BEEN great at this and that.” There is a commonality in the Bill Goichberg defense and it sums up everything about him and his team…HAS BEEN. I hear next to nothing about CURRENT. There was that post about some $80,000+ surplus this year, funny how it has just come out. If it is true, why is it coming to light just now? Political timing? I think possibly. The fact is, $80,000 sounds good, the question is if not for the incompetencies that run wild within the current USCF set up, how much higher would that surplus have been? Based on FACTS stated by Susan I am thinking had certain parties been a little more “with it” maybe another zero could have been tagged on to that figure, if it is in fact a fact and not fiction.
Remember get the facts out and vote. You all know how the best and brightest are in this election.
Susan, have fun in Budapest, it’s a wonderful place, but I suppose you know that even better than me ;).
In the 1960’s before the Fischer boom, the USCF got along ok with just 3000 members or so (of course they were more serious players than the typical USCF member of today). And its administrative expenses for processing things like ratings were inherently higher because it didn’t have computers back then.
So why is the USCF having problems today, with something like 25x as many members and 25x as much revenue (adjusted for inflation)?
Your team is the most competent group in this election. The current board members are either clueless or they don’t give a damn.
Great write up Susan.
This election means a lot to me that you and your team are elected. It means so much to me because I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of the USCF. I demand change. You are the only one who can do it and only if you have the votes of your team members. NO ONE can do it alone.
Where do you read a post about an $80,000 profit. On the USCF Forums the OFFICIAL best estimate was announced Tuesday June 19 as a $57,915 LOSS by Executive Director Bill Hall. This is not an anonymous poster saying it is a profit. This is the top man at uscf, the Executive Director announcing these figures as the present official numbers. They might change after the auditors go over them.
It has been all to easy for Bill Goichberg and others before him to strip the USCF of all of its wealth by giving projects to his friends and getting nothing in return for the money spent.
So far the number of votes received is only about 2,500 out of 40,000 possible. So make sure your friends get those ballots filled out correctly and mailed back in today.
My daughter was so surprised that I was so anxious to get to the post office to mail the ballot. She thought I could wait to next day and I kept saying. NO IT HAS TO GO IMMEDIATELY. This my vote for Susan Polgar, this is really important. And Immediately it went.
I voted for Korenman, Bauer and Truong. Then after some thought I voted for Susan. ( I am such a fanatic for Susan that I just said that to get a little humor. )
Have a great trip Susan. I hope you come back to the news that your entire team won the election by a landslide.
I cant vote since I havent received my uscf mag
Goichberg, Channing and Schultz are 3 of the most incompetent leaders in the USCF. Just look at how they handled the USCF forums. It’s like the 3 clueless people wondering what they should do.
Forget about Goichberg. He’s easy to handle. Just don’t attend any CCA event and he’s done. He doesn’t care about the USCF. He only cares about his pocket and Schultz is helping him do this. Schultz even suggested for the USCF to buy CCA for $1.5 million. What great friends!
Anonymous said…
I cant vote since I havent received my uscf mag
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On the USCF site it says: “Voting members who have not received a ballot by June 25th should contact Pat Knight at the USCF office to request a replacement ballot.”
–Duncan
goodluck in election my votes r in for ur team have safe wonderful trip we will miss u here in states please say hi to judit for me as well as paul hope judit wins biel dont stop dont give up ur hard wrk wiii pay off for ur success n for all who love n care about chess goodluck b well
Susan, you said, “Paul Truong is one of the best chess marketing, promotion and PR persons ever. He can bring chess to the next level and create many additional sources of revenues.”
Why does Paul need to be on the USCF Executive Board in order to continue his work?
Thanks in advance,
David Forthoffer
I voted for your whole team. I have encouraged others to do so as well. I also enjoyed your camp in Las Vegas. Good Luck in Hungary and also in the USCF election.
This is my first time I ever vote and it will be for Susan’s Team!
I wish I could be on your Budapest trip! Have a great time and maybe next time I shall be able to make it , if not I will travel to NYC and visit your chess store.
David,
Perhaps it is best if I answer it. I do not need to be on the board to do chess marketing, promotion and PR. But it will not be for the USCF. It will be with SPICE and the Susan Polgar Foundation. While this board acknowledged many times that I am good at what I do, they have never asked me to help. I cannot do it without the consent of the USCF.
Best regards,
Paul
There’s a new member of the “can’t play chess very well but have loads of free time to badmouth a Grandmaster who has published several books, organized many tournaments, coaches several up and coming players and devotes 15 to 20 hours a day to chess” club at the USCF issues forum. Name is Brenan. At first, I wondered whether it was Brennan Lee, who is a 5th grader from Arizona with a USCF rating of 1784. No. It’s Brenan Nierman, a considerably older fellow with a USCF rating of 1316. There is something warped about the USCF issues forum. That Goichberg, Schultz, et al. sit around and let a bunch of “grown up” men who haven’t done much of anything for chess in this country badmouth and ridicule the only woman GM in the US is outrageous.
Susan wrote: {There are more kids playing organized chess in New York, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Portland, Washington and many other areas who are NOT USCF members than there are kids in this federation.}
True, but I believe that is true for every sport.
For instance, most tennis players do not join the USTA, even tho it offers rankings deriveable from sanctioned local amateur tournaments.
GeneM
Letter to Bill Goichberg:
I was really put off by the printed response by Herbert Rodney Vaughn from the USCF issues forum on your site (Checkmate). This is no better than what you accuse Susan of….unsubstantiated statements. Who and what is he (Vaughn)referring to? I’m sure I am typical of many chess players and readers who view these sort of transparent, smears as nonsense that only serves to lower the stature of the publishers of these types of things.
Robert Mitchell
USCF member
Miami