An Open Letter from Mikhail Korenman & Bill Goichberg

Mikhail is pictured above with former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev

The open letters below were published on the USCF website:

Mikhail “Misha” Korenman is a very humble, reserve and quiet man. However, he loves chess and has organized many spectacular events in America, including 2 battle of the gender matches between 7-time World Champion Karpov and winner of 4 Women’s World Championships Susan Polgar, Chess for Peace with former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev and Chess for Peace Russia tour, etc. He transformed Lindsborg, Kansas, a quiet Midwestern small town into a chess Mecca.

Misha is also known as a man with high moral and integrity. He is well respected in the chess community. When he speaks, people often listen to his wise words. But it usually takes a lot for him to voice his opinion publicly. Recently, a board member of the USCF Executive Board did something which he felt was unethical and in very poor taste. He thinks it is wrong for a USCF official to play both sides of the fences for personal gains while receiving monetary support from USCF.

May 21, 2006

To Beatriz Marinello the USCF Executive Board members:

Beatriz,

You and I have something in common. We were both born and grew up in a different country and then immigrated to the United States. I was looking to America as a country of freedom and opportunity. I wanted my kids to grow up to understand democracy, be well educated, and be successful in their life. I hope I would be too.

Both Russia and Chile are different from the United States. Both countries have good features, but have been misruled by dictators in the recent past. Not knowing your home county well enough to say more about it, I can only say that a big difference between the United States and Russia is that people in the US, in most cases, are following the law. That makes this country strong. Not everyone agrees with all the rules, nor do I, but most of us agree that it is a good thing for society that our rules are generally obeyed.

This is how it has worked from generation to generation. And this doesn’t mean we can’t object to the way things work – we can argue, criticize our government, support new legislation, demonstrate in the streets, boycott, etc.

However, if one is not willing to support our government’s policy, he or she should not expect or demand from that same government an appointment to a position as its representative. The US Ambassador to the UN supports the policies of the US government, not his or her own views. Likewise, in non-profit associations such as USCF, we have the freedom of speech to disagree with the group’s policies, but should not do so while also pushing for appointment as a representative of the group and the payment of expenses to attend meetings.

A fundamental rule in our country, in government, business, and non-profit associations, is that the minority of the group must accept the decision of the majority. If this was not the case, America would not be as great as it is now.

With your recent open letter, which is now being used by the Ilyumzhinov campaign to help its efforts to defeat the candidate endorsed by USCF, you clearly violated the above principles. We all respect your right to have a personal opinion of the FIDE election. But as an Executive Board member, when you decided you could not support the candidate unanimously endorsed by the Executive Board (including yourself), you should have offered to withdraw your candidacy for the FIDE position for which the Board had endorsed you. Instead you are appealing to other nations in FIDE to overrule the decision of your own federation. This is very improper.

I believe that you should immediately resign from the USCF Executive Board. Then you will be free to appropriately express your personal opinions about FIDE anywhere you wish.

Thank you and good luck with your personal chess achievements.

Mikhail Korenman

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Shortly later, the following open letter was issued by FM Bill Goichberg, President of the USCF:

This email was sent May 21 to the Ilyumzhinov campaign.

To ChessFidelity:

The United States Chess Federation strongly objects to unethical campaigning and interference in its internal affairs by the campaign of FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

USCF has five Executive Board members who manage the affairs of the Federation between annual meetings of the Board of Delegates. They are as follows:

– Bill Goichberg, President
– Don Schultz, Vice President
– Joel Channing, Vice President for Finance
– Robert Tanner, Secretary
– Beatriz Marinello, Member at Large

On Jan. 31, 2006, our Executive Board, including Beatriz Marinello, voted unanimously to endorse the candidacy of Bessel Kok for FIDE President.

On May 12, 2006, Beatriz Marinello posted an “open letter” on the internet. In this post she said, “I recently stated that no matter who won the FIDE presidential election, I would work with them for the betterment of chess. That statement did not sit well with the more fanatical Kok supporters on the U.S. Chess Federation, who demanded that I retract it. Unless I did so, they threatened punitive actions.”

The USCF Executive Board considers the above claim by Beatriz Marinello to be grossly incorrect. No member of our Board has ever objected to working with the winner of the FIDE election and indeed, when Beatriz Marinello expressed concern about this in Board discussion, the only opinions expressed by other Board members on this topic were that we will work with the winner of the FIDE election.

About May 17, the campaign website of FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, chessfidelity.com, posted the open letter by Beatriz Marinello, adding a headline, “Scandal in the US Chess Federation.” For the President of FIDE to declare that a scandal exists in a member federation is inappropriate to begin with, and to do so based on a statement by one member of a five person Executive Board, without considering or reporting the views of the entire Board, is truly outrageous.

The United States Chess Federation requests that chessfidelity.com post a retraction of its “Scandal in the US Chess Federation” post. This retraction should include the following points:

1. Beatriz Marinello is one member of the five person USCF Executive Board, and all other members of the Board believe that her “open letter” is substantially inaccurate.
2. It is inappropriate for the President of FIDE or his representatives to take sides in an internal dispute of a member federation.
3. There is no evidence of a scandal in the US Chess Federation, and chessfidelity apologizes for suggesting otherwise.

Bill Goichberg (President, US Chess Federation)