Cheparinov edge out Adams by 1/2 point to win the Ruy Lopez tournament. Dominguez ran away with the title at the Capablanca Memorial tournament. Gelfand and Ivanchuk are leading Bazna.
There are only a few weeks left to vote in the USCF EB Election. Let your voice be heard. Together, we can end the decades long corruption and start to put chess in the right direction. Together, we can stop the frivolous spending of USCF members’ money and incompetence of the management. It’s time for all members to unite for the good of chess.
It’s Saturday Open Forum. The forum is yours. What would you like to discuss?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
How can we keep all these great scholastic players playing chess as adults? And, how can we fix the USCF to make it more relevant, modern and not bankrupt?
Also, recent open tourneys that I have been to have not been well-attended… could just be a fluke.
Joshua,
This is the problem that the USCF faced for a long time. The only solution is to give these youngsters the incentive to continue. That is why my foundation have partnered up with multiple universities, including Texas Tech, to award over $1,000,000 in chess scholarships in the past few years.
This is also why I awarded incredible prizes at all of my events instead of milking the kids out of big money just for trophies.
Unfortunately, we have board members who care more about their personal and political agenda instead of promoting chess positively or putting the best interest of the USCF first.
The only way to fix many of these problems is to throw all the corrupt chess politicians out of the management positions and bring in the real professionals who care about doing the right thing for our game.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
EB members Bill Goichberg, Randay Hough, and their buddy Jerry Hanken were caught red handed in a bribery scheme last year. Jim Berry, Bill Hall, Goichberg’s EB candidates Ruth Haring and Mike Atkins are trying to hide this illegal conduct. This is the kind of corruption chess doesn’t need. Throw Goichberg, Berry, Atkins and Haring out of this election.
The only honest, highly qualified, and non-political candidates are Dr. Eric Hecht, Dr. Mikhail Korenman and IM Blas Lugo.
USCF President Bill Goichberg kept on denying that he was in anyway involved in a bribery scheme last July / August. It is unfair to have this issue hanging over his head, especially during an important election. Therefore, I proposed for Mr. Goichberg to deny the charges under oath. He refused. He also refused to resign. He instead illegally spent over $600,000 of USCF members’ money to go after his political opponents.
He also illegally used USCF members’ money to pay for the legal fees of his own personal company Continental Chess Association. He illegally used USCF mailing list, Chess Life, and the USCF website for his own political agenda. Despicable!
He has no right to do this. It’s unethical. But his running mates Jim Berry, Mike Atkins and Ruth Haring have no problem with this kind of corruption. They even publicly endorsed his action. Unbelievable!
Wimbledon Predictions?
6 US Champions (GM Lev Alburt, GM Dlugy, GM Seirawan, GM Evans, GM Onischuk, GM Shulman) all have the same opinion about the USCF and the deep corruption that went on for 30-40 years.
Lev Alburt was the first grandmaster elected to the seven member USCF board of directors and soon became the odd man out. In this exclusive interview he pierces the veil of secrecy and begins naming names.
After defecting from the USSR in 1979 he settled in Manhattan, married, and quickly became a fixture in American chess. After capturing our nation’s highest title three times, he retired from tournaments to write books and give lessons.
Interview with GM Lev Alburt
Evans: Lev, it’s hard to believe that people who are supposed to promote chess in America are actually holding back its growth.
Alburt: I couldn’t believe it myself. But I learned that everyone in the business office and above all members of the board were interested primarily in doing almost nothing. Nothing real. Nothing to promote chess. When I get together with Allen Kaufman or Jimmy Sherwin of the American Chess Foundation we usually discuss ways to promote growth and emulate the success of England, which sprang from nowhere to one of the top nations.
Evans: Didn’t the board discuss these things?
Alburt: No. I was extremely surprised that such topics were never addressed. Never, ever.
Evans: What was their goal?
Alburt: Let me continue. Even when we went to a restaurant I always expected them to bring up the subject of what can be done to make chess grow. But always the topics during our sessions was who should run for the board next year, who should be awarded national tournaments, or how to avoid being attacked by critics.
Evans: Well, what did they get out of serving on the board?
Alburt: Perks, of course. Free trips, and so forth. Some old timers look upon the federation as their toy, their plaything. They hang around people they chummed with for years. They love to give each other awards. When I left they offered me a Certificate of Service, but I said I wasn’t interested in such things.
Evans: The board voted to ban tape recorders from open sessions but had to back down when Friends of the USCF blasted them in its newsletter. Isn’t the board spending more and more time in closed session anyway?
Alburt: They discuss a lot of things in private which to my mind don’t belong in closed session. They often use these sessions as an excuse to say nasty things they would not dare to repeat in public. Sometimes they knock people I respect and I challenge them to produce evidence or shut up.
Evans: So didn’t they become more careful around you?
Alburt: To some extent I think I spoiled the good feeling they shared together—the feeling that the less anyone outside knows, the better. When someone new was elected to the board, they immediately closed ranks and developed a bond. Even reform candidates wanted to become one of the boys as soon as they were elected.
This is why I agree with GM Polgar. We must get rid of people like Goichberg and his supporting cast like Jim Berry, Bill Hall, Ruth Haring and Mike Atkins. Otherwise, things will never get better.
Mainz is coming. I guess Aronian has a real chance to win the rapid world championship over Vishy. Both are extraordinary players, but once the youth must come to the titles!
What is your opinion, suasan?
okay
Fisher took his strength by hating, Karpov by the fantastic training methodes of the soviet union. The talents were equal, so it is clear: Karpov would have won.
okay
@Member since… Could you please give a reference for that interview. Very interesting.
(from This Crazy World of Chess by Larry Evans, p.129)
“(from This Crazy World of Chess by Larry Evans, p.129)”
Dr. Inness! Welcome to the blog!
Only one “s” in Innes.
Thank you.
Goichberg and his gang should be criminally prosecuted and be banned from chess instead of running the USCF to the ground. He’s an ego maniac who abused his position and power to go after everyone who disagrees with him.
From these comments I conclude USCF is a sick and criminal organizaton? How is that possible to happen in the most lawful countryin the world??
Susan–
I see that you are only voting for three candidates but a fourth candidate will be elected whether we like it or not. Which one of the remaining seven (Lafferty dropped out) is the least evil? You and Paul will have to serve with one of these seven. Which one is the least evil? (Nietman?) I would like to use my fourth vote effectively.