I attended the following USCF meetings / workshops today:
– Denker Committee (The Denker event will change the time control to G/90 with 30 seconds increment next year. In addition, the event will also be reduced to 4 days and 3 nights. The proposal is day 1 / 1 game, day 2 and 3 / 2 games each, day 4 / 1 game. This will be in effect next year in Dallas.)
– Polgar Committee (Official announcement that the Polgar event will take place next year in Lubbock, Texas at Texas Tech University. The winner of the Polgar will receive a full 4 year scholarship in addition to a state of the art laptop. There will be additional prizes. This year, the Polgar event offers an additional $80,000+ in prizes and scholarships in addition to the full scholarship by TTU.)
– College Chess Committee (Announcement that the College Chess Committee has unanimously accepted my proposal of having different divisions in competition. There will now be college championships for Division I 2200 and above, II 2000-2199, III 1800-1999 and IV under 1800. I presented SPICE to the College Chess Committee. The age limit for graduate students have been increased to 30 years old. Last year, there were 58 universities played in College Chess events with a total of 81 teams. An average of 450 university contacts were emailed about the tournaments. There are 225 university clubs.)
– Outreach (Many discussions about getting chess out there to various communities. Myron and Rachel Lieberman will release all the details shortly.)
– Scholastic Committee (Discussions about World Youth and Pan Am. Money issues were also discussed as well as various rules and regulations. Brownsville is bidding for the 2008 National Youth Actions, etc.)
I also gave a lecture for the Polgar participants and their parents, followed by organizing the SP Bughouse tournament. The Chief TD for the Bughouse tournament was Paul Truong.
wow! great! what is a “Bughouse event”?
Will Correspondence Chess issues, such as the past and present toleration of computer assistance to generate one’s moves be addressed at some point?
There are many CC players in the US. Please, can you let us know what the new board might do to address the issue of CC the past toleration of computer cheating?
I know there is much work to be done. This might not be a big priority. But, at some point within the next 4 years, would the new Board at least look into this matter and let the record of CC cheating using computers during games to choos one’s moves (upon analyzing them with Fritz or Rypka) and champions, at the very least be discussed?
I think it’s fair to respectfully request that this issue be carefully investigated at some point during the next four years. There are so many things to be fixed within the USCF.
Yet, all that has to be done with the USCF’s CC Department is to ensure that the rules already in place regarding no computer assistance simply be enforced. Nothing new need be added. Just be sure that the current rules are respected and enforced.
I cannot emphasize enough, for this form of chess is so dear to my life, how much it means to so many people. Not everyone is physically able to travel or participate in an OTB tournament. For example, my grandfather was a correspondence chess player well into his 80’s. He was living in a nursing home and could not travel.
Yet, looking forward to receiving a chess postcard each day gave him something to wake up for, despite having a serious illness. He loved the game and CC was the only way he could play.
Yet, by the late 90’s (he passed away in 2001) he was increasingly disapointed that CC was becoming not “human vs human” but “computer vs computer.”
After playing chess for 71 years, he quit. Despite his physical weaknesses, his mind was quite shart.
It saddens me that so many have given up on correspondence chess due to no one willing to take a stand and admit that the USCF’s CC Department has a major cheating problem that is tolerated.
Please, at some point during the next four years, remember the correspondence chess players. We deserve a chance at fair play. We pay our USCF dues and many are just wanting an honest game.
Thank you.
On a final note, I’m in full support of the new Exec. Board!:) We needed change and I’m hopeful for the future of American chess.
I have put several posts here recently about correspondence chess and the USCF’s toleration of cheating in the CC dept. Yet, I’ve not even received a response from other chess players.
It is so disheartening. But, I shall never give up until the USCF’s Correspondence Chess Dept. enforces the rules already in existence.
GM Polgar, you have always been one to stand up for what you think is right, to stand firm in your beliefs against all odds. I’m fighting an uphill battle in my attempt to let the public know rampant cheating is within the USCF’s CC dept.
The only excuse I’ve ever received in response to queries is “how can you prove someone cheated?” It’s the same as presuming someone cheating in an OTB tournament. If their moves match a computer’s moves more than, for example, 95% then that’s pretty good odds that the rules already on the books have been broken but not enforced.
Please respect my concerns for they aren’t just mine but many others share the same opinions and have switched to other CC organizations (www.gameknot.com, CCLA, etc) that actually do enforce their policies against the use of computers to choose one’s moves. I only desire to bring honesty and integrity back to this wonderful method of playing chess.
I know you are so very busy. Yet, is there any way you could write just a few words in response to my posts to give the many CC players a glimmer of hope that the rules will truly be enforced?
I apologize for such a long message.
Please, let us know what your opinion is on this matter.
Thank you so very much for considering this. I sincerely hope you do have a few words of hope for all the CC fans.
“Seneca”
I will not take the position until toward the end of the delegates meeting. I promise that I will do all I can to help.
Please understand that I do not have the votes to change anything right now. Chess politicians are roaming everywhere making deals instead of focusing on the issues.
Please ask whoever in charge of correspondence chess to introduce himself/herself to me. I will be in Cherry Hill until Monday.
Thank you.
Susan Polgar
Dear GM Polgar,
Thank you for your kind response. With so many important issues to deal with, I thank you (along with many other CC players) for any assistance regarding this issue.
The person in charge of the USCF’s Correspondence Chess Department is Mr. Alex Dunne. His contact information is on the USCF’s website. It states:
“Correspondence Chess Director Alex Dunne handles the day-to-day tasks related to Correspondence Chess for the USCF…for all matters related to Correspondence Chess please contact Alex Dunne, P.O. Box 367, Sayre, PA 18840. Email:
chesskinetics@stny.rr.com
A message will be sent to him to contact you.
I hope he will get in touch with you. But, since I’m just a mere player my message could very well be ignored. All previous letters/Emails to him regarding this issue have been ignored.
But, in time, when things settle down a bit, maybe this issue can be discussed within USCF circles.
Thank you and your election is a wonderful gift to American chess.
Best of luck.
Is cheating at CC really an issue? I think most players involved in CC are stadnup individuals who have been playing for many years. Shut ins, elderly and convicts, who rather have a clean game of chess than quick glory of cheating. I hope CC issues are addressed by the new board, bring this great pasttime to light, but Im not sure cheating is an issue.
The USCF’s CC dept’s reputation for tolerating cheating is well-known and hurts the reputation of the USCF, overall.
All you have to do to see the proof of cheating with computers is take any game from virtually any winner of a USCF sponsored CC event, analyze it with Rybka, Fritz, or other such programs and see the results for yourself.
The only excuse given by the USCF is “we can’t prove cheating.” Really? ICC certainly can detect those who attempt to use computers.
It would be different if computers were allowed, such as in the ICCF. Yet, the rules specifically state that computers are not to be used to generate your moves.
The big problem I see is that the majority of chess players don’t see correspondence chess as “real” chess…which is simply not true. CC has a long and respected history with many outstanding games and matches.
It’s complete folly to say cheating can’t be detected in CC play. It’s time for a new USCF CC Director. Or, at least, a committee to oversee the CC dept. as there are thousands of CC players in the U.S. With that many players, having an “oversight committee” to monitor major CC tournaments, isn’t too much to ask…Someone who will enforce the rules already on the books.
To me, that isn’t too much to ask, either.
Either change the current rules to allow computer usage or enforce the current anti-computer rule.
Pretty simple.