What are the most important USCF chess issues to you?
* Tournaments Chess
* Scholastic Chess
* Chess Life Magazine
* USCF Website
* College Chess
* Internet Chess
* Anti-Cheating
* USCF Membership Dues
* USCF Ratings
* Other
Click http://poll.pollcode.com/OAg or here to vote!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Wow, the popularization suggestion is just great. It is also on always on the top of my mind. The question is: what are the strategies we can employ to do this?
Rdgs M.
PS: I wish the anonymous people would sign off with some name (mybe even fictitios). This will make it easy for others to refer to their comments. Of coarse, we trust, tere wil be no plagiarism!
“Anti-Cheating”: i suggest a proper (formal) review of the anti-cheating detection means. I have some doubts to the method of saying “the moves match 80% of those suggested by a program”. If this is true, then we will all have to agree that Kramnik is a cheat!
Rgds M.
All of the above!
>>”Anti-Cheating”: i suggest a proper (formal) review of the anti-cheating detection means. I have some doubts to the method of saying “the moves match 80% of those suggested by a program”. If this is true, then we will all have to agree that Kramnik is a cheat!>>
And everyone else as well. But false accusations are much more damaging now. People got jealous of Topalov’s play and started accusing him of cheating with no real evidence. Rather than take the high road, he decided to play tit for tat and launch his own baseless accusations even louder than theirs. Pretty soon, anyone who loses will start saying anything he wants and anyone who wins big will be accused, and the game will have no credibility left. All this is against the ethics rules, of course, but if they aren’t enforced, what good are they?
Promoting chess as not being nerdy is almost as difficult as trying to create a professional Dungeons and Dragons League. I just don’t see chess ever losing the nerd image. 🙂
I don’t mind and even enjoy the “nerd” image of chess. It’s nice to see that movies have the evil person as some chess master (the recent 007). It makes me a ?dangerous nerd? ??
Regardless, I just want to be better and be a good influence for others to play well. I like to practice and want to improve my skills for myself and so when I teach others the sport I can understand better how to teach.
I am a USCF member mainly to be able to play in and get a rating in OTB tournaments- which are the heart and soul of chess for me. The magazine is a nice perk as well. Its new look and format works for me.
I voted other because I want to see professionalism in chess. I want to see the top players earn big money playing chess. I want to see good players make a good living playing chess. I want to see good sponsors in chess.
For me personally I dont need anything. I play mostly on internet and I am a life member so I am all set. I just love chess. And for sure I want Susan and her entire team to be elected. We need Susan to get this chess off the ground and rolling along real well.
well really
It is much more likely Kramnik will match 80% than some 1200 level player will match the computer 80%.
Dont forget that leaves 20% difference.
I think it is not the percent of match but the quality of match. There are certain times when picking can be very difficult or the move chosen by the computer is a bit off the wall and the person is the same off the wall. some moves are obvious even the 1200 player would play them. they do not count. It is the match up on the tricky moves that raises a flag.
This poll is misleading because most respondents are probably USCF members, a tiny and dying group compared to the bigger population of chessplayers in the US. I answered but I quit the USCF over 10 years ago. Why not run another poll aimed specifically at non-members? Those are the ones who the USCF needs to attract if it’s to have any hope of expanding its membership.
Chess is “Nerdy”, hence it cannot be popular is not the point. It is implying intellectual persuits are nerdy and can never be popular. IMO, a large section of people admire and respect intelligent people. The question is how to tap the intellectual cravings of people affectively and promote chess as the coolest intelligent thing to do.
Rgds M.
I voted “Internet Chess” as that is where I play most of my games. Living in the middle of Nebraska, there is not a lot of opportunity to get in rated games every week. I realise that this is no fault of the USCF. But an internet rating system and organization sure would be nice for a lot of us people in the middle of nowhere!
I also think scholastic chess is very important. This would be the future of the USCF, and if there needs aren’t addressed, they won’t even think of joining.
BTW, I am not a USCF member, but I am considering a family membership, as we host the second largest tournament in the state in our humble little town, and it would be a great family event. So I guess dues are an issue too, as $65 seems steep for myself and two sons for one (easy access) tournament (and I think $12 for the state card).
IMHO the most important USCF issues are:
1. Increasing general chess interest in the US.
2. Growing adult membership in the USCF. (young adults and women in particular)
3. Commitment to excellence. (There always seems to operational, leadership, marketing, ethics, transparency, or financial problems at the USCF)
4. Increasing local chess participation. (coffee houses, tournaments, schools, corporate matches, etc.)
4. Increasing local chess participation. (parks, coffee houses, tournaments, schools, corporate matches, etc.)