These are some of the things the USCF desperately needs:
– A Marketing and PR department: We cannot allow inexperience people to go out to meet and negotiate with potential sponsors and supporters, etc. This includes board members. They may be great people but they may not be the best choice to represent the USCF in this area. We lost too many potential sponsors because of this. We need people who know what they are doing to handle this delicate and important matter. When we have board members negotiating deals, we may end up with a “Natrol” fiasco again.
– A serious code of conducts by anyone who holds a position with the USCF: This includes board members, employees, delegates, committee members and chairs, etc. We cannot allow anyone that is affiliated with this organization to publicly insult grandmasters, sponsors, supporters, women and children, etc. We cannot allow public backstabbing and arguing back and forth. A glaring example is the open letter by a board member about the recent FIDE election. These people are an embarrassment to chess and the USCF and should be dealt with swiftly.
– More cooperation with reputable sponsors and supporters: We have to utilize the strength of every reputable sponsor and supporter to promote and enhance chess. The USCF has ruined the relationship with too many sponsors and supporters in the past. This has to stop. Personal ego and interest should be set aside for the sake of chess.
– More cooperation with top-level professional players to promote chess: Many children have their chess idols. Many of these idols are good role models to younger players. Many of these professionals are willing, ready and able to help the USCF for free. Other sports such as Tennis, Basketball, Football, Baseball, Golf, etc. are using their stars to promote their sports. They are and should be the faces of their sports. We should do the same with chess.
– More can be added
Susan,
When you have played a match for the women’s world championship, is it safe to assume the games were all played on the same one board, with the same set of pieces for each game?
If yes, then I am curious, what ever happened to that chess set?
I ask partly because I would think major chess matches would use a different board and set and clock for EVERY game, to generate artifacts that increase in value as part of chess history.
I think Jon C. recently paid approx $10,000 for a chess clock used by Capa & Alekhine in 1927 (I am guesstimating that dollar figure).
Kramnik & Topalov should use a different set in each of their games this October. At the very least I am sure they could sell the sets at a profit. Or the Chess Hall of Fame would love to have one of the sets donated.
This is an occasion where it would be best if the KN v. QN had slightly different markings (same for B and R). Even the bottom paddings on the pawns could be marked a-h, to increase what dealers call the “provenance” value of the set.
Thanks.
Gene Milener
http://CastleLong.com/
The organizer of that match has the set. However, I have sets and boards that were played by top GMs in events that I organized including the Mayor’s Cup.
There will be an auction for unique one of a kind chess items that were signed by the 6 players from the Mayor’s Cup and the NYC Sports Commissioner.
100% of the proceeds will go to the Susan Polgar Foundation to organize future events.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
Gene, by the way, I also donated a lot of stuff to the Chess Hall of Fame. I think it is a wonderful place and I fully support it!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
USCF should simply be abolished and a new organization created.
If its monopoloy on FIDE membership and ratings were loosened, we can let the free market decide.
Gene,
Selling such historical chess sets
/ clocks is a good idea, but :
the more such artifacts you
‘create’, the less their value is.
Or do you think Jon C. would have paid
that amount if they had used
20 different chess clocks back then.
So I would keep the numbers low and
the prices high.
Greetings, anonymous 😎
What was the Natrol fiasco?
“the more such artifacts you
‘create’, the less their value is.”
That’s not true. There are more people on Earth than before, the competition is much wider. Alekhine would never become a World Chess Champion today, too much competition.
What a great list.
you are so good.
I am so impressed.
finally things are making sense.
go for it. Susan.
David
I believe that if you have a series of boards and clocks then it increases the value not decrease it. the problem is that if there are too few then there is no collecting taking place.
look into the history of many collectiables. they were going for pennies and then suddenly everyone wanted them. this happened when a big group of the collectibles became available. usually as a collection.
old glass bottle is one such.
look at baseball. there are thousands of collectibles in the hands of the public. it only creates more demand. once a person gets one or a few collectibles he wants more and more.
I agree with Gene. make the sets individual and distinctive. that really pushes up the value. Then you have a big collector go out and photograph the elite chess sets and talk about the differences and write a book. voila the demand will be huge.
you want provenance and lots of it and then you want to write a book and go into bliss talking about it. how your heart thumps and misses beats when you see the provenance. Bingo you have a winner.
by the way. Great Observation Gene.