USCF Special Elections for Executive Board - Unintended Consequences

Hola!

If you don't follow USCF politics, you can skip this post.  I almost did :)

Generally, I don't give a hoot about chess politics.  Every now and then when an interesting article comes along about chess politics elsewhere, I will post it here.  I also did some posting back in 2007 when GM Susan Polgar and several other candidates were running for seats on the USCF's Executive Board.  They sort of function as a Board of Directors in the day-to-day running of the Federation's business, and once a year it is fairly routine that delegates elected by member state chess organizations and sent to the annual meeting (I believe it is usually held in conjunction with the U.S. Open) by vote ratify the Executive Board's actions for the prior 12 months. 

I like Susan Polgar. I admire her accomplishments as a chessplayer and as a woman playing chess - following the dudes' rules - at a time when it just was not kosher to do so. Her example as a female playing chess at the same level as men against them in the events they played in, inspired many female chessplayers, and she paved the way for the others who came after her. 

I think that GM Polgar has done a lot to promote chess among women all around the world, and particularly here in the USA since she settled here and became a U.S. citizen.  Now her playing days are behind her, but she put a cap on an illustrious chessplaying career by earning a Women's Team silver for the USA Women's Team and an Individual Gold medal for her performance on Board 1 at the 2004 Chess Olympiad.  This was an outstanding moment in the annals of U.S. chess history.

GM Susan Polgar has moved on to other things, most notably, becoming an organizer of national tournaments and the Director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.  In a few short years SPICE has built a collegiate chess team to be reckoned with and has established and held prestigious invitational tournaments, some of which have provided American chessplayers with the opportunity to earn coveted GM norms. 

Susan Polgar has always been gracious and helpful when I have turned to her for assistance in doing our own modest chess promotions for Goddesschess.  We sponsor prizes, etc. for female chessplayers in three or four tournaments a year, as well as sponsoring a special prize since 2007 in the U.S. Women's Chess Championship.

I suspect GM Polgar gets multitudes of requests for assistance from people just like me every day, but she has always answered any email I sent to her and she has always come through when I have made a request of her - and even when I did not make a request of her.   In November, 2009, SP donated 28 copies of her own software that teaches beginners (geared toward children) how to play chess.  I did not ask her for this generous donation - she read a last minute online plea that I made on behalf of Computer Labs for Kids that is run by my friend and fellow chessplayer, Shira Evans.  GM Polgar contacted me and donated what was needed with no questions asked.  I can say, based on information I have received since, that the chess program GM Polgar donated to that November, 2009 computer lab (for 28 kids in foster care in Chicago) had an impact - one that will probably be years in the making and we may see unexpected results long since, the impact that learning chess using GM Polgar's chess software program made on these kids.

Back in 2007, I supported Susan Polgar and the other candidates that she recommended to be elected to seats on the USCF Executive Board.  Chess politics at the national level of chess in the US have been disfunctional for many many years - longer than I've became interested in chess as an avocation (1999).  For the most part this disfunctionality has not affected the rank and file members, who play in events in their neighborhoods and states, under the auspices of their state chess associations.  Most members don't pay attention to the trials and tribulations of the chess politicians.  They just want to play chess, get their games rated in a timely manner, and get their magazine with chess news on a fairly current basis -- either in print or on line.  A whole horde more of chessplayers do not even belong to the USCF, because they don't care to play in officially rated tournaments; they play casually, either in clubs or at the local coffee shop, library or restaurant, and perhaps they belong to a club, but usually not. 

I believed then that Susan Polgar and the candidates that she endorsed could have a positive impact on how the USCF functioned as an organization.  I was naive.  My optimistic expectations were proved wrong, but I do not hold this against Susan Polgar or her husband, Paul Truong, who was also elected to a seat on the USCF Executive Board.  Suffice to say that for most of our blog fans, a recitation of blow by blow or even a general overview of the somewhat convoluted events that followed and the litigation (law suits) that resulted  would be totally B-O-R-I-N-G!  For those who are caught up in the tale of that litigation, they will go to their graves still nattering about it.  For everyone else they say "chess?  Who gives a ff?," shrug their shoulders and move on. 

As part of the entire process that evolved with the litigation, the members of the USCF Executive Board, minus the votes of Susan Polgar and Paul Truong, in 2009 stripped GM Polgar and Mr. Truong of their USCF membership status, and thereby declared that they could no longer serve as duly-elected Executive Board members since they were no longer USCF members.

How revoking the USCF memberships of GM Polgar and Mr. Truong in 2009 could possibly affect the fact that both GM Polgar and Mr. Truong were legally USCF members in 2007 and legally elected back then to serve four-year terms as Executive Board members could, two years later, void the election results is totally beyond me.  Hmmm...  It just doesn't sound fair, does it? 

Regardless of what I thought or think of the litigation and the actions of the USCF in attempting to void the results of a legal election of people to the USCF Executive Board, most everything in the various law suits (combined into one giant-size law suit in a Federal District Court) was settled a few days ago, an Order was signed and various claims and causes of action were dismissed with prejudice.  That means, generally, that any claim that someone in the settlement might otherwise be able to bring against another person or entity in the settlement related to the facts underlying the original case (or cases), cannot be brought up again, including the fact of the other members of the USCF Executive Board stripping GM Susan Polgar and Mr. Truong of their USCF memberships and, ex post facto, declaring the results of the 2007 USCF Executive Board elections null and void - only as to GM Polgar and Mr. Truong. 

Two parties in the law suits were not part of the settlement:  Gregory Alexander and Sam Sloan.  Suits involving these two parties remain intact and were not settled.

After stripping GM Susan Polgar and Mr. Truong of their seats as duly elected USCF Executive Board members, the USCF decided that it was obliged to hold an election to fill the two seats on the Executive Board formerly held by GM Polgar and Mr. Truong.  Anyone elected to those two positions would hold the seats only until the original term  GM Polgar and Mr. Truong ran out - sometime in 2011.

Only three (three!) members of the USCF filed the necessary paperwork within the necessary time frame to qualify as candidates for the special election for the two vacant Executive Board Seats.  They are:  1. Gary Walters, Ohio; 2. Sam Sloan, New York; and 3. Mike Nietman, Wisconsin.  This slate of candidates was approved by the USCF. One must ask why only three candidates stepped forward? Perhaps a never-ending question.

Which brings me down to a day or two ago.  I was reading some posts at rec.chess.politics - or perhaps it was rec.chess.miscellaneous.  I am certain that I read in a post by - I thought - Mr Sloan - that Mr. Neitman had withdrawn as a candidate.

I do not know if this is true, and I have since then not been able to locate the post in which I read this information.  Either my searching skills have vastly deteriorated over the past few days, or the post that contained this information was removed for one reason or another - perhaps the information it contained was false.  Or perhaps I just dreamed it all. As of this evening, I have not been able to confirm this information elsewhere.  So you must believe what you will.

There remains the distinct possibility that Mr. Sloan, with name recognition from many prior elections and as previously elected to the Executive Board - and he and his supporters broadcasting himself as a fighter for truth, justice and the American Way - could once again be elected to one of the two now vacant Executive Board seats. 

The voting to fill these seats will take place in June, 2010.  I am almost tempted to renew my membership in USCF for 2010 just to vote for Mr. Sloan.  But I think not.  I can put that money to use elsewhere.  Only consider:  if one of the candidates has, in fact, withdrawn from the election, that leaves only two.  Since, according to what I have read, I know that Mr. Sloan has not withdrawn his candidacy, nor is he likely to do so, that means he would win one of the seats by default. 

I do not believe the USCF By-Laws are designed to address such a situation.  Oh my.  Only consider the questions that might be raised:

Could a candidate who withdrew but still received sufficient votes to be elected, except for his withdrawal, actually be legally elected, thereby potentially bouncing Mr. Sloan out of a seat otherwise?  Would this depend upon whether the candidate all of a sudden decided to take the seat - after all?  And what if he said NO NO NO?  A THOUSAND TIMES NO!

If this now unwithdrawn candidate was somehow seated, and succeeded in bouncing Mr. Sloan out of his otherwise legitimately won seat (even if only by 1 vote, Mr. Sloan's own), would Mr. Sloan have a legitimate cause of action against the USCF and, indeed, against each and every single member of the USCF?

Stay tuned...

2009 USCF Executive Board Election

It's official - I renewed my membership and now I will be able to vote in the 2009 election for four Executive Board seats. I don't know how many of the people who visit here are USCF members, but to those of you who are, I would urge you to study the candidates as best you can, and above all, vote. You can find out about the candidates by googling their names, also by visiting chess blogs and discussion boards, and if you receive Chess Life Magazine, reading the candidates' statements. I believe (although I am not certain) that you will also be able to read the candidates' statements at Chess Life Online. If your membership includes receiving Chess Life magazine, I think it's in the June edition that you will receive a paper ballot which you can fill out and mail in. I'm not sure what happens if you've got one of the new elective memberships where you do not receive the paper magazine - there may be a way to vote online, or perhaps you'll receive a separate paper ballot in the mail. One way or another, you will be able to vote, and I urge all USCF members to vote after doing your own "due diligence" (a legal term of art, forgive me). There are four seats up for election in this cycle, for four year terms. Here are the eleven registered candidates in alphabetical order: Mike Atkins Jim Berry (running for re-election) Bill Goichberg (running for re-election) Ruth Haring Eric Hecht Mikhail Korenman Brian Lafferty Blas Lugo Brian Mottershead Mike Nietman Sam Sloan A lot of information is available on the internet about some of the candidates, but not so much on others. Sometimes it takes a little digging, but you can find info. You can check Mark Weeks' blog for information. He links each candidate to google searches under their names. At Chess USA.net, I was led to these opinions on the candidates offered by John Hillery at his blog, Western Chess. In her blog, popularly known as Lizzy Knows All, U.S. chessplayer and chess coach Elizabeth Vicary interviewed candidates Mike Atkins and Brian Lafferty. I know none of the candidates personally. I have read much on some of the candidates, have read what information I can find on other candidates who have pretty much steered clear of chess politics, and have read what some of the candidates have written and said for themselves. I have formed my impressions of the candidates accordingly. Here are the candidates of which I know of no evil and I am voting for: IM Ruth Haring Mike Nietman Mikhail Korenman Mike Atkins This election, like others before it, is contentious. USCF members who are interested in voting can well educate themselves on the issues and the candidates. I hope this election will result in peace among the members of the Executive Board and a shared vision to promote chess in the United States to the best of all EB members' unique abilities and talents. I give a special plug to fellow Wisconsinite Mike Nietman. He has been a TD and promoter of chess in Wisconsin for many years, a rated player here (in Wisconsin's top 100), the President of the Wisconsin Chess Association and involved in promoting scholastic chess. In talking to local chess folks about Mr. Nietman, I hear only good things. I also really like the idea of adding another experienced female chessplayer to the EB in the person of IM Ruth Haring. We could do with a bit less testosterone on the Board, I think, and Haring will add not only a feminine point of view but the voice of a well-seasoned competitive tournament player.

Friday Night Miscellany

There was an interesting article at Chess Life online – yes, darlings, I do read it, at least, I try. I don’t always get there once a week, sometimes it’s a brief fly-by once a month. Anyway, as a result of this article "The Old, the Young & the Classical" by Christopher Kerrigan Damrosch, I found out about the Cross-Generation Chess Program. I really like the idea of a program that not only encourages people of all ages to play chess (the game has benefits for both the young and the older), but encourages the young and the older to play chess with each other. It seems that in today’s "nuclear" families, with parents and their kids sometimes living thousands of miles from their parents/grandparents, children often lack meaningful contact with older people and I think this is a real loss. I look back with much fondness and nostalgia to my childhood where I had close contact with my Grandpa and Grandma Newton. Just about every Sunday at 10 a.m. dad would load us into "Otto" the car (something from about 1934, I believe, lol!) and we would drive to Sturtevant (about a 30 minutes drive before the days of expressways) and the remnant of the truck farm where the Newton family had survived the Great Depression. We would stay until it was dark, summer, winter, spring, fall. There was a big lawn out front, with equally big trees; I spent much time up those trees, much time exploring the remaining acres of the defunct truck farm (some of the acreage was leased to a neighboring corn farmer), and when it was too cold or rainy outside, or tornadoes threatened, or the snow was too deep, I spent glorious hours on the "sun porch" where it got pretty chilly in the winter but that’s where the books were - books, and lots of intriguing souvenirs built up over a lifetime of two world wars, a depression, and raising six children on that rag-tag farm (the family sold vegetables to survive). The sun porch was a short trip through a single "french door" into the living room, where the fireplace was ablaze three seasons out of four, and either a baseball game or football game always seemed to be playing on the black and white television in the corner. My siblings, cousins and I grew up humming the theme song to Hamm’s Beer, and eagerly looked forward to the new adventures of the Hamm’s Bear each season. Hmmmm, seems to me I’ve written about this before, LOL. I could go on and on about those childhood memories. The point is, they’re rich memories of a loving, warm relationship with my grandparents. You know what, when I look back, I’ve really had a wonderful life! Oh my, now I’m getting teary-eyed! Too many kids are missing out on this kind of interaction and the opportunity to build their own wonderful memories. Well, enough of that. I haven’t received my hard copy yet but I see at the Chesslife Online website that the November, 2007 issue of "Chess Life Magazine" is now out. GM Boris Gulko graces the front cover. GM Gulko will be participating in the upcoming 2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament, In memory of Grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky, November 9 - 16, 2007, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. SPICE, Texas Tech, Susan Polgar, Paul Truong and, no doubt, others, have gone out of their way to put together a grand event, despite the withdrawal of $10,000 sponsorship money by Dr. Erik Moskow. I expect it will be a great success and I salute all of the parties involved for their hard work and efforts to keep the event on track despite the loss of Dr. Moskow’s sponsorship. This seems to be a night for chess news. In perusing Susan Polgar’s blog tonight, I see that she has evidently decided to go to the Executive Board meeting in Crossville, Tennessee after all, despite recently posting that she had cancelled her trip there because of a "security breach." (There are several photos posted at the blog of Ms. Polgar standing outside the USCF’s headquarters in Crossville, TN). I’m glad she decided to attend the meeting after all and fulfill her duties as an elected member of the Executive Board, despite her earlier concerns. I wanted to re-read Ms. Polgar’s prior post about the reasons she’d decided not to attend the EB meeting, which she had posted sometime during the last week or so. Unfortunately, when I went backwards through Ms. Polgar’s blog to find the exact post where she’d expressed her worries about a security breach, I could not find it. I scrolled through all of the October, 2007 postings twice. I could not find it. What the heck? Was I going crazy? I distinctly remembered reading a post where Ms. Polgar said she would not be attending the meeting in Crossville! Shades of "Gaslight!" Then I decided to get with it, and I did a Google search, LOL! Sure enough, good old Google returned a search result: EB Meeting in Crossville I have cancelled my trip for the upcoming USCF EB meeting in Crossville, Tennessee due to a serious security breach. I have asked the USCF to rectify the problems several times but my repeated requests were ignored. 3 days ago by SusanPolgar in Susan Polgar Chess Blog · Authority: 204 However, when I clicked on the link, I got one of those "error" page messages. So, my surmise is that the original blog post was deleted, and Google’s spider hasn’t caught up to that fact yet. Under another google search ("polgar security breach") I found a post that Ms. Polgar did at a discussion board with which she is connected, chessdiscussion.com: Upcoming EB meeting in Crossville ./viewtopic.php?p=2886&sid=3fa48155b2cc32b251ab8d19b0d856db - p2886./viewtopic.php?p=2886&sid=3fa48155b2cc32b251ab8d19b0d856db - p2886by SusanPolgar on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:25 pm I have cancelled my trip for the upcoming USCF EB meeting in Crossville, Tennessee due to a serious security breach. I have asked the USCF to rectify the problem several times but my request was ignored. I will be joining the meeting via phone conference. Best wishes, Susan Polgar I want to make this clear: I supported Ms. Polgar and Mr. Truong for electon to the USCF Executive Board during the recently-concluded electon for EB seats. I think Ms. Polgar and Mr. Truong have done wonderful things for chess in the United States, and I expect they will continue to do so in the future. But - I don’t understand the need to go back and delete a prior post in a blog that, when it was written, expressed Ms. Polgar’s concerns at that time. It was a legitimate post. Why delete it? This kind of thing just gives fodder to the cows who make the manure that Mr. Sloan so delights in spreading about, peeee-yeeeeuuuuuhhhh! Okay – on a lighter note, darlings, about a week ago or so (before Halloween, in any event), I looked out my patio door about 7:00 p.m. and saw a sight I hadn’t seen before - three critters grazing for the leavings of the critter food I put out first thing in the morning: a skunk to my left (tail up, indicating it was spooked), a youngish raccoon to my right and, down below the retaining wall, what looked like a very large Siamese cat, with red glowing eyes. Wow! I checked about 15 minutes later and they were all still out there, all still in their relative positions to each other (an eternal triangle? LOL!) The cat’s eyes were still glowing red; I could tell because it casually glanced up when I turned on the patio light, which lights up a good portion of the backyard, and then non-chalantly went back to eating. Well, knock me off my barstool! According to something I read today over at the DailyGrail.com, it seems that animals’ eyes do NOT glow read in the dark in the normal course of events. And therefore, if you see a creature in the dark with red glowing eyes, you are seeing something OTHER than a natural living being. Like - something from the "dark land." Hmmmm….