FIDE Election for President

[Mark Biong]

Re: Endorsemeent over Vote: FIDE Election for President

Vlad: Damn government! Damn government!! Damn government!!! Excellently said!! Double exclam!! Amen.

[Sasha Starr]

Re: FIDE Presidential/Executive elections

Both major candidates are bad, but Gary Kimovich (Kasparov) is worse. The duty of FIDE is not just to support chess in the Anglosphere (US, Canada, UK, etc) or even in the "West" (Europe and the Canada/US Bloc), but to support chess in the whole globe, including rich countries and poor countries alike. Chess in Africa, Asia and Latin America is important. The current leadership at least makes efforts in this regard. Given the attention Kasparov pays to Washington, I would not be surprised if (after winning the Presidency of FIDE) he tried to move the HQ of FIDE to that city and then arranged to have all his rivals banned from entering the USA.

1.KI and GK are "major candidates" - are you aware of any other candidates?
2.Are you against FIDE supporting chess in the Anglosphere (Canada included), or even in the West (again Canada included)?
3.And what exactly FIDE's done to support chess in the Anglosphere, West (Canada included) in the last 20 years?
4.Our President has stated that Canada should vote for somebody who is better for CFC's Membership. So is it yours and President's position that our membership somehow would be hurt if GK will move the HQ of FIDE from Greece to USA?

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

I think most of the governors are on board with what I have been doing and trying to do.

Thinking is great, but a simple vote done in a matter of 2-3 days would've solved the problem!

I do not think that what amounts to a rushed constitutional amendment is required to ensure that a particular individual gets an endorsement from the CFC. In particular if that is the approach that certain individuals want to take then they should do it in public and not on the private governors board. I think all organizations including the CFC benefit from more open discussion without secret plots and agreements hatched behind closed doors.

The issue is already in public, the discussion is open, the opinions are being voiced out, and if you are aware about secret plots and agreements, tell us, please!

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Executive Power or Governor Power?: Canada's Vote in FIDE Election for President

How soon they forget... More relevant shortly will be the articles and bylaws recently passed along with the provisions of the new NFP act. Before you get all wound up you should recognize that the laws have changed or will as soon as we are compliant with the new act. At the moment the hold up is the new address for the CFC.

Here is what I'm looking at: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/a...age-5.html#h-8
What is there contradicting CFC's Handbook rules? If not, the rules are still in the effect, am I missing something?

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Endorsemeent over Vote: FIDE Election for President

I think the membership deserves open (even if sometimes a bit brutal) debate on current CFC Issues, here on Chesstalk where the most CFC members participate. Transparency and openness are great characteristics for the CFC to develop (to be able to refute the "secret society" characterization some like to attribute to CFC). As CFC Public Relations Coordinator, I have always tried to answer questions here on CFC affairs as factually correctly as I have been able to. I feel CFC has over the years provided good information to members about its activities. Vlad Drkulec has continued in this tradition, coming here to express his views as President, and what he views as the positions of CFC (the fact that some do not like what they hear is no argument that the CFC does not communicate with its members).

It is helpful to governors to sift through all the posts, and try to glean what may be of importance to the ordinary CFC member. They can then take this information into the confidential debates taking place between governors on the confidential CFC Governors' Discussion Board. This is part of ordinary member input into CFC decision-making.

As far as I am concerned, there is no more important debate (though for some it is counting angels on the head of a pin) than the division of governance power in the CFC between the Executive Committee and the Governors, elected by ordinary CFC members across Canada. I have felt this part of the FIDE Presidential Election vote thread has been quite valuable to all.

Bob A, CFC Public Relations Coordinator/GTCL/Ont. CFC Governor (lameduck!)

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

The issue is already in public, the discussion is open, the opinions are being voiced out, and if you are aware about secret plots and agreements, tell us, please!

An "opinion" is worthless. Look up the definition in a dictionary.

Are you a CFC member? I'm not and I have no doubt others who are in this discussion are not members either. The real discussions by the governors and executive are likely taking place in private.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

Are you a CFC member?

Hi Gary:

In April, Sasha became one of the 8 GTA/Ont. CFC Governors-elect. He will take office at the Incoming Governors CFC AGM in July.

He will then no longer be arguing "from the outside".

Bob A, CFC Public Relations Coordinator/GTCL Director-at-Large

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

Hi Gary:

In April, Sasha became one of the 8 GTA/Ont. CFC Governors-elect. He will take office at the Incoming Governors CFC AGM in July.

He will then no longer be arguing "from the outside".

Bob A, CFC Public Relations Coordinator/GTCL Director-at-Large

Thank you, Bob, I'm trying to understand the certain CFC's issues such as a division of power. Now I have rather serious questions.
1.I'm looking at the Handbook now, and its unclear to me if it is still valid, and if not - what makes it invalid and sinse when?
2.And under what rules CFC is functioning now?
I need the answers. Who is going to provide them and when?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

Hi Bob,

When's the FIDE election? Is it after the CFC election?

By the way, when I sent a donation to the CCCA this year I gave some thought to buying a CFC membership as well. It was a fleeting thought. :D

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

Thank you, Bob, I'm trying to understand the certain CFC's issues such as a division of power. Now I have rather serious questions.
1.I'm looking at the Handbook now, and its unclear to me if it is still valid, and if not - what makes it invalid and sinse when?
2.And under what rules CFC is functioning now?
I need the answers. Who is going to provide them and when?

All are my IMHO
The current Handbook still be valid. The new rules will kick in after an approval/acceptance by the Government.
Vlad shall give you a correct answer.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

When's the FIDE election? Is it after the CFC election?

After the CFC AGM. As I understood the CFC needs to appoint the delegate (normally FIDE rep.) to the FIDE Congress before that some when in June.

[Bob Armstrong]

Current CFC Governance Rules

Thank you, Bob, I'm trying to understand the certain CFC's issues such as a division of power. Now I have rather serious questions.
1.I'm looking at the Handbook now, and its unclear to me if it is still valid, and if not - what makes it invalid and sinse when?
2.And under what rules CFC is functioning now?
I need the answers. Who is going to provide them and when?

Hi Sasha:

I will try to give some answers:

1. The CFC Handbook on the CFC Website: A few years ago, it was totally out of date. Volunteer Maurice Smith did a yeoman's job of digging up CFC History and bringing the Website totally up to date. At that point, CFC President Eric van Dusen asked me to update some of the CFC administration and appointed me to chair two administrative committees. One subcommittee I created was the CFC Handbook Coordinator. Kerry Liles, an ordinary CFC member, volunteered for the position. For some time, I fed him all passed governor motions immediately after the meeting, and he almost immediately updated the website version of the Handbook. I accomplished (mostly) my committee admin work, and so disbanded the committees, and resigned as chair. But I took the step of referring Kerry to a new supervisor, who I understood had agreed to take over supervising this task. Then I heard no more. I assume the project continued. But recently a statement indicated the website version was no longer up to date. I inquired of Vlad Drkulec directly on this, and was advised that it was true that the system had broken down after my leaving it. I am not sure how many CFC meetings back, Handbook amendments have not been made to the Website version. I do not know if any steps are currently being taken so that we do not return to the Pre-Maurice Smith status.

2. "Continuance" - the federal government passed a new Act, that forced all federal non-profits, of which the CFC is one, to revise their Constitution/By-laws to conform with the template in the Act. There is some discretion here in the non-profits, and so for the past year, the CFC Governors, under Vlad Drkulec's relentless guidance, have worked on this, and passed new rules hopefully complying with the Act. The application is to be made imminently - the deadline is October. What is not clear now, is the extent to which the current (updated) CFC Handbook can be maintained - are provisions in it now in conflict with the Act template CFC has had to follow? This is the project of the CFC Governors after getting the official "Continuance Certificate" - to salvage what they can of the CFC Handbook. So it could be that the process of complying has forced the CFC in some ways to alter its former governance rules. Maybe it has, maybe it hasn't. It has been complicated, and CFC has tried to maintain its current governance to the extent possible. Only when the smoke clears, will we be able to look at everything together, and see to what extent CFC has remained the same (with things now under new definitions like Member A and Member B), and if not, where it now differs. And the subsequent issue is that if there have been changes, is it possible to amend to go backward, without falling afoul of the new Act and our new regulations.

3. Current CFC Governance - entirely still under the CFC Handbook - for the July AGM's, if no official continuance certificate before then. And into the first term of the 2014-5 CFC Governors/Executive, until the official certificate is issued.

Hope this clarifies some things. If you have supplementary questions, fire away - this CFC administration has tried to be one of the most open and transparent ever (note public Governor meetings). I will do my best to answer further questions. CFC appreciates member debate and input.

Bob A, CFC Public Relations Coordinator.

[Bob Armstrong]

CFC AGM/FIDE Congress - Timing?

When's the FIDE election? Is it after the CFC election?

Hi Gary:

The online CFC AGM is set for Saturday, June 28 (Outgoing Governors' AGM), and Sunday, June 29 (Incoming Governors' AGM) - my last information.

The FIDE Congress will held in August, during the Chess Olympiad in Norway. That is when all the national federations vote for the FIDE President, etc.

Bob A, CFC Public Relations Coordinator

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Endorsemeent over Vote: FIDE Election for President

I am awed by the seriousness you attach to this situation. Your dedication to your members is truly amazing....ly pathetic.

You are not a CFC member. You have also shown yourself to be someone that I shouldn't take too seriously because either you have some poor reading comprehension skills or you are being intentionally dishonest. It is already clear that you are hoping for money from Sid. You are not yet at the point where I am going to plonk you because you sometimes raise interesting points but you are heading in that direction.

To the best of my information Sid was a generous patron for Canadian elite chess a few years before I returned to chess which was in 2007.

Sid never made any serious offer of sponsorship. His offer was IF the CFC votes for and endorses candidate Kasparov in the FIDE elections and IF Kasparov wins he MIGHT get involved in Canadian chess sponsorship again. Clearly Kasparov had to win in the FIDE election in order for there to be a prospect of sponsorship. My assessment of the situation was that Kasparov did not have much of a chance regardless of whether the people who were trying to persuade me to vote for him sincerely believed he did have a chance. I was told by GK supporters that Gary was leading on most of the continents. I think I made it clear that I am only one vote of seven with an opportunity to persuade the executive to my way of thinking as they have the opportunity to try to persuade me to their way of thinking. Attempts to change the CFC way of voting in the FIDE election throw an additional wild card into the mix.

My private information from various sources was that Gary was losing everywhere with his greatest relative strength being in Europe. It turns out that my sources presented me with a more accurate picture of the world. It is always good to understand reality and not pretend that the situation is something which it is not.

My initial position was leaning to Gary Kasparov with some misgivings based on everything that I had read over my chess career.

There was the alien thing and the consorting with dictators strikes against Kirsan. There was also the seeming incomprehensible world championship schedule and the headlong rush towards shorter time controls which has been somewhat arrested thankfully. There was the counterweight of the many wheelbarrows of cash that Kirsan has thrown at world chess. There was also the counterweight of the good things that my sources told me about Kirsan. This was before I did more checking and heard even more good things about Kirsan.

My initial assessment was a lean to Kasparov with insufficient conviction to vigorously argue for my choice. The misgivings based on what I read about past GK behaviour meant that I had to really do more digging and I did. Perhaps the process wasn't entirely fair to Gary as in some cases the impression that he left on parents and kids who met with him provide a data point which perhaps shouldn't be given too much weight. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe they were mistaken in their interpretations. Some of the parents had a reasonably good impression. Others not so much. Looking through the interviews that he had done over the years seemed to me to reinforce my misgivings.

The behaviour of the Kasparov supporters with the notable exception of USCF president Ruth Haring has not filled me with warm fuzzy feelings toward the candidate.

Perhaps I should stay off of Chesstalk as some are urging me to do but I think this is one quick way to get the word out as to what we are doing. If we don't get the word out then everyone starts accusing us of operating in secret.

You want power at the CFC? You need to roll up your sleeves and do the work required even when no one else seems to care or only a few people seem to care. You will get endless abuse regardless of what you do. I knew this going in. I am not complaining. I am just telling you how it is.

What I have done at the CFC is to try to institute a new order of things. I have tried to respond to people when they ask for help in resolving issues. I have tried to impose a different style of operating. I think that I have been succeeding. There are too many grudges in Canadian chess. This only holds us back. There are too many people who have this idea that that if someone is successful in chess (organizing for example) then that somehow diminishes them. There are others who gain some perverse joy out of operating in a capricious and vindictive manner and feel as if they have some power over people. I think its a good idea to prevent these types of people from insinuating themselves too deeply into the power structure. At the very least they will cause good people to give up in disgust.

You are complaining because I am taking seriously what the government tells me my job as a director and president entails, what the law requires. In your world, I am supposed to do whatever someone with money demands of me on the off chance that it will result in sponsorship dollars. I felt that I and at least one of the members of the executive was treated with disrespect because of the perceived power imbalances in the relationship. You and some others seem to think that my job is to play the part of some desperate supplicant beggar who hasn't had a meal in three days and needs those crumbs to survive. Here we are not even talking about crumbs. At best it is a photo of a slice of bread.

It looks like my blunt talk may have hurt some feelings and if that is the case then I am sorry. Sometimes you have to be heavy handed.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Who is scared of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov?

Thank you, Bob, I'm trying to understand the certain CFC's issues such as a division of power. Now I have rather serious questions.
1.I'm looking at the Handbook now, and its unclear to me if it is still valid, and if not - what makes it invalid and sinse when?
2.And under what rules CFC is functioning now?
I need the answers. Who is going to provide them and when?

The handbook is valid at the moment. When the government accepts our application for continuation under the new act we will be governed by the minimal bylaw and articles passed by the governors at our last meeting. Many provisions that were necessary before will be largely reassigned to the provisions of the NFP act and our articles and bylaws as passed by the governors. We can still keep the handbook as a historical document which guides us in our direction but it will no longer have force as the law or rules of the CFC. It really does need to be rewritten. Some parts of it will become policies which the executive will have to propose and have the governors accept in some cases. Everything will be done openly and with no sneaking around allowed at least as long as I am in charge. The voting members (currently the governors) will have the right to send us back to the drawing board in every case.