Winding down the CFC and FIDE elections

[Vlad Drkulec]

To Garry and some of his supporters

Being a member of the Chess Federation of Canada executive and president in particular is tough enough without having to deal with situations such as this where it appears that certain special interests are trying to wear you out by making the job impossibly time consuming (to address their all out information war). Having the ability to plant articles in the national media and on websites full of lies and distortions certainly ups the ante. I have lost sleep and been exhausted at times along the way which has made me crankier. I have received a great deal of support from members, governors and the public. I have no doubt that this has opened many eyes on the suitability of Garry Kasparov to lead FIDE and I don't think that the opening of these eyes was favourable to Garry.

Certainly you have instilled fear in some who don't have the thick skin that I do and that was no doubt what you set out to do. I think that I have shown that I and the CFC are not afraid of you and will stand up to you no matter who you are or how many powerful friends you have. I will fade back into obscurity continuing to do the things that need to be done for the CFC to function. While I am sure you enjoyed putting the CFC and myself personally through these trials, when the polls close and you are defeated utterly and finally perhaps some moments of honest self reflection will ensue and you will realize that this is not the way to get what you want. You can attack the hedgehog but its spines will get you every time.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Winding down the CFC and FIDE elections

Originally posted by Paul Bonham:
"You really do believe the future adult membership will be grown from the kids playing chess right now."

Response from Vlad Drkulec:
"By definition, yes."


By definition? So then in Vlad's world, no adult who is interested in chess right now can ever become part of future CFC adult membership. Not by actual restriction, but because Vlad's CFC doesn't recognize that adult as part of a viable market.

This is just one of your problems. Not only do you cast aside valuable sponsors like they were nothing, but you cast aside all adults interested in chess (but not part of organized chess) as if THEY are nothing.

It's all about the kids because only from the kids can the CFC expect to find the next IM, the next GM, and what it's really all about is the top of the pyramid. The rest of the kids are expected to eventually become adult members in the middle or the base of the pyramid, i.e. a source of money flowing to the top of the pyramid. The problem is, most of the non-elite kids are too smart to stick around as adults. They find better things to do. Your membership may survive, but it will not grow beyond some very modest number that mostly accounts for population growth.

Your product hopes to piggyback onto traditional chess. You need a thriving chess scene for your product to have even a hope of succeeding. The market for your product is a small subset of the general chess playing public. You seem to be more concerned with posting on chesstalk than you are with actually doing something which might actually advance your agenda.

I am glad to see you are making some very wrong assumptions about the new federation I will be forming. It doesn't NEED a thriving chess scene in Canada, the same way as your Windsor kids don't need it: they just love the game. My point was that my federation will siphon away most if not all of your kids from standard chess.

This emphasis on kids that you as CFC President are going to make your legacy will become an epic fail, because those kids are going to reach an age where they realize they are just the base or middle of a very tall pyramid where all the money flows to the top, and with my offering things will be much different. Plus my offering has much more dynamic and exciting play. You'll just have to take my word on that for now. And so your legacy will become this: a CFC President who had an opportunity to grow the adult membership but instead led the CFC on a single-minded path to recruit children in the belief that a good percentage of those children would later become adult CFC members.

The rest of your above quote is equally wrong. I spend very little time here on ChessTalk. My agenda is being advanced, and you would or should know the difficulties that can arise in starting a new venture. But if you think I am doing nothing, well, just keep thinking that.

My only reason for even posting this is so that someday I can point to it and say you were warned how badly your strategy is going to fail.

You've heard about 'herd instinct', I'm sure. That's what the CFC has right now. You are all running towards an abyss, led by Vlad's sense of direction. There are many things the CFC and other federations including FIDE itself could be doing, and is not and will not be doing, to make adults at least in North America want to play organized chess. The lack of action on this will prove not fatal, because there will always be a niche of people who want to play standard chess. So you will survive the plunge. But niche is where you are now and an even smaller niche is where you are headed.

[Ken MacDonald]

Winding down the CFC and FIDE elections

Originally posted by Paul Bonham:
"You really do believe the future adult membership will be grown from the kids playing chess right now."

Response from Vlad Drkulec:
"By definition, yes."


By definition? So then in Vlad's world, no adult who is interested in chess right now can ever become part of future CFC adult membership. Not by actual restriction, but because Vlad's CFC doesn't recognize that adult as part of a viable market.

This is just one of your problems. Not only do you cast aside valuable sponsors like they were nothing, but you cast aside all adults interested in chess (but not part of organized chess) as if THEY are nothing.

It's all about the kids because only from the kids can the CFC expect to find the next IM, the next GM, and what it's really all about is the top of the pyramid. The rest of the kids are expected to eventually become adult members in the middle or the base of the pyramid, i.e. a source of money flowing to the top of the pyramid. The problem is, most of the non-elite kids are too smart to stick around as adults. They find better things to do. Your membership may survive, but it will not grow beyond some very modest number that mostly accounts for population growth.




I am glad to see you are making some very wrong assumptions about the new federation I will be forming. It doesn't NEED a thriving chess scene in Canada, the same way as your Windsor kids don't need it: they just love the game. My point was that my federation will siphon away most if not all of your kids from standard chess.

This emphasis on kids that you as CFC President are going to make your legacy will become an epic fail, because those kids are going to reach an age where they realize they are just the base or middle of a very tall pyramid where all the money flows to the top, and with my offering things will be much different. Plus my offering has much more dynamic and exciting play. You'll just have to take my word on that for now. And so your legacy will become this: a CFC President who had an opportunity to grow the adult membership but instead led the CFC on a single-minded path to recruit children in the belief that a good percentage of those children would later become adult CFC members.

The rest of your above quote is equally wrong. I spend very little time here on ChessTalk. My agenda is being advanced, and you would or should know the difficulties that can arise in starting a new venture. But if you think I am doing nothing, well, just keep thinking that.

My only reason for even posting this is so that someday I can point to it and say you were warned how badly your strategy is going to fail.

You've heard about 'herd instinct', I'm sure. That's what the CFC has right now. You are all running towards an abyss, led by Vlad's sense of direction. There are many things the CFC and other federations including FIDE itself could be doing, and is not and will not be doing, to make adults at least in North America want to play organized chess. The lack of action on this will prove not fatal, because there will always be a niche of people who want to play standard chess. So you will survive the plunge. But niche is where you are now and an even smaller niche is where you are headed.

I don't usually read your posts because I don't want to spend the time. This time, I see you are discussing something with Vlad, so I read some of it.

If you can post in less than 1,000 words, can you answer these questions?

Are you suggesting you will start a new Chess Federation?

If so, where, International, Canada or USA?

If so, for your NEW GAME or normal chess?

Please simple short yes or no answers would be preferred.

Thanks!

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: Benefits to Canada: FIDE Presidential Election

Some people once thought it was safe to say the Titanic was unsinkable.

I think it is safe to say the Executive will never release details of this 'offer', including what would happen should Canada endorse KI (a done deal) BUT KI lose the election.

I think it is also safe to say Bindi Cheng should never be given a position of financial responsibility.

Paul, how is it that you have so much time to flame others but no time to answer any of my previous questions concerning your profound ability to churn out new fascinating chess related products and superhuman ability in posting on an internet forum? I'm starting to doubt that there is actually a Paul Bonham in the chess world and that the Paul Bonham who has posted here numerous times is just an automatic robot designed to instigate arguments and "mature discussions". Does Paul Bonham dream of electric sheep?

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Robot Chicken?

Paul, how is it that you have so much time to flame others but no time to answer any of my previous questions concerning your profound ability to churn out new fascinating chess related products and superhuman ability in posting on an internet forum?

There's so much effort to say that the efforts of others are pointless, fruitless and without hope. It's really quite pointless, fruitless and without hope.

I'm starting to doubt that there is actually a Paul Bonham in the chess world and that the Paul Bonham who has posted here numerous times is just an automatic robot designed to instigate arguments and "mature discussions". Does Paul Bonham dream of electric sheep?

No robot could be this funny. There's simply GOT to be a human mastermind behind it all.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Winding down the CFC and FIDE elections

Originally posted by Paul Bonham:
"You really do believe the future adult membership will be grown from the kids playing chess right now."

Response from Vlad Drkulec:
"By definition, yes."


By definition? So then in Vlad's world, no adult who is interested in chess right now can ever become part of future CFC adult membership.

The person your lengthy posts remind me of would never have made such a fundamental error. Perhaps you are trying to create a straw man who you can build up and then burn to the ground in a fallacious attempt to misrepresent my position.

Not by actual restriction, but because Vlad's CFC doesn't recognize that adult as part of a viable market.

Yep. The straw man is now fully formed. All we need now is the match or lighter to burn it to ashes.

This is just one of your problems. Not only do you cast aside valuable sponsors like they were nothing, but you cast aside all adults interested in chess (but not part of organized chess) as if THEY are nothing.

And the straw man burns to the ground. Only ashes remain.

Of course you are being logically inconsistent as well. You claim that I am casting aside sponsors and you make an argument that the top down nature of the rewards in chess is our great weakness and yet you spend a great deal of time decrying my alleged casting aside of a sponsor who only ever was interested in the top of the pyramid. If I cast aside a sponsor it was because he made demands that had nothing to do with his past contributions which I could not meet.

It's all about the kids because only from the kids can the CFC expect to find the next IM, the next GM, and what it's really all about is the top of the pyramid.

The next IM and GM will be nice but it really isn't about that at all. It is about the process of playing and improving. Its about finding a way to surpass the person you were yesterday. Its a process that they will be able to apply in other areas of their life and hopefully will be able to teach their children.

The rest of the kids are expected to eventually become adult members in the middle or the base of the pyramid, i.e. a source of money flowing to the top of the pyramid. The problem is, most of the non-elite kids are too smart to stick around as adults.

There is no room in your world view for the love of the game. You are wrong. In twenty years you will still be here arguing that there is no future in chess and your project will be no closer to reality unless you shut down your computer and actually do the things that will bring it into reality. Windsor is successful because we find kids that love chess and give them more reasons to love chess and show them adults who also love chess and then we show them where they have an opportunity to play chess. Its not much more complicated than that. If we can transfer that to the rest of the CFC then all of those predictions of fantastic growth in numbers of chessplayers will be wildly pessimistic compared to reality.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: To Garry and some of his supporters

Being a member of the Chess Federation of Canada executive and president in particular is tough enough without having to deal with situations such as this where it appears that certain special interests are trying to wear you out by making the job impossibly time consuming (to address their all out information war). Having the ability to plant articles in the national media and on websites full of lies and distortions certainly ups the ante. I have lost sleep and been exhausted at times along the way which has made me crankier. I have received a great deal of support from members, governors and the public. I have no doubt that this has opened many eyes on the suitability of Garry Kasparov to lead FIDE and I don't think that the opening of these eyes was favourable to Garry.

Certainly you have instilled fear in some who don't have the thick skin that I do and that was no doubt what you set out to do. I think that I have shown that I and the CFC are not afraid of you and will stand up to you no matter who you are or how many powerful friends you have. I will fade back into obscurity continuing to do the things that need to be done for the CFC to function. While I am sure you enjoyed putting the CFC and myself personally through these trials, when the polls close and you are defeated utterly and finally perhaps some moments of honest self reflection will ensue and you will realize that this is not the way to get what you want. You can attack the hedgehog but its spines will get you every time.

where it appears that certain special interests are trying to wear you out by making the job impossibly time consuming (to address their all out information war)."

You keep calling it an "information war". My responses were simply based on various misrepresentations that FIDE passed on to you. They were not designed to "wear you out". As an example you seem to imply that FIDE informed you that the problem of recognizing Russian Controlled Crimea as being under the jurisdiction of Russian Chess Federation is not an issue. You also stated there was no evidence of Crimean chess players having an issue. Here is an email from a concerned parent of an extremely talented chess player living in Simferopoi Crimea addressed to FIDE. i deleted the email addresses and names.

----Original Message-----
From: (FIDE ID - ) Sent: Sunday, 6 July 2014 4:06 AM
To:*Subject: About transfer

Dear* Sirs,

My name is x. I am a father to the x-year old very promising
chess player (FIDE ID - x). is the 2013 Ukrainian
Champion in the category x and the 2014 Ukrainian Champion in the
category x. He participated in WYCC-2013 under x , a number of major
competitions, both in Ukraine and abroad. Since January, 2014 his coach has
been GM x . According to the coach, x
has all chances to become a GM within the next 3-4 years. You can find out
about the coach plans from the coach himself (his email:
. The most near-term plans include: becoming by the
end of this year the most highly ELO rated player in his age category.

Right now we are facing the question of transfer to another Chess
Federation. We live in Simferopol, Crimea, and now there is a talk about
transferring all Crimean chess players to the Russian Chess Federation,
where we do not want to be for political reasons. This gives rise to a
number of questions.

Are you interested in stransfer to the Singapore Chess Federation?

If yes, would you be willing to pay FIDE the cost of such transfer (I don't
believe this will cost more than EUR 500)? Can we count on
participation in any tournaments? And, the most important question, can we
count on financial aid from your Federation (allowance, scholarship, grants,
etc.) for lessons and professional development?

Sincerely yours,
x

I publish facts, it appears to me that you posted a huge amount of propaganda fed to you by the current FIDE administration.


"Having the ability to plant articles in the national media and on websites full of lies and distortions"
I did not see any articles in the national media that were full of lies or distortions. The articles also were not planted by anyone unless you know something I don't your accusations are baseless. I do know that Govt.'s did have interest in this issue and warned you of this. i also know for example that when Kirsan was endorsed by the CFC some of my friends told me that they were getting concerned calls from members of the Canadian Ukraine Consulate. Perhaps that is the genesis of the articles that you refer to. Interestingly your original characterization of the Globe and Mail article was well written. I did not see you write anything that characterized their article as "full of lies or distortions".
About the only lies and distortions i saw were things you parroted given to you by the current FIDE administration.

"I have lost sleep and been exhausted at times"

Well, next time you should think about the consequences of endorsing one of the world's leading thugs who keeps company of the same.

"Certainly you have instilled fear in some who don't have the thick skin that I do and that was no doubt what you set out to do. I think that I have shown that I and the CFC are not afraid of you and will stand up to you no matter who you are or how many powerful friends you have."

When you endorse a thug you should be afraid for the reputation of Canada and the CFC among other things. You should not be afraid of us at all. You should be more afraid of the entire civilized world. If you think you have done the CFC a favor you are very misguided. As I stated before i think you did a good job with the administration work of the CFC and you are doing very good work with young chess players in Windsor. I do not blame the governors for endorsing you or wanting to protect you given that you did that good work.
Unfortunately, you have a very serious flaw in judging who your friends are and who your enemies are. THe current FIDE administration are no friend's of the CFC and never have been.

I have been a friend of the CFC for decades and yet you have cast me in an awful light even going so far as to disparage and marginalize my past track record. When i made a genuine good faith offer to Hal Bond to get involved in chess again it was not with the intention of being placed in a bidding war with the FIDE administration. The worst part is that I was never made aware that FIDE even came up with an offer for me to compete with until I received an email from one of the governors.

Do you really think i would have thought twice about financing the Olympiad team to Norway replete with world classes coaches travel expenses and accommodations equivalent to the top teams? The problem is you immediately assumed I have some sort of "interests" to protect when my past actions have never demonstrated that. I never gave specific $ amounts or commitments as I expected my past track record was good enough for that. How do you think it would look if I countered and simply said I will give the CFC a no strings cash check for 100K in return for Gary's endorsement? i would say it would look like the hated "bribery" word you take umbrage to. i was told that some governors on the CFC forum even expressed concerns in writing about what happens when Sasha as an incoming voting member has access to the voting members forums and they are going to be exposed for accepting this so called 80k offer in return for Kirsan's endorsement.

You say that money is not as important as getting more volunteers to do the same good work you diid in Windsor. In the ideal world that is true but in the real world a well functioning NFP needs to be well financed and sponsored to propagate these goals as there simply are not enough volunteers like your good self out there.

You may have a thick skin but there is not one thing i have seen you post that has changed my mind about Kirsan or convinced me that Garry has ever done anything untoward, someone who by the way invited you to call him but you never did.

You remind of a golfer that can drive a golf ball 450 yards but you three putt the green. You certainly have done a good job of turning me off to organized chess in Canada. The election is over you won the battle but I dare say you lost the war.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: To Garry and some of his supporters

where it appears that certain special interests are trying to wear you out by making the job impossibly time consuming (to address their all out information war)."

You keep calling it an "information war".

That's exactly what it is and it is not my first such information war and it probably won't be my last.

My responses were simply based on various misrepresentations that FIDE passed on to you. They were not designed to "wear you out". As an example you seem to imply that FIDE informed you that the problem of recognizing Russian Controlled Crimea as being under the jurisdiction of Russian Chess Federation is not an issue. You also stated there was no evidence of Crimean chess players having an issue. Here is an email from a concerned parent of an extremely talented 9 year old chess player living in Simferopoi Crimea addressed to FIDE. i deleted the email addresses and names.

It was probably addressed to the Singapore Chess Federation and not FIDE judging from the contents of the email. Hence Leong had his hands in this. There seems to be a pattern of making anonymous allegations. If it were up to me transfer fees would be reduced to nothing.
"We live in Simferopol, Crimea, and now there is a talk about transferring all Crimean chess players to the Russian Chess Federation,
where we do not want to be for political reasons."

There is talk with no identification of who is doing the talking. There is always talk.

----Original Message-----
From: (FIDE ID - ) Sent: Sunday, 6 July 2014 4:06 AM
To:*Subject: About transfer

Dear* Sirs,

My name is x. I am a father to the x-year old very promising
chess player (FIDE ID - x). is the 2013 Ukrainian
Champion in the category x and the 2014 Ukrainian Champion in the
category x. He participated in WYCC-2013 under x , a number of major
competitions, both in Ukraine and abroad. Since January, 2014 his coach has
been GM x . According to the coach, x
has all chances to become a GM within the next 3-4 years. You can find out
about the coach plans from the coach himself (his email:
. The most near-term plans include: becoming by the
end of this year the most highly ELO rated player in his age category.

Right now we are facing the question of transfer to another Chess
Federation. We live in Simferopol, Crimea, and now there is a talk about
transferring all Crimean chess players to the Russian Chess Federation,
where we do not want to be for political reasons. This gives rise to a
number of questions.

Are you interested in stransfer to the Singapore Chess Federation?

If yes, would you be willing to pay FIDE the cost of such transfer (I don't
believe this will cost more than EUR 500)? Can we count on
participation in any tournaments? And, the most important question, can we
count on financial aid from your Federation (allowance, scholarship, grants,
etc.) for lessons and professional development?

Sincerely yours,
x

I publish facts, it appears to me that you posted a huge amount of propaganda fed to you by the current FIDE administration.

Your "facts" are not facts but merely anonymous allegations which are probably fabricated to help Garry get elected. If this situation is real have your Ukrainian parent contact the Turkish Chess Federation as they seem to be most interested in having such promising juniors play under their flag and seem to have the sponsorship to pay for the kind of support that the father is asking for.

"Having the ability to plant articles in the national media and on websites full of lies and distortions"
I did not see any articles in the national media that were full of lies or distortions. The articles also were not planted by anyone unless you know something I
don't your accusations are baseless. I do know that Govt.'s did have interest in this issue and warned you of this.

The Canadian government doesn't seem to have an interest in this based on my conversation with its representative.

i also know for example that when Kirsan was endorsed by the CFC some of my friends told me that they were getting concerned calls from members of the Canadian Ukraine Consulate. Perhaps that is the genesis of the articles that you refer to. Interestingly your original characterization of the Globe and Mail article was well written. I did not see you write anything that characterized their article as "full of lies or distortions".

The original article which bore the headline two heavyweights fight for the world chess federation president title was balanced. Changing the headline to "Canada back's Putin's choice for FIDE president" represented a major retreat from the more balanced approach in the article. Kasparov complained that they did not include some of his more outrageous claims and the inclusion of my comments certainly diminished any damage that the article was intended to do to the CFC.

About the only lies and distortions i saw were things you parroted given to you by the current FIDE administration.

"I have lost sleep and been exhausted at times"

Well, next time you should think about the consequences of endorsing one of the world's leading thugs who keeps company of the same.

If he is such a thug why did Garry show him so much love over the years. I understand that Kirsan is a bad guy in your eyes for thwarting Garry's coronation but adults don't degenerate every conversation to name calling when they can't get their way.

"Certainly you have instilled fear in some who don't have the thick skin that I do and that was no doubt what you set out to do. I think that I have shown that I and the CFC are not afraid of you and will stand up to you no matter who you are or how many powerful friends you have."

When you endorse a thug you should be afraid for the reputation of Canada and the CFC among other things. You should not be afraid of us at all. You should be more afraid of the entire civilized world. If you think you have done the CFC a favor you are very misguided. As I stated before i think you did a good job with the administration work of the CFC and you are doing very good work with young chess players in Windsor. I do not blame the governors for endorsing you or wanting to protect you given that you did that good work.
Unfortunately, you have a very serious flaw in judging who your friends are and who your enemies are. THe current FIDE administration are no friend's of the CFC and never have been.

You are wrong on that. Further we can turn that around on you and say that Gary Kasparov is no friend of the CFC or Canada and never has been. He's lived in New York for how long now? He might as well live on the moon.

I have been a friend of the CFC for decades and yet you have cast me in an awful light even going so far as to disparage and marginalize my past track record.

I didn't know your past track record because it was buried in the past. I think your actions in this campaign cast you in an awful light. I really don't want to run around the hamster wheel. Mistakes were made on both sides.

When i made a genuine good faith offer to Hal Bond to get involved in chess again it was not with the intention of being placed in a bidding war with the FIDE administration. The worst part is that I was never made aware that FIDE even came up with an offer for me to compete with until I received an email from one of the governors.

So a new complaint is that you couldn't improve on your offer? It seems to me that you did.

Do you really think i would have thought twice about financing the Olympiad team to Norway replete with world classes coaches travel expenses and accommodations equivalent to the top teams? The problem is you immediately assumed I have some sort of "interests" to protect when my past actions have never demonstrated that. I never gave specific $ amounts or commitments as I expected my past track record was good enough for that. How do you think it would look if I countered and simply said I will give the CFC a no strings cash check for 100K in return for Gary's endorsement? i would say it would look like the hated "bribery" word you take umbrage to. i was told that some governors on the CFC forum even expressed concerns in writing about what happens when Sasha as an incoming voting member has access to the voting members forums and they are exposed for accepting this so called 80k offer in return for Kirsan's endorsement.

You say that money is not as important as getting more volunteers to do the same good work you diid in Windsor. In the ideal world that is true but in the real world a well functioning NFP needs to be well financed and sponsored to propagate these goals as there simply are not enough volunteers like your good self out there.

You may have a thick skin but there is not one thing i have seen you post that has changed my mind about Kirsan or convinced me that Garry has ever done anything untoward, someone who by the way invited you to call him but you never did.

You remind of a golfer that can drive a golf ball 450 yards but you three putt the green. You certainly have done a good job of turning me off to organized chess in Canada.

I won't always be here. Perhaps you can come back when my role is diminished and Sasha makes a more successful run at the CFC presidency based on his successful record as a chess organizer.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: To Garry and some of his supporters

I didn't know your past track record because it was buried in the past.

For someone who did not know about it you certainly had a lot to say about it replete with incorrect figures.
"There is talk with no identification of who is doing the talking. There is always talk."

Don't put your foot in your mouth, I can always email this person and get them their permission to publish this mail with names. It is not addressed to the Singnapore chess Federation. By the way this is not an isolated piece of evidence that is at odds with the line of propaganda that FIDE sent you.


"If he is such a thug why did Garry show him so much love over the years. I understand that Kirsan is a bad guy in your eyes for thwarting Garry's coronation but adults don't degenerate every conversation to name calling when they can't get their way."
Gary had to do business with FIiDE as they were the only game in town and Kirsan ran it. I doubt if "love" had much to do with. Of course you are welcome to talk to Gary to confirm this. Don't ascribe false motivations to me. I have painstakingly documented why I think Kirsan is a thug.

"The Canadian government doesn't seem to have an interest in this based on my conversation with its representative."

They do have an interest in this. They don't have an interest in the CFC.

"You are wrong on that.Further we can turn that around on you and say that Gary Kasparov is no friend of the CFC or Canada and never has been. He's lived in New York for how long now? He might as well live on the moon.
You say i am wrong ,yes..., if Vlad says it it must be the case! As I said you are just like the bumper sticker "Who needs google my wife know's F*cking everything"! I have had Gary in Canada where he gave a simul to young and old people alike and it was an experience that they never forgot. Furthermore he gave a speech to the Empire Club in Toronto about Putin's Russia that sadly proved to be prophetic.

Do you really think i would have thought twice about financing the Olympiad team to Norway replete with world classes coaches travel expenses and accommodations equivalent to the top teams? The problem is you immediately assumed I have some sort of "interests" to protect when my past actions have never demonstrated that. I never gave specific $ amounts or commitments as I expected my past track record was good enough for that. How do you think it would look if I countered and simply said I will give the CFC a no strings cash check for 100K in return for Gary's endorsement? i would say it would look like the hated "bribery" word you take umbrage to. i was told that some governors on the CFC forum even expressed concerns in writing about what happens when Sasha as an incoming voting member has access to the voting members forums and they are exposed for accepting this so called 80k offer in return for Kirsan's endorsement.

You say that money is not as important as getting more volunteers to do the same good work you diid in Windsor. In the ideal world that is true but in the real world a well functioning NFP needs to be well financed and sponsored to propagate these goals as there simply are not enough volunteers like your good self out there.

You may have a thick skin but there is not one thing i have seen you post that has changed my mind about Kirsan or convinced me that Garry has ever done anything untoward, someone who by the way invited you to call him but you never did.

You remind of a golfer that can drive a golf ball 450 yards but you three putt the green. You certainly have done a good job of turning me off to organized chess in Canada.
I won't always be here. Perhaps you can come back when my role is diminished and Sasha makes a more successful run at the CFC presidency based on his successful record as a chess organizer.


Nope ,sorry, but it has nothing to do with you personally or Sasha. The CFC and it's executive endorsed a thug in return for $80,000 over four years. That is unforgivable.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Benefits to Canada: FIDE Presidential Election

Now I'm studying very carefully what's actually happened.

You came to the game unprepared, launched an unsound attack, blundered several times, and still playing till the mate in a hopeless position.

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Benefits to Canada: FIDE Presidential Election

The MOST??? Really? So everything done by the CFC in the past 70 years was great? Not sending a women's team to the Olympiads? The battles with Chess Canada, FQE, and CMA? The selling of the CFC house and office? The lack of CFC presence in all schools, TV and the press? The lack of a GM development program? The only small amount of government and corporate funding (mainly Alberta/Quebec)? The declining adult membership over the past 12 years? (Stuff way before Vlad and his confrontational attitude was involved).

Whoever Canada votes for at every FIDE election in history has had only a small affect on chess in Canada. If you want to help chess you have to become a successful local organizer like Vlad has in Windsor. When we see how great your organizing results are, then you'll be in fine shape to become President. Focussing on investigations into past executive decisions is time and energy wasting, not a way forward.

Erik, I know you for many years, perhaps the decades! Thank you very much for your post, as I've already explained, if it wouldn't be CFC's endorsement of KI's, I would not even enter the election. And I've already admitted here that Vlad has done a pretty good administrative job. My criticism is focused only on one issue: CFC's endorsement of KI. You know the reasons for my criticism (they are elsewhere).

Are you suggesting that it is NOT the most disastrous decision the CFC has ever made? Lets see.

Agree, that usually whoever Canada has voted at every FIDE election in history had little or no impact on chess in Canada. Except this one. CFC had a chance to establish cooperation with Kasparov's Chess Foundation, greatly benefitting our kids, we could have got back the biggest sponsor Canada ever had starting to support chess again. All that was sacrificed for the dubious offer from the incumbent: $80,000.00 for a few tournaments, KI win or lose. There is no supporting paperwork, no announcements, it is unclear who's responsible for this CFC's decision in case that the promised $80,000.00 will not materialize. While CFC has already delivered its part of the bargain, there is no clarity on when FIDE or KI or whoever else will deliver theirs. As you see, the CFC's downside here is considerable. Am I entitled to have my questions answered? Or all of us here leave in the totalitarian regime and whoever is against the ruling party is to be prosecuted? Should we all say: "Oh, great, thank you very much! The endorsement of KI was a masterstroke! Let us all celebrate! There was no explanation for this endorsement. I'm trying to get to the bottom of it. May I?

[John Coleman]

Re: Benefits to Canada: FIDE Presidential Election

Sasha, will you give it a rest. Or, in plain English, STFU

Thank you

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: To Garry and some of his supporters

So a new complaint is that you couldn't improve on your offer? It seems to me that you did.

My complaint is that i was not informed that i was in a competitive bid until I received an email from Governor explaining that the CFC decision was not on idealogical lines. Furthermore i was not made aware what it would take to win the endorsement. I also had to get permission from the KCF to commit to unconditional participation. As for my own participation it always has been unconditional and has been in the past for more then the 80k the CFC apparently was offered over four years. I also am not comfortable with simply paying for an endorsement although I have never had reservations about donating. I am very uncomfortable with participating in a bidding war and in my opinion the CFC should not be endorsing a candidate by how much cash they pay the CFC in the form of sponsoring tournaments or any other means. I could easily write a check tomorrow for 100k or more for endorsement but I do not do business that way and the CFC should not as well.
I would hope the integrity of the CFC is worth more then 80k paid over four years.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Benefits to Canada: FIDE Presidential Election

You came to the game unprepared, launched an unsound attack, blundered several times, and still playing till the mate in a hopeless position.

We do need to move along and start the next round. :)

[Rene Preotu]

Re: Benefits to Canada: FIDE Presidential Election

Sasha, will you give it a rest. Or, in plain English, ....

Thank you

Where's the moderator when you need him???