My resignation as FIDE Rep

[Vlad Drkulec]

As president of the CFC, I am an unpaid volunteer who works many hours in a week to advance the interests of the CFC. If the board demands that I do something that I don't agree with, that is not prudent, that exposes me, the CFC and the members of the board to very expensive litigation, that is not based on the provisions of the NFP act and is not based on the CFC bylaws, I cannot be compelled to jump off the bridge because they command me to do so. I have a fiduciary duty to the CFC to refuse. I have a statutory duty to refuse any unlawful act. There is no legal defense or immunity which allows, "I was following the orders of the board when I did that." I would have to justify my actions as the actor who violated my fiduciary duty to the CFC.

[Peter McKillop]

How is it unanimous if I declined to agree to it. I consulted with our lawyer and he told me not to send the email. After talking to our lawyer, Fred McKim agreed that we should not send the email. You cannot compel me to send something that could lead to litigation that could destroy the CFC and all the members of the board. There was nothing preventing you from being the one sending the email. Why did you need me to sink the Pequod (CFC) Captain Ahab (Hal Bond) on your misguided crusade?

Hopefully this wasn't the same lawyer who, a few years ago, thought he had no conflict of interest while representing both sides in a secured lending transaction.

[Hal Bond]

Hi Hal;
Remember the First time we met. That smiling face that wanted to go over your game. Well we have gone a long time since then. BS draws idiots. You made the right decision. I'm glad you discovered that before I died.

Hey John!
How can I forget my first chess buddy! It was 1980 after the second round in a Scarborough 6 rounder. "You were lucky" you smiled after I held a lost ending against Irene Gil. I think you played in the U1700? Kourkanakis (sp?) finished ahead of Day as I recall it. Those were good times. Simpler times!

[Frank Dixon]

Without getting into the details of this controversy, I want to sincerely thank Hal Bond, International Arbiter and International Organizer, for his extraordinary services to Canadian and world chess.

Hal is one of the true giants in the history of Canadian chess. He may have done more to develop Canadian chess, and to put Canadian chess on the map internationally, than anyone else. If Hal is not the absolute leader in this respect, then he is certainly in the conversation, along with other Canadian legends such as Daniel Yanofsky, John Prentice, Phil Haley, Duncan Suttles, Lawrence Day, Kevin Spraggett, Jonathan Berry, Larry Bevand, Jean Hebert, Igor Ivanov, and Nava Starr. Everyone in this group can be credited with significant, lasting, positive marks on the world chess landscape. They have shown the way for the generations which followed.

I have seen Hal, and worked with him as an organizer colleague, in many different settings since first meeting him in 1989. When around me, Hal has always shown high integrity, interpersonal courtesy, outstanding knowledge, superb work professionalism and effort, tremendous people skills, and a long view towards what is best for Canadian chess. He has been a mentor, an inspiration, a problem-solver, a teacher, and a friend for me.

At this juncture, in February 2021, Hal Bond has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone when it comes to brilliant and sustained service to Canadian chess.

I sincerely hope that Hal will continue to be a highly valued contributor to Canadian chess, going forward.

Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston

[Fred McKim]

Some questions. Were Hal's reports to the CFC executive considered confidential? That is, was someone on the executive in 2018 indiscreet with Hal's report, thus leading to the subsequent alteration of his email? Or are we to wonder if someone on the executive was directly responsible for altering Hal's report?

Regarding FIDE's email above, are we to understand that the alteration of Hal's report is only now coming to FIDE's attention??? Why wasn't the CFC fully supporting Hal when the alteration first came to light?

After the 2018 FIDE election it became increasingly obvious that FIDE considered Hal to be a liability. After some investigation by Hal, he found that a letter he had written to the CFC Executive had somehow been leaked to the FIDE Management board, but only after it had been altered to be critical of the new FIDE President. Nobody on the CFC Executive had any motive to share the original letter outside the board or to alter the letter themselves -- everyone was questioned. The conclusion we came to, as implausible as it seems, is that Hal's computer was hacked or his transmission somehow intercepted - he was e-mailing us from the airport, on his way home.

This whole matter was brought to the highest level of FIDE once we found out.

Fred
CFC Executive Member

[Brad Thomson]

Nobody on the CFC Executive had any motive to share the original letter outside the board or to alter the letter themselves -- everyone was questioned. The conclusion we came to, as implausible as it seems, is that Hal's computer was hacked or his transmission somehow intercepted...

Let us suppose for the sake of discussion that no sophisticated hack of Hal's computer took place. This would mean that someone on the CFC Executive at least leaked the letter, whether or not it was they themselves who doctored it. Who stood to gain by Hal's removal? Hal has suggested that we can guess. Who on the CFC Executive may have been in cahoots with this person? This too has been made clear. (No doubt it would have been someone who supported, and possibly the person who first advanced, the highly unlikely and borderline ridiculous "Hal's computer must have been hacked" theory.) The simplest explanation is that we have an inside job. And two plus two generally equals four. Chess never changes.

[Peter McKillop]

After the 2018 FIDE election it became increasingly obvious that FIDE considered Hal to be a liability. After some investigation by Hal, he found that a letter he had written to the CFC Executive had somehow been leaked to the FIDE Management board, but only after it had been altered to be critical of the new FIDE President. Nobody on the CFC Executive had any motive to share the original letter outside the board or to alter the letter themselves -- everyone was questioned. The conclusion we came to, as implausible as it seems, is that Hal's computer was hacked or his transmission somehow intercepted - he was e-mailing us from the airport, on his way home.

This whole matter was brought to the highest level of FIDE once we found out.

Fred
CFC Executive Member

Thank you for those clarifications, Fred. No decent person (and that has always been my opinion of Hal) should have to be victimized by a character assassin. If the CFC couldn't identify the perpetrator from the Canadian end then couldn't the CFC have pressured FIDE to investigate the matter from its end? Who at the FIDE management board received the altered email and who did s/he receive it from, etc.? Surely Hal deserved that much from the organization he has supported so ably for so long.

[Kerry Liles]

I too find the premise that Hal's computer was hacked or his email intercepted at the airport to be far too convenient an "explanation". Let me be clear that I have worked for many years in IT security and I *do* realize that these things are possible - especially intercepting email - but, seriously? I agree with Brad's post unless some proper evidence is shown regarding hacking or interception.

A more reasonable "explanation" is that Hal's original email was (perhaps inadvertently?) bandied about outside the CFC Executive and it was forwarded to someone who could reframe it and send it to FIDE.

Peter's suggestion that FIDE should know WHO sent them the email is the first place to start - if they are unwilling to divulge THAT piece of info then I think we can assume it is indeed an inside job. The only question remains: inside FIDE or inside the CFC or could it be a bit of both?

The entire mess around Hal's departure (and the couple of YEARS of nonsense leading up to it) is enough for some heads to roll.

By the way Brad, I believe that 2+2=5 for sufficient large values of 2.

[Frank Dixon]

I believe, that in view of the additional, highly troubling information about this matter having now been provided for patrons of this site, in a public manner, that the file should be reported as a formal complaint to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as soon as possible, for further investigation. This channel would both complement and supplement the investigation already being undertaken by FIDE.

[Steve Douglas]

Both of what Peter and Kerry say are very much on-point. The notion of "hacking in an airport" seems a bit far-fetched. Clearly whoever sent the altered email to FIDE had an agenda. It's possible it was a prankster who happened to intercept it at the airport. It's possible that a prankster got hold of it through some other means. Or perhaps it was an opportunist or somebody with an axe to grind who desired a specific outcome, whether they obtained the email inadvertently or deliberately. But whoever got it and doctored it knew where to send it, and they knew whom it would impact.

Steve

[Brad Thomson]

I believe, that in view of the additional, highly troubling information about this matter having now been provided for patrons of this site, in a public manner, that the file should be reported as a formal complaint to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as soon as possible, for further investigation. This channel would both complement and supplement the investigation already being undertaken by FIDE.

Do we have enough confidence in the RCMP to entrust such a delicate matter to them?

[Kerry Liles]

Do we have enough confidence in the RCMP to entrust such a delicate matter to them?

lol - that is EXACTLY my first reaction too...
The RCMP have a lot of baggage and are having trouble keeping their own house clean.
Besides, this is likely of no interest to them - it hardly qualifies as much more than an internal squabble - certainly I cannot see any implications for police.

[Neil Frarey]

After the 2018 FIDE election it became increasingly obvious that FIDE considered Hal to be a liability. After some investigation by Hal, he found that a letter he had written to the CFC Executive had somehow been leaked to the FIDE Management board, but only after it had been altered to be critical of the new FIDE President. Nobody on the CFC Executive had any motive to share the original letter outside the board or to alter the letter themselves -- everyone was questioned.

Fred
CFC Executive Member

[FONT=Calibri]Part 1

A number of Senior FIDE Officials have since verbally named the culprit. You can guess.

part 3

Following the 2020 CFC AGM, Drkulec tries to take my place at the FIDE Online General Assembly.

Hiding in plain sight???

Prolly not...



.

[Peter McKillop]

After the 2018 FIDE election it became increasingly obvious that FIDE considered Hal to be a liability. After some investigation by Hal, he found that a letter he had written to the CFC Executive had somehow been leaked to the FIDE Management board, but only after it had been altered to be critical of the new FIDE President. ....

This whole matter was brought to the highest level of FIDE once we found out.

Fred
CFC Executive Member

This thread, despite its relative shortness, contains a lot of information. So, Fred, if I've overlooked something please feel free to point it out. The altered email was a fall 2018 occurrence. Your last sentence above suggests to me that the CFC broached the matter with FIDE in 2018/2019? But the FIDE email posted by Vlad (see below) suggests that FIDE has only just become aware of the matter. Are you able to shed some light on these seeming inconsistencies?

FIDE’s investigation

You replied on Tue 2021-02-23 5:23 PM



Aleksandr Martynov

Tue 2021-02-23 3:01 PM

Dear Mr. Bond and Mr. Drkulec.

As a FIDE lawyer, I would like to state that it was with a great concern that we learned the information published today at the Chesstalk Canada. I would like to assure you with all responsibility that the current FIDE management has always adhered to the highest ethical standards in its work. In this regard, today it was decided to suspend the powers of Mr. Tsypin as a member of the FIDE Management Board and to conduct an urgent investigation into the available facts. In the very near future, I will also send each of you, as well as other persons, an official request regarding detailed explanations about the situation, starting with allegations expressed by Mr.Bond on chesstalk, and up to the most recent developments. I would appreciate it if one of you could post my letter on the Chesstalk Canada, so that the Canadian public will be informed of FIDE's strict commitment to high ethical standards.



Please, confirm receipt of this letter


Sincerely yours, Aleksandr Martynov
FIDE Legal Advisor


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[Kerry Liles]

This thread, despite its relative shortness, contains a lot of information. So, Fred, if I've overlooked something please feel free to point it out. The altered email was a fall 2018 occurrence. Your last sentence above suggests to me that the CFC broached the matter with FIDE in 2018/2019? But the FIDE email posted by Vlad (see below) suggests that FIDE has only just become aware of the matter. Are you able to shed some light on these seeming inconsistencies?

I would also like to ask Fred what exactly was meant by the opening sentence ("After the 2018 FIDE election it became increasingly obvious that FIDE considered Hal to be a liability.")
This to me is an extraordinary statement - why would Hal be considered a liability? By whom exactly?