My resignation as FIDE Rep

[Brad Thomson]

Relating partial sequences of contentions to a forum that it for the most part without inside knowledge of this affair serves little purpose in my opinion. Tell us Vlad, in your opinion how did the email get leaked, and how did it get doctored? The normal approach of detectives is to ask the simple question, who stood to gain? The most immediate answer to this question is, Mr. Tsypin and yourself. Of course, appearances can sometimes be deceiving, but your obfuscation has lead many to presume yourself to be the other guilty party (the leak-er of the email), along with Mr. Tsypin (the doctor). You are acting very much like a guilty man by offering the sorts of comments that you do. If you were to speak clearly and offer explanations that are plausible, as opposed to ridiculous theories about intercepted emails at airports, then you might be entitled to the benefit of the doubt. But your own comments convict you.

[Nikolay Noritsyn]

On another note, I see a possible agenda item on the CFC April 11-18th meeting is an attempt by Nikolay Noritsyn to remove Vlad as president of the CFC.
Perhaps more details will appear on the meeting thread(s) over on the CFC board...

here:
http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/sh...ng-April-11-18

Hi Kerry,

Its not quite like that. Since I did not get a reply from the Directors, I posted publicly. The details are here: http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/sh...-CFC-President

Best Regards,
Nikolay

[Vlad Drkulec]

Any update on the FIDE investigation? I just did a fast scroll through the pages in this thread and I count, roughly:
- 14 people who are supportive of Hal
- 1 person (Vlad) who is against Hal
- 3 people (Fred, Neil, and Francis) whose position is unclear.

What I find disturbing is that there must be hundreds of people who have benefitted from Hal's organizing skills over the years - enjoyed his tournaments; had opportunities to test themselves against stronger players and improve their game. Many of those people, I assume, are members here at Chesstalk. But only 14 could speak up and be supportive? I know the chess player stereotype is the spineless nerd but seriously people - surely there comes a time when you have to stand up and be heard.

I am not against Hal. I am against some of the actions that Hal has taken including in the CFC presidential election of 2020 including specifically leaking some information from executive discussion and spinning it in a way where he tried to make my actions appear sinister. We were good friends right up until I declined to take an ill advised action contrary to the advice of Les Bunning. Fred McKim defused the problems in the elections by explaining what had happened in the thwarted action just a few months before the election. I fully supported Hal at the time of the 2018 FIDE election. I offered to go fully public and wage an all out information war on social media and in the media on everything and anything associated with this situation. Hal did not want to do that at the time because it would burn bridges at FIDE. I had no ambitions at FIDE. At one point, Hal entertained the idea of running for FIDE president.

With respect to the attempt at extra-judicial punishment for the person that Hal blamed for his situation, it was simply that we had a discipline procedure in place. Hal did not want to use that discipline procedure. The discipline procedure required twenty days notice and the opportunity for the person to answer to the charges. Further, any discipline was subject to the voting members overturning it. There was no legal way to go around these requirements which leaves illegal ways. Asking someone to resign is something anyone can do. It carries legal consequences and requires that you explain why you are asking them to resign. It carries significant risks and legal consequences if you haven't allowed the person to exercise due process rights in the bylaws and in the law. I am bound by my fiduciary duty to the CFC, not to undertake actions that can lead to significant legal risk to the CFC or to myself and the other directors. Hal's actions and statements exacerbated that legal jeopardy in the event that the situation landed in court.

The whole situation needed to be solved at the FIDE level and not the CFC level. Some elements of FIDE wanted it to be solved on the CFC level.

I was particularly irritated by the claim that I was an impediment to the formation of an ethics committee which might have dealt with this situation. The ethics committee proposed in the election would have been stacked with close friends of Hal Bond. In seven years, Mr. Bond had not broached the idea of an ethics committee though there was already one on the books from many years before I became president. It was not implemented likely from lack of volunteers. It is not my job to propose every initiative. Hal never proposed an ethics committee as far as I recall.

FIDE filled me in on their perception of Hal Bond. I had cautioned him on appearing to be too much of a gadfly. Specifically, he strongly criticized them over some financial projections which he claimed were unrealistic. I told him not to make that criticism as it was likely that the administration knew more than he did and if the projections appeared too rosy that it would come out in the next year's financial statements. I doubted that FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich would make unfounded and overly optimistic projections if he didn't have the funding in place. He is a serious man. Apparently, Hal did not take my guidance and thus he was shown to be wrong when a sponsorship deal was announced shortly afterwards.

[Brian Profit]

Any update on the FIDE investigation? I just did a fast scroll through the pages in this thread and I count, roughly:
- 14 people who are supportive of Hal
- 1 person (Vlad) who is against Hal
- 3 people (Fred, Neil, and Francis) whose position is unclear.

What I find disturbing is that there must be hundreds of people who have benefitted from Hal's organizing skills over the years - enjoyed his tournaments; had opportunities to test themselves against stronger players and improve their game. Many of those people, I assume, are members here at Chesstalk. But only 14 could speak up and be supportive? I know the chess player stereotype is the spineless nerd but seriously people - surely there comes a time when you have to stand up and be heard.

I played in my first CFC tournament in London, ON that was run by Hal in 1984 or 1985 at Fanshawe College. I have met him at numerous tournaments over the years and have never had any reason to question him. I find it difficult to imagine Hal purposely doing something that he felt was not the right thing to do. If you told me to chose Hal or random corrupt FIDE official, I would not hesitate to side with Hal. The fact that someone changed his email and we are still debating if Hal is in the right is amazing to me. Someone changed it and they changed it for a reason. If Hal had it out for someone after this, I would have it out for someone too. FIDE has been corrupt for decades. They have been a joke since the 1980's and the people there have more experience at being corrupt and fewer morals and unfortunately, Hal is the victim.

[Brad Thomson]

What I find disturbing is that there must be hundreds of people who have benefitted from Hal's organizing skills over the years.

If it were not for Hal, none of you would have had to put up with myself for all of these years.

[Kerry Liles]

Any update on the FIDE investigation? I just did a fast scroll through the pages in this thread and I count, roughly:
- 14 people who are supportive of Hal
- 1 person (Vlad) who is against Hal
- 3 people (Fred, Neil, and Francis) whose position is unclear.

What I find disturbing is that there must be hundreds of people who have benefitted from Hal's organizing skills over the years - enjoyed his tournaments; had opportunities to test themselves against stronger players and improve their game. Many of those people, I assume, are members here at Chesstalk. But only 14 could speak up and be supportive? I know the chess player stereotype is the spineless nerd but seriously people - surely there comes a time when you have to stand up and be heard.

On another note, I see a possible agenda item on the CFC April 11-18th meeting is an attempt by Nikolay Noritsyn to remove Vlad as president of the CFC.
Perhaps more details will appear on the meeting thread(s) over on the CFC board...

here:
http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/sh...ng-April-11-18

[Peter McKillop]

Any update on the FIDE investigation? I just did a fast scroll through the pages in this thread and I count, roughly:
- 14 people who are supportive of Hal
- 1 person (Vlad) who is against Hal
- 3 people (Fred, Neil, and Francis) whose position is unclear.

What I find disturbing is that there must be hundreds of people who have benefitted from Hal's organizing skills over the years - enjoyed his tournaments; had opportunities to test themselves against stronger players and improve their game. Many of those people, I assume, are members here at Chesstalk. But only 14 could speak up and be supportive? I know the chess player stereotype is the spineless nerd but seriously people - surely there comes a time when you have to stand up and be heard.

[Frank Dixon]

My post was not meant to be thorough or comprehensive on Hal's myriad contributions to Canadian chess; I focused only on my encounters with him. Documenting everything for Hal would amount to a full biography, I think.

Another point which I believe requires more emphasis is that Hal brought back to Canada his international knowledge and experience from the important world-level events which he was involved with. Those actions made every organizer who worked with Hal that much better. No Canadian has ever done so much in that respect.

And let's not forget that Hal has been a 2000+ player, as well!

[Erik Malmsten]

Hal and I have also enjoyed many friendly casual conversations over those years; I have always emerged from those better informed and happier, since Hal is such an upbeat person!! In every scenario when I was around Hal, as described above, I always saw from him highly professional knowledge and effort, utmost consideration for multiple points of view, friendly people skills, and a forward-looking outlook on what would be best for Canadian chess. While I never contemplated chess involvement for myself at anywhere near Hal's level, he has inspired me to become more involved in Canadian chess, and I believe I have made, and am making, a positive contribution as a result. I know for a fact that Hal has inspired and mentored several other important organizers in Canadian chess. Hal is one of my favourite people in Canadian chess!

Hal has also served as an Arbiter at higher levels in important events with FIDE than any other Canadian has done. He has run a successful series of International Tournaments at Guelph for many years. Hal is well respected as a teacher and proponent of youth players.

I believe that CFC President Vlad Drkulec, in some of his postings on this board covering this important topic, has been somewhat disrespectful of Hal's efforts, skills, qualifications, and contributions. These actions by Vlad have been both unfortunate and disappointing; they have not contributed to a solution, while making what was already a bad situation even worse. Hal has been an organizer in Canadian chess for 30+ years, at the national and international levels, while Vlad is at about a decade of involvement at that level, with nowhere near the breadth and depth of contributions that Hal has attained. Hal is well known and highly respected around the world in chess. Hal could attend any important chess event in the world, and find friends!

Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston

Thanks Frank for the the great record of Hal's contributions. Hal saved the day for the CFC several times by stepping up at the last minute to give of his time to run a national Championship. There are many great volunteer organizers running annual tournaments across Canada year after year. But Hal went further to attract out-of-towners to come to Guelph. The turnout was always close to Toronto's numbers. It was a joy to play players I've never met before. He might hold the record for most GMs participating in Swisses in Canada, over all of his tournaments, second to Montreal.

Phil Haley had the great accomplishment of directing Olympiads. Angela Day worked for the grandmasters' organization. And Hal has been an arbiter for super GM matches. If I ever meet Hal in a bar, I must buy him a beer and salute him. What a great guy.

[Hans Jung]

Thats it! Thanks - KNIGHT MOVES - distinct and classy

[Neil Frarey]

Yes the chess tube. What was the name of it? My memory for all sorts of things is gone - Covid and its effect has made me old. Soon it will give me pleasure to say "today, tomorrow or next Tooosday" or "how now brown cow?"

KNIGHT MOVES

I have a set those pieces ... KNIGHT MOVES is embossed on the top of the rooks, ha!, set in a serif typeface ... perhaps Times New Roman.



.

[Hans Jung]

good thing it was online - Im not sure what the worst thing of losing in an over the board tournament is - maybe the huge amount of time before the next round? - I learned fast not to stand around looking at other games because I would end up thinking - look how well these guys play and how badly I played - beating myself up all over again.
anyways I shouldnt hijack the thread

[Aris Marghetis]

Brian Hartman was my worst ever opponent. It got so bad against him that I would sometimes lose in half an hour (not kidding) right in the opening. I must have lost a dozen games before I scored anything. I finally beat him and treasured that game for years but now Ive forgotten it and I've lost the scoresheet. (kudos to Brian - he was a monster in the opening)

On the White side of a Vienna turned King's Gambit this morning at Chess.com, I was already winning before losing in 9 moves. Sometimes openings can be abysses of desperation LOL

[Hans Jung]

Brian Hartman was my worst ever opponent. It got so bad against him that I would sometimes lose in half an hour (not kidding) right in the opening. I must have lost a dozen games before I scored anything. I finally beat him and treasured that game for years but now Ive forgotten it and I've lost the scoresheet. (kudos to Brian - he was a monster in the opening)

[Hans Jung]

Yes the chess tube. What was the name of it? My memory for all sorts of things is gone - Covid and its effect has made me old. Soon it will give me pleasure to say "today, tomorrow or next Tooosday" or "how now brown cow?"