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Originally posted by Vlad Drkulec
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Huge congrats!!!! -
Thanks Sid.Originally posted by Sid Belzberg View Post
Keep up the good work on the non-chess forums as the voice of reason.Comment
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BIG THANK YOU !!!
Hello chess fans, what a superbly wonderful turn of events!!
When FIDE tweeted at Canada late last week, only a couple of the more than forty required visas had been granted. The CFC Executive had been working behind the scenes, with critical connections being made across the country. For example, CFC Secretary Lyle Craver was securing the key support of The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, MINISTER of Energy and Natural Resources, from VANCOUVER. Just that sentence demonstrates how the WHOLE Canadian community was coming together!
But as Vlad stated, it was high time to "fire all the arrows"!!
My goodness, WHAT A SPECTACULAR VOLLEY THAT WAS!!
SO MANY people selflessly STEPPED UP! Some are names you haven't heard yet. They won't jockey for recognition, but the chess lover in them drove them to critical timely achievements. I just feel it's the right thing to present some of them to you:
On Friday, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chair Salim Belcadi led the initiative to build a public escalation announcement. As time was pressed to make the weekend news cycle, it was in the form of an entire article, ready to print by media outlets.
After intense hours of development, Salim and principal LOC member Anna Burtasova aggressively distributed to their vast networks of contacts, and within what seemed like minutes, The Toronto Star was launching themselves into it. This exploded the phenomenal interview tour that Vlad has been on since. Really, Vlad's energy pace has been nothing short of remarkable!
With that initial Toronto Star article, dominoes tumbled! Heidi Gay got us into the office of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. Keith Denning got us into the office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Dr. Vinny Puri (FM) connected with both a former Minister, The Honourable Navdeep Bains, and crucially, with The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Brampton East.
It's practically impossible (and it doesn't really matter) which arrows hit the target in which order. From Vlad to Patricia to Lyle to Salim to Anna to Heidi to Keith to Vinny (and this list misses lots of other "teammates"), but this is the juncture where we seemed to reach the proverbial critical mass: within another day, literally DOZENS more visa applications had been approved.
It still feels stunning to write that! That feeling we all had when we realized that it had become more likely that we would keep the Candidates vs. losing them, I suggest that's something special that all of us will always remember, and it'll make us smile!
I'm so proud of the Canadian chess community, and our whole Canadian community! Hoping to see many of you in Toronto!!!Comment
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Wonderful post Aris! Love to hear of all the incredible support, connections and the chess community jumping in to help out!Comment
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Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.- John F. KennedyOriginally posted by Egidijus Zeromskis View Post
https://www.socratic-method.com/quot...t-is-an-orphanComment
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Much respect for the leadership shown by all kinds of people during this challenging visa situation. A big THANK YOU to the local organizing committee and everyone who worked hard to save the Candidates! I appreciate the teamwork that occurred between CFC and the Local Organizing Committee during the Candidates.Comment
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Yep, if the Candidates were 'lost' - guess who would have been blamed?Originally posted by Vlad Drkulec View PostComment
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Some blamed us before they were lost. Oh ye of little faith. I didn't have time to deal with them as I and everyone at the CFC had to concentrate on the things and people that could work to resolve the situation.Originally posted by Olga Mushtaler View Post
Every few years we seem to have an existential crisis at the CFC. This was one of them. These moments are when you reveal who you are. I am pretty happy with who we are. Well aside from the lack of sleep and the fact that I gained ten pounds through this crisis. I did lose six of those pounds now that I am almost back to my normal routine.Last edited by Vlad Drkulec; Sunday, 10th March, 2024, 12:03 PM.Comment
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I had never heard that quote before, good one, thanks!Originally posted by Vlad Drkulec View PostComment
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Let's stop patting everyone on the back and prove to Fide that Canada can run a high class tournament and get a thumbs up to run more high class events.
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Canada is not running this aside from Aris Marghetis being the chief arbiter. FIDE's team is responsible for running the event and I am sure that they will do a great job.Comment
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The Candidates have been confirmed for Toronto in April. That deserves a moment of reflection.
I think it's time for us to collectively shift our focus away from the visa challenges and to close the lid on ongoing negative discussions on social media. Let's instead commit our energy to fostering a positive atmosphere ahead of the upcoming chess festival.
I urge everyone to place their trust in Vlad and his team and allow them to navigate any remaining obstacles in a serene environment. Further pressure from our chess community simply serves no constructive purpose.Comment
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So Salim, no lessons learn from this insane late visa debacle?Originally posted by Salim Belcadi View Post
Close to being as sadly amateurish as one can get.
Seriously?Comment
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FIDE Candidates' Tournament Local Organizing Committee
Can we get a list of who the people are on this most important committee?
There must be an equivalent FIDE Committee specifically charged with the implementation of the Candidates' Tournament......who are they?
How they feel about the Canadian Process may influence a lot whether Canada may be a site for more FIDE events.
Also, they should get some public credit for the great job they've done, with the assistance of the Chess Federation of Canada.
Bob AComment
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