What is the ACO? - ChessTalk / Parlons Échecs

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Policy / Politique

The fee for tournament organizers advertising on ChessTalk is $20/event or $100/yearly unlimited for the year.

Les frais d'inscription des organisateurs de tournoi sur ChessTalk sont de 20 $/événement ou de 100 $/année illimitée.

You can etransfer to Henry Lam at chesstalkforum at gmail dot com

Transfér à Henry Lam à chesstalkforum@gmail.com

Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
General Guidelines

---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!

Some Basics

1. Under Board "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs) there are 3 sections dealing with General Forum Usage, User Profile Features, and Reading and Posting Messages. These deal with everything from Avatars to Your Notifications. Most general technical questions are covered there. Here is a link to the FAQs. https://forum.chesstalk.com/help

2. Consider using the SEARCH button if you are looking for information. You may find your question has already been answered in a previous thread.

3. If you've looked for an answer to a question, and not found one, then you should consider asking your question in a new thread. For example, there have already been questions and discussion regarding: how to do chess diagrams (FENs); crosstables that line up properly; and the numerous little “glitches” that every new site will have.

4. Read pinned or sticky threads, like this one, if they look important. This applies especially to newcomers.

5. Read the thread you're posting in before you post. There are a variety of ways to look at a thread. These are covered under “Display Modes”.

6. Thread titles: please provide some details in your thread title. This is useful for a number of reasons. It helps ChessTalk members to quickly skim the threads. It prevents duplication of threads. And so on.

7. Unnecessary thread proliferation (e.g., deliberately creating a new thread that duplicates existing discussion) is discouraged. Look to see if a thread on your topic may have already been started and, if so, consider adding your contribution to the pre-existing thread. However, starting new threads to explore side-issues that are not relevant to the original subject is strongly encouraged. A single thread on the Canadian Open, with hundreds of posts on multiple sub-topics, is no better than a dozen threads on the Open covering only a few topics. Use your good judgment when starting a new thread.

8. If and/or when sub-forums are created, please make sure to create threads in the proper place.

Debate

9. Give an opinion and back it up with a reason. Throwaway comments such as "Game X pwnz because my friend and I think so!" could be considered pointless at best, and inflammatory at worst.

10. Try to give your own opinions, not simply those copied and pasted from reviews or opinions of your friends.

Unacceptable behavior and warnings

11. In registering here at ChessTalk please note that the same or similar rules apply here as applied at the previous Boardhost message board. In particular, the following content is not permitted to appear in any messages:

* Racism
* Hatred
* Harassment
* Adult content
* Obscene material
* Nudity or pornography
* Material that infringes intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party
* Material the posting of which is tortious or violates a contractual or fiduciary obligation you or we owe to another party
* Piracy, hacking, viruses, worms, or warez
* Spam
* Any illegal content
* unapproved Commercial banner advertisements or revenue-generating links
* Any link to or any images from a site containing any material outlined in these restrictions
* Any material deemed offensive or inappropriate by the Board staff

12. Users are welcome to challenge other points of view and opinions, but should do so respectfully. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. Posts and threads with unacceptable content can be closed or deleted altogether. Furthermore, a range of sanctions are possible - from a simple warning to a temporary or even a permanent banning from ChessTalk.

Helping to Moderate

13. 'Report' links (an exclamation mark inside a triangle) can be found in many places throughout the board. These links allow users to alert the board staff to anything which is offensive, objectionable or illegal. Please consider using this feature if the need arises.

Advice for free

14. You should exercise the same caution with Private Messages as you would with any public posting.

15. Have fun!

(Thanks to Nigel Hanrahan for writing these up!)

X

Marcus Wilker

Join Date: 2010-12-13

Posts: 462
Share

Post
#1

What is the ACO?

Friday, 21 October, 2011, 01:34 PM

I just got an email from the "amateur chess organization." Apparently they're launching their own World Championship and their own WYCC.

https://www.amateurchess.com

Marcus Wilker
Annex Chess Club
Toronto, Ontario
Tags: None
Hugh Brodie

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 5581
Share

Post
#2

Friday, 21 October, 2011, 03:48 PM

Re: What is the ACO?

There was a thread about this organization on Chesstalk back in February:

http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4581
Comment
Felix Dumont

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 2191
Share

Post
#3

Friday, 21 October, 2011, 03:55 PM

Re : What is the ACO?

It's a scam...
Comment
Kerry Liles

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 3071
Share

Post
#4

Friday, 21 October, 2011, 05:42 PM

Re: Re : What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Felix Dumont View Post

It's a scam...

And you know this, how? Do you have any references for that? (please)

...Mike Pence: the Lord of the fly.
Comment
Felix Dumont

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 2191
Share

Post
#5

Friday, 21 October, 2011, 05:50 PM

Re : What is the ACO?

We can see it just be looking at the organization and the emails they send to nearly all the organizers in Canada....
Hugh Brodie also made some research about it :

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

A Google search on his name (Lothar Hirneise) shows many links to his "alternative" cancer cures (he's not an MD). I think he's the same guy, since a cancer-related bio and the FIDE site both give his year of birth as being 1961.

It would also be quite unlikely that they would organize such tournaments without any sponsor or help from any country.
Comment
Hugh Brodie

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 5581
Share

Post
#6

Friday, 21 October, 2011, 10:53 PM

Re: What is the ACO?

Susan Polgar interviews Lothar Hirneise (a few days ago):

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2011/10/amateur-chess-organization.html

No comments anywhere as to its legitimacy. (have sites actually been booked and paid for in Dubai and Paris Disneyland?)
Comment
Wilf Ferner

Join Date: 2008-06-18

Posts: 153
Share

Post
#7

Saturday, 22 October, 2011, 05:39 AM

Re: What is the ACO?

Hi: I found this thread on the English Chess Forum

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2837

Wilf Ferner
Comment
Louis Morin

Join Date: 2008-06-29

Posts: 1386
Share

Post
#8

Monday, 24 October, 2011, 09:35 AM

Re : Re: What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

Susan Polgar interviews Lothar Hirneise (a few days ago):

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2011/10/amateur-chess-organization.html

No comments anywhere as to its legitimacy. (have sites actually been booked and paid for in Dubai and Paris Disneyland?)

According to the ACO website, this organization is run by grandmaster Falko Bindrich (2548) and international master Tobias Hirneise (2446).
Comment
Erik Nilsson

Join Date: 2011-12-08

Posts: 2
Share

Post
#9

Thursday, 8 December, 2011, 04:45 PM

Re: What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

Susan Polgar interviews Lothar Hirneise (a few days ago):

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2011/10/amateur-chess-organization.html

No comments anywhere as to its legitimacy. (have sites actually been booked and paid for in Dubai and Paris Disneyland?)

I'm bumping this thread since ACO's spam now has reached active members of the Swedish Chess Federaton. The emails advertise the ACO Amateur Chess Championship and the ACO World Youth Chess Championship. While the concept does seem intriguing their method of sending spam containing shameless self promotion tells me this organization should not be trusted. Also, Lothar Hirneise does seem shady.

Susan Polgar posted an interview with charlatan and Gothic Chess "inventor" Ed Trice a few years ago, also shaped much like an ad. I can't tell if Susan Polgar is being paid for these interviews or if she's just imprudent by nature.

Edit: Being "run" by low rated GMs is another warning sign as their names could be used to give an impression of legitimacy. Remember that many GMs have troubles living of their chess career and thus could be persuaded with the promise of easy money. Their mailings boasts of "26 partners and contributors from 18 countries". All you have to do to become a partner or contributor is to fill out a simple online application form.

Anyone knows if Falko Bindrich or Tobias Hirneise have organized other tournaments of similar scope before?

Last edited by Erik Nilsson; Thursday, 8 December, 2011, 05:17 PM. Reason: wrote that Hugh Brodie seemed shady, it was supposed to be Lothar Hirneise
Comment
Kerry Liles

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 3071
Share

Post
#10

Thursday, 8 December, 2011, 04:50 PM

Re: What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Erik Nilsson View Post

...
Also, Hugh Brodie does seem shady.
...

What is the meaning of this remark? Hugh posted some very valuable information related to the ACO, did he not?

...Mike Pence: the Lord of the fly.
Comment
Erik Nilsson

Join Date: 2011-12-08

Posts: 2
Share

Post
#11

Thursday, 8 December, 2011, 05:13 PM

Re: What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Kerry Liles View Post

What is the meaning of this remark? Hugh posted some very valuable information related to the ACO, did he not?

Sorry, I meant Lothar Hirneise, copied the wrong name ;-P
Comment
Peter McKillop

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 1999
Share

Post
#12

Thursday, 8 December, 2011, 06:10 PM

Re: What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Kerry Liles View Post

What is the meaning of this remark? Hugh posted some very valuable information related to the ACO, did he not?

Now, now, don't get all ticked off at Erik. After all, Hugh COULD be shady if it was a sunny day and he bent over from the waist and someone sat on the ground underneath Hugh's torso. :):)

p.s. I love chesstalk!!

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop
"Only the dead have seen the end of war." - Plato
"If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." - Thomas De Quincey
Comment
Vlad Drkulec

Join Date: 2008-05-30

Posts: 4666
Share

Post
#13

Friday, 9 December, 2011, 12:35 AM

Re: What is the ACO?

Originally posted by Peter McKillop View Post

Now, now, don't get all ticked off at Erik. After all, Hugh COULD be shady if it was a sunny day and he bent over from the waist and someone sat on the ground underneath Hugh's torso. :):)

p.s. I love chesstalk!!

So now Hugh is Slim Shady and Ed Trice is OB Trice? The latter played a Chatham watering hole before he got shot non-fatally.
Comment

Previous template Next

Working...