Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

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  • Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

    So how about it Canadian chess players? Frank Dixon has been bragging and going on about Kingston having the biggest/worst/whatever chess scandal in Canadian chess history. For years now, ad naseum Well I for one am tired hearing about this. In fact I say Nay! I say the OCA Trillium funding scandal makes Dixon's scandal second rate by far, the work of mere amateurs.

    I say the OCA Trillium funding scandal is the ultimate Canadian chess scandal. So what do you say? Vote in the poll and call on Frank Dixon to stop his unsupported claim to being the worst.
    14
    The OCA Trillium funding debacle.
    42.86%
    6
    The Kingston chess scandal?
    0.00%
    0
    Frank Dixon going on and on about the Kingston scandal?
    21.43%
    3
    Some other scandal we know nothing about?
    35.71%
    5

    The poll is expired.

    Last edited by Zeljko Kitich; Tuesday, 12th March, 2013, 09:57 PM.

  • #2
    Biggest Chess Scandal in Canadian Chess History?

    Originally posted by Zeljko Kitich View Post
    So how about it Canadian chess players? Frank Dixon has been bragging and going on about Kingston having the biggest/worst/whatever chess scandal in Canadian chess history. For years now, ad naseum Well I for one am tired hearing about this. In fact I say Nay! I say the OCA Trillium funding scandal makes Dixon's scandal second rate by far, the work of mere amateurs.

    I say the OCA Trillium funding scandal is the ultimate Canadian chess scandal. So what do you say? Vote in the poll and call on Frank Dixon to stop his unsupported claim to being the worst.
    Curiosity... Is this a public or private poll? One might get better/more honest results if the voters' names are not seen.

    Further, what is the Kingston Chess Scandal? (OMG, have I opened the floodgates? LOL)

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

      Over an hour and no votes? :-)

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Biggest Chess Scandal in Canadian Chess History?

        Originally posted by J. Ken MacDonald View Post
        ... what is the Kingston Chess Scandal? (OMG, have I opened the floodgates? LOL)
        OMG, Larry, delete this thread!! Delete delete delete, before Frank starts up again. Life's too short...

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

          I don't recall the Kingston Chess Scandal. What was it?
          Gary Ruben
          CC - IA and SIM

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

            Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post
            Over an hour and no votes? :-)
            It's a thinking person's poll. It's not a gallop.

            It's an open poll so perhaps I should start a new closed one if that's an issue.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

              Dumbest poll in Canadian chess history. Not even funny.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                Originally posted by Jean Hébert View Post
                Dumbest poll in Canadian chess history. Not even funny.
                Well, the poll closes on April Fools Day, so that gives us a hint. ;)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                  The thing is, the OCA Trillium funding scandal, to the tune of some $80k, perpetrated by then-OCA President Barry Thorvardson, was suspected in advance by me. I had been finding out vital elements of it before it broke open, and I was certainly not the only one. I've been advising Canadian chess leaders to take formal steps, that is, to call in law enforcement.

                  Toss in other aspects of Barry Thorvardson's actions, and this leads to the infamous pairings scandal at the 2004 Canadian Zonal.

                  The Kingston Scandal can be summarized as a chain of events surrounding Wayne Coppin, over a period of about a decade, from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. It has been more or less successfully covered up to date, although certain people know the key elements. IA / IO Hal Bond has been informed quite fully. I discussed it for about two hours with then-CFC President Eric Van Dusen in March, 2010, in Ottawa. Its current status can be summarized as 'on hold.' I simply have more important things to do at the moment. Will I get back to it? Almost certainly. When? I don't know precisely. When I do, it will be with a different approach than I have used to date.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                    I think the Spraggett-Ivanov incidents in 1988 were probably worse.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                      Remind me, David.

                      Was that over who would get the guaranteed berth into the Saint John Candidates' matches? GM Spraggett eventually got it, and then defeated GM Andrei Sokolov, then ranked #3 in the world, making the decision look pretty good! :)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                        Veteran GM Kevin Spraggett can at any time reel off a long list of Canadian chess scandals (real or imagined).
                        Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
                        Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                          Originally posted by Frank Dixon View Post
                          GM Spraggett eventually got it, and then defeated GM Andrei Sokolov, then ranked #3 in the world, making the decision look pretty good! :)
                          This kind of reasoning worries me. If a decision wrong and unfair in principle turns out OK then it was a "good" decision ? Unfortunately too many people think this way until they get convicted.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                            I do respect IM Jean Hebert's opinions on anything involving chess. He has been a very strong player for 40+ years, and thinks everything through most carefully, on the board and off. Wise words! He is right with what he said; the end shouldn't justify the means, in effect.

                            Apparently I was insensitive on this issue, so I apologize for that.

                            IM Igor Ivanov was Canadian champion at that time, and he may have been led to believe that this would entitle him to a Candidates' slot, automatic, as Canada was hosting the matches. Didn't work out that way. GM Kevin Spraggett was selected, and then did do very well in that Candidates cycle, beating Sokolov in their match, and losing to GM Yusupov only in extra games. I remember watching rounds one and two of that match live in Quebec City, where I believe IM Hebert was doing commentary. :)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Biggest chess scandal in Canadian chess history?

                              Originally posted by Frank Dixon View Post
                              I do respect IM Jean Hebert's opinions on anything involving chess. He has been a very strong player for 40+ years, and thinks everything through most carefully, on the board and off. Wise words! He is right with what he said; the end shouldn't justify the means, in effect.

                              Apparently I was insensitive on this issue, so I apologize for that.

                              IM Igor Ivanov was Canadian champion at that time, and he may have been led to believe that this would entitle him to a Candidates' slot, automatic, as Canada was hosting the matches. Didn't work out that way. GM Kevin Spraggett was selected, and then did do very well in that Candidates cycle, beating Sokolov in their match, and losing to GM Yusupov only in extra games. I remember watching rounds one and two of that match live in Quebec City, where I believe IM Hebert was doing commentary. :)
                              That's no way of justifying anything. No one can know that Ivanov would have not in fact performed better.

                              Comment

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