Chess Scotland Noticeboard

GN · King Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 415

Just saw it on BBC 1 News at 10. First chess I've seen there for many a year Rolling Eyes

What a disgrace. I think disaffiliation ought to be seriously considered until this man is replaced.

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

Does anyone hear that noise? - sounds a bit like someone putting a load of cutlery in a drawer Wink

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

I have to agree we should withdraw from FIDE and form a seperate organisation with the rest of Western Europe until Kirsan is gone as leader.

heligan · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:52 am Post subject:

Hey, not just Western Europe folks - don't leave us out down here!

Paul Denham · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:43 am Post subject:

In my view it is time to ditch an organisation which is one country one vote.

Bermuda getting same no of votes as Germany etc as an example allows the likes of Blatter in Football and Kirsan in Chess to cling to power year after year after year... Campomanes was the master at it...

Any good organisation should have some provision to help out smaller countries and countries that are not meeting their potential but I firmly believe that an organisation where a G8 type group of Federations (USA, Russia, France, Germany, Netherlands, England, Italy etc) would not appoint someone of Kirsan's calibre and if they did would have the means to depose them when it was clear the game could benefit from different leadership.

If enough of the big countries did it and there seems more solidarity in the chess world for this than in world football then what would be left would be largely irrelevant (e.g. Greece, Turkey, Armenia and some very small countries)
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It is said that life is too short for chess but that is the fault of life, not chess

Alex McFarlane · King Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 413

I could easily attack the visit to Libya but I could also defend it. (The photo/publicity opportunities created by the game of chess is another matter.)

Similarly with the FIDE voting system, I could argue either way. It is always easy to attack a system which does not produce the result you want, particularly when you feel there has been an injustice. I have seen arguments that the number of votes should be tied in with the fee paid to FIDE. Whilst there is obvious merit in this it doesn’t necessarily reflect the amount of chess played in a country. Britain, where relatively few games are FIDE rated, would not do well in such a system. I would also feel happier to support such a proposal if that is what we actually did in this country. Chess Scotland has one member one vote exactly the same as FIDE but I haven’t seen or heard anyone suggesting that CS members should have votes in relation to the number of graded games they play. Shouldn’t we adopt that system first before campaigning for such a system within FIDE?

A breakaway organisation is also an obvious step. These haven’t worked in the past but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t now. To have any chance of success though, a rival organisation would need to put on big tournaments and this would require bringing money into the game. My opinion is that such financial deals would need to be in place before even attempting another organisation. With the state of the world’s economy this does not seem a good time to attract such sponsorship for a minority interest.

Obviously, I hope, people realise I am just trying to stir things up but my concerns over a reform of the voting system and a breakaway organisation are genuine. Alternatives must be fully thought through before being attempted. Gut reactions are not always sustainable.

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

A lot of people expressing disgust/disapproval. What are the reasons for this?

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Paul Denham · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:01 am Post subject:

In my case its not a pro or an anti-gadaffi thing.
Its a reaction to a Blatter type leader who can hold vice like grip to power (remember heavyweights like Karpov (backed by Kasparov) couldn't depose Kirsan).

Don't think he is the best leader/ambassador we could have.
Don't think Florencio Campomanes was either.
Think Euwe and the Icelandic FIDE president were much much better from what I have read.

Don't think a system where small countries can be brought on the post holder's side for a fraction of the cost a big country would is a healthy system.

When is Kirsan going to be deposed and how..... these guys hold the posts in perpetuity due to them using their influence as duty holders to keep the small nations on side.
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It is said that life is too short for chess but that is the fault of life, not chess

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

The fact that 1 person can hold the position of President since 1995 is in itself a disgrace. There should be a fixed time limit on the number of years one person can hold the position, 2 terms of 4 years sounds about right. Basically Kirsan is going to remain President until he decides he has had enough and steps down.

Donald Wilson · Queen Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 143

"Kirsan is going to remain President until he . . . steps down."

. . . or beams up?

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

A limit on the number of terms that you can be President for may be a solution as we now have here.
Paul must disagree with you on the issue of one country one vote. Do you want the organisation to be like the SPL for example? Why shouldn't a country like Bermuda or perhaps Luxembourg for example have the same number of votes as say Russia or the US? You are going down a dangerous road I think.
Why should a select group of nations have a bigger say than over the rest of the World?
I have to disagree with with the idea of forming a seperate group from FIDE. This is not a defence of FIDE, but the reality is that the more developed countries have to reach out to the less developed countries now if they want to get Kirsan out of the presidency. Were there any protests when the USSR joined FIDE only after insisting Spain were expelled?
If you check up the the net, there was a list of list of historical figures good and bad who were chessplayers.

I would add that from my experience in working for the IBCA treating each country equally will get you respect and support from everyone

HughBrechin · Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:08 pm Post subject:

Jonathan Rowson's article in the Herald today is quite interesting - he reckons that it's time for us to unilaterally leave FIDE. I'm not sure I disagree with that position, Kirsan is a colossal liability in terms of how the game is perceived by the public.

Steve, apart from pointing out that all 12 clubs in the SPL have one and only one vote over league decisions, and asking how exactly we're going to implement a term limit while Our Dear Leader remains in post, I won't get into the argument about voting weight - I broadly stand by the points I made in the thread a few months ago after the last presidential election, and I think that Duncan's analogy in that thread is pretty persuasive.

http://scotchess.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1606 for anyone who's interested.

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

Instead of all this talk of leaving FIDE why don't Chess Scotland take a stand and be the first federation to leave? I am sure others will soon follow...