The sponsorship fiascos, politicking, and silliness take a backseat (I hope) to the US Championship games that begin today in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Apparently the official site is at Monroi, the maker of those little digital handheld move recorders. I imagine this means all the players will be using them. I suggested to Var Akobian, when we were on together doing Mtel coverage the other day, that he sneak in a Pocket Fritz instead to see if anyone would notice. Oh well, as long as they get the games out okay I don't care if they used Speckled Jim to do it.
The field is a very strong one, if not as big as in recent years. There are 36 players listed, although the prize fund explanation only mentions going down to 34th place. Maybe the last two finishers get a hearty handshake and a lifetime supply of Rice-a-Roni? Those final finishers get $500 bucks and from what I can tell around half of the field should lose money after deducting for travel and other expenses. It's a nine-round swiss system with a time control of G/150 plus 30 seconds increment. There aren't any off days and no one has answered my question about if they are again using he rules that prohibit draw offers before move 30.
The favorites for the $12,000 first prize are the last two champions, Hikaru Nakamura and Alexander Onischuk. Ehlvest is eligible for the first time. Kaidanov, Ibragimov, Shulman, Shabalov, Akobian, Stripunsky are the other top contenders. The top five finishers qualify for the IFIDE World Cup, the first stage in the world championship cycle, and that will clearly be the goal for most of the players.
From what I can tell, the preposterous "Patron Entry Fee" idea flopped like a landed mackerel as expected. I guess no amateurs wanted to pay many thousands of dollars for the privilege of being slaughtered by FMs and IMs and no GMs wanted to pay three grand with only the tiniest chance of even making the money back. [I'm now told that GM Walter Browne and IM Jay Bonin are there as paying patrons. Why wasn't this announced anywhere? Where is the money? That would be $3000 for Walter and $5000 for Bonin. I'm quite happy to be wrong about it! Not as happy as I'd be if that money went to the prize fund where it belonged, mind you.] Joel Benjamin even dropped out of the field, breaking his record streak of 23-consecutive championships (which may now be tied by Browne?). Sad.
Meanwhile, a long sequence of emails flew by me while I was on vacation in Washington a week ago. Eric Moskow, a real chess patron who has done his share of pay-to-play over the years, was trying to get in but to play online because he is traveling. Unfortunately, such games couldn't have been rated by FIDE, ruining norm chances for his opponents according to the USCF. Too bad they couldn't have made it work out as Moskow was offering an amount close to the current first prize! Speaking of money on the wing, the Monroi site says something about the "unexpected withdrawal of the previous sponsor," which would be the AF4C. Everything I saw at the time and since has made it clear that the AF4C was willing and able but the USCF (and some top players) wasn't comfortable with the largely online format the AF4C wanted to use for the event. Anyway, kudos to Frank Berry for stepping in with the cash and putting on the event in Stillwater. Let's hope we get some good fighting chess.
Speaking of, I'm told there will already be $100 round prizes for best game and Crenshaw prizes for things like best combination, endgame, etc. This information and other rules and such don't seem to be posted anywhere. I wonder if the players are aware of them. Even though the games start in just a few hours, I'd still like to kick in some cash for an old fashioned brilliancy prize or two and I hope you feel the same. ChessNinja.com will match your donations up to $500. So if you guys come up with $500 that will be $1000 for prizes. (If you guys totally wimp out I'll still put up a few hundred for a prize. But I have faith in you for some reason.) IMs John Donaldson and John Watson have agree to help out both as auditors of the donations and judges. I'll list the names of everyone who contributed here in the Dirt and I'm sure there will be recognition in Stillwater. You don't need to already have a PayPal account. Just a credit card will also work. It's fast and secure. Click the above flag button to donate now!
[This is going to go directly from me to the players. The USCF is not involved. If you don't want the name on your PayPal account to be used as is on the sponsors list, send me an email with how you'd like it to read. You can include a link or a sentence or two next to your name if you like! If you don't want to use PayPal you can send me a check. Email me first.]
I thought there were two patron entries, or am I mistaken?
I want to know one thing first: who touches this prize money before it reaches the players? I don't trust the USCF as far as I could throw it. How you could throw an organisation, I don't know, but I stand by my statement. They hold tournaments and money vanishes into a sinkhole, AKA goes into the pockets of their employees who work the floor. I'm sick of it and refuse to pour money into that sewer. If this donated money totally bypasses USCF employees, I would be interested in perhaps chipping in a few bucks.
I'm far from rich, but these are the great artists of my favourite medium, and I don't mind giving a little in return for all they've given me. But no d__n USCF grubbies touching it is a must for me to even consider it. It has to be the most brazenly corrupt national sporting/gaming entity in the country.
By the way, yes, I didn't miss "IMs John Donaldson and John Watson have agree to help out both as auditors of the donations and judges", but that doesn't mean they don't hand the actual money over to the USCF to handle, for tax purposes or whatever.
I am sorry for saying this, but, one of the most rich and powerful countries in the world needs a donation for a brilliancy prize in its championship ?
May I got it wrong, please explain..
A lifetime supply of Rice-a-Roni is worth considerably more than $500.
I don't know, Greg, and don't see it posted anywhere. In fact, I haven't seen any information about this event anywhere other than the initial announcement at uschess.org and the basic (and occasionally erroneous) information at the Monroi site. The 36 listed at Monroi are the same 36 given at the USCF site a few weeks ago and there was no mention of any of them being "patrons." I would hope and imagine they would get better PR for their money!
The prize money will come from me in a check written to the player(s). Sorry it can't be tax deductible, although I imagine that's something the USCF would have been able to set up if they had any interest in doing so.
So who should be putting up the money for brilliancy prizes, george? The US taxpayers? What does the US GDP have to do with things? People who like baseball pay for tickets or watch commercials to support it. People who like chess rarely do anything besides buy the occasional book. A very small percentage pay dues to their local federation, which usually disappears into a bureaucracy, or to a local club. Paying big entry fees to play in tournaments might also be considered donating to GM prizes. A fraction of that money might go to chess professionals in some places. This is a chance for the American (or not) chess fan to show some love.
Of course the Dirt and message board will be factors in determining the candidate games. I'm hoping Larry Christiansen will also help judge.
I wasn't worried about tax deductible on my end. Even when I make tax deductible donations, I never claim them, not even once have I done so. However, I was mentioning taxes from the perspective of the players, who must claim it as income. I was worried that for this purpose, the brilliancy prize might simply be lumped into their eventual tournament cheque.
How about naming the prize after David Bronstein? He is one of Mig's favorites, he passed away recently, and was certainly known for playing brilliant, exciting chess.
Well, it IS the US championship. So maybe Morphy might be more appropriate if we wanted to name it, which I don't feel a pressing urge to do. But I have no trouble putting that up for a vote, too!
"The Miggie" (And the award check should come with a little bald-headed troll doll.)
It seems like Bonin and Browne are there as paying patrons. I'd heard rumors about Bonin, but no details. Why didn't the USCF announce this? You'd think 8,000 would be a big deal. On the other hand, only money after $35,000 goes to the prize fund, so the players lose again.
actually the truth is, 1. I offered 10k now, 10k gurnatee next year, best efforts to secure a great site and large long term committment moving forward. In the event susan wins and works with me, I am committed to make that stick and play in person next year. I vow to have 1-2 im norms (earned) by then. The ed bill hall great honest nice man was over ruled by mr conflict of interest (my view only) , no contact from mr berry to me (can not blame him) They misquoted the players and omitted if need be I would fly in for any norm games. fact is they do not want susan to have a deep pocket supporter, bad news they waived the red flag and I will be her biggest supporter. Bill must go.
A question about the A4FC proposals, which I didn't see answered in the original (January 11) entry:
What kind of time limits would there have been for the online portion of the championship, if the USCF went along with the A4FC? I guess I can understand the reluctance the players and the UCSF would have with a rapid preliminary event, given how the final mini-matches were recieved last year, but if the time limits are classical (or close to it), and the computers the players are playing on are borrowed from someone (so no one has Fritzy running), and there are arbiters and referees present, couldn't that work? Or would there be issues with norms from such an event or something?
Troll dolls aside, just calling it the "Daily Dirt Readers Prize" (or prizes) seems like a plan to me.
No norms for online events, Daniel. FIDE won't rate them even with arbiters present. Not yet. The problem is even a first round game could turn out to be a norm game, as I understand it. Nine games is a minimum for norms. I'll be interested to hear the other sponsorship plans though.
The prize fund has been increased by some 15% due to the patron fees and other contributions. I don't know the exact numbers, but I do know that last place is now $700. Whoop dee doo!
The Onischuk-Browne game was delayed because neither player used the MonRoi device. The TDs had to manually enter the moves themselves.
We had a big controversy over the clocks, which could not handle the 30 second increment! Round 1 was played at 40/100, G/60 with 30 second delay. That explains the large number of games finishing right at or shortly after move 40. Supposedly we will have increment capable clocks for round 2.
Regarding Dr. Moscow's offer to fly out for a norm game: Half of the field is eligible for norms (everyone except the GMs), which means that he would have to fly out several times at minimum. For example: If Dr. Moscow had lost round 1 like most of us did, then he would have been pairing with an IM or FM tomorrow in round 2--and that guy would have norm chances. Thus, I don't understand why he would offer to fly out several times and not be willing to stay for the whole 9 days.
Please check out my blog on the ICC homepage. I better get to work on my round 1 entry now. My rear end is still sore from a Cuban-American spanking this afternoon.
first off, what was offered and was being negotiated was flying out or compensating players that might of lost a norm. 2. the uscf put a written offer out that would of allowed for this and was su[possedly approved for a obscene price. 3. mr aigner who I do not know but who i do know is a reputable and charismatic player who I hope more than you can imagine actually gets a norm has no basis to infer I would misrepresent or distort facts, is welcome to ask mig to see the written chain of emails from goichberg, they speak for themselves. Thats why mig and susan and greg kaidanov were copied. The point is simple. I was not embraced, have never been encouraged in a good way by the uscf. With funds for chess low the few patrons should be esteemed and not ridiucle or doubted especially by other players. I am not sensitive or hurt, I am just realistic, thats why I go to norway, These politics that turn geniuine gifts to intrigue irks me. Anyways, the reason I can fly back and forth at will, is the same reason I can stay for 9 days right now. I am in the midst of a bussiness deal, and was willing to put this tournament into my schedule at a late date. Mr aigner is welcome to talk to mr kaidanov to confirm facts, if he choose to believe otherwise thats his american right. And I will still root for him go mike.
first off, what was offered and was being negotiated was flying out or compensating players that might of lost a norm. 2. the uscf put a written offer out that would of allowed for this and was su[possedly approved for a obscene price. 3. mr aigner who I do not know but who i do know is a reputable and charismatic player who I hope more than you can imagine actually gets a norm has no basis to infer I would misrepresent or distort facts, is welcome to ask mig to see the written chain of emails from goichberg, they speak for themselves. Thats why mig and susan and greg kaidanov were copied. The point is simple. I was not embraced, have never been encouraged in a good way by the uscf. With funds for chess low the few patrons should be esteemed and not ridiucle or doubted especially by other players. I am not sensitive or hurt, I am just realistic, thats why I go to norway, These politics that turn geniuine gifts to intrigue irks me. Anyways, the reason I can fly back and forth at will, is the same reason I can stay for 9 days right now. I am in the midst of a bussiness deal, and was willing to put this tournament into my schedule at a late date. Mr aigner is welcome to talk to mr kaidanov to confirm facts, if he choose to believe otherwise thats his american right. And I will still root for him go mike.
I remember when Moskow bought his way into the Reshevsky memorial in 92. It's great that he can do this from time to time -- he gets to play against vastly stronger competition, and chess players get his cash. But his money doesn't buy him the moral high ground, and it doesn't give him carte blanche to dictate terms.
"I was not embraced, have never been encouraged in a good way by the uscf. With funds for chess low the few patrons should be esteemed and not ridiucle or doubted especially by other players. I am not sensitive or hurt, I am just realistic, thats why I go to norway,"
It's a swiss tournament. Pairings get done daily. If you can't be there, you can't be in the tournament. Flying back and forth is logistically impossible under these circumstances. So why whine? (Yes, the USCF is pathetic and busto. Yes, they could use the cash. But you don't get to rewrite tournament regs in the process of making a donation at this late date!)
Maybe the thing to do is sponsor it next year, because you could dictate terms as the sponsor?
The above poster is well-named.
It’s meaningless to talk about a sponsor ‘not being able to dictate terms’. Obviously sponsorship enables the sponsor to dictate the terms on which he’s willing to give his money. If the organisers can’t live with those terms, fine, but there’s a difference between ‘look, Eric, we’re really grateful and we’d like to explore if we can make it work and if not this time maybe another’, and unreturned telephone calls followed by internet sneerers talking about people ‘buying their way into’ events.
Eric’s model is common in bridge where sponsors playing on professional teams have won even world championships. In bridge people recognise it for what it is; a sensible model for supporting the game which brings money into the game, enables professionals to make a decent living, widens the talent available in the game and drives up standards of play and conditions to the benefit of all. I’ve played bridge professionally in my time and I can assure you the difference in attitude towards sponsors in the two games, typified by the foolish post above, is enormous and does chess little credit.
Perfect, he is obviously in the know. I just gave 1 million dollars to temple kol tikvah parkland florida(please google) we endowed a chair at brown, and are in the process of doing something with the nfl players health fund. I am working on spending approx 1 mil over next few years on chess. We will be setting up our own organization for that purpose and bypass the uscf completely. If susans is in control, she has my support.It would be a brave new better uscf
Dr. Moscow, I do not question what you wrote to USCF officials. I trust your words and admire your generosity for chess. Even if this opportunity did not work out for you, I hope there will future opportunities to come.
I am asking about the narrow issue of norms. I voted against your bid because if an internet game costs one player a norm, then even a few thousand dollars can't make up for that (IMHO). I wished we players were informed of your willingness to fly to Stillwater, but questioned the merits of commuting daily to a remote town in Oklahoma. As a 2244 rated player, you would likely face many of the IMs seeking GM norms or the FMs seeking IM norms starting in round 2.
Perfect, he is obviously in the know. I just gave 1 million dollars to temple kol tikvah parkland florida(please google) we endowed a chair at brown, and are in the process of doing something with the nfl players health fund. I am working on spending approx 1 mil over next few years on chess. We will be setting up our own organization for that purpose and bypass the uscf completely. If susans is in control, she has my support.It would be a brave new better uscf
Mike let me sum it up, the uscf feel sponsors are irrelevant. You must understand to establish great wealth comes ego, cynacism, ecletic personalities. We all want respect and fun, if not I rather have a colonoscopy. In fact I am doing chess a favor, I have been ridiculed for years, i n norway I am a hero. In fact I am sure i have beaten more gms, ims than any other 2200 player in the world, as for talent kaidanov is free to address it, rating when you only play 2500,2600 players gaining points is tough but fun.
Mike let me sum it up, the uscf feel sponsors are irrelevant. You must understand to establish great wealth comes ego, cynacism, ecletic personalities. We all want respect and fun, if not I rather have a colonoscopy. In fact I am doing chess a favor, I have been ridiculed for years, i n norway I am a hero. In fact I am sure i have beaten more gms, ims than any other 2200 player in the world, as for talent kaidanov is free to address it, rating when you only play 2500,2600 players gaining points is tough but fun.
Mike let me sum it up, the uscf feel sponsors are irrelevant. You must understand to establish great wealth comes ego, cynacism, ecletic personalities. We all want respect and fun, if not I rather have a colonoscopy. In fact I am doing chess a favor, I have been ridiculed for years, i n norway I am a hero. In fact I am sure i have beaten more gms, ims than any other 2200 player in the world, as for talent kaidanov is free to address it, rating when you only play 2500,2600 players gaining points is tough but fun.
Listengiven the blogs, who deserves what etc, let do a round robin the lasten 9 finishers and me, if I do not finish in the top 3 I give uscf 50k if I do then they give the temple 50k (which they do not have). sorry but theirs a difference between a guy that chose to play only pros and a guy who just tries it once. gimme a break, im done this is a waste and players that vote a major sponsor down a doomed to lament about no funding. best of luck.
Eric,
While I love and thank what you're doing for chess, losing the ability of having a FIDE rated game or a game which counts towards norm purposes is disasterous.
I do hope for next years event you have the time in your busy schedule to fly out to wherever the event is and play face to face.
Greg Koster sez: ""The Miggie" (And the award check should come with a little bald-headed troll doll.)"
LOL! good one
d_tal,
Thanks.
My vote:
--"The Daily Dirt Reader's Prize"
--informally known as "the Miggie"
--bald-headed troll doll
--no splitting of prize fund unless/until the winner gets $1,000.
Since Moskow really seems to have a preference in playing GMs, then it might have made sense to make arrrangements for him to play, with Moskow being paired against players with the GM title in all 9 of his games. Everybody wins. Norm hunters would not have their chances jeopardised by having to play an Internet game. The GMs who are paired against Moskow, would get a relatively easy pairing, with fine chances for earning a full point. And some lucky norm hunter might not have to face a GM in that given round, and may get an easier pairing and a better result.
If there is just a bit of fiddling with the pairings, FIDE (or the USCF) would really care, right?
Moskow's proposal for a 10 player Round Robin event, with the last 9 finishers, is actually a very interesting idea.
Jeez. Moskow and friends whine a lot. "Poor me. I have lots of money, and no one will take it with my strings attached. Except the Norwegians. And now I'm like a god to them."
So good for them. Good for whoever you can give it to, Eric. It's nice that you want to be a chess angel. But it doesn't get around the norms issue that Aigner and Ferndandez bring up, that I was addressing, and that you brush aside. Money doesn't allow you to circumvent regulations at a very late date.
Good for you and the doing the end-run around the USCF. Let's see you do it instead of just talking about it. And let's see you do it without turning it into the self-aggrandizing project that your writings hint it might be.
Aigner,
What... no 1.f4 in round 2??
This is the refreshing thing about the internet. The veil of anonymity enables people to show how stupid, nasty and yes, cowardly, they are. It's always good to be reminded of this.
Becerra sacked three pieces on Ibragimov's head, but couldn't break through. Amazing how effective knights can be on the defense.
I like Robson-Friedel (a draw)... thought the young phenom was going to send Josh to the cleaners.
Shabalov won a nice mating attack.
Krush actually got mated by Shulman.
Some exciting chess there!
Krush actually got mated by Shulman.
-- Posted by: Daaim Shabazz at May 16, 2007 21:01
Please, Daaim, this is a blog that children read.
:-)
Krush actually got mated by Shulman.
-- Posted by: Daaim Shabazz at May 16, 2007 21:01
Please, Daaim, this is a blog that children read.
:-)