It is Saturday Open Forum. Discuss any topic you like from the USCF, FIDE, World Championship and US Championship, etc. Just make sure to please keep it clean.
The forum is yours! 
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Saturday Open Forum
Congratulations on the Colle-Zukertort System DVD. It has inspired me to switch to that line. Any leads as to where I can find Gary Lane’s book “The Ultimate Colle” or Soltis’ book on the Zukertort? 🙂
Thank you Gad. I also apologize for any mix up in the past order. The manufacturer made big mistake that screwed up more than 5,000 of my DVDs.
Everything had to be redone.
Happy New Year!
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
As the year ends we have the typical 3 deaths, James Brown, President Ford and Saddam Hussein. We end our chess year with a unified world champion, an Indian player banned for 10 years for cheating with modern technology at chess. Susan, what do you think about cheating at chess and what sort of punishment fits the crime. We also read about the World Open cheating. Any thoughts?
Yes, I discuss about this in my upcoming article on chesscafe.com. It will come out on Tuesday night 🙂
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
Susan, have you ever seen the movie Borat?
What did you think of it?
Are you happy, having dedicated your chess life to helping others love the game?
No, I did not see Borat.
Reflections on the week gone by:
1) I had posted on my past in Seattle and I had said some bad things about the master players. As a result, I got an e-mail from John Donaldson – and he was really nice to me. It’s like my whole worldview has to undergo a revolution! Chessmasters being nice. Who’d a thunk it?
2) I started a quest on the USCF forums to see if Sam Sloan has a constructive position on ANY issue. In several of his writings he has indicated that he might have something constructive to say. Besides, I have a general rule of niceness: no human being can be ALL bad. So I’ve been asking him. He responded with nasty attacks on Susan and others but when I pressed him about the issues, he folded. Now he’s stopped answering my queries, altogether. I’ll keep trying, though. I figure that if I keep digging deep enough, I’ll find something substantitive somewhere.
3) I resolved to stop posting so much on this blog but Susan keeps putting up interesting topics to comment upon. Now you threw up Iraq. Susan, Susan, how could you? How am I to restrain myself?
Susan, I’d like to talk about your plans to crush crime and/or evil in the USCF as a board member. I’m seriously wondering how effective you will be in the job.
Of course if it’s down to you or Sam Sloan, then naturally I’m going to vote for you. But being better than Sam Sloan is no great accomplishment.
I hope that you’ll take this as a constructive criticism, but essentially you’re applying for a job as janitor. There’s a really big mess in the USCF now, and you want the job of helping to clean it up.
That’s good. But the problem is that your natural approach to messes is to avoid them and stay above the fray. Case in point, this article earlier today, where you tell us that an unnamed board member is saying unspecified bad things about the AF4C, as part of a plan to disenfranchise them from organizing the US Championships. That sounds like a real problem, but your desire to stay neat and clean kept you from telling us the name of the board member, or precisely how he attacked the AF4C. We’re not talking about delving into the guy’s personal life here, we’re talking about official statements he made on the record about a matter of USCF policy. You can’t even tell us something like that for fear of seeming to “attack” him. But that’s the whole issue we’re talking about.
A desire to stay neat and clean and tidy and above the fray is an admirable approach to life in general, I’m just not sure it’s a good approach for a janitor to have. Being a janitor means getting out the mop and bucket, putting on the gloves, and getting right in the middle of the dirt and scrubbing it until it’s gone. You don’t have to sink to the dirt’s level, but you do have to come into contact with it. But you seem unwilling to even identify it, except in the vaguest general terms. It’s not enough just to say that there are bad things going on out there and isn’t it a shame. I want to know exactly what’s going on, and how you plan to fix it.
Let’s take another of your big issues: abusiveness on the USCF forums. Now, you don’t have to go into any great detail there, I know what obscenities and personal attacks are. But what are you going to do about it if you win the election? Leading by example and not engaging in such behavior yourself is good, but I don’t think it would solve the problem. There are lots of things you might possibly do; close the forums, moderate them more heavily, deal out various penalties to abusers. What have you got in mind, exactly?
Did Bobby Fischer learn to speak any Hungarian when he was in Budepest? I heard he was very good at learning foreign languages.
Excellent post by Anon about the janitor!
Susan’s reply is adequate and should suffice for now.
But Susan, you do realize that you are going to have to come out swinging someday, right!
When you do, you will have to coordinate with the other candidates you support and who will campaign with you. But right now you aren’t sure who they will be.
I think that you’ve handled yourself very astutely so far. You’ve spent December laying the groundwork. A chessmaster does not make premature attacks without proper preparation of his/her pieces; same with a politician.
Still, this was excellent analysis by Anon. How I wish you would identify yourself! I want to follow your future comments.
(And yes, I know – another comment by me – but blame that anon guy. His comment was so good, I HAD to say something.)
Jack,
Don’t worry. I can defend myself when and if needed. I feel no need to defend against people with who has no moral, integrity and who has no understanding of the word honesty.
As you correctly pointed out, I would not do anything without a long term plan. The USCF is too important and I will do everything I can to fix the problems.
I have no attention to reveal anything prematurely so that people can twist it instead of focusing on the real issues. They can chirp away for now.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
Hi Susan,
this quote from a great American President might be intesting to you:
If you want to make enemies, try to change something.
Woodrow Wilson
What do you think why some people force overrating of some talented young players?
For example ,it is quite obvious that Negi plays below 2530 ELO level,as shown in his recent encoiunter with Lahno.
Not to mention Hou Yifan from China.
That’s a 13 year old female apparently having rating of 2507 on new FIDE list.
Are their trainers and managers masters in picking most suitable tournaments where these kids gain points or what?
Thank you for the answer.
Saw a great movie last night with a chess scene in it.
“Lost City” –about the tragic fall of Havana to Fidel’s commies.
Al Pacino’s character is a nightclub owner increasingly challenged by the changes. His father brings up Zugzwang on a chessboard to illustrate how sometimes no move is best.
Unfortunately the advice didn’t seem to solve anything but the movie overall was very good. AS was the other movie we rented this weekend, a hilarious comedy “Christmas in the Clouds”. NOt really a Christmas movie but definetly a COMEDY.
‘For example ,it is quite obvious that Negi plays below 2530 ELO level,as shown in his recent encoiunter with Lahno.
“
It is from time beyond known that boys can’t play good chess with girls. It’s like Kramnik or Adams playing with computers.
Dear WGM Susan,
Do you have any concrete plans to promote the FischerRandomChess version of the game? One of the minimum things we need is a system of maintiaing ratings and rules for conducting such tournaments. What are your views regarding this? Will you consider campaigning for this cause when you get elected into the USCF?
Rgds Manoj.
Ms. Polgar, do you know of a fun way to memorize positions and opening lines? I have A.D.D and regular methods are boring and tiring. I’m also on a budget. Can you please help me?
Hallo Susan
How do you menage it, to have allways a very actual homepage/blog? Where do you find the time? I just wonder, because you have so much to do with the children, meetings and other things.
Do you also speak German?
“Borat” is the most stupid film I’ve ever seen. Its not funny at all, it is stupid, primitive and discriminating. Don’t waste your time.
Hi Susan!
I am a big fan of your homepage!
Thanks for all your postings.
Your new chesspieces are very nice! Are they sold out, it seems? I am interested to buy them.
Do you have plans to visit the Corus chess tournament? I hope so!
I wish you a happy new year!!
Kind regards!!
Mart (from the Netherlands)
Susan, I purchased your endgame DVDs vol. 8-10. I must say they are very good. I especially like your treatment of the K+B+N v K. It was by far the best explanation I’ve ever come across. You make it sound so easy! I highly recommend it.
David, try to understand the opening lines instead of memorizing it. That is how I tried to explain the opening in my Colle Opening DVD.
Dimitria, I just have to manage my time as efficiently as possible. It is a lot of work to maintain this blog daily and up to date. But I love chess and I love what I do.
Matt, I am not sure if the pieces are sold out already or not. Only 1 place carries them exclusively. You can go here to try to order it.
(http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=CAJUNCHESS&product_name=Susan+Polgar+Signature+Series+Chessmen+-+4.0%22+King&cart_id=6467908.87694&return_page=&user-id=&password=&exchange=&exact_match=exact)
Todd, thank you for the kind words. That is how I teach 🙂 Glad you like them.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
anonymous (Manoj?) wrote (December 30, 2006 5:20:50 PM)
{
“… promote the FischerRandomChess version of the game? One of the minimum things we need is a system of maintiaing ratings …”
}
It turns out ratings are not an issue. The USCF will happily include chess960 (FRC) games in the main rating it tracks for each player.
The USCF has happily rated other modified versions of serious chess, including “opening theme” tournament games and “draw odds” games such as those under BAP.
Even the 2006/11 Elista WCChamp match between Kramnik-Topalov blessed draw odds chess, by its inclusion of Armageddon chess as the ultimate tie breaker.
G
i would like to add my own comments. these are regarding kasparov and his analysis of bobby fischer. it is obvious to me that kapsarov has used his opportunity as a chess writer to disparage bobby fischer greatness and chess legacy. this is an obvious attempt by garry kasparov to diminish fischers achievments in order to elevate his own and secure in his own mind his number one ranking of all time. I think this just shows that in the deepest recesses of kasparovs mind he knows fischer was the best and there will never be anyone who compares with his talent or achievments. lets take a look at bobby’s achivements. he was the youngest grandmaster in history. he single handlely without much help from american chess federation beat all of the soviet masters. he is credited with the greatest game in chess history as well as the greatest book in chess history. that being his unedited my 60 memorable games. he has the record for the greatest winning streak of 20 games against the worlds best players. he revolutionlized the prize money in chess and is the reason kasparov and everyone else has so much money in there pockets. if you take his rating AND INFLATE IT TO TODAYS RATINGS IT WOULD BE OVER 2900. fischer developed ideas about winning with black that kasparov uses himself. he developed opening theory as a critical method for getting an advantage that kasparov also used to get his results. kasparov knows this and his insecurity about who is the greatest player of all time is obvious. we all admire you bobby and hope to see you back in the game with 960. kasparov quit trying to disparage fischer its just to obvious what your trying to do
nice pic.. damn your hot