CJ Banned?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Where's Tim S when you need him.

Olomouc

[John Moore]

Olmuck - strangely appropriate.

[John Moore]

Ernie - I agree with a lot of that. Today, he decided to make a statement - presumably he insisted since he could always have borrowed a jacket. There have been many points made about appropriate dress on these occasions - to insist on making your point with all of the photos involved is quite simply inappropriate in my view. But then I am also an old codger. Oh and by the way, Jonathan is a knob rather than a "nob". Actually he's neither.

[Paul McKeown]

Oh and by the way, Jonathan is a knob rather than a "nob". Actually he's neither.

Well said, John.

[Ben Purton]

"Four moreeeeeeeeee years!!!!!!!"

[JustinHorton]

It would be more than helpful if the various parties issued statements soon, so that ECF members don't have to piece things together from stories in the Sundays tomorrow.

Statements, please.

[John Moore]

Doubt you agree with the rest of it, though, Paul.

[John Moore]

Blimey, now I agree with Justin, Anyway, doubt it will be more than a small diary piece in the Murdoch rag tomorrow.

[Paul McKeown]

Doubt you agree with the rest of it, though, Paul.

Well, I do get the point about appropriate attire to represent chess. But, CJdM has made it clear for a long time that he promotes equality and he made it clear that he was going to wear that tee shirt. So I think the organisers should have rolled with the punches.

[JustinHorton]

Blimey, now I agree with Justin, Anyway, doubt it will be more than a small diary piece in the Murdoch rag tomorrow.

And if it is, it'll be behind a paywall.

[Simon Ansell]

It was not, so I think we can conclude it was not the t-shirt per se that caused the 'problem' today.

Another thing. Had one of the other sponsors, the MD of Darwin Strategic, for example, turned up in t-shirt and jeans would they have been told they were not welcome? CJ put £16k of his own money into the event.

[John Moore]

Perhaps I should say let's have no more speculation.

[Krishna Shiatis]

I do not think anybody should have a right to ban CJ for something like this - it seems totally archaic for us in the UK. I just do not understand.

He has not done anything wrong and done a lot for chess in England - he must feel a lot betrayed.

If it turns out to be the ECF or a chess official who made the decision, then we should all turn up in Stonewall t-shirts next year!

[cjdemooi]

Statement (everything in inverted commas is an actual quote given this morning from an interested party)

At this morning's prizegiving ceremony of the Darwin Strategic British Chess Championships 2011 an arbiter approached me saying she had "personal reservations" about me wearing a Stonewall t-shirt when presenting prizes to juniors. It was apparently inappropriate for me to wear something mentioning "sexuality" in such an environment.
I did not consider this an issue as I had worn it the previous day in the playing hall and no objections were raised. I am fully CRB checked and was registering my public support of a charity.
The other 2 arbiters said "no problem with it" and "I hadn't actually noticed" but after a discussion returned and suggested if I wanted to wear it, I could just present to the adults. I refused saying "I either present all the prizes or none" but I would leave it as their decision.
After another consultation (I point out that this whole series of events took 5 or 6 minutes in total) I was asked if I would reconsider, to which I responded "Will you?" This gentleman then said he had been told there had been "some complaints" but I have seen nothing to corroborate this so cannot comment.
I took a seat and the awards party was named with Roger Edwards (who has done a wonderful job for the fortnight) taking the honours.

End of Statement

Personally, I was incensed. No matter how I try to drag chess into the 21st century, I seem to continually face "antediluvian" attitudes. Whether it relates to lifestyle, accepted tradition, maintaining a status quo, whatever - if change wasn't wanted or expected, why was I elected? I am utterly passionate about chess - I have used up most of my personal savings to provide "the strongest" and "best ever British Championships" this year and really don't want to have to deal with this sort of stuff too.
Where does one draw the line - I wear a t-shirt promoting the RSPCA and someone objects because he or she doesn't like animals; the manufacturer's logo is too large therefore it's unsolicited advertising; a picture of a band but someone finds their music offensive? Mine was for a charity - a charity.
We've all seen protest marches where people bring along their young kids and make them carry placards to which they're clearly oblivious to project their own views. I myself always found this distasteful and a form of emotional blackmail. Claiming to be doing something morally for someone else (even if no objections or concerns are raised) doesn't, to me, sit quite right.
I won't change (in either sense!) and will continue to work hard to promote chess and what I think is right. I have heard nothing but support from the GMs, other players, sponsors ECF board and many other parties.
If this isn't what the English Chess Federation wants, please ask me to stand down or vote me out in October. However, you know who I am, what I do and what I support (incidentally, I don't support gay rights, I support gay equality) I humbly dare to suggest that no-one has any issue with my chess endeavours and how I work to promote and support the game - if it's extraneous activities where the problem lies, I'm afraid that's me.
I am happy and honoured to be ECF President but I am foremost CJ de Mooi and it's him who defines the job, not the other way around.

[John Moore]

Actually the amount of money that CJ put in is irrelevant to the issue. Don't get me wrong, he made this tournament and he has done a great job as President. But he was representing the ECF - maybe it was handled badly but I wouldn't want, for example, my 9 year old receiving his trophy from a huge beaming man with a t-shirt saying that.