Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:28 pm

John Upham wrote:It would appear that JH craves gossip, "disasters", subterfuge, intrigue etc within the ECF, ECU, AGON, FIDE and various newspaper columns.
Act your age, John.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7179
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by John Upham » Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:40 pm

JustinHorton wrote: Act your age, John.
I doubt if that would be a good idea.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Carl Hibbard » Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:44 pm

Play nice please kiddies.
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

JustinHadi

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by JustinHadi » Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:32 pm

John Upham wrote:It would appear that JH craves gossip, "disasters", subterfuge, intrigue etc within the ECF, ECU, AGON, FIDE and various newspaper columns.
I would expect better from a database manager. All data should have a unique key.

I would suggest the key JHo (c.f. JLo, LiLo, etc.)

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7179
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by John Upham » Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:42 pm

JustinHadi wrote:
John Upham wrote:It would appear that JH craves gossip, "disasters", subterfuge, intrigue etc within the ECF, ECU, AGON, FIDE and various newspaper columns.
I would expect better from a database manager. All data should have a unique key.

I would suggest the key JHo (c.f. JLo, LiLo, etc.)
Agreed. I will use JHo henceforth!
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

Simon Spivack
Posts: 600
Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 4:06 pm

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Simon Spivack » Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:01 pm

Andrew Paulson wrote:You have been doing your homework on the AGON Agreement; let me help you out. Nigel Short has alleged that Kirsan Ilyumzhinov or some other FIDE official(s) representing a conflict of interest are behind AGON. If, as he claims, they stand to reap huge profits or that they seek to control the World Championship Cycle for some other nefarious reason, you’d assume that you’d see some evidence of this. None has been offered and there’s only one place to look: cherchez l'argent.
Andrew,

Leaving aside the 'nefarious reason', it might be worth noting that Ilyumzhinov has also stated that you have connections. There is a Russian language interview given by Ilyumzhinov to Yevgenii Atarov at http://chesspro.ru/_events/2012/atarov3_int.html.

The title of the article quotes a bombastic Ilyumzhinov: 'The field has been prepared, all that remains is to wait for the green shoots of growth!' * Yes, sir.

In his introduction, Atarov related that the Agon contract had just been signed by Ilyumzhinov. A 'new page in history', as the Kalmyck noted ... For there will be a division of labour, as extolled by Adam Smith; marketing and such will be handled by the professionals. Chess will attain the status of football and tennis. Chess will become part of the Olympics. Slava! slava! slava! Glory, glory, glory to the game of chess! The whole Earth basks in its glory! As Kirsan omitted to boast.

Turning to the prosaic, there is:
Ilyumzhinov wrote:Оказалось, что у нас с ним довольно много общих знакомых - в первую очередь, среди российских олигархов, которые любят шахматы... Нашлись общие знакомые и среди моих швейцарских друзей. Одной из причин окончательного решения, что с Эндрю стоит иметь дело, стала рекомендация одного уважаемого банкира. Он мне позвонил и сказал, что если мы будем работать с Полсоном, его организация тоже хотела бы принять участие. А это крупный женевский инвестиционный фонд.
In English:
Ilyumzhinov wrote:It turned out that we had many acquaintances in common - first of all, among the chess loving Russian oligarchs ... then there were our other acquaintances we shared and then Swiss acquaintances. One of the reasons for the final decision, that it was worth doing business with Andrew, was because of a recommendation from a well thought of banker. He called me and said that if we should work with Paulson, then his (i.e. the banker's - SS) organisation, too, would like to participate. And this is a large Geneva-based investment fund.
A friend has remarked: 'Rybak rybaka vidit izdaleka.' 'Birds of a feather flock together'.

Incidentally, Andrew, why does Ilyumzhinov say that you are from an aristocratic family? If he is referring to your father, it's an odd way to describe a well regarded professor. I gather you attended Yale, does that make you an aristocrat?

[edit]* Andrew, I should have made it clear that Ilyumzhinov, in the article's body, credits this boast to you. My apologies for the inexactitude.[/edit]
Last edited by Simon Spivack on Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:21 pm

Simon Spivack wrote: There is a Russian language interview given by Ilyumzhinov to Yevgenii Atarov at http://chesspro.ru/_events/2012/atarov3_int.html.
In the words of the Google translation
Indeed, in FIDE, as in other international organizations, members of the Presidential Council shall not receive salaries. The conclusion is economically profitable to have an external partner. This, and what will be the company "Agon."
That is in essence the accusation. That if the International rights to chess have a value, the President and Board of FIDE are helping themselves to it rather than using it to the benefits of the National Federations and their players who arguably created the value in the first place.

We haven't seen and aren't going to see the accounts of Agon, being a Jersey based Company. But for the two events that Agon appeared to be involved with, namely the London Grand Prix and the London Candidates, who collected the money and paid the expenses? Was it Agon or Kirsan's Chess Events company situated behind a secrecy wall in the UAE?

Jonathan Bryant
Posts: 3452
Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 3:54 pm

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:32 pm

John Upham wrote:It would appear that JHo craves gossip, "disasters", subterfuge, intrigue etc within the ECF, ECU, AGON, FIDE and various newspaper columns.
Can I take it you won’t be sending me another unsolicited message suggesting some material that Justin might like to pursue, John?

Martin Regan

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Martin Regan » Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:25 pm

JR wrote
Can I take it you won’t be sending me another unsolicited message suggesting some material that Justin might like to pursue, John?
There is something desperately sad about breaking a confidence to score a minor point on an internet forum.

Jonathan Bryant
Posts: 3452
Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 3:54 pm

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:34 pm

Martin Regan wrote:JR wrote...

There is something desperately sad about breaking a confidence to score a minor point on an internet forum.
JB

Martin Regan

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Martin Regan » Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:44 pm

JR wrote:
JB
Every little victory helps, doesn't it?

Jonathan Rogers
Posts: 4640
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:02 pm

Martin Regan wrote: ...
Every little victory helps, doesn't it?
Actually, I wouldn't mind you getting that sort of thing right too. And I expect that the other Jonathan was just correcting you to save me the trouble, or so that no one else might be misled.

John Philpott

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by John Philpott » Sat Mar 08, 2014 12:27 pm

The following Board statement appeared on the ECF website half an hour ago:
The English Chess Federation Board resolved nem con on 7 March 2014 to amicably settle an internal matter.

The Board has today accepted the resignation of Andrew Paulson as President. The Board gratefully recognises Andrew Paulson’s contributions to English chess, from his organising of the FIDE Grand Prix and Candidates Tournaments in London to his untiring service since his election as President. Further, the Board nominates Andrew Paulson for the position of Deputy President of the European Chess Union and looks forward to a close and constructive collaboration between the ECU and the ECF. The Board recommends that the ECF Council at its April meeting approves a Motion to give Andrew Paulson standing during the ECU General Assembly election meeting in Tromsø in August by designating him as the official ECF Delegate at that meeting.

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sat Mar 08, 2014 12:31 pm

John Philpott wrote:The following Board statement appeared on the ECF website half an hour ago.
An interesting statement :roll:
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Emergency Board Meeting - Draft Minutes

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sat Mar 08, 2014 12:40 pm

John Philpott wrote: The Board recommends that the ECF Council at its April meeting approves a Motion to give Andrew Paulson standing during the ECU General Assembly election meeting in Tromsø in August by designating him as the official ECF Delegate at that meeting.
Will the April Council meeting be given an opportunity to voice opinions on who the ECF should vote for in Tromso? For that matter, why the ECF Board have chosen to support a particular platform at the ECU Elections headed by a character many of us, if given a vote, would rank well below "none of the above".

Actually I can answer my own question. Why do the ECF Board think the voting membership will support the proposition that AP should be official ECF Delegate? Aren't they voting to sack Nigel?

Post Reply