Reply to Roger!

[Colm Daly]

And who are this group of conspirators?

To deprive you of your rightful place on the Irish team.

So I spend time to explain this was not, and could not have been the case. and that it was not about me! It was about a host of things and at the crux was a very unhealthy situation developed with Irish chess in which the ICU became a vehicle for people to use for their personal agendas. The Baburin affair was but a symptom. But you willfully ignore all this.

Only conclusion to be drawn

You are always right Roger [even when your wrong and don't really know what your talking about] it is my mistake to have not understood this and everything I write is just a rant with no truth, facts or substance at all.

I see the error of my ways now.

Roger good - me bad

As for your other comments....Yes you are right about everything I am just so wrong.

So you have set me straight Roger

[Mike Truran]

Welcome to the world of the Sage of Bourne End, Colm.

[Martin Crichton]

Colm has been the most active player over the last 30 years in Ireland and one of the strongest. His views and insight into Irish chess history are fairly accurate in my opinion. Not sure why he is wasting his time here on the EC forum talking about Irish chess ? that said this is an open forum if he wants to waste his time I am of the opinion that he is entitled to do so so long as he adheres to the stardard forum rules.

[John Upham]

You are always right Roger [even when your wrong and don't really know what your talking about]

Colm,
We have come to understand that RDdC:

1. takes the high moral ground on every subject.
2. is always correct (even when not)
3. never admits to mistakes
4. never comments when shown / proven to be wrong
5. maintains his opinion is that of everyone else (despite requests to the contrary)
6. Speaks for the entire chess community (or believes he does)
7. Will alter the subject of a thread when not going his way
8. Keeps on going in the hope that lesser mortals will give up
9. Hope to have the final word on everything

There are generally accepted words that summarise the points above but I'll leave them for you to come up with them.

so do not feel alone. Would you like one of my "Have you been Nookied today?" T shirts? I made them for Sheffield 2011 but chose not to wear it as it was in bear taste.

[Gordon Cadden]

SAs to why we have no GM of our own? Circumstances mainly, small country in which chess is neither well developed, well regarded, well supported or well run.

Why is it not an objective of the ICU to develop some GMs? It's what England did successfully in the 1970s. I think I was vaguely aware that Baburin had been invited to move to Dublin as, I suppose, a chess professional and possibly Ireland's first. Why should that be considered an evil thing done by a group of conspirators?

Let's face it, Colm is someone who as David Robertson put it, could start an argument with an empty room.

Yes I am very argumentative Roger, a fair but not amazing observation, have I insulted you or shown any hostile intent? But it is ok for you to take pot shots at me? Cest La Vie!

Where has anyone said the guy was evil?

And who are this group of conspirators?

He was not merely "invited" he was set up and paid to be in the service of Eamon Keogh, the details of which are none of my business and anyway at the time I would simply say more power to him. I would have been happy for him to have a better life here in Ireland than stuck in Russia.

Now here is the funny thing. How do you suppose he even met Eamon Keogh? Well actually I introduced Baburin to Eamon at the Capelle La Grande tournament in 1993. Eamon had told me that he had a pet project, dream to bring a "Russian Grandmaster" to Ireland to live, for a year at least. I never thought much of it and even suggested it would be better to spend such money on having IM norm tournaments, but it is his money and he can do as he pleases, he did! But I did not see it as a big deal one way or another.

When I happened to be chatting with Baburin and Valery Atlas (who I found to be very friendly and sound) at breakfast I told him about Eamon's plans and suggested he speak with Eamon, as it might be of interest etc etc. He did! The rest as they say is history.

But of course, you knew that Roger! Yeah and every other expert who got it off the internet! Except that there are tonnes of things that people never get to know.

The point is that he was not just some guy who emigrated. I have no issue with him living here one way or the other. Never did. Just the way he was used and I contend allowed himself to be used by some people to further personal projects and impose their vision and notions of how Irish chess could be run. But yeah what the hell do I know.

I can confirm that Alexander Baburin arrived in Dublin, during the latter half of 1993, at the invitation of the President of the ICU, Eamon Keogh. According to the then Chairman of the ICU, Michael Crowe, the original plan was for Alex to coach the Irish Team, in preparation for the Olympiad at Thessaloniki. Also he was to coach some of Irelands leading juniors.
What was unexpected, was that Alex decided to settle in Ireland permanently, bringing his wife and son, over from Russia. His daughter was born in Ireland. He was very successful at promoting chess nationwide, and established the first online "Chess Today" newspaper. A regular event for chess book enthusiasts, are his online book auctions.

[Roger de Coverly]

5. maintains his opinion is that of everyone else (despite requests to the contrary)

It's a question of fact, is it not, that the Irish Chess Union has been feuding amongst itself for the last twenty years. It's my opinion that it's down to one individual in particular maintaining the feuds, not least by lengthy pieces of self justification in his writings, the dublincheese website being a case in point. We've seen it on this forum. Why was it necessary to write a piece of invective against an Ulster club blog?

[David Sedgwick]

In view of the attacks on Roger in this thread, I'm going to take the liberty of re-posting an earlier comment of mine:

Congratulations on 10,000 posts, Roger. You are beyond doubt an asset to this place

Still, quite a lot of those ten thousand posts have been well-informed, and very few have been rude or abusive to people with whom he disagrees. Can the same be said of all his critics?

I'd like to echo those sentiments and to join in the thanks to Roger for his contributions to this Forum.

Roger, given that you also post regularly on other Forums, I do sometimes wonder how you find the time to play and organise chess, or whether you do anything else with your life.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to the celebrations for 20,000 posts.

[John Upham]

5. maintains his opinion is that of everyone else (despite requests to the contrary)

It's a question of fact, is it not, that the Irish Chess Union has been feuding amongst itself for the last twenty years. It's my opinion that it's down to one individual in particular maintaining the feuds, not least by lengthy pieces of self justification in his writings, the dublincheese website being a case in point. We've seen it on this forum. Why was it necessary to write a piece of invective against an Ulster club blog?

I refer to points 8. and 9. earlier.

[Martin Crichton]

You are always right Roger [even when your wrong and don't really know what your talking about]

Colm,
We have come to understand that RDdC:

1. takes the high moral ground on every subject.
2. is always correct (even when not)
3. never admits to mistakes
4. never comments when shown / proven to be wrong
5. maintains his opinion is that of everyone else (despite requests to the contrary)
6. Speaks for the entire chess community (or believes he does)
7. Will alter the subject of a thread when not going his way
8. Keeps on going in the hope that lesser mortals will give up
9. Hope to have the final word on everything

Very humourous but even more humourous is that Roger only defended point 5! (can we assume points 1-4 and 6-9 are valid? lol)

Welease Wodger! (life of Brian)

[Roger de Coverly]

Very humourous but even more humourous is that Roger only defended point 5! (can we assume points 1-4 and 6-9 are valid? lol)

There are a number of people on the forum I seem to have annoyed by challenging their views. Amongst them are John Upham and Mike Truran along with newcomer Colm Daly. The common feature is that I regard them as serial feud-mongers, Upham in particular.

[Martin Crichton]

Roger
just having a laugh!
Regards
Martin

[John Upham]

The common feature is that I regard them as serial feud-mongers, Upham in particular.

Excellent!

[Mike Truran]

There are a number of people on the forum I seem to have annoyed by challenging their views

No problem with having views challenged. It's your unwavering unwillingness to consider the possibility that others might ever have a valid point of view themselves that's annoying.

[IM Jack Rudd]

This topic has been moved to International News.

[David Sedgwick]

This topic has been moved to International News.

I'm beginning to wonder if it should have been not just moved, but closed or deleted.

Those who don't like what Roger has to say have the option of adding him to their foes lists. That will save them a lot of time when catching up with the Forum.