World Disabled Chess Championships, 17-25 October, Dresden

[Michael Farthing]

Well I have never played in a 'seniors' event - why would I want to spend my time with a load of old people when I can have the refreshment of a wide cross section of the world? But apparently some people want to do it - so let them! Just don't force me into that category.

[Martin Crichton]

by Kevin Thurlow » Sun Sep 13, 2015 4:46 pm wrote

"that is depraved...how much was he paid? He should be a politician!"

I believe it was free - he tried to help and got a load of morons calling for his head.

....interesting..a JP fan no doubt...regardless your statement is quite amazing if you think about it

You are suggesting that people should believe and accept that dearest Jim broke the Aparthied ban that was almost worldwide so he could coach the disadvantaged children in the ghettos for free?

You obviously have no idea about the suffering and discrimination that went on in South Africa back then. Who is the real moron?
Looks like Jim or some of his followers went to great lengths to remove all references to his South Africa holiday back in 1990 on google...... however he/they cannot ever remove his name from this infamous list here....

http://psimg.jstor.org/fsi/img/pdf/t0/1 ... _final.pdf

Register of Sports Contacts with South Africa, I ... - jstor



psimg.jstor.org/fsi/img/pdf/t0/10.../al.sff.document.nuun1991_11_final.pdf
December 1990 and Consolidated List of Sportsmen and. Sportswomen Who ... intensification of the campaign against apartheid sports inside and outside South ...... The British grandmaster, James Plaskett, took part in the South African Open.

- 23 -
Chess
The British grandmaster, James Plaskett, took part in the South African Open
Chess Tournament at Johannesburg in July.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"You obviously have no idea about the suffering and discrimination that went on in South Africa back then."

Nonsense.

What was disgusting was that sports people were attacked for visiting South Africa, but weapons deals, financial deals etc continued.

The fact remains that Jim (who can be a pain) tried to encourage disadvantaged children to play chess. You could argue that he was unwise to go there, but his coaching was always going to antagonise the then South African Government, obviously a point too subtle for some. Did banning him achieve anything? It is also a fact that the sanctions against South Africa damaged everyone there.

I must apologise if my karma ran over your dogma.

[Roger de Coverly]

Did banning him achieve anything?

I know he was named, but was he ever banned? Banning someone from playing chess for having sporting contact with South Africa could be difficult in the UK, given that chess, as we know, is not legally a sport.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The ban on sporting links with apartheid RSA were there for a reason, and politicians from that era later admitted it was effective.

As for "helping people in the townships" the vast majority of the non-white population supported those and other sanctions, despite the hardship it may not infrequently have caused them personally.

[Louise Sinclair]

James Plaskett has type 1 Diabetes ( auto immune disease) not type 2 which is endemic these days often due to lifestyle. James visited South Africa where his brother lived and offered to meet and play the top black player.
I have a disability which makes chess difficult. I have scoliosis which badly affects my back. I have no desire to play in disabled tournanents and couldn't give a toss about being labelled spastic or cripple. I have been called worse names.
I somehow don't see chess venues providing comfortable reclining chairs for those of us with scoliosis, given the expense of such seating arrangements why should they?
Political correctness is a creed. Real life is somewhat different, for which some of us are truly thankful.

[Brian Towers]

Well said!

I somehow don't see chess venues providing comfortable reclining chairs for those of us with scoliosis, given the expense of such seating arrangements why should they?

Certainly not after all the squealing from the other players that the Tilburg 1985 organizers had to face when they let Tony Miles play face down on a massage table because of his bad back

[Louise Sinclair]

Yes I recall hearing about that squealing. I would love to get the detractors and tie a wrist, forcing it down slightly towards the corresponding ankle to see how comfortable they felt with a spinal deformity.