Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
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Ben Purton
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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Ben Purton » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:28 am

Those of you who are 4NCL captains already know that our two teams in division 1 have strongly voted for the 4NCL to vote for Andrew Paulson.
I love sleep, I need 8 hours a day and about 10 at night - Bill Hicks
I would die happy if I beat Wood Green in the Eastman Cup final - Richmond LL captain.
Hating the Yankees since 2002. Hating the Jets since 2001.

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Ben Purton
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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Ben Purton » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:33 am

If he likes the New York Yankees I might change my mind though.

PS: Redsox win AL East!!
I love sleep, I need 8 hours a day and about 10 at night - Bill Hicks
I would die happy if I beat Wood Green in the Eastman Cup final - Richmond LL captain.
Hating the Yankees since 2002. Hating the Jets since 2001.

John McKenna

Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by John McKenna » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:34 am

You are so American you don't even know it.
Next you'll be telling us that you are canvassing support in the NFL fantasy football thread.

Andrew Paulson
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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Andrew Paulson » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:40 am

JustinHorton wrote:
Andrew Paulson wrote: managing and leading English Domestic Chess is a complex integrative task not unlike managing a large media company in a foreign language
Without any knowledge or experience of the ECF, are you really in a position to make that comparison with any confidence?
The greatest obstacles before the ECF have nothing to do with chess.[/quote]

In the absence of any further explanation, isn't that a non-sequitur?
Andrew Paulson wrote:Sheffield, no.
Isn't this a real problem? You're asking to suddenly be put in charge of an organisation of which you have no knowledge and little apparent understanding, and the recent history of which is opaque to you. That simply isn't a proper basis for running anything, is it? if you don't know how something works you don't know what needs to be changes and if you don't know what's been happening you don't know what people's concerns or priorities are.

If you don't know what happened at Sheffield, what the consequences were and why it was important, you simply don't know enough.
Andrew Paulson wrote: As you will note, this was a rather aggressive, not to say hostile, interview by Peter Doggers
I thought it was a proper piece of journalism which did Peter credit.[/quote]

Your question was: Do you know "of the financial shenanigans in which he (CJ) engaged at the 2011 British Championships in Sheffield?" I think your conclusion when I responded 'no' that I "have no knowledge and little apparent understanding (of the ECF), and the recent history of which is opaque to you" is unfounded.

It is easy to know what happened at Sheffield from reports by various interested parties, to chew over its consequences and relevance. But I wasn't there, then. This is now the politics of personalities rather than issues. But the lesson to learn (if one doesn't know it already!) is that leaders of organisations are not like others, they must be above reproach, both in appearance and substance. And, in the case of the t-shirt debacle, they must calculate several moves in advance the consequences of their actions.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:48 am

Andrew Paulson wrote:It is easy to know what happened at Sheffield from reports by various interested parties, to chew over its consequences and relevance.
Then how come you didn't? Why are you applying to lead an organisation without apparently having done any research into what it is or how it works?
Andrew Paulson wrote:This is now the politics of personalities rather than issues. But the lesson to learn (if one doesn't know it already!) is that leaders of organisations are not like others, they must be above reproach, both in appearance and substance. And, in the case of the t-shirt debacle, they must calculate several moves in advance the consequences of their actions.
I think this does as much as anything to explain what a problem I have with you and your candidacy. It's all verbiage. It's just waffle, isn't it?
"Do you play chess?"
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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Andrew Paulson » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:58 am

John McKenna wrote:Good morning Mr. Paulson.

If I might ask -

When and where did you first encounter Phil Ehr?
How important to you, should you be elected, is that he is elected CEO?

In other words are you on the same ticket?
And if that ticket fails to deliver both posts can a 'Republican' President work with a 'Democrat' CEO?
(And vice versa if Phil Ehr cares to answer? I note that he came on here and confirmed that you are "the real deal" last night.)

Edit: I am assuming that you are both 'Republicans'.
Are you kidding? In U.S. elections, I have only voted for Clinton and Obama. Have donated tons of money to Obama's campaigns. I left the U.S. in 1981 because Reagan had just been elected. You cut me to the quick.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Andrew Paulson » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:05 am

John McKenna wrote:Good morning Mr. Paulson.

If I might ask -

When and where did you first encounter Phil Ehr?
How important to you, should you be elected, is that he is elected CEO?

In other words are you on the same ticket?
And if that ticket fails to deliver both posts can a 'Republican' President work with a 'Democrat' CEO?
(And vice versa if Phil Ehr cares to answer? I note that he came on here and confirmed that you are "the real deal" last night.)

Edit: I am assuming that you are both 'Republicans'.
Is Phil now as toxic as Kirsan, CJ de Mooi and Ray Keene?!  Am I or have I ever been a Phil Ehr lapdog?  And, as Sean Hewitt is being tediously grilled in ECForum on dates 'when were you or were not standing or stepping down,' perhaps we should all from now on wear ankle bracelets … just to be safe!

There is a certain amount of House un-American Activities odor to this question and others in the “Nominations for the elections at the ECF AGM” thread. I was accused of being friends with a number of undesirables. Am I a Trojan Horse for CJ de Mooi’s re-emergence in the ECF? I am somehow both a stooge of Kirsan and Ray Keene at the same time! Let me give you some history to put all of this to rest, your question and others' concerns. Perhaps, for the future, the ECF should publish an official blacklist to protect innocents like me from meeting unsavoury characters (from its past!).

As I was organising a Grand Prix and the Candidates in London in 2012/2013, I decided to meet with the prominent members of the UK chess community, at least as a courtesy but also as part of my chess education.  To this end, I met CJ de Mooi (President of the ECF), Stewart Reuben (former President of the ECF), Nigel Short (ECF Delegate), Malcolm Pein (chess correspondent of the Daily Telegraph), Raymond Keene (chess correspondent of The Times), Stephen Moss (chess correspondent of The Guardian), David Levy (chess engine expert) and Luke McShane and I also traveled once to Leicester to make a courtesy call on various members of the ECF Board.  I am not 'friends' with any of these people; but they were/are all key members of the UK chess community.  

I first met Phil on July 30th in my office.  He had been casually recommended to me by Hilary Altman as someone who could advise me on the ins and outs of ECF politics and running for President.  (The idea of standing came from Davy Levy!)  I had checked Phil out with some chess people who said he was solid and effective.  I met him, he made a very good impression and I asked him if he would help me stand for President.  He answered yes.  2-3 weeks later, I met Phil and David Openshaw and Roger Edwards and Mike Gunn in my office on August 19th; Sean Hewitt and I had dinner the next evening.  And then 2-3 weeks later, I met Phil again on September 9th with Roger Edwards and Angus French.  I have since exchanged emails with him on election tactics, but not on ECF issues.

I'm not quite sure when I learned that Phil was standing for Chief Executive; I had assumed that his only interest was in Youth.  However, he is well-organised and has enough time and enthusiasm for the job, so this doesn't much bother me.  If he is acting on his own agenda (rather than the Board's), though, that is of course not on.  (To replace 'agenda' with 'initiative' in this sentence, though, would be ok.)  I see the President (and the Board) as the source of long-term ECF vision and the Chief Executive as the one who carries it out.  He executes.  The idea that I would run on someone else's slate seems to me rather odd.  

I could not really have 'endorsed' people; that would have been a bit premature if not presumptuous.  Instead, I have tried to build a consensus of trust and complicity with the Board Members who seem likely to be in office (and other key figures).  I felt that this was the best way to demonstrate competence:  have the rest of the board express their confidence in my leadership.

If Phil winds up being Chief Executive, I am going to want (for all of us) to work well and in a trusting manner with him. If not, I’m sure Phil will find other ways to support English Chess.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Andrew Paulson » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:06 am

JustinHorton wrote:
Andrew Paulson wrote:It is easy to know what happened at Sheffield from reports by various interested parties, to chew over its consequences and relevance.
Then how come you didn't? Why are you applying to lead an organisation without apparently having done any research into what it is or how it works?
Andrew Paulson wrote:This is now the politics of personalities rather than issues. But the lesson to learn (if one doesn't know it already!) is that leaders of organisations are not like others, they must be above reproach, both in appearance and substance. And, in the case of the t-shirt debacle, they must calculate several moves in advance the consequences of their actions.
I think this does as much as anything to explain what a problem I have with you and your candidacy. It's all verbiage. It's just waffle, isn't it?
This is a text-based forum. Would you like some pictures?

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JustinHorton
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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:13 am

Andrew Paulson wrote:This is a text-based forum. Would you like some pictures?
Just some actual substance would be nice. Though by all means provide a presentation. Perhaps something on the lines suggested above?
JustinHorton wrote:Where's your figures on this? What research have you done? How much does that potentially-aggregated chess world consist of, what audience numbers would you expect to achieve and what value would you expect that to have?
"Do you play chess?"
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Ben Purton
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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Ben Purton » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:24 am

Who cares what American political party either candidate has affliation towards?

I'd like to remind John Mckenna that this is a chess forum.
I love sleep, I need 8 hours a day and about 10 at night - Bill Hicks
I would die happy if I beat Wood Green in the Eastman Cup final - Richmond LL captain.
Hating the Yankees since 2002. Hating the Jets since 2001.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:38 am

Andrew Paulson wrote: As I was organising a Grand Prix and the Candidates in London in 2012/2013, I decided to meet with the prominent members of the UK chess community, at least as a courtesy but also as part of my chess education.  To this end, I met CJ de Mooi (President of the ECF), Stewart Reuben (former President of the ECF), Nigel Short (ECF Delegate), Malcolm Pein (chess correspondent of the Daily Telegraph), Raymond Keene (chess correspondent of The Times), Stephen Moss (chess correspondent of The Guardian), David Levy (chess engine expert) and Luke McShane and I also traveled once to Leicester to make a courtesy call on various members of the ECF Board.  I am not 'friends' with any of these people; but they were/are all key members of the UK chess community.
In terms of people who actually play and organise amateur chess they aren't. Stephen Moss is the nearest to an amateur player in that list as he plays chess as a leisure activity alongside his professional work . The veteran Leonard Barden is the Guardian chess correspondent. David Levy hasn't played a mainstream competitive game in thirty years.

The ECF is the governing body for chess in England and most of the active participants treat it as a leisure activity. It's the same worldwide and one of the reasons why FIDE is so distrusted by amateur players in the major chess playing nations is its perpetual attempts to introduce rules which can only have the effect of reducing participation. The zero time default is but one of these.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:42 am

Ben Purton wrote:Those of you who are 4NCL captains already know that our two teams in division 1 have strongly voted for the 4NCL to vote for Andrew Paulson.
I don't think Phil's in your squad any more, but he was not impressed.

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... eting.html

For some reason, that piece seemed to move a notorious blogger to mount a personal attack, the net result of which was the ongoing silence of said blogger.

John McKenna

Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by John McKenna » Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:52 am

John McKenna >I am assuming that you are both 'Republicans'.<

Andrew Paulson >Are you kidding? In U.S. elections, I have only voted for Clinton and Obama. Have donated tons of money to Obama's campaigns. I left the U.S. in 1981 because Reagan had just been elected. You cut me to the quick.<

Thanks for your forthright answers to my questions above.

You may feel "cut to the quick" (a term that may arise from fencing) but you said "no holds barred" when you entered the ring.
Are we wrestling or boxing? On this forum I have likened you to World Heavy Champ James J. Braddock - the Cinderella Man.
Nobody expected him to challenge for the title let alone win it but he did and he was a real champion of the common man.

To be honest I am not a great fan of America - I agree with Freud, who said it is a great mistake - it hung Great Britain out to dry in two World Wars until it became convenient to "enter the fray(s)" and it made us pay (in war loans) for the privilege. I am not against individual Americans but your culture is no longer compatible with European ones, and perhaps never really was, since you are all emigrants (edit: apologies to the few native North Americans still living and not to forget those South Americans who have entered the US) from this continent and left in order to have a different way of life. Now America is all powerful and is exporting its culture around the globe. It is open season in the ECF elections (and this country in general is wide open to the world) and you have thrown your hat into the ring. I have no vote but I do have Gold membership and hence two representatives who have. I should probably ask what they are thinking of doing with those votes as this election could be close.

Got your question Ben. My answer is - I care.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:06 am

Andrew Paulson wrote:
Jonathan Rogers wrote:
Andrew Paulson wrote: I'm happy to give you (all) their email addresses and you can ask them yourself. Its not my position to answer this question.
I think that would be a good idea - after all, you no doubt accept that you are presently rather unknown in English chess. How about nominating three people within FIDE, who know about the expectations when AGON was given a contract with FIDE and how AGON's performance measured up to those expectations, and who might be prepared to publicly support you on your ability to "deliver" ?
The two obvious people are Georgios Makropoulos ([email protected]) and Nigel Freeman ([email protected]) who make up the "Interface" AGON has with FIDE.
Thank you. Could you nominate a third - preferably also within FIDE but it could be someone well known in the international chess community who is familiar with the work of AGON.

I would like to invite others on this forum to suggest other suitable "referees" (by PM preferably) and we can then ask Andrew whether he is happy for them to be approached too.

When we have a good selection, I will write to them: I currently hope to do so by late Sunday/Monday. I don't intend to bombard the poor chaps with lots of questions, but again welcome suggestions (by PM) as to what the best questions might be. We are not asking anyone to endorse Andrew as President, of course, but we are looking for a more informed picture of AGON's record.

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Re: Andrew Paulson -- Candidacy for ECF President

Post by David Shepherd » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:19 am

From your election statement

"Finally, some have questioned how much time I will be able to dedicate to the ECF. My answer to this is that although not all my time will be devoted to the ECF, all of my time will be devoted to chess."

That is a politicians answer - no real answer. Maybe you would like to expand .... are you confident that you will have sufficient time available to devote to the role I assume the answer is yes otherwise you would not be standing.

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