Staunton Memorial Dinner

[Carol Williams]

CJ states on the ECF website that "the greatest player of all time will be the guest of honour" and there was me thinking that they were exhuming Bobby Fischer because of a paternity issue

[cjdemooi]

Thank you Carol for starting a new thread for the dinner... makes it a lot easier!

In reply to a couple of queries, the 'consultation' games will be essentially without much consultation. I spoke to Garry yesterday and we decided the best, and possibly most enjoyable (for the players and spectators alike) would be to allow each party to make alternate moves.

[cjdemooi]

There's now a piece on www.howardstaunton.com

[Gavin Strachan]

Carl, is it possible to move all the stuff on this in the other thread into this thread as this new one has somewhat discombobulated the whole discussion?

[Carl Hibbard]

Carl, is it possible to move all the stuff on this in the other thread into this thread as this new one has somewhat discombobulated the whole discussion?

Where from?

[Ian Thompson]

In reply to a couple of queries, the 'consultation' games will be essentially without much consultation. I spoke to Garry yesterday and we decided the best, and possibly most enjoyable (for the players and spectators alike) would be to allow each party to make alternate moves.

Good, just make sure you get a close-up photograph of the look on Gary's face when his partner makes a bad, or, even better, a losing, move.

[Sean Hewitt]

It would be similar to Hikaru Nakamura's look after most of my moves when I was his partner!!

[Gavin Strachan]

From the what am I doing thread.

[Sean Hewitt]

I think he may have spawned the phrase "I'm a celebrity [Grandmaster], get me outta here!!"

[Simon Spivack]

There's now a piece on http://www.howardstaunton.com

Sadly Avast anti-virus reports that this website is malware. the infection is listed as HTML:Script-inf. I daresay that reposting what is on there could lead to accusations of plagiarism, so I'll just have to remain in a state of ignorance.

Out of curiosity, is Dr. Schiller one of the invited luminaries?

There is a plug for Keene's benefit dinner in today's Telegraph.

[Adam Raoof]

There's now a piece on http://www.howardstaunton.com

Sadly Avast anti-virus reports that this website is malware. the infection is listed as HTML:Script-inf. I daresay that reposting what is on there could lead to accusations of plagiarism, so I'll just have to remain in a state of ignorance.

Out of curiosity, is Dr. Schiller one of the invited luminaries?

There is a plug for Keene's benefit dinner in today's Telegraph.

The dinner is to raise money for Karpov's FIDE Campaign, and to raise money for chess in the UK. You can be certain that the financial controls are effective and that any money raised will be used for appropriate causes.

Incidentally I am told that the tickets are selling very well, so if you want a seat book now!

Bids are invited for the consultation games - imagine playing chess alongside Kasparov!

[Angus French]

...You can be certain that the financial controls are effective and that any money raised will be used for appropriate causes.

How?

Would you care to spell out:
1) How the dinner itself is being payed for. For example, will the paying guests, in effect, pay for the invitees?
2) How, exactly, will the remaining proceeds be split among the multiplicity of causes?

[Brendan O'Gorman]

As a reminder, CJ has posted that:

The dinner has 5 primary purposes - 1. to allow Garry to come and personally thank representatives of the 6 home chess federations for their support of Anatoly Karpov in the upcoming FIDE elections 2. to raise funds and awareness for the campaign 3. to raise funds and awareness for the Staunton Society, especially considering the historic venue 4. to raise funds for the British Championships 2011 which I am working to make the strongest ever 5. to attract a sponsor to help English chess in the future

That seems to mean there are three potential beneficiaries from any profit made on the dinner: Karpov, the Staunton Society and the British Championships 2011. Anxieties about the distribution of the profits are likely to centre on the second of these (I'm guessing).

[Simon Spivack]

There is a plug for Keene's benefit dinner in today's Telegraph.

The dinner is to raise money for Karpov's FIDE Campaign, and to raise money for chess in the UK.

I should, perhaps, have written my sentence thus:

In today's Telegraph there is mention of this benefit dinner, even though one of the principal organisers, indeed possibly the kingpin, is the chess correspondent of The Times!

It is commonly understood that, when several causes are being promoted, the most significant is mentioned first, or alone. If the main purpose is to raise funds for the Karpov campaign, a better name would have been "Karpov 2010", rather than invoking Staunton.

It sows confusion to introduce additional causes after the initial one has been determined.

Previously I mentioned that Avast anti-virus reports the Staunton Society website as malware. Avast is a major anti-virus company. It makes the Staunton Society look shambolic when such a situation is tolerated. For this has been a problem for months. It should not be beyond the wit of the Staunton Society to disable the Java Script, or whatever is the problem, and just upload a plain html file.

The free invitations give scope for considerable patronage. I hope that some wisdom is shown as to whom they are extended to. For instance, a prospective sponsor may be worth punting on, as some guests may desire to donate, or at least give an earnest of their intent, on the night.

[Adam Raoof]

...You can be certain that the financial controls are effective and that any money raised will be used for appropriate causes.

How?

Because CJ is organising it, and the money is being dealt with by him. I am very reassured by that.