ECF Board tells Paulson: "Resign, you bum!"

[David Robertson]

Of course AP had many supporters here on the forum too.

Get in there! It's been a while since we had a good old witch-hunt

[Carl Hibbard]

Now the ECF site has this:

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/letter-t ... yumzhinov/

[Chris Rice]

At a Board meeting on Saturday, February 8th, the ECF Board passed a motion of No Confidence in Andrew Paulson.

The voting was:

For: 5
Against: 2 (incl AP)
Ab: 2

I believe I know how individuals voted; and who moved the motion. But for the moment, those details can wait. Rumours of this vote were circulating at the 4NCL (3N) event last Sunday. I've been checking details since.

I understand Paulson had previously offered, in writing, to resign if he ever lost the confidence of the Board. He has now changed his mind. I'm shocked, utterly shocked!

More as I get it...

I'll take a shot at it:

For:
David Eustace
Dave Thomas
Alex Holowczak
Lawrence Cooper
Sean Hewitt

Against:
Andrew Paulson
Phil Ehr

Abstentions:
David Openshaw
Julian Clissold

OK now tell me I'm wrong.

[David Robertson]

OK. You are

[Chris Rice]

OK. You are

No problem but where am I wrong?

[Jonathan Bryant]

Oh wot larks. This is going to be like that game Mastermind when we guess and David give us white pegs for 'right but in the wrong place' and black pegs for 'completely right' .

Or Cluedo.

I say it was Ray Keene, in the ECF office with the lead piping.

[Jonathan Rogers]

in Simpson's with the plagiarist's pen, surely?

Has the timing got anything to do with Azmai's visit on Saturday or is that just a coincidence? I mean, he didn't nut anyone, did he?

[Roger de Coverly]

Now the ECF site has this:
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/letter-t ... yumzhinov/

Are we to assume this was sent without the knowledge of the rest of the ECF Board.

It's getting ahead of itself when it says

This baseless claim (that the ECF will support Kirsan) has caused consternation among our members and undermined our efforts to build institutional trust between the ECF, our members and FIDE.

That is almost certainly correct, but what evidence is there of the original claim other than the ECF letter?

It has come to my attention that you have declared to the Russian press that the English Chess Federation will support you in your bid for re-election as president of FIDE.

Anyone an expert at navigating Russian chess news sites or Russian press? http://www.chess-news.ru doesn't appear to feature it.

(edit) chess-news.ru now covers it, but only the ECF letter to Kirsan, not the supposed original claim. (/edit)

[Carl Hibbard]

Abstentions:
Julian Clissold

Surely a non exec cannot seriously abstain?

[David Robertson]

OK, I was awaiting a further source to confirm what I've been told. But no purpose in stringing this out otherwise.

1. Phil Ehr move the motion; then abstained

2. Dave Thomas abstained

3. Julian Clissold voted with Andrew Paulson against the motion

4. All other members of the Board voted for the motion.

5. The Board has made efforts to negotiate a dignified exit for Paulson. But he has refused to accept.

The above is soundly based. There is more. But I do really need to be certain of it.

[Chris Rice]

1. Phil Ehr move the motion; then abstained

[Angus French]

1. Phil Ehr move the motion; then abstained

I don't understand that either.

[MartinCarpenter]

You'd presume that he felt that the board needed to clarify where it stood to get anything useful done but didn't have a strong personal opinion either way. Entirely plausible/sensible behaviour really.

[Carl Hibbard]

Susan Polgar has tweeted the support for Azmaiparashvili as the reason but clearly everyone seems to know but ECF members now.

[Andrew Camp]