Nigel Short appointment

[LawrenceCooper]

https://fide.com/news/2017

[NickFaulks]

https://fide.com/news/2017

"At the start, Mr Short will focus on several new federations to kick-start their development."

As USVI can testify, he is certainly good at the kicking bit. He is currently under a 3 month ban from holding any position as a FIDE official for that behaviour, suspended for two years. I don't suppose that anyone who matters considers this to be of importance.

[Roger de Coverly]

"At the start, Mr Short will focus on several new federations to kick-start their development."

Are there any other Federations like the Isle of Man, which can give their players a FIDE nationality, but without having any rights in FIDE decision making? Potentially could Gibraltar be another?

[J T Melsom]

Doesn't Short hold similar views to Smirin?

[Chris Goodall]

Indeed, they both play the Advance Caro-Kann.

[J T Melsom]

I also play the Advance Caro - the Short variation as it happens. But sometimes your contributions are no more than self indulgence and you could spare us all by putting the keyboard away

[Chris Goodall]

I could, but I think you'd look silly talking to yourself.

[Paul Cooksey]

Doesn't Short hold similar views to Smirin?

A bit different I think. Smirin's plea of mitigation seems to be that he was offering provocative opinions to make the broadcast more entertaining. But it did not come across that way, and how things come across is the job of a commentator. So I felt his sacking was justified.

Short says the articles he wrote that resulted in him being called a sexist were misinterpreted. Controversialists routinely do this to get you to tune into their show or buy their newspaper. I generally feel my intelligence is being insulted. Particularly in this case, where, if you did read the full article, it was nonsense. I suppose the main upside of Short having secured a new FIDE sinecure is he is less likely to inflict this on us again.

More troubling are the frequent allegations about Short's personal behaviour towards women and teenage girls. I do not recall him responding.

[J T Melsom]

Doesn't Short hold similar views to Smirin?

A bit different I think. Smirin's plea of mitigation seems to be that he was offering provocative opinions to make the broadcast more entertaining. But it did not come across that way, and how things come across is the job of a commentator. So I felt his sacking was justified.

Short says the articles he wrote that resulted in him being called a sexist were misinterpreted. Controversialists routinely do this to get you to tune into their show or buy their newspaper. I generally feel my intelligence is being insulted. Particularly in this case, where, if you did read the full article, it was nonsense. I suppose the main upside of Short having secured a new FIDE sinecure is he is less likely to inflict this on us again.

More troubling are the frequent allegations about Short's personal behaviour towards women and teenage girls. I do not recall him responding.

I'm not good at this argument thing, so forgive me if I'm a little confused. Are you saying that either Short or Smirin are not sexist? If they are both expressing sexist views then their views are similar, context or the degree of sexism seems somewhat secondary.

[Paul Cooksey]

I'm saying Smirin said something sexist, but is arguing he is not a sexist because he was joking. Short wrote something that was widely considered sexist, but is arguing it is not because he does not accept that definition of sexism.

But I suppose, if you are in a hurry and don't mind annoying them both, calling both sexists would save time.

[J T Melsom]

Paul

Thank you for clarification. I was only making the simple observation that one man is sacked from FIDE post for sexist attitudes towards women chess players, and in the same week another man who has made sexist comments towards women chess players is appointed to FIDE post. Whether one is a poor broadcaster and the other a poor journalist didn't cross my mind for a moment. Not least because I'm not sure that more detailed reflection shows FIDE in a better light than the superficial reaction.

[NickFaulks]

I was only making the simple observation that one man is sacked from FIDE post for sexist attitudes towards women chess players, and in the same week another man who has made sexist comments towards women chess players is appointed to FIDE post.

It could certainly be argued that the sacking and the hiring were the wrong way round.

[NickFaulks]

Does anyone else remember a similar controversy when Jon Speelman was accused of treating his colleague Cathy Forbes in a sexist manner? Obviously ludicrous, as Cathy was the first to say, if my recollection is accurate.

[Matt Mackenzie]

What was this, as I don't recall it? As opposed to certain other incidents involving CF.

[Joey Stewart]

I could, but I think you'd look silly talking to yourself.

Alan Llewellyn managed to have whole conversations with himself and nobody said he looked silly.