What am I doing?

Paul McKeown · Post by **Paul McKeown** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:47 am

Phil Neatherway wrote:
Dr Evan Harris, another one who is leaving at the coming GE I believe
Evan Harris is my MP and I believe he is around 160 strength. He has often attended the prizegiving at the Kidlington Congress.

I didn't know he was leaving Parliament, perhaps you mean he is predicted to lose his seat at the General Election?

I would hope neither: he seems to be a hard-working, honest man of sense and commonsense, a credit to Parliament and to his constituency. Most recently, he is to be thanked for securing the debate on the Guardian/Carter-Ruck/Trafigura libel "super-injunction".

[Although, admittedly, The Telegraph has questioned his second home allowance expenses...]

Matt Mackenzie · Post by **Matt Mackenzie** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:09 am

Phil Neatherway wrote:
Dr Evan Harris, another one who is leaving at the coming GE I believe
Evan Harris is my MP and I believe he is around 160 strength. He has often attended the prizegiving at the Kidlington Congress.

I didn't know he was leaving Parliament, perhaps you mean he is predicted to lose his seat at the General Election?

I may have this one wrong actually

He stood down from the LibDem frontbench a while back to look after his ill partner, but it seems he is intending to stand again come the GE. As for the latter point, his seat is a Tory target, which isn't the same as saying they *will* win it, of course

cjdemooi · Post by **cjdemooi** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:16 am

Although I'm not aware of him ever expressing an interest in chess, I've also written to David Cameron as there seems a good chance he may in a position within a few months to directly influence government policy (specifically, the DCMS grant)

Stewart Reuben · Post by **Stewart Reuben** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:29 pm

I thought this too funny not to share with some people. It would be even funnier if the event were to come off. They are preparing for 6500 entries. if all at one time, that would b 130,000 sq.ft, which the Riviera does have. The USCF has given up trying to repudiate this man.

The World Chess Federation, Inc held its controversial press conference today at the Riviera Hotel Casino.Las Vegas Radio personality John Donovan opened the media conference and the following topics were discussed about current problems in the chess world: After main focus of the upcoming $7.5 million WCF World Chess Championship cycle include upcoming WCF Qualifying Tournament Dec 1-13
1) The media was given handouts regarding Ilyumzhinov and connections to such corruption as a) Larissa Yudina journalist murder b) rigged ratings c) claims to have visted foreign stars with aliens d) insane time controls of FIDE e) voting bribes of national federation officials f) non compete clauses trying to prevent top talent playing in Siberian World Cup from competing in WCF g) the recent $50,000 Euro (=$75,000 USD) compensation fees for players wanting to change nationality playing for h) Ilyumzhionov holding FIDE championships in places like Libya where Qadaffi did not allow jews to compete
i ) this led to Korchnoi was then attacked by a rabbi as being the root cause of of problerms in chess world by having broken Jewish and Christian law by contacting and playing a chess game from 1985-92 with ghost (spirit) of dead grandmaster Maroczy. The rabbi explained this created a portal whereby an evil spirit in form of Ilyumzhinov took over FIDE and caused Jews as a result to suffer dioscrimination by FIDE and he stated was the cause of failure of Grandmasters Associatiomn, PCA, WCC, Braingames Group and Einstein Group. The rabbi also said Korchnoi selling out to play in Elista rather than supporting WCF did not help matters spiritually for him or Spassky.
j) Stan Vauighan showed letter from Fischer and passed around along with a tie along with photo from Fischer of game played against Spassky in 1992 "The World Chess Championship". In addition. Vaughan also gave out copies of the recent US Trademark office awarding WCF exclusive rights to trademark and tradenames World Chess Championship and The World Chess Championship.
k) Also today GM Raymond Keene confirmed he will be coming to Las Vegas to be master of ceremonies for opening ceremony as well as accept an award from WCF recognizing Staunton as an officially recognized WCF World Chess Champion 1843-1845
l The highlight was the press conference was followed by Stan Vaughan setting a new world record by playing 57 blindfold games one at a time against 20 different media members albeit none were over 1600 strength, Vaughan went 57-0 to break a previous record held by Koltanowski
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPr4ejCia8
Stewart Reuben

andrew martin · Post by **andrew martin** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 12:36 pm

I hear you might be down for Chief Arbiter Stewart!

benedgell · Post by **benedgell** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:53 pm

CJ emailed me a while ago as regards the suggestion that he should appear on Question Time. I've suggested him, but I think this may be one where weight of numbers holds sway. If everyone could visit this link and suggest him, we may well be able to get CJ on Question Time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/q ... 827200.stm

Paul McKeown · Post by **Paul McKeown** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:58 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:Stanley Vaughan ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPr4ejCia8

The problem with many of the howling barkos of this world is that they latch onto genuine concerns (like Ilyumzhinov's corruption) to promote their bizarre ideas. Loved the way this gazoola described FIDE as "a rival organization to ours"!

Angus French · Post by **Angus French** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:10 pm

benedgell wrote:CJ emailed me a while ago as regards the suggestion that he should appear on Question Time. I've suggested him, but I think this may be one where weight of numbers holds sway. If everyone could visit this link and suggest him, we may well be able to get CJ on Question Time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/q ... 827200.stm

Umm, no disrespect to CJ but on what grounds is he a candidate to appear on Question Time?

J T Melsom · Post by **J T Melsom** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:18 pm

Angus is spot on. CJ has been elected to office because of his commitment to chess, not because of any political views he may hold. He might be invited in his capacity as President, but his comments would be entirely his own, and if he holds strong views on any of the topics raised might actually prove a distraction to the task in hand of energising chess.

Peter Rhodes · Post by **Peter Rhodes** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:51 pm

Angus French wrote:Umm, no disrespect to CJ but on what grounds is he a candidate to appear on Question Time?

A fair question. I think that in recent years QT has tried to expand it's appeal by taking more questions from the audence and broadening the selection criteria for panellists.

In May or June this year they invited Fiona Philips, I remember this specfically because there were some strong opinions about this on some of the forums in which I lurk ! I remember Philips having the most ill-founded opinions, and I am sure CJ can surpass her hackneyed and trite performance.

I think the merit of inviting Philips was simply that she has been in the public eye : GMTV, appearance on "Dale's supermarket sweeps" !!, etc. If I was CJs manager I would be negotiating a deal with "Big Brother" or "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here"

(only kidding).

Oh and one last thing that might have made a difference.... Philips is a Labour Party apparatchik

James Pratt · Post by **James Pratt** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:12 pm

Kasparov appeared on Question Time about 18 months ago. I am a big fan of the programme and they often have non-political people on the panel, Joan Bakewell, Eddie Izzard, Jeremy Clarkson spring to mind.

CJ would be great, though I doubt he'd be asked about chess.

Paul McKeown · Post by **Paul McKeown** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:15 pm

I'm not sure about that Fiona Phillips character, just did a quick Google and can't say she stirred any memory cells from their slumbers. I do remember some screeching harpy from the Daily Mail recently on Question Time spouting the usual discreditable bilge about supposed links between the MMR vaccine and autism. Perhaps CJ de Mooi might not be as bad, but still, I can't think of any reason that chess players in England should press for his appearance on Question Time....

Paul McKeown · Post by **Paul McKeown** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:21 pm

Ummm, just done another quick Google, it appears that screeching harpies are not confined to the pages of the Daily Mail. Fiona Phillips - Mirror so-called journo - was that screeching harpy spouting about MMR. Perhaps I was confusing her with Melanie Phillips, the Mail's pet screeching harpy, who has been on QT often enough to make me quite queasy. What a pair.

Peter Rhodes · Post by **Peter Rhodes** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:43 pm

Paul McKeown wrote:that screeching harpy spouting about MMR.

Yes - that is exactly the image I still have in my mind

Imagine throwing in Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to the mix - now that would be a spectacle.

benedgell · Post by **benedgell** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:46 am

Getting CJ to appear on Question Time isn't really to do with his political views. Yes, he would of course be asked a lot of political questions, but the reason I'd like to see CJ on Question Time is that it would be an opportunity for a large audience to see that a famous figure is associated with English Chess. I'm sure CJ would try and mention chess as much as possible as well.
This is a no- lose situation, that requires barely a couple of minutes of everyone's time to help benefit English Chess.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/q ... 827200.stm

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