                        Evans On Chess. July 5, 1996. 

                       SPECIAL USCF ELECTION SUPPLEMENT

       USCF DELEGATES NEWSLETTER, VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1, JULY-AUGUST 1996

This independent newsletter is mailed free of charge to all 414 voting members 
by the Friends Of The USCF, which has no organizational connection with the 
United States Chess Federation. Chairman: GM Larry Evans. Newsletter editors: 
Larry Parr and Nigel Eddis. Small donations are welcome. Please send them to 
Friends of USCF c/o treasurer Nigel Eddis (eddisnyc@pipeline.com) 825 West End 
Avenue, New York City 10025. 

                          EDITORIAL: WE TOLD YOU SO 
 
We told you so!

That is the apt, if unpopular thing to shout from the rooftops at this moment. 
People who say, "We [or I] told you so" are always disliked, and they are 
positively hated when events prove them correct time and time again. One such 
person is our own Larry Parr, a former editor of Chess Life (1984 to 1988) and 
someone who has spent much of the last decade telling us (quite correctly), "I 
told you so."

For several years, Delegates and Voting Members who attended FIDE workshops at 
the U.S. Open heard two versions of events in FIDE: the official line from our 
FIDE "team" (you know: "the Don and Arnie, Fan and Carol" perennial pony show) 
and an often contradictory account from Mr. Parr and GM Larry Evans.

In 1990 our FIDE "team" reported that Mr. Campomanes would not run again for 
office and, in any event, would lose badly if he tried. GM Larry Evans offered 
to bet and give odds that the Filipino would run and win easily. Mr. 
Campomanes later garnered 70 percent of the vote.

In 1994 our FIDE "team" reported that Mr. Campomanes would not run again for 
office and, in any event, would lose badly if he tried. Mr. Parr stood up and 
told the audience that Mr. Campomanes planned to violate every relevant FIDE 
rule, would run again, and win.  Our FIDE "team," with all four members 
sitting on a dais to intimidate possible opposition, began to shout in unison 
that Mr. Parr was a "liar, liar, liar!"  You all know what happened in Moscow.

There have been numerous other conflicting reports.  The above two are simply 
the most important. In 1990 Mr. Parr reported that President Campomanes had 
looted the FIDE treasury and placed its funds in a building & loan account in
England under HIS OWN NAME.  Donald Schultz and other members of our FIDE
"team" initially denied this report and, as always, called the messengers 
"liars," though they later demanded that Mr. Campomanes return the funds. That 
was okay as far as it went.  But they also simultaneously offered the apologia 
that the "hardworking" Filipino -- no FIDE workshop was ever complete without 
our team going on and on and on about how "hardworking" the FIDEistas were -- 
simply wished to obtain a higher rate of interest in the best interests of 
FIDE!  

Now, in 1995, Mr. Campomanes has dispensed with even the minuscule fig leaf of 
an excuse offered by our FIDE "team" back in 1990. In late 1994, suspecting 
that his time was up, he and Giorgios Makropoulos simply ran off with over 
half of the treasury, and are calling it their "pension!" The numbers are 
staggering: Mr. Campomanes took 150,000Sf (about $130,000), and Mr. 
Makropoulos absconded with 30,000Sf, leaving FIDE with 150,000Sf.

Knock, knock! Hello! Anyone conscious out there? 

Does the amount of 150,000Sf somehow sound "relevant?" It is about what the 
United States has paid to FIDE in dues since Mr. Campomanes came to office in 
1982.  Since this country is one of the few nations to pay its dues, we think 
it fair to say that monies sent in good faith by USCF members to New Windsor 
were confiscated by Mr. Campomanes for his retirement.

What will the USCF Delegates, who stand in a fiduciary relationship with USCF 
members, do about the massive theft of USCF funds? We predict our Delegates 
will do nothing whatsoever beyond passing a resolution carefully watered down 
by Harold Winston to prevent the USCF from actually doing anything.

The point of this editorial?  

Besides gloating -- we really do have a point. If the USCF can lavish such 
sums on Mr. Campomanes and if you find this outcome acceptable (remember 
folks: what you accept is that which you find acceptable!), then we call on 
you to offer "pensions" from the Life Membership Assets to such long-time
volunteers as Denis Barry and Harold Winston.  

If you decide to reward Campo and stiff poor dear old Denis, the founder of 
the Amateur Team East, then our USCF president should transfer the LMA funds 
to his personal account in Brazil in search of a higher interest rate. But 
such a transfer of funds would be in the best interests of the USCF -- a 
higher rate of return, lads.  How do we know?  

Our FIDE "team" told us so!
 
                      PB ELECTION FIELD IS "BLEAK HOUSE" 

The USCF's triennial election season began amid the bare branches of late 
autumn and has since limped into the icebox of winter. Some observers describe 
the overall field as more dreary than any in memory. What follows is 
handicapping for each race and several fearless, peerless predictions. 

For Member-At-Large, Michigan's Dan Burg, who lost a bid for treasurer in 1990 
against Gary Sperling, is back for yet another try.  Mr. Burg obviously 
intends to keep running and running for office until he finally gets elected.  

Observers say that the 1992 U.S. Open in Dearborn speaks tellingly about the 
organizational skills, if that is quite the right word, that Mr. Burg will 
bring to the Board. If you fell in love with that tournament you will be 
moonstruck by Mr. Burg on the Board.

His opponent, Alan Kantor, is a former Chess Life advertising manager, who is 
well-known around the country for the quality of mind that by nature he can 
offer the PB. If Mr. Burg campaigns in person too often, Mr. Kantor should 
win narrowly. Otherwise, the better-connected Burg, who has Harold Winston 
behind him, has it iced. 

Or it would have been iced Burg were California's Jim Eade not in the field. 
Possessed with an IQ a standard deviation above those of his rivals, Mr. Eade 
is one of the most imaginative and successful organizers in the country.  No 
tournament he touches would ever turn out like the Dearborn U.S. Open.
  
In the secretary's race, incumbent Rachel Lieberman will have a tough run 
against newcomer Robert McCrary of South Carolina. Most observers rate this 
battle a Lieberman squeaker, though McCrary could possibly pull it out with 
the aid of close friend Donald Schultz. If Schultz works the South hard for
McCrary, then the latter could win a squeaker. If not, then make it a close 
one for Lieberman; or if Northern and Southern California unite behind her, 
then a not-so-close win for Arizona's rising female Phoenix. 

The early frontrunner for the treasurer's race is Tom Dorsch, a former long-
time president of CalChess, who promises openness in Federation finances. 
Anthony "Tough Tony" Cottell, a past two-term treasurer, is the opponent 
trying to upset Dorsch. Cottell also promises glasnost in New Windsor, but he 
doesn't seem to be campaigning very hard. Bet on Mr. Dorsch, but never count 
out "Tough Tony" Cottell, who has made a political career of body punching and 
then, in later rounds, stopping political pretty boys with rib crunchers.

For vice president, bet on the oft-recycled William Goichberg -- if you wish 
to lose your money! In 20 years, Mr. Goichberg has not had a single new idea 
unrelated to attempting to create a USCF cartel for his personal business 
interests. He not only undermined the $1 Players Fund, he also (due to his 
faulty eyesight) convinced the board in 1992 to launch a Pinkerton 
investigation of GM Larry Evans. We are predicting the political upset of the 
last two decades in this race. BOB HOLLIMAN WILL WIN A SQUEAKER. "Whats good 
for the World Open is good for the USCF" is an idea whose time may have 
already come and gone.  

In the president's race, Donald Schultz began with a lead over treasurer Frank 
Camaratta. But much of the support for Schultz is as soft and mushy as the 
Great Abstainer himself, while Camaratta has faced devastating criticism 
during his term as treasurer.  

Mr. Camaratta, who plans to move to Mr. Schultz's Florida, has since dropped 
out of the race and endorsed Mr. Schultz. Mr. Camaratta made his announcement 
only after the date for filing had closed, thereby crowning Mr. Schultz 
without an opponent except for political outsider Sam Sloan! We will all be 
waiting with wry amusement to learn what major, well-paid tournament jobs Mr. 
Camaratta will receive during Mr. Schultz's administration.

How rotten is the current system? The current leadership cannot even risk 
debating issues among its limited number of members! We are clearly entering a 
new era when the restricted franchise will be complemented by restricted
candidates and when possible, by only one viable candidate per race. 
 
                        THE FINAL DAYS OF AL LAWRENCE? 
 
The least discussed subtext in the 1996 campaigns is the future of USCF
Executive Director Al Lawrence. Insider talk has Donald Schultz and Tom
Dorsch looking for allies in Fan Adams and, perhaps, Robert McCrary to cancel 
Mr. Lawrence's ticket at the USCF.

Mr. Schultz is known to hold a dim view of Mr. Lawrence, and the feeling is 
said to be mutual.  Of course, Mr. Dorsch has been a strong critic, while Mr. 
Adams harbors ill feelings, blaming Mr. Lawrence for his personal humiliation 
in Moscow. Mr. McCrary, who will support nearly all initiatives by Mr. 
Schultz, is expected to go along with sandbagging the executive director.

Ought the board to sacrifice Mr. Lawrence and install a new king in New 
Windsor? We say no. We do not wish to idealize Mr. Lawrence, but he is by an 
order of magnitude the best executive director in USCF history. Is that saying 
much? No, not at all. But it is saying this much: Mr. Lawrence knows how to 
negotiate and wrap up deals. He is a real businessman, and we ought not to sac 
him unless we are sure about the resulting material and positional 
compensation.

A second point to remember: the Board that is thinking of sacking Mr. Lawrence 
is the same board that voted last year to give Distinguished Service awards to 
past politicians -- friends of Harold Winston -- who came close to bankrupting
the USCF. If that represents "distinguished service" in the eyes of the PB 
guys, then whom will they hire as Mr. Lawrence's replacement? We think they 
are likely to hire someone just like themselves! Someone safe but 
undistinguished. We think they could hire long-time Social Security bureaucrat 
Harold Winston.  

Mr. Schultz already announced in advance a kind of kitchen cabinet which 
includes Mr. Winston. But it is precisely Mr. Winston and Mr. Schultz who 
applauded the excesses of FIDE for so many years.

As the USCF faces deficits in spite of hefty dues raises, this Board is 
entirely capable of bringing in a government gofer to lead our charge in the 
private marketplace. And believe us, it will be a charge -- the Charge of the 
Light Brigade!

A recipe for sure disaster. The problem with Harold Winston is that if there 
were a bylaw of some kind mandating us to set our USCF Titanic on course for 
an iceberg, he would quote the relevant regulation and issue a clear order: 
"All engines full speed ahead toward that little, harmless chunk of ice up 
north! It says so in section seven, paragraph B, line three."
 
                         BALLOTING WITHOUT ELECTIONS 
 
Most USCF "voters" find democratic consent on the part of our USCF members
to be a dangerous form of lunacy called democracy. Fair enough. So long as
there are elections in which the current oligarchs can vote, they will support 
disenfranchisement of 99-plus percent of USCF members.

And there's the rub! In 1996 the current bankrupt system is clearly in 
transition from balloting with elections to balloting without elections. A 
blatant attempt to manipulate candidacies is to be seen in the member at large 
race, which has become --astonishingly -- the most bitterly contested battle. 
Harold Winston, a strong supporter of Dan Burg, has been telephoning people 
and threatening those who would dare find an opponent for Mr. Burg. Mr. Burg
himself contacted a prospective opponent to demand that he drop out. 

Some of the threats have been nasty.  Mr. Winston, for example, apparently
threatened to ruin John McCrary if he decided to run against Mr. Burg. He told 
Tom Dorsch that he would be very disappointed in Mr. Dorsch and might,
therefore, find a "real" opponent for Mr. Dorsch if he did not lean on Jim
Eade to drop out.  

Is that blackmail? Whatever the answer, Mr. Winston is obviously acting well 
beyond his authority as Bylaws chairman. Some Winston supporters argue that 
their champion has simply been around too long and should be assigned 
challenging new work such as co-chairing the Masters Affairs committee.

For the record, Mr. Dorsch confirms this report, while Mr. McCrary denies it.  
But at least two other witnesses have emerged to state that Mr. McCrary told 
them about Mr. Winston's threats. So we must assume that Mr. McCrary was 
actually intimidated by tiny Mr. Winston over the telephone. Disturbing news, 
if true. Two questions intrude themselves:  

1.  What dirt, if any, has Mr. Winston dug up on Mr. McCrary?

2.  Is the dirt authentic mud or merely political slime?  

In addition to the efforts of Mr. Winston and Mr. Burg to prevent opposing
candidates from filing, there is the sad picture offered by the presidential 
race. Frank Camaratta withdrew shortly after the deadline for other candidates 
to file, presenting Mr. Schultz with an essentially uncontested race. There 
followed an exchange of pleasantries in which Mr. Schultz welcomed Mr. 
Camaratta to Florida and other such folderol. And, of course, there came 
reports that Mr. Schultz would support Mr. Camaratta in 1999.

Nice.

So what is happening?  The upper tier of oligarchs have obviously decided that 
elections even among the limited number of USCF loyalists who are "voters" 
(many doubtless dreaming about becoming bigshots themselves) have become too 
dangerous. After several embarrassing elections in which the upper tier 
oligarchs have torn each other asunder and during which the USCF continues to 
stagnate and lose money after another 33% increase in membership dues -- well, 
these soaring eagles have decided that enough is enough. Suddenly, not only is 
One Member One Vote too dangerous, but so is the very concept of elections 
themselves!

What can you do? 

The current non-elections constitute a coup d'etat against a constitutionally 
mandated requirement of a major turnover every three years. The non-election 
for president means that this job will effectively become a position with one 
genuine election every six years.

Do you want that?

If you find this development repellant, you have the option of ABSTAINING EN
MASSE on the presidential vote, or writing in a nominee of your choice if
you don't want to vote for Sam Sloan.

We bet that the upper tier oligarchs will wait a long time before again trying 
to cancel elections through the backdoor. Either send a clear and very tough 
message, or say goodbye even to the rigged elections of yesteryear. If that 
happens, then you will have a status identical to the regular dues-paying 
members: no democractic rights whatsoever except to cast a ballot in a 
prearranged election with prearranged candidates. 

                  FIDE TREASURY LOOTED LIKE BANANA REPUBLIC 
 
PARIS, Nov. 23 -- Delegates to the FIDE General Assembly learned today that as
a final act, ex-president Florencio Campomanes and current vice president
Giorgios Makropoulos have paid over half of FIDE's treasury to themselves as a 
"pension" for their past services.  

The official justification for Mr. Campomanes taking 150,000 Sf and 
Makropoulos 30,000Sf (150,000Sf remains in the treasury or about $130,000) is 
that the amount represented an annual bonus (a 13th month of pay) for every 
year of Mr. Campomanes' presidency.

"The really galling thing," states Friends of the USCF Chairman Larry Evans, 
"is that the amount Campomanes looted from the treasury is approximately what 
the USCF has paid in dues to FIDE since 1982. And since the USCF has been one 
of the few countries to pay its dues, Campomanes has essentially retired on 
the monies of our USCF members given to New Windsor in good faith. Moreover, 
our FIDE 'team' permitted this to happen without any formal protest or 
resolution against the action."

Sources state that Mr. Campomanes' raid on the treasury, while done without 
the okay of any official FIDE body and without informing the chess public 
until later, met with no protest in the General Assembly.

States Larry Parr: "A few Delegates will go to the U.S. Open intending to get 
answers and take action about getting our USCF money back.  But they will 
supinely permit their motions to be watered down, and they will obediently 
drop their eyes -- I love it when these mousepeople drop their eyes -- as they 
raise their hands to vote as ordered by the Policy Board and our FIDE 'team.'
These timid men -- our so-called 'best and brightest' -- are not brave, even 
when they have absolutely nothing to fear. I call it fear without a cause!" 

Continues Mr. Parr, "Franklin Roosevelt said we have nothing to fear but fear
itself, yet FIDE cannot even offer the specter of fear. It has no power to 
shape any event in this country. Yet without even fear itself to fear, these 
mice people are skittish. Mark my words, they will permit the Policy Board and 
our FIDE 'team' to water down any resolution demanding OUR money back. When 
the moment to vote comes, watch how their eyes stare at the floor as their 
hands go up in the air on cue. 

"Really, I like the humor here. It is so much fun to watch. When one of the 
regional bosses checks to see how they are voting, some Delegates literally 
tremble. The scene would be hilarious were it not so pitiful. Can you imagine 
any group of human beings so pitiful that they will barter their self-respect 
to get a USCF committee assignment? Really, they do it all the time!" 
 
                       OOOH, CAMPO! IT FEELS SOOO GOOD!
 
     "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want
      and deserve to get it -- good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken

After the looting of the FIDE treasury by Florencio Campomanes and Giorgios 
Makropoulos (with the beaming support of friendly, smiling Treasurer Willy 
Iclicki), there is a question that few have thought to ask.

So, I'll ask it.  

Why didn't these triumvirs embezzle the money secretly rather than snatch it 
outright in broad daylight in one large chunk right beneath our huge snouts?  

If they had embezzled it, they would have at least shown us chess people 
sufficient respect to cloak their thievery in stealth and cunning.  They would 
have at least shown us that they feared our response!  But no!  They broadcast
their intentions while robbing the bank. Strange, right?

Wrong!

These three simply read the FIDE bank account menu for what they wanted to eat
("60 percent for us, 40 percent for them -- three for us, two for them") and
then grabbed the greens. It was as if there were a FIDE cafeteria line filled 
with crackling, crispy greens but with no bill at the end to pay the cashier!  
You just fill up your tray with financial goodies and walk away. Still worse, 
these hungry, two-legged jaws did not even bother to cook up a plausible 
excuse. Those of us who have heard Campo speak can imagine what he must have 
said to his two accomplices if they had begun to write a press release 
explaining themselves: "What-ah are yo writing? An alibi, an excuse? Why-ah yo 
doing that? I no make explanation to chess world. I take what I want. I real 
man. Why yo make excuse? These USCF Delegates are low-flying birds, bottom 
feeders, trailer court mousepeople. They do nothing to us!"

What really hurts is that Campomanes is right. We are low-flying birds; we 
are bottom feeders; we are mousepeople; and we are getting what we deserve -- 
good and hard, right where it hurts. Campo's great insight is that we 
denatured men actually enjoy stiff painful penetration and will eventually 
applaud him for sticking it to us good and hard, right where it hurts.

Campo and his henchmen did not bother to embezzle the money because they knew 
there was no need to go through the motions. To have made an effort to hide 
their thievery would have been to show us respect by their fear of our 
response.

In effect they told us: "You chess people are so devoid of all self-respect 
and so drained of manly vigor by your despicable fantasy lives spent over the 
64 squares that you do not merit embezzlement. Embezzlement is too good for 
you so-called men!! We take what we want in front of your chinless chess 
crapfaces with their fearful little eyes and receding dull-normal foreheads 
because we know that you will do nothing."

Right on, guys! You got us dead right. We are chinless chess crapfaces, and 
you're proving it. We are fifth-raters, and you are fifth-raters. We don't 
even merit third-rate crooks.

I dont know if H.L. Mencken was right that democracy is the theory that the 
people know what they want and deserve to get it -- good and hard. But I am 
certain that Campo has read his Mencken.  After all, we are getting it -- good 
and hard.

At the risk of appearing indelicate, I must report that there followed sighs 
of sweet exhaustion after Campo's copulation as we all subsided in spent 
passion, though not in spent money.  After all, our money is in Campo's bank 
account. Lets not forget: we have passion to spend but very little money.

After all, Campo and his FIDE lads have "appropriated" an amount about equal 
to what we have paid in dues to FIDE since 1982!

It feels so gooood to get it from Campooooh, yes it does.

How do we know?

Our FIDE "team" told us so!    

                            HOW TO MAKE CHESS GROW

     "Even when the board went to a restaurant, I always expected 
     them to bring up the subject of what can be done to make chess 
     grow. But always the topic both during our sessions and in the 
     restaurant was who should run for positions on the board next 
     year, how can they avoid being attacked by critics, or who 
     should be awarded tournaments." -- GM Lev Alburt, after serving 
     a 3-year stint on the Winston Policy Board.

                    HE BELIEVES IN A FREE PRESS. HIS OWN!

     QUESTION: This question is specifically for Don Schultz. Some 
     journalists have concerns about your past history with Evans, 
     including a dismissed lawsuit, the Calvo matter, your criticism 
     of and opposition to reporters who did not share your views, 
     especially on FIDE, and many other matters. How do you reassure 
     skeptical journalists that you favor an open press? 

     SCHULTZ: Give them a copy of FLORIDACHESS [he is the editor].

     (Source: THE CHESS JOURNALIST, June 1996.)
