I object to the FIDE handshake rule on two levels.

The first is a sort of "free speech" level; rejecting shaking of hands
is often a type of political speech. If players refused to shake hands
with Alekhine after his anti-semitic article, for example, I would
feel very strange about punishing them with loss of game.

The other level on which I object is that this sort of "code of
behavior" rule (the dress rule is similar) is intended to make chess
more popular, but it actually does quite the opposite. If our players
all become bland, identically dressed, well behaved automata as a
result of these codes, chess will become more boring for the public.
Feuds between outsize personalities may lead to occasional mockery,
but it also gets attention, and makes the games more interesting since
people have a reason to root for one or the other chess player. I am
not saying chess should become world-wide wrestling, but we should
celebrate those incredibly talented eccentrics who are often at the
top of the chess world. It is a part of our chess culture, and there
is no reason to try to hide it.

Jerry Spinrad

On Jan 23, 2:44Â*pm, keithbc wrote:
On 23 Jan, 20:04, Mike Murray wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:47:42 +0100, "Jerzy" wrote:
Chessplayers can greet each other in other ways to show that wthey will
compete honestly.

"Herr Lasker, I have only two words to say to you: �'Check' and
'Mate'". �

The problem was not encountered with Toppy and Kram because neither
OFFERED their hand - so bypassed the regulations which stipulate that
if you are OFFERED your opponent's hand, you MUST accept.