[quote="nolan"]Since we have so few cases of contested races in small
states, I don't know if we can definitively say whether or not it is
easier to get elected from a small state than from a large state.[/
quote]

The best example of the problem this would create is Mike Nolan
himself.

Mike is from Nebraska, a state with only one delegate slot.

Yet, for some unknown reason, Nebraska has produced more chess
politicians than any other state.

In addition to Mike, there are Bruce Draney, Tom Dorsch and Al
Lawrence. However, the delegate position usually goes to Jim Jirousek,
the state chess historian. I do not count Tim Tobiason as a politician
yet.

Mike Nolan has attended every delegates meeting since at least 1995
but he usually has to fish around among the other states to get
seated.

I am still miffed that in 1996 Mike Nolan was made a delegate from
Northern California instead of me, when I actually lived in Northern
California. I believed at the time that Tom Dorsch had done this.
However, I have since learned that it was actually Richard Koepcke,
who was at the time President of the Northern California Chess
Association, who vetoed having me as a delegate and that Tom Dorsch
was actually in favor of making me a delegate.

However, Koepcke, a 2300 player, received his punishment when I beat
him in ten moves in the US Open. The reason I beat him in ten moves
was he made an illegal move and then had to move the piece he touched,
which would have resulted in the loss of a knight. He asked me to let
him take the move back, and when I would not agree, he resigned.

Sam Sloan

Actually, I finished the tournament ahead of him.

I finished number 83. He finished number 145.

You can see the crosstable at
http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?199608166460

Sam Sloan

samsloan wrote:

I am still miffed that in 1996 Mike Nolan was made a delegate from
Northern California instead of me, when I actually lived in Northern
California. I believed at the time that Tom Dorsch had done this.
However, I have since learned that it was actually Richard Koepcke,
who was at the time President of the Northern California Chess
Association, who vetoed having me as a delegate and that Tom Dorsch
was actually in favor of making me a delegate.

So Sam Sloan was dead wrong? He got the facts exactly
backwards? What a "surprise".


However, Koepcke, a 2300 player, received his punishment when I beat
him in ten moves in the US Open. The reason I beat him in ten moves
was he made an illegal move and then had to move the piece he touched,
which would have resulted in the loss of a knight. He asked me to let
him take the move back, and when I would not agree, he resigned.

Why any strong player would resign /only a piece down/
against Mr. Sloan is baffling. Perhaps he felt it would make
the game seem "invalid", decided on a mere technicality,
but a win is a win. Chalk up another one for SS -- the king
of sting, the master of disaster. (Just find Mr. Sloan on the
relevant crosstable and look way, way below to find his many
hapless victims.)


-- help bot

On Nov 12, 11:34 am, help bot wrote:

(Just find Mr. Sloan on the
relevant crosstable and look way, way below to find his many
hapless victims.)

For an attention whore like SS, just making you look is enough for
him.

Actually, I have been very nice to Mr. Koepcke by never publishing the
game and I can no longer find the scoresheet. However, the game
started like this. I was Black:

1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Bf4 Qb4+ 5. Bd2 Qxb2 6. Nc3 Bb4 7.
Rb1 Qa3

A few moves later, I played Bxc3 and he played B on f1 captures B on
c3 which of course is illegal. He then said that he wanted me to give
him the move back. When I would not agree, he resigned.

Sam Sloan

On Nov 12, 12:58 pm, SBD wrote:

(Just find Mr. Sloan on the
relevant crosstable and look way, way below to find his many
hapless victims.)

For an attention whore like SS, just making you look is enough for
him.

Bully for him.

I am left wondering how a NY city cab driver (and so many
others like him) somehow managed to come up with the
funds to travel the world, playing in such tournaments as
that one. Many of the people I have known simply get out
a calculator, figure that one-third of their expenses will go
to the hotels and restaurants, one-third to a greedy
organizer, and another third to the top finishers (almost
always professionals, GMs) and decide they can't afford
it.

Recently, one player seemed concerned about burning up
$10 of gasoline (each way, I expect), just to drive to another
city not too far away, to play in something like say, the
King's Island (Cincinnati) Open -- a decent-sized event. That
tourney no doubt drew many players from around here. Not
long ago, four players drove all the way from Chicago to
play in a tiny event down here -- in a beat-up old econo-car
to save gas. One of them was a world-class GM. Strange
world.


-- help bot

On Nov 12, 1:07 pm, samsloan wrote:
Actually, I have been very nice to Mr. Koepcke by never publishing the
game and I can no longer find the scoresheet. However, the game
started like this. I was Black:

1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Bf4 Qb4+ 5. Bd2 Qxb2 6. Nc3 Bb4 7.
Rb1 Qa3

A few moves later, I played Bxc3 and he played B on f1 captures B on
c3 which of course is illegal. He then said that he wanted me to give
him the move back. When I would not agree, he resigned.


Interesting. Did you return his glasses -- which you had
obviously taken during the game -- afterward, so he could
see again?

I have now gotten to the point where I need glasses to
read my computer screen (or any small text). Take note:
in case we ever play a grudge match, I have a spare pair
in the car, so don't get any ideas.


-- help bot

On Nov 12, 12:23 pm, help bot wrote:


I am left wondering how a NY city cab driver (and so many
others like him) somehow managed to come up with the
funds to travel the world, playing in such tournaments as
that one. Many of the people I have known simply get out
a calculator, figure that one-third of their expenses will go
to the hotels and restaurants, one-third to a greedy
organizer, and another third to the top finishers (almost
always professionals, GMs) and decide they can't afford
it.


Because they want to play? Certainly, you could take on a part-time
job using the same hours you ****ed away on Sanny's hunk of junk and
earn enough to play in a US Open and meet some real competition. And
seeing what people throw away on travel, just to see some historic
sight, often pales in comparison to what chessplayers expend on their
hobby. To say nothing of what "sports afficonados" spend to go watch
someone else play in some meaningless bowl game. (Just to go to a
regular football game is beyond my means, at least in terms of benefit
versus expense).

I still hope to make a US Open one day, although that hope dims with
each year.

On Nov 12, 12:07 pm, samsloan wrote:
Actually, I have been very nice to Mr. Koepcke by never publishing the
game and I can no longer find the scoresheet. However, the game
started like this. I was Black:

1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Bf4 Qb4+ 5. Bd2 Qxb2 6. Nc3 Bb4 7.
Rb1 Qa3

A few moves later, I played Bxc3 and he played B on f1 captures B on
c3 which of course is illegal. He then said that he wanted me to give
him the move back. When I would not agree, he resigned.

Sam Sloan

Compare Bronstein's response to Dus Chotimirsky, if you want to see
how a sportsman behaves.

On Nov 12, 1:50 pm, SBD wrote:

I am left wondering how a NY city cab driver (and so many
others like him) somehow managed to come up with the
funds to travel the world, playing in such tournaments as
that one. Many of the people I have known simply get out
a calculator, figure that one-third of their expenses will go
to the hotels and restaurants, one-third to a greedy
organizer, and another third to the top finishers (almost
always professionals, GMs) and decide they can't afford
it.

Because they want to play?

Just wanting to play does not get it done; you need to
allocate lots of dough to these tournaments, and I might
add that in playing, you miss out on much in the way of
being able to observe (first-hand) other games, like those
of the top players.

Many players I have known were married, so they could
not (in reality) decide to take off for a weekend to some
far-away city, just because they "wanted to play".


Certainly, you could take on a part-time
job using the same hours you ****ed away on Sanny's hunk of junk and
earn enough to play in a US Open and meet some real competition.

Ad hominem. That's all you've got to add? Look,
fella: I was not talking about *me*; I was talking
about people like Sam Sloan and others I noticed
who appear to have played in numerous high-cost
events over the years, based on my visits to the USCF
Web site, which lists tournament participation by
player. Many such events, I noticed, were spread
out across the entire country -- not excluding the
state of Hawaii. (That is some serious dough.)

For instance, the fellow SS claimed he defeated in
just ten moves had apparently done some extensive
traveling in this vein, as has a fellow who recently
tied for our state championship, just as if he were a
/chess professional/. I find that interesting as these
are not grandmasters, but ordinary players, who
nevertheless appear to devote similar time and
money to participation in numerous major events.


And seeing what people throw away on travel, just to see some historic
sight, often pales in comparison to what chessplayers expend on their
hobby. To say nothing of what "sports afficonados" spend to go watch
someone else play in some meaningless bowl game. (Just to go to a
regular football game is beyond my means, at least in terms of benefit
versus expense).

I have one word for you: HDTV. (Okay, that may be
four words.)


I still hope to make a US Open one day, although that hope dims with
each year.

There is a decent chance the U.S. Open will come
to me, like the mountain, to Mohammed. The year?
2009. The state? Indiana. The city? Indianapolis.
First prize? Emory Tate. Best under-1400? Yours
truly. Mr. Sloan can drive 500 miles, if he wishes,
to capture the coveted under-2000 prize money.


-- help bot