January 21, 2007
Chess

Prominent Trainer Retreats From Claim He Held Title
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN

Michael Khodarkovsky is a prominent trainer and coach, and president
of the Kasparov Chess Foundation. But is he, as he has claimed, an
international master? No, according to the World Chess Federation, and
now he is backing off the claim.

Khodarkovsky, who immigrated from Ukraine 15 years ago and lives in
New Jersey, coaches at Montclair Kimberley Academy and the Spence
School in Manhattan.

He is also on a committee of the federation that administers
credentials for trainers and coaches, and he has been awarded the
title of senior trainer, the highest designation.

The question of whether he is an international master is not academic;
coaches and trainers are often hired based on their own chess skills
as well as on how well their students do.

In a telephone interview on Jan. 9, Khodarkovsky said he had earned
the international master title, a lifetime title awarded by the
federation, based on two tournaments he played in Yugoslavia in 1989
and 1990. Khodarkovsky said he did not have the tournament results or
other proof, but he said that after the second tournament, his rating
was "exactly 2450." An international master must, among other things,
have a rating of at least 2400.

According to the federation's Web site, the requirements for the title
of senior trainer include having had "world/international successes"
as a player and a rating of at least 2450 at one time.

On the Web site of the Kasparov foundation, which sponsors scholastic
tournaments, a press release dated Aug. 16, 2004, about Mackenzie
Molner, a student of Khodarkovsky's who won the national high school
championship, said Khodarkovsky was an international master. By
Thursday, the title had been removed from the release.

Information on the federation's Web site also supported Khodarkovsky's
contention, at least briefly.

A World Chess Federation press release on Oct. 15, 2006, announcing a
chess convention in Singapore in December at which Khodarkovsky ran a
seminar for coaches, said he was an international master.

The federation's "personal card" for players with an international
rating showed two weeks ago that he was an international master, with
a rating of 2260. By last Tuesday, the title had been removed from the
card.

Mikko Markkula, chairman of the federation's qualification commission,
said he removed the title after becoming aware that it was added
sometime in the last month. He said he investigated Khodarkovsky's
tournament history and concluded that he had never earned the title.

Markkula said that Khodarkovsky had asked that some changes be made to
correct the spelling of his name, but that someone had also altered
his card to give him the title of international master. Markkula said
that this could not be done accidentally and that he was investigating
"because I find this very serious." He added that whoever had changed
the card was "absolutely cheating."

Dirk J. A. De Ridder, chairman of the federation's titles and ratings
committee, said he found the federation's press release citing
Khodarkovsky as an international master disturbing and speculated that
the person who wrote it might have given Khodarkovsky the title
because other instructors at the conference were titled players. "I am
having the slight impression that in order not to embarrass Mr.
Khodarkovsky, this title was added," De Ridder said. He added that
having the international master title would make it possible for
Khodarkovsky to charge more for his services.

In an e-mail message, Markkula said he had looked up Khodarkovsky's
entire rating history and found that he had played a tournament in
Yugoslavia in 1990, but could not find a record of him playing another
tournament during this period. Markkula also wrote that Khodarkovsky's
peak rating, which he obtained after the Yugoslavia tournament, was
2290.

In a follow-up interview on Tuesday, Khodarkovsky said the directors
of the Yugoslav tournaments told him his performances were enough to
qualify for the title, at least provisionally, until his rating got
above 2400.

Khodarkovsky said he was puzzled that his federation rating was so
low. In the Soviet Union, he said he had a Soviet rating of 2335 to
2345 and he thought his federation rating was "on par" with that.

Khodarkovsky also said he had been awarded the title of Soviet master
before he emigrated, and "I always say that I am a Soviet master
because I value this more than international master."

About the mention of his title in the press release on the Kasparov
foundation site, Khodarkovsky said that it was written by the
foundation's "P.R. person" and that he did not know where that person
had gotten the information.

Khodarkovsky said that he also had no part in writing the press
release about the Singapore conference for the federation, known as
FIDE. "If FIDE said I am an international master then probably they
have records," he said. "If they don't, then they should erase this. I
did not commission this, and I have no interest in doing this."

In the end, Khodarkovsky said, it is "meaningless" whether or not he
is an international master. He said that to be a good trainer or coach
requires a skill set different from what is needed to be a top player
and that his profession is as a coach, not a player.

"I am not a player anymore for a long, long time. I am a coach and a
good coach, and I continue this career. That's so far all I care
about," he said. "I am very proud of what I am doing. Every student
that I turn out, I am very happy about it. It really doesn't matter
about the title."

I got rid of Robert Tanner. I got rid of the AF4C. Now I'm after the
Kasparov Chess Foundation. We don't need any stinking commies. Vote
for me for 4 more years and I'll get rid of the SPF and Chess In The
Schools too.

Sam Sloan

On 30 Jan, 15:41, "samsloan" wrote:
January 21, 2007
Chess

Prominent Trainer Retreats From Claim He Held Title
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN

Michael Khodarkovsky is a prominent trainer and coach, and president
of the Kasparov Chess Foundation. But is he, as he has claimed, an
international master? No, according to the World Chess Federation, and
now he is backing off the claim.

Khodarkovsky, who immigrated from Ukraine 15 years ago and lives in
New Jersey, coaches at Montclair Kimberley Academy and the Spence
School in Manhattan.

He is also on a committee of the federation that administers
credentials for trainers and coaches, and he has been awarded the
title of senior trainer, the highest designation.

The question of whether he is an international master is not academic;
coaches and trainers are often hired based on their own chess skills
as well as on how well their students do.

In a telephone interview on Jan. 9, Khodarkovsky said he had earned
the international master title, a lifetime title awarded by the
federation, based on two tournaments he played in Yugoslavia in 1989
and 1990. Khodarkovsky said he did not have the tournament results or
other proof, but he said that after the second tournament, his rating
was "exactly 2450." An international master must, among other things,
have a rating of at least 2400.

According to the federation's Web site, the requirements for the title
of senior trainer include having had "world/international successes"
as a player and a rating of at least 2450 at one time.

On the Web site of the Kasparov foundation, which sponsors scholastic
tournaments, a press release dated Aug. 16, 2004, about Mackenzie
Molner, a student of Khodarkovsky's who won the national high school
championship, said Khodarkovsky was an international master. By
Thursday, the title had been removed from the release.

Information on the federation's Web site also supported Khodarkovsky's
contention, at least briefly.

A World Chess Federation press release on Oct. 15, 2006, announcing a
chess convention in Singapore in December at which Khodarkovsky ran a
seminar for coaches, said he was an international master.

The federation's "personal card" for players with an international
rating showed two weeks ago that he was an international master, with
a rating of 2260. By last Tuesday, the title had been removed from the
card.

Mikko Markkula, chairman of the federation's qualification commission,
said he removed the title after becoming aware that it was added
sometime in the last month. He said he investigated Khodarkovsky's
tournament history and concluded that he had never earned the title.

Markkula said that Khodarkovsky had asked that some changes be made to
correct the spelling of his name, but that someone had also altered
his card to give him the title of international master. Markkula said
that this could not be done accidentally and that he was investigating
"because I find this very serious." He added that whoever had changed
the card was "absolutely cheating."

Dirk J. A. De Ridder, chairman of the federation's titles and ratings
committee, said he found the federation's press release citing
Khodarkovsky as an international master disturbing and speculated that
the person who wrote it might have given Khodarkovsky the title
because other instructors at the conference were titled players. "I am
having the slight impression that in order not to embarrass Mr.
Khodarkovsky, this title was added," De Ridder said. He added that
having the international master title would make it possible for
Khodarkovsky to charge more for his services.

In an e-mail message, Markkula said he had looked up Khodarkovsky's
entire rating history and found that he had played a tournament in
Yugoslavia in 1990, but could not find a record of him playing another
tournament during this period. Markkula also wrote that Khodarkovsky's
peak rating, which he obtained after the Yugoslavia tournament, was
2290.

In a follow-up interview on Tuesday, Khodarkovsky said the directors
of the Yugoslav tournaments told him his performances were enough to
qualify for the title, at least provisionally, until his rating got
above 2400.

Khodarkovsky said he was puzzled that his federation rating was so
low. In the Soviet Union, he said he had a Soviet rating of 2335 to
2345 and he thought his federation rating was "on par" with that.

Khodarkovsky also said he had been awarded the title of Soviet master
before he emigrated, and "I always say that I am a Soviet master
because I value this more than international master."

About the mention of his title in the press release on the Kasparov
foundation site, Khodarkovsky said that it was written by the
foundation's "P.R. person" and that he did not know where that person
had gotten the information.

Khodarkovsky said that he also had no part in writing the press
release about the Singapore conference for the federation, known as
FIDE. "If FIDE said I am an international master then probably they
have records," he said. "If they don't, then they should erase this. I
did not commission this, and I have no interest in doing this."

In the end, Khodarkovsky said, it is "meaningless" whether or not he
is an international master. He said that to be a good trainer or coach
requires a skill set different from what is needed to be a top player
and that his profession is as a coach, not a player.

"I am not a player anymore for a long, long time. I am a coach and a
good coach, and I continue this career. That's so far all I care
about," he said. "I am very proud of what I am doing. Every student
that I turn out, I am very happy about it. It really doesn't matter
about the title."

On 30 Jan, 15:41, "samsloan" wrote:
January 21, 2007
Chess

Prominent Trainer Retreats From Claim He Held Title
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN

Michael Khodarkovsky is a prominent trainer and coach, and president
of the Kasparov Chess Foundation. But is he, as he has claimed, an
international master? No, according to the World Chess Federation, and
now he is backing off the claim.

Khodarkovsky, who immigrated from Ukraine 15 years ago and lives in
New Jersey, coaches at Montclair Kimberley Academy and the Spence
School in Manhattan.

He is also on a committee of the federation that administers
credentials for trainers and coaches, and he has been awarded the
title of senior trainer, the highest designation.

The question of whether he is an international master is not academic;
coaches and trainers are often hired based on their own chess skills
as well as on how well their students do.

In a telephone interview on Jan. 9, Khodarkovsky said he had earned
the international master title, a lifetime title awarded by the
federation, based on two tournaments he played in Yugoslavia in 1989
and 1990. Khodarkovsky said he did not have the tournament results or
other proof, but he said that after the second tournament, his rating
was "exactly 2450." An international master must, among other things,
have a rating of at least 2400.

According to the federation's Web site, the requirements for the title
of senior trainer include having had "world/international successes"
as a player and a rating of at least 2450 at one time.

On the Web site of the Kasparov foundation, which sponsors scholastic
tournaments, a press release dated Aug. 16, 2004, about Mackenzie
Molner, a student of Khodarkovsky's who won the national high school
championship, said Khodarkovsky was an international master. By
Thursday, the title had been removed from the release.

Information on the federation's Web site also supported Khodarkovsky's
contention, at least briefly.

A World Chess Federation press release on Oct. 15, 2006, announcing a
chess convention in Singapore in December at which Khodarkovsky ran a
seminar for coaches, said he was an international master.

The federation's "personal card" for players with an international
rating showed two weeks ago that he was an international master, with
a rating of 2260. By last Tuesday, the title had been removed from the
card.

Mikko Markkula, chairman of the federation's qualification commission,
said he removed the title after becoming aware that it was added
sometime in the last month. He said he investigated Khodarkovsky's
tournament history and concluded that he had never earned the title.

Markkula said that Khodarkovsky had asked that some changes be made to
correct the spelling of his name, but that someone had also altered
his card to give him the title of international master. Markkula said
that this could not be done accidentally and that he was investigating
"because I find this very serious." He added that whoever had changed
the card was "absolutely cheating."

Dirk J. A. De Ridder, chairman of the federation's titles and ratings
committee, said he found the federation's press release citing
Khodarkovsky as an international master disturbing and speculated that
the person who wrote it might have given Khodarkovsky the title
because other instructors at the conference were titled players. "I am
having the slight impression that in order not to embarrass Mr.
Khodarkovsky, this title was added," De Ridder said. He added that
having the international master title would make it possible for
Khodarkovsky to charge more for his services.

In an e-mail message, Markkula said he had looked up Khodarkovsky's
entire rating history and found that he had played a tournament in
Yugoslavia in 1990, but could not find a record of him playing another
tournament during this period. Markkula also wrote that Khodarkovsky's
peak rating, which he obtained after the Yugoslavia tournament, was
2290.

In a follow-up interview on Tuesday, Khodarkovsky said the directors
of the Yugoslav tournaments told him his performances were enough to
qualify for the title, at least provisionally, until his rating got
above 2400.

Khodarkovsky said he was puzzled that his federation rating was so
low. In the Soviet Union, he said he had a Soviet rating of 2335 to
2345 and he thought his federation rating was "on par" with that.

Khodarkovsky also said he had been awarded the title of Soviet master
before he emigrated, and "I always say that I am a Soviet master
because I value this more than international master."

About the mention of his title in the press release on the Kasparov
foundation site, Khodarkovsky said that it was written by the
foundation's "P.R. person" and that he did not know where that person
had gotten the information.

Khodarkovsky said that he also had no part in writing the press
release about the Singapore conference for the federation, known as
FIDE. "If FIDE said I am an international master then probably they
have records," he said. "If they don't, then they should erase this. I
did not commission this, and I have no interest in doing this."

In the end, Khodarkovsky said, it is "meaningless" whether or not he
is an international master. He said that to be a good trainer or coach
requires a skill set different from what is needed to be a top player
and that his profession is as a coach, not a player.

"I am not a player anymore for a long, long time. I am a coach and a
good coach, and I continue this career. That's so far all I care
about," he said. "I am very proud of what I am doing. Every student
that I turn out, I am very happy about it. It really doesn't matter
about the title."

Isn't this the same Michael Khodarkovsky who is in jail?