The following is the letter from Joel Benjamin in which he sets forth
his objections to the US Championship.

It was copied by me into BINFO 200700775.

In reading this, please note that Joel Benjamin was the only
Grandmaster who expressed a willingness to play the US Championship
online, provided that the prizes were substantial:

At 11:38 PM 3/6/2007 -0500, Joel Benjamin wrote:

Dear USCF officials:

I am extremely distressed by the recent announcements for the 2007
U.S. Championship. Let me start by thanking Frank Berry for his
generosity. He and others in Stillwater are doing their best to make
something out of nothing. But the USCF is not doing its part.

The $65,000 prize fund (with players paying expenses) is grossly
inadequate. With 32 players (and possibly more) the average prize
will be around $2,000. This is in contrast to that figure serving as
the minimum figure last year!

The proposed $15,000 contribution from the USCF is embarrassing. The
"buy-in" plan makes a mockery of the tournament (though I expect very
few takers anyway). The disbursement of any extra funds generated by
this plan is completely unacceptable. It has to go directly to the
players! The line about "replacement of the $10,000 sanctioning fee"
is fooling no one. You have already announced that Anderson is
contributing $25,000. Does the USCF actually have the audacity to
pocket that money and try to turn a profit on this tournament? I
sincerely hope you reconsider this plan. You will only embarrass
yourselves and enrage the players.

I find it especially galling that some Board members were openly
hostile to Erik Anderson's attempts to organize the Championship,
likely sabotaging a $100,000 prize fund. If any of you thought you
could do better, the fiction is surely put to that notion.

I have played in 23 U.S. Championships, every one since 1981. I have
never declined an invitation, nor even considered not playing. But
this proposed tournament is so outrageous that I don't think I could
participate. Please go back to the drawing board and reconsider.
Don't make me fight you.

Sincerely,

Joel Benjamin

On May 6, 10:45 am, samsloan wrote:
The following is the letter from Joel Benjamin in which he sets forth
his objections to the US Championship.

It was copied by me into BINFO 200700775.

In reading this, please note that Joel Benjamin was the only
Grandmaster who expressed a willingness to play the US Championship
online, provided that the prizes were substantial:

At 11:38 PM 3/6/2007 -0500, Joel Benjamin wrote:

Dear USCF officials:

I am extremely distressed by the recent announcements for the 2007
U.S. Championship. Let me start by thanking Frank Berry for his
generosity. He and others in Stillwater are doing their best to make
something out of nothing. But the USCF is not doing its part.

The $65,000 prize fund (with players paying expenses) is grossly
inadequate. With 32 players (and possibly more) the average prize
will be around $2,000. This is in contrast to that figure serving as
the minimum figure last year!

The proposed $15,000 contribution from the USCF is embarrassing. The
"buy-in" plan makes a mockery of the tournament (though I expect very
few takers anyway). The disbursement of any extra funds generated by
this plan is completely unacceptable. It has to go directly to the
players! The line about "replacement of the $10,000 sanctioning fee"
is fooling no one. You have already announced that Anderson is
contributing $25,000. Does the USCF actually have the audacity to
pocket that money and try to turn a profit on this tournament? I
sincerely hope you reconsider this plan. You will only embarrass
yourselves and enrage the players.

I find it especially galling that some Board members were openly
hostile to Erik Anderson's attempts to organize the Championship,
likely sabotaging a $100,000 prize fund. If any of you thought you
could do better, the fiction is surely put to that notion.

I have played in 23 U.S. Championships, every one since 1981. I have
never declined an invitation, nor even considered not playing. But
this proposed tournament is so outrageous that I don't think I could
participate. Please go back to the drawing board and reconsider.
Don't make me fight you.

Sincerely,

Joel Benjamin

Sam should be very proud of destroying the US open

On 6 May 2007 11:30:23 -0700, Rob wrote:


Sam should be very proud of destroying the US open


Don't you mean "closed" ?

Take a look at what has happened. This morning, in response to a
question somebody asked about why Joel Benjamin is not playing in this
year's US Championship, I dug out a letter Joel Benjamin had written
two months ago on March 6, 2007 explaining his objections to the US
Championship.

Benjamin sent that letter to me, to the other board members and to the
other grandmasters who had qualified to the US Championship, except
that he did not send the letter to Polgar, even though she is a
grandmaster who is qualified to play in the US Championship.

As a result, Polgar did not know about the letter until I posted it
here this morning.

Now Polgar has taken Benjamin's letter and posted it to her blogspot
in such a way as to create the impression that Benjamin wrote the
letter to her and that he endorses her for election.

Take a look he

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2007...min.html#links

Already in just the five hours since I posted the Benjamin letter
here, there are 34 replies to Susan's blogspot. Many of these postings
attack Goichberg and Lux. Since it is well known that Polgar deletes
any letters she does not agree with, one must conclude that these
attacks on Goichberg and Lux reflect her views.

Incidentally, there is a secret letter by Polgar attacking Lux that
has been circulating during the past few days. I have not seen it, but
I have heard about it.

I do not know who Joel Benjamin is supporting for election but it is a
safe bet that he is not supporting Polgar. I believe that her use of
his letter is misleading.

Sam Sloan

Sam Sloan has destroyed the US Open by posting pornograaphy and now
seeks to diverte blame from himself.

He thinks the Mr. Benjamin sent an email only to him and that he is
the only source GM Polgar could have gotted the information. What an
ego inflated bag og beetlejuice.

You are far from the only source of information Sam. And everything
that has happened in the last 50 years in the world of chess did not
revolve around your petulant self.
Rob

Whoever knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any
individual to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, or in
anyTerritory or Possession of the United States, to engage
inprostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be
charged with a criminal offense, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than five years, or both.18 USCS @ 2422 (1994) @
2422. Coercion or enticement of female "Whoever knowingly persuades,
induces, entices, or coerces anywoman or girl to go from one place to
another in interstate orforeign commerce, or in the District of
Columbia or in anyTerritory or Possession of the United States, for
the purpose ofprostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral
purpose, or with the intent and purpose on the part of such person
that suchwoman or girl shall engage in the practice of prostitution
ordebauchery, or any other immoral practice, whether with orwithout
her consent, and thereby knowingly causes such woman orgirl to go and
to be carried or transported as a passenger uponthe line or route of
any common carrier or carriers in interstateor foreign commerce, or in
the District of Columbia or in anyTerritory or Possession of the
United States, shall be fined notmore than $ 5,000 or imprisoned not
more than five years, orboth.". 1988. Act Nov. 18, 1988 substituted
"or foreign commerce" for "of foreign commerce".

Welcome to the South, Mr. Sloan

Rob wrote:
Sam Sloan has destroyed the US Open

You are ranting again...

http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2007/usopen/

On May 6, 6:51 pm, JohnnyT wrote:
Rob wrote:
Sam Sloan has destroyed the US Open

You are ranting again...

http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2007/usopen/

JT,

o rants here. It is a fact that AF4C pulled out because of Sloan. The
paltry amount for a prize is an insult. Sam is who we have to thank
for that.

Rob wrote:
On May 6, 6:51 pm, JohnnyT wrote:
Rob wrote:
Sam Sloan has destroyed the US Open
You are ranting again...

http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2007/usopen/

JT,

o rants here. It is a fact that AF4C pulled out because of Sloan. The
paltry amount for a prize is an insult. Sam is who we have to thank
for that.


Sam did NOT let the domain expire...

But more importantly... THIS IS NOT THE US OPEN

On May 6, 10:38 pm, JohnnyT wrote:
Rob wrote:
On May 6, 6:51 pm, JohnnyT wrote:
Rob wrote:
Sam Sloan has destroyed the US Open
You are ranting again...

http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2007/usopen/

JT,

o rants here. It is a fact that AF4C pulled out because of Sloan. The
paltry amount for a prize is an insult. Sam is who we have to thank
for that.

Sam did NOT let the domain expire...

But more importantly... THIS IS NOT THE US OPEN

US Championship... Whatever! Give me a break. Sam chose to post
pronography in the USCF Forums in an attempt to embaris Eric Anderson.
You see what his effots got the USCF.