"Thanks for being my ****** Nick."
--Stan Booz (17 March 2004, rec.games.chess.politics)

'******' is regarded as an offensive racial slur
in every English dictionary of which I know.

If "******" is offensive "in every English dictionary"
then how can blacks use the term among themselves? ...

Stan Booz is a white American whose evident racism has been
criticised by other writers, including some writers of white
European ancestry, in the chess newsgroups.

I am no particular friend of Stan Booz; very rarely agree with his
perspectives and presentations; often strongly disagree with them, and don't
like his newsgroup methods in general nor in the particulars of his way of
expressing them.

I have also never ever suspected he was a racist, and he does not seem to
have any interest in that subject, from anything much observable from years
of posting.

He has been in the military, and that can transform one's speech and manner
of expression - it makes it direct, and sometimes limited to cant
expression, often crudities - this itself may not be useful to express
oneself outside of military affairs, but that is some other issue.

--------

I have met GM Maurice Ashley in person--have you?
Even GM Maurice Ashley would not consider himself to
be a contender for the world championship in chess.

--Nick

I have talked with him on the phone.

I have no idea why anyone would be feel able to determine what he thinks
unless they knew him.

Perhaps considering his relative rating and exposure to the first tier of
players, it would be possible to say; statistically that the odds of
achieving the world championship title are the same as for others of his
age, ELO and general momentum on the chess scene.

But what he considers his own chances are known best to him right?