Hi -

I have only spoken briefly with a couple of the Bullwinkle lads since the infamous CAQ shamozzle at the QLD Teams Championships. As you're no doubt aware, I terminated my CAQ membership as a result of my experiences with Gray/Byrom at this event, and though there was no (to my knowledge, anyway) official boycott of CAQ-run tournaments by Bullwinkle as a whole, my impression in private discussions with Bullwinkle members is that they have absolutely no interest in supporting the current leadership regime. I noted a glaring lack of Bullwinkle players from the recent QLD State Championships - a shame, since I, Jacob, Bruce and probably some others have been past participants. For my own part, I certainly will not be participating in any more CAQ-run events while Gray and Byrom hold any positions whatsoever in CAQ Council. I personally think it would be a very healthy move for QLD chess if the whole council (with the exception of Mark Stokes) was replaced at the next election. Whether disgust can override the traditional apathy of CAQ members at the Dec. election is yet to be determined, but certainly things in are in a very bad way in this state at present, and it is not in any way, in my view, the fault of the state's chess clubs.

I have been on the QLD chess scene for three decades, and I cannot recall a time during that period when so may QLD players were so completely fed up with CAQ leadership as they are now. I believe there is only one valid reason to be a member of the CAQ Council - to have a passionate desire to improve the state of chess in Queensland.

Cheers,
Kevin Casey

Just2Good - If you and others on Oz Chess have had your account blocked to access the Chess Chat website, you may have missed the following (don't actually remember if it got posted here or not). Here it is, thanks to the modern wonderment of cut and paste...
Of course it's a few months old now:


Abandoning the CAQ

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This week (March 30, 2011) I received a letter from the President of the CAQ, Garvin Gray, giving the CAQ’s version of events that occurred at the 2010 Queensland Team Championships. For those unfamiliar with this saga, please refer to the ‘Queensland Teams Championships – what a mess’ thread currently on page 2 of this forum’s ‘Australian Chess’ section. [threads merged - mod]

Firstly, I want to thank Garvin and the rest of the relevant CAQ Council for getting the letter written, and sending it out. It takes some work to do this, and the effort has not gone unnoticed. There were a lot of frustrated, perplexed, disgruntled and disillusioned chess players out there after this tournament, and I appreciate the effort the CAQ has taken to help, as best they can, with a clarification of their position.

The Queensland Teams Championship is a great concept, and I have been pleased to be a part of it. I have been equally pleased to represent the Bullwinkle Club, a club that, to me, typifies all that is good about chess in Queensland. They are friendly, encouraging, enthusiastic, and a great bunch of folks. And, contrary to what Gray/Byrom have attempted to suggest, their ability to communicate clearly to their members is just fine, in my experience.

My personal position on this whole matter is simple. The success or failure of any tournament rests, ultimately, on the Tournament Director and those persons making official decisions regarding the running of that tournament. I was just one of many players from various clubs who showed up in good faith, ready to play for their usual team in their usual division, as we had done without drama in previous years. A great many of us left at day’s end seriously disheartened and quite astounded. Suffice to say it may be years before the QLD Teams Championship recovers from this, if it ever does (perhaps under new management). This is a real shame, since I know for many players, it has been a favourite and much anticipated event on the calendar.

Over-the-board chess has plenty of competition for attention out there – online chess sites, family/work commitments, social networking and all the rest. Being a chess administrator in the 21st century isn’t easy. I get that. But it is precisely because people are more time-poor and distracted by other things that an all-out effort needs to be made to attract them, and to remove as many restrictive elements as possible to allow them to play. In Queensland, a great many people have done a splendid job at various times over the years doing exactly that - some on Council, some not. The clubs in this state are fantastic. I commented not long ago personally to Graeme Gardiner how impressed I was with all that he accomplishes on a daily basis at Gardiner Chess. His professional, supportive environment (and that of Amir’s down at the Kings of Chess Club in Surfers) is, in my view, the main reason Junior Chess is so incredibly strong in that part of our state. I have enjoyed very positive experiences playing at The Gap, Logan, Suncoast and Toowoomba clubs over the years as well.

Much of the focus in the aftermath of the Teams tourney has been on the interpretation and/or method of implementation of the rules. What has not been so clearly explained is why the rules were changed in the first place. What did Council feel was wrong with the previous rules pre-2010? Also, who specifically within Council instigated the 2010 rule change? Who originally brought the idea up and urged that it be brought to a vote?

I have re-read Jacob Edwards’ summation of events at this tournament, and also thoroughly examined the CAQ letter’s official version of events. I have concluded that nothing in the CAQ’s explanation refutes or discounts Jacob’s thorough and well-presented chronological account. In light of this, and the fact that I have personally lost all confidence in the leadership of my State Chess Council, I hereby cancel my CAQ membership, effective immediately. I have lost all faith in the current regime, and will play no more CAQ-controlled chess in this state under it. As someone who loves chess, this is not a decision I have taken lightly, but I simply cannot endorse what I no longer believe in.

It astonishes me that those who ran this event have offered no apology to the clubs/players adversely affected or, to my knowledge, showed a hint of remorse at what transpired. On the subject of dispersion of blame, I feel compelled to remind Gray/Byrom of the following:

Who concocted the rule changes that created all the problems? You did.

Who was responsible for the preparations leading up to the tournament, communications with clubs regarding the tournament, the running of the tournament itself, and the decision-making that occurred during the tournament? You were.

Cheers,
Kevin Casey