Nick wrote:
> Sam Sloan wrote:
> > On 9 Mar 2006 14:54:26 -0800, "Nick" <nickbourbaki3@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >In 'New in Chess' (2006/1), Geurt Gijssen has written a letter
> > >in order to set the record straight about how the 1993 match
> > >between Nana Alexandria and Susan Polgar came to an end.
> > >Geurt Gijssen was the match director.
> > >
> > >The 1993 match was scheduled for eight games, not
> > >including the tie-breaking games. After a total of twelve
> > >games, Nana Alexandria and Susan Polgar were still tied.
> > >According to FIDE regulations, this tie then was broken
> > >by the drawing of lots. Nana Alexandria advanced to
> > >challenge and to lose to Xie Jun in the FIDE Women's
> > >World Championship match.
> > >
> > >(I do not have any of the next mentioned books at hand.
> > >What I write next is based on Geurt Gijssen's letter.)
> > >
> > >In the 1997 book, "Queen of the Kings Game", Susan Polgar
> > >and Jacob Shutzman (Susan Polgar's husband at that time)
> > >wrote that Susan Polgar had preferred that the tie should have
> > >been broken by playing rather than by the drawing of lots
> > >but that Nana Alexandria had preferred the drawing of lots.
> > >Nana Alexandria was denounced for cowardice and poor
> > >sportsmanship.
> > >
> > >In the 2005 book, 'Breaking Through', Susan Polgar and
> > >Paul Truong did not reiterate the earlier accusation against
> > >Nana Alexandria. But Susan Polgar (Paul Truong was not
> > >responsible for the earlier accusation) also did not retract that
> > >accusation when writing about her match with Nana Alexandria.
> > >
> > >In the 2005 book, 'Chess Bitch', Jennifer Shahade reiterated the
> > >"Queen of the Kings Game" accusation that Nana Alexandria
> > >preferred the drawing of lots and showed her cowardice and
> > >poor sportsmanship in doing so. Jennifer Shahade also
> > >denounced Nana Alexandria as 'shameless'.
> > >
> > >Geurt Gijssen has written that there's no truth whatsoever
> > >in these accusations against Nana Alexandria. In fact,
> > >Geurt Gijssen met both Susan Polgar and Nana Alexandria
> > >before the match, and both players agreed that any tie
> > >after twelve games should be broken by playing rather
> > >than by the drawing of lots. But the FIDE President
> > >declined to consent to this change on the grounds that first
> > >it would have to be approved by the FIDE General Assembly.
> > >
> > >It's clear that Nana Alexandria should not be held responsible
> > >for the fact that the match was resolved by the drawing of lots.
> > >Nana Alexandria did not show cowardice or poor sportsmanship.
> > >Since 1997 (when "Queen of the King's Game was published),
> > >however, Nana Alexandria's sporting reputation has been
> > >unfairly maligned. In retrospect, Geurt Gijssen apparently
> > >believes that he should have spoken out sooner about this.
> > >
> > >(What I write next is not based on Geurt Gijssen's letter.)
> > >
> > >"Queen of the Kings Game" by Susan Polgar and Jacob Shutzman
> > >also has many false statements about Xie Jun and other Chinese
> > >players. Xie Jun wrote an open letter to Susan Polgar, in which
> > >she expressed her sense of offence on account of these falsehoods.
> > >
> > >In 'Chess Bitch', Jennifer Shahade wrote much about Susan Polgar
> > >and quite a bit about Xie Jun. Jennifer Shahade also commented
> > >explicitly on "Queen of the Kings Game". But Jennifer Shahade
> > >did not make any mention (as far as I can recall) of Xie Jun's open
> > >letter denouncing the falsehoods in "Queen of the Kings Game"
> > >about herself and other Chinese players. I do not know why
> > >Jennifer Shahade did not mention this fact.
> > >
> > >As I understand it, Susan Polgar today has become embarrassed
> > >by some parts of "Queen of the Kings Game", for which she prefers
> > >to blame Jacob Shutzman, and does not intend to have it reprinted.
> > >
> > >That's better than nothing, I suppose, but it's not an adequate
> > >substitute, in my opinion, for a public retraction and an apology
> > >to Nana Alexandria. I suspect that much damage already
> > >has been done to Nana Alexandria's sporting reputation.
> > >Guert Gijssen seems displeased that Jennifer Shahade has
> > >propagated the false "Nana Alexandria preferred the drawing
> > >of lots" accusation without apparently making any effort to
> > >check the facts further, apparently relying instead on the
> > >extremely dubious book "Queen of the Kings Game".
> > >
> > >Given that Guert Gijssen's letter in 'New in Chess' may be
> > >expected not to draw much attention--I am making an effort
> > >to draw more attention to it--how many more writers, in addition
> > >to Jennifer Shahade, will propagate this false accusation against
> > >Nana Alexandria as though it were fact? Will, after reading
> > >'Chess Bitch', some journalists who never read 'New in Chess'
> > >then propagate this false accusation, trusting Jennifer Shahade
> > >as their source?
> > >
> > >As I recall, Mark Twain once wrote something about
> > >the truth having a hard time catching up to falsehoods.
> > >
> > >--Nick
>
> I lack the time and the inclination to address most of the
> false or misleading comments (including those comments
> written about me, not in this thread) in rec.games.chess.*
>
> > I know something about this because at the conclusion of the 2000
> > World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, I had dinner with Xie Jun, who was
> > an old friend from the 1988 World Chess OIympiad in Thessaloniki
> > Greece.
>
> Please note that Sam Sloan claims that his conversation
> with Xie Jun took place 'at the conclusion of the 2000 World
> Chess Olympiad in Istanbul', which was in November 2000.
>
> > Xie Jun expressed extreme unhappiness with the book "Queen of the
> > King's Game". She also complained that Susan kept getting pregnant
> > as a way to avoid playing a match against her.
> >
> > I had not been aware of any problem with the book Queen of
> > the King's Game. I was surprised that Xie Jun had even read it.
>
> Sam Sloan has written that, *before* his conversation with
> Xie Jun in November 2000, he was *not* aware that Xie Jun
> had any objection to the book "Queen of the Kings Game"
> by Zsuzsa Polgar and Jacob Shutzman. His statement reveals
> the ignorance, at best, of Sam Sloan, 'chess journalist'.
>
> On 30 August 1999, Xie Jun wrote an open letter to
> Zsuzsa Polgar, strongly objecting to what Zsuzsa Polgar
> and Jacob Shutzman had written about Xie Jun and other
> Chinese players in "Queen of the Kings Game".
>
> "Let me start by saying that I am not the person as depicted
> in your book "Queen of the King's Game" which, in my opinion,
> is full of incorrect assumptions. I cannot begin to understand
> why you should write about me and members of my team as
> if you knew exactly what we were thinking. ... Still, I take
> offence to the manifold violation of the truth in your story
> and the ill-natured style of writing."
> --Xie Jun (30 August 1999, writing to Zsuzsa Polgar)
>
> Xie Jun's open letter to Zsuzsa Polgar then was circulated
> in the chess media around the world. Many persons
> (including me) had become aware long *before* Sam Sloan's
> claimed conversation with Xie Jun in November 2000 that
> Xie Jun strongly objected to what Zsuzsa Polgar had
> written about her in "Queen of the Kings Game" (the
> title is spelled here as it appears on the book's cover).
>
> Indeed, Sam Sloan posted Xie Jun's open letter
> to Zsuzsa Polgar at his website.
>
> http://www.samsloan.com//xiejun.htm
>
> > It appeared that Xie Jun had invited me to have dinner with her
> > just to tell me about her complaints about Susan and about
> > Susan's book.
>
> Did Xie Jun suspect that Sam Sloan, 'chess journalist',
> had *not* read her open letter to Zsuzsa Polgar, which had
> been circulated in the chess media around the world?
>
> > This dinner took place at a seperate table away from the other
> > Chinese players which I thought was a bit odd since the Chinese
> > delegation was all there together. I suppose that Xie Jun wanted
> > to tell me this in private because she knew that I was close to
> > Susan and would convey her feelings back to her.
>
> Sam Sloan's conjecture about Xie Jun's motives makes no sense.
>
> Xie Jun already had written an open letter criticising Zsuzsa Polgar.
> It was pointless to attempt to use Sam Sloan as a private channel
> to communicate her criticisms to Zsuzsa Polgar.
>
> > I did, in fact, tell Susan about this conversation
> > after I got back to America.
> > Sam Sloan
>
> Why does Sam Sloan apparently presume that Zsuzsa
> Polgar must have been as ignorant as he was about
> Xie Jun's open letter?
>
> In my view, Sam Sloan's latest post seems like his
> unconvincing attempt to portray himself as someone
> with unique 'inside information' about the relations
> between Xie Jun and Zsuzsa Polgar.
Nick, in case you haven't noticed, portraying himself as "someone
with unique inside information" is Sam's basic raison d' =EAtre.
|
