Impressions about US Chess

As always, opinions are mine, not those of Lichess.org.

I won't re-hash decade-old litigation between Polgar, Truong, and USCF other than to observe that executive board seats are hotly contested over. And it's no wonder, when one considers that these days US Chess annual revenue exceeds of $6 million per year, in part from advertising sets, clocks, approved notation devices, etc. One might be forgiven for forgetting US Chess' mission statement:

Our mission is to empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess. Our vision is that chess is recognized as an essential tool that is inclusive, benefits education and rehabilitation, and promotes recreation and friendly competition.

From 2018 to 2023, Jennifer Shahade was the Women's Program Director at US Chess. I recall seeing advertisements for events mentioning her participation, also mentioning her as an author of chess books. At the time I didn't see a larger picture (of events happening without her direct involvement), perhaps out of ignorance; looking back, I see Saint Louis Chess Club sponsored grants promoting women in chess.

August 2023, Lichess penned Breaking the Silence which mentioned Shahade's removal from US Chess. Today I hear that US Chess secretly sought to make an insurance claim, and although this claim was denied, who knows what confidential details may have been shared with the insurer? I'm sure the US Chess executive board has hundreds of challenging decisions to make each year, but how can they consistently make decisions which challenge, if not contradict, their stated mission statement?

Even if I could make a call to action to boycott US Chess, such a boycott could be problematic for women's chess. So I shall simply speak for myself: I doubt that I will play in US Chess before their entire executive board resigns, esp. Randy Bauer. In the interim, if anyone wishes to make a rival organization with a narrower but focused mission statement (for example, something like URS), I may be able to help or advise.

Image credit: Piotr Makowski