FOREWORD TO TIM TAYLOR’S RAVE

By Jeremy Silman

Before leaping in to Tim’s “rave,” allow me to clarify my own feelings about this matter (I think this is important since a letter I wrote to Mr. Dullea – which I thought would never be seen by anyone but him, Mr. Taylor, and a couple others – has been added to the material below.). My views are simple and easy to list:

1)      An editor can usually resort to a kill fee (i.e., he pays the writer and doesn’t publish the work) if he finds the material he hired someone to write objectionable or not in line with the philosophical stance of the magazine. To blame a writer (who carefully followed the guidelines mapped out by the hiring editor) for daring to be creative and colorful is absurd.

2) Watching some individuals viciously attack Mr. Taylor for mentioning prostitution in his article was nothing less than disgusting. Why would Chess Life publish such hate-filled screeds? (My friend Susan Polgar, whom I think very highly of, wrote a strong letter against Tim’s article, but she never descended to name calling. I don’t agree with what she had to say on this topic, but I understood her arguments because she calmly and fairly voiced her reservations. Note the difference between what she wrote and the other letters, which were nothing more than irrational tirades.).

Let’s get real. Tim wrote an accurate depiction of life in international chess – emotional ups and downs, poverty (how the desperate need for money affects one’s over the board performance), sexuality, and (of course) chess games/analysis/battle, etc. If a magazine wishes to pretend that these things don’t exist in the chess world (especially if it’s a children’s magazine), then that’s fine – don’t publish the article. Say it’s inappropriate for the magazine in question, pay the writer for his efforts, and that’s that. Just don’t shoot the messenger when he writes of real experiences, real adventures, and real emotions.

As for chess chat rooms filled with so-called chess fans that call Tim’s girlfriend a “whore” when they don’t have any idea what they are talking about – what can I say? The world is now a dangerous, ugly place. Too many of us (here and abroad) have become bloated with intolerance, ignorance, and hate. Small wonder that the chat room sheep – always quick to find courage under the guise of their anonymity – have taken that philosophy to heart and freely toss out their swill, not realizing that what they see as a roar is, in reality, nothing more than a pathetic bleat.

Jeremy Silman (9-3-05)

TIM TAYLOR WRITES TO THE EDITOR OF CHESS LIFE

Timothy Taylor, I.M.

pikearts@yahoo.com

The Editor:

US Chess

3068 US Rt. 9W

Suite #200

New Windsor, NY 12553

To the Editor:

I am writing regarding the barrage of negative letters that appeared on page 6 of the July 2005 issue of Chess Life, in direct violation of previous Chess Life policy, and indeed in violation of the policy of any reputable magazine.

Before I get to the content of the letters, let’s take a look at editorial control. My article was commissioned by the excellent Chess Life Editor Kalev Pehme, who asked me to write an article about the “blood, sweat and tears” of international chess. He did not want a typical game collection sort of article, and I absolutely agreed with him. I find most of the articles in Chess Life to be extremely boring (or “bland” as Michael Jeffreys commented in one of the few published favorable letters).

I wrote a light hearted, romantic, human interest and chess interest article. Kalev was very happy with it, and told me he would run it as a cover story. However, then Kalev was abruptly fired. He told me this was utterly without cause, and given the state of the USCF these days, and his evident excellent performance as editor, I absolutely believe him and extend my support.

Kalev was replaced by Glenn Petersen. Glenn thought the article would be an “excellent contribution” but only if I made some deletions. I was very unhappy about compromising the literary value of the piece by these cuts, but eventually agreed to them. Then the article appeared.

At about the same time I heard Glenn Petersen had been hospitalized, and I do not know his current health status, but I wish him well. I received, from Glenn Petersen’s email, a barrage of vicious hate mail, most of it incoherent of the “frothing at the mouth” variety. There was also a nasty personal attack from Assistant Editor Gerald Dullea. The letter had clearly NOT been written by Glenn Petersen, but by Gerald Dullea, though he had used Glenn’s email.

I attempted to get a clarification from Glenn Petersen or Gerald Dullea as to who was now editor of Chess Life, why Gerald Dullea was attacking me for an article approved by two past editors, etc. However, in the past two months I have received no reply.

The mystery continues in this July issue of Chess Life, where the phrase “we got some praise too” is followed by an anonymous “Ed.” without revealing that person’s name. Glenn Petersen is listed as editor on the masthead, but if that is the case, he has not responded to several emails from me.

The only coherent, if factually inaccurate, letter in this first bunch was one from Susan Polgar. I had considered her a friend and colleague, so this was most distressing. I wrote a firm and clear rebuttal of her letter, and sent it to Chess Life, but it was not printed.

Here is Susan’s complete letter, and my reply:

Dear members of the board:

After I sent Mr. Kaech this message, I was able to get a hold of a copy of Chess Life and read the article thoroughly. I am also outraged and offended by this article for a number of reasons:

1. This is NOT appropriate for a magazine in which more than half of the members are young players.

2. It unfairly portrayed Hungarian women as prostitute.

3. It is very demeaning to women and a big insult to the Hungarian Chess Federation/players. Just because one organizer conducts himself inappropriately, that is not what Hungarian chess is about.

I was told that there is no room in Chess Life for countless other wonderful stories that can help promote chess and bring in new members. I was also told that I cannot even write about a positive event like the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls which helps promote chess for girls because there is no space in Chess Life. And yet we see articles like this one taking up 5-10 pages of valuable space in Chess Life promoting the negative side of chess.

I certainly hope that part II will NOT be published as promised. This part of the current article is completely inappropriate and should never have been published in Chess Life. Chess Life should be above this. I also hope that Chess Life will issue an official apology to parents and coaches as well as young members of the USCF for publishing this trash.

Best wishes,

Susan Polgar

www.SusanPolgar.com

Dear Ms. Polgar:

I see that you now call my work "trash" though not so long ago, you gratefully accepted an autographed copy of one of my chess books.

To answer your letter, first of all, I am not going to apologize for what Jeremy Silman called the greatest article ever to appear in the magazine.

Furthermore, several of your comments are demonstrably false. You say I unfairly portrayed Hungarian women as prostitutes. In fact, I did not meet any prostitutes while I was in Hungary, and never portrayed anyone in my article as a prostitute. My girlfriend Tatjana became my girlfriend because of mutual attraction and romance, as I made clear – money was certainly not an issue, especially as I made clear I had none, and she even spent more money than she could afford to throw a nice party for me. All I did in the article was correctly quote Laszlo on the fact that in a depressed economy, more women than usual will turn to prostitution. This is simply a fact, neither fair nor unfair – it’s the way things are. But as far as my story is concerned, there are no prostitutes in that whatsoever.

You say it is very demeaning to women? What women? The woman I care about most, Tatjana, loved the story. All women who enjoy romance liked the story. Although many women have praised my story, you are the only one who has complained – you say it demeans women but give no reason for this false assertion. The only woman in the story is presented as brave, intelligent, talented, and loving ...if you think that is demeaning, you have serious problems!

You say it is an insult to the Hungarian chess federation and players: Laszlo reports that he has been showing my article to all the players at his tournament, getting an overwhelming positive reaction. Again, the only one insulted is you.

Finally, you call Laszlo's behavior “inappropriate” but in fact he's an excellent organizer, a good man, and a good friend.

You say this shows the negative side of chess, when in fact I present a humorous, romantic side of chess. You appear not to have even read the article, but simply to have heaped your own prejudices on something that is nothing like what you describe.

And finally, here is what world famous chess writer Jeremy Silman had to say, in his letter to the editor:

Dear Mr. Dullea,

One huge problem with our present administration (Bush and his goons) is that they never take responsibility for anything. Perhaps this is the American way, since you and the USCF also have a habit of doing this. That’s certainly the case with Tim’s article.

The content of your magazine is your own business, and I think Jack Peters is correct that if you feel bland, PC material is what you want, it’s what you should have. In fact, Tim’s article would be better used in a real chess magazine, NEW IN CHESS for example.

What bothers me though, is your letter blaming Tim. In my view, Tim’s article is the GREATEST article in the history of the magazine. Naturally, anything that good is subject to assassination and controversy. But this isn’t important, nor is it my point. The problem is that Tim was hired to write an article and he worked VERY hard giving you something of amazing quality and creativity. He had an agreement (I’m not privy to the details, nor do I want to be). When getting the article, if the agreement allowed for you to refuse it, that would be your responsibility to do so, not Tim’s. If the agreement didn’t give you that right, that would ALSO be your responsibility, NOT Tim’s.

Your letter to Tim paints a very bad portrait of you and the USCF. If the USCF refused to publish it and if it was legally viable for them to do so, no harm no foul. But you DID publish it, and thus the responsibility resides with you and past editors.

Be a man and stop pointing the finger. Show a modicum of class. You say you wish to keep it clean and have your magazine serve as an example for children – stop acting like a child yourself. Children point a finger and blame others. Mature, responsible people don’t.

I long ago quit writing for Chess Life because I didn’t wish to be associated with what I deemed an incompetent, rather pathetic, organization. You paid me fairly, but some things are more important than money. It’s “nice” to see that some things don’t change.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Silman

Again: this famous chess writing authority says, “In my view, Tim’s article is the GREATEST article in the history of the magazine.”

But you call it trash.

Sincerely,

Timothy Taylor

Note that above I have also given the full text of Jeremy Silman’s article, which was heavily edited to avoid any criticism of Gerry Dullea, which makes me think he may be acting as editor (though in this mysterious world of Chess Life, nothing is clear!).

One should further note that I sent this rebuttal in the beginning of June, but it was never acknowledged nor published.

Now, before we get to the letters published in the July issue, a matter of policy. It has always been the policy of Chess Life, as it is of all reputable magazines, that if a reader writes in to criticize an article, the author is given a chance to respond. For example, Vanity Fair will have a reader’s letter, and then, ‘author responds’. I used to write for Chess Life regularly twenty years ago, and when one of my articles received a few negative comments, the editor at that time forwarded the letter they were going to publish, and asked me if I wanted to respond, which I did. This is not only basic courtesy, it is established journalistic practice.

Furthermore, in over thirty years of reading Chess Life, I have never seen violent personal attacks in the “letters” section. One may disagree, of course, but it has always been the editorial policy to publish only coherent, reasoned disagreements.

In this issue, I am called, “brain dead”; “repulsive” (twice!); “disgusting”; “embarrassment” and my favorite, a “creep!”

This is not journalism in any reputable sense, this is character assassination, pure and simple. Furthermore, I was not warned these letters would appear in Chess Life, and I was given no chance to respond – again, in absolute defiance of past Chess Life policy and standard magazine policy.

These letters, apparently picked for their virulence, give no reason for their attacks, except the canard about “saving the children.” As a father of three, including a ten year old, I can tell you that there is NOTHING in my article that is not common property of the children of America today. Young children listen to rap, read Harry Potter, watch reality TV, listen to talk radio, and in general are bombarded with sexualized images. It’s a tough job being a parent today, but the worst thing you can do as a parent is claim that none of these cultural influences exist. That said, the children who told me they read my article found the chess fascinating, but the romance boring (far tamer than anything they might see on Desperate Housewives!).

In short, I find the “save the children argument” to be specious, just a smoke screen for the writer’s conservative values – that is, the kind of conservative who as Mencken said, “Is terrified that someone, somewhere, is having fun!”

What is the attitude to my article in the chess world? I’m talking about real chess players who go to tournaments, many of whom know me personally as an active player for over thirty years.

I didn’t intend this, but the HB Global Challenge became a “scientific laboratory” for “reaction to my article”. I was surprised the first day I was there (I arrived a day early) that many people came up to me and told me how much they liked Part 1 of “My Hungarian Adventure”. After the tournament started, things just got better! I could not get into the hotel elevator without someone telling me how much they enjoyed my writing, how it was so different than the boring stuff that was usually in Chess Life, and how they couldn’t wait for part II!

Please note I received rave reviews from men and women alike, I would estimate at least three hundred people in all. I did not hear a single negative review.

When I came back to Los Angeles, the praise continued. I have also received many positive comments via email. From my personal experience of rank and file players, I would say the negative reaction to my article is a tiny, tiny fraction of chessplayers.

In general, chessplayers were appalled at the letters selection; here is a typical response from a female player to the personal attacks that appeared in July: “I read your article in Chess Life right now, and oh how those awful people bashed you! I thought your adventures sounded exciting as always.”

It is very clear that the general response of chessplayers to my article was highly favorable. My article was approved by two different Chess Life editors. My intent was to write something enjoyable, light hearted, and romantic, and I believe I succeeded. Neither my female friends, nor my girlfriend Tanichka were offended, in fact far from it – they enjoyed the article just as much as the men. After all, how often is there a bit of romance, and even a chaste kiss, in Chess Life? I would dare Amanda Gailey, who calls me a “misogynist” and a “creep” to tell that to Tanichka – I warn Ms. Gailey in advance that Tanichka is a tough Ukrainian woman who does not accept insults lightly, either to herself or to those she cares for.

Speaking of Tanichka, we are still in touch: our future is uncertain, as I have been unable to get back to Hungary for financial reasons, but what is certain is that we have fond memories of each other. She is a brave, feisty woman, and if I had ever showed a hint of misogyny or creepiness I’m sure she would have decked me at least! I do wonder what Ms. Gailey found so creepy? Was it the slow kiss? Horrors!!

To sum up, I am very proud of my article, and see nothing in it to apologize for. The people I care about most, Tanichka and Laszlo, liked the article very much. The chessplayers I see every month were unanimous in their enjoyment. My article scored a hit both personally and professionally.

For those who are offended, I say, “get a life and kiss somebody” – you’ll feel better!

Sincerely,

Timothy Taylor