I have found that in my time in chess, Bill Goichberg is a very controversial figure. People either seem to really like or dislike him, there is very little middle ground. This post is not to pass judgement either way, rather to bring up some questions.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have worked for Bill as a TD before.
To some people the title of this post will appear silly. The CCA runs the Chicago Open, and the Midwest Class, the two largest and most successful tournaments in the area. It brings prestige, strong players, opportunities for area players, into the Chicago area. These are all positive things. After all, without these events, where else would tournament players go?
The CCA does take in roughly 50% of the adult entry fees for tournaments in the Chicago area in a given year. Does it give anything back to the chess community though? Is there any responsibility to give back to the Chicago chess community? Obviously a more vibrant area for players would benefit the CCA in turn bringing more players into their tournaments.
To best understand why this is even an issue, one must know a little bit about the Chicago tournament scene pre-Goichberg. In the 80's and early 90's Chicago in addition to having perhaps the highest concentration of NTDs, also had perhaps the best base of tournament organizers in Helen Warren, Fred Gruenberg, Al Losoff, Richard Verber, and the Oak Park Forest Park Chess Club. Helen ran the Midwest Masters every memorial day weekend, Fred, Al, and Verber focused on the larger swisses. The OPFP club had the Master Challenge as their signature event. The local organizers didn't always get along, but the profits from those events were put back into the community in the form of GM appearances, free scholastic clinics, and even free and low cost local swiss events.
In a very short time, Losoff moved away, the OPFP club folded, Gruenberg and Warren stopped running events. With no local organizing talent to take over, Goichberg came in and filled the vacuum. It is unclear whether or not there would be any local organizers that could or would step in today if the CCA pulled out.
It would be nice to see the CCA give a little back to this area, though should they be obliged to?
Glenn
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7 comments:
A very well done and thought proviking post!
That's a tough one to answer. I think it's problem that can't be pinned on CCA, or is unique to Chicago. Many old time organizers and TDs have either stopped doing it, ot have scaled back. The question is, Are there young new organizers and TDs to take the baton and continue running particular events in various localities?
Things have changed a lot since the 70s when people like Verber and Warren were running lots of events. It seems to be a lot harder to find reasonably priced playing space, and room rates. Unless one has the time and energy to research this stuff it becomes easier to just allow a professional organizer like Goichberg to have the prime dates for tournaments.
I'm sure there is reluctance on some aspiring organizer to put a lot of time and effort into promoting a new event. There is so much BS in the chess world when it comes to USCF politics. Who knows how USCF will weather the latest storm.
Should CCA give something back to the various communities where their tournaments are held? Dunno. Before answering that question I'd have to ask, exactly what could they give back? It's not like the CCA is a large corporation.
Size wise it's really a mom & pop shop. Mom and pop being Brenda and Bill Goichberg. The man power to run the tournaments come from the various TDs that they hire. People like you and me.
Could they give financial support to a fledgling organizer in the communities they come to? Should they be obligated to do so? It's true the big tournaments make money for them, but some of the not so large tournaments are break even or money losers.
I'll be interested in hearing other's take on this subject.
Polly,
I definitely agree with much of what you said. Here in IL, the ICA is virtually broke, and does not have the means to really support programs to benefit the chess community. It would be nice to see the ICA budget for helping costs if we get a US Chess league team, support the Warren Program which helps develop top junior players, provide scholastic clinics and bring back the IL chess tour for adults. As is, the ICA can't afford to even print its magazine. The ICA used to get a fair amount of money from the local organizers like Warren and Gruenberg. I wouldn't expect that Bill would help a fledgling organizer that he may see as a competitor. Nor should he have to.
Now Bill works really hard, and is very good at what he does. I have no problems with organizers making profits as you never know when your next disastrous turnout is lurking.
What could they give back? That is a good question. Without seeing the books, I would guesstimate that they likely make about 50K per year total from their two Chicago events. 5% of that would greatly benefit the community here. But that is an unfair argument to make. It is real easy for me to give away someone elses money.
At one time, Bill Goichberg was the best thing in American chess.
It is very hard to make that case now, IMO.
It seems like a reasonable view that free enterprise is one of the things that makes the US great. Bill G offers the tournaments he offers and players have a choice of whether to play or not. As far as I know he's not forcing anyone to play in his events.
If anyone out there is upset that Bill G is making a profit, I would submit that it is reasonable and good for him to do so. If Bill G offers a product that the consumers want at a price that allows Bill G to make a profit, then it seems to me that this is a "win-win" situation.
If there are those who think that Bill G should return some of his profit to Chicago Chess and they believe he is remiss for not doing this, then I'm sure he would only encourage anyone to get out there and organize their own events of the same or better quality to what Bill G offers with the same or better prizes and then to either offer all this for a lower entry fee or return a part of the profit to Chicago Chess.
glennpan,
May you be praised!
You are the coolest and best!
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