Breaking the Silence

@SixtySecondsOfHell You are sitting here arguing over the importance of a fundamental American principle (innocent until proven guilty) with someone from Bangladesh. What is the point?

It's sad that Lichess is taking the stance that it did in the article, but it's not surprising given that there are users on this platform from countries all over the world, most of which don't give their citizens the protections that we take for granted.

@ClappingQueens said in #811:
> @SixtySecondsOfHell You are sitting here arguing over the importance of a fundamental American principle (innocent until proven guilty) with someone from Bangladesh. What is the point?
>
> It's sad that Lichess is taking the stance that it did in the article, but it's not surprising given that there are users on this platform from countries all over the world, most of which don't give their citizens the protections that we take for granted.

He is presumed innocent until tried. This is a more informal process and he can file civil lawsuits if he beleives he's been wrongfully accused.

My post was about the changes I'd like to see to OTB chess to make it safer for women.

I very much welcome your decision. But then you should not have supported the last World Chess Championship and you should not support the next World Chess Championship either. The last World Chess Championship was between a Russian and a Chinese. And the next World Championship will have at least one Chinese participant. China is committing human rights violations on a massive scale by massively oppressing the Tibetans and the Uyghurs. And I don't even need to talk about Russia. Russia is currently waging a war of aggression against Ukraine. So, if you don't support the Saint Louis Chess Club anymore, you can't support a world championship, for example, if a Russian or a Chinese player takes part in it. Anything else would be double standards.

It took me awhile to figure out that playing chess online was suddenly not safe and lichess is now not subject to lible or slander suits and basically qualified to ban everything and everyone based on allegations and opinions because, you know...‘Mercia.

@sgtlaugh I think my analogy went a bit over your head. Let me elaborate:

1. It's not a "simple garbage question" as you said. The guy has done nothing but mock presumption of innocence in this entire thread. If he is going to do that then he should apply to himself the same principle and resign as soon as he is accused of any sexual misconduct by anybody.

2. Funny enough the question itself is a straw man and a red herring, exactly what you accused me of. NOBODY here said he should keep teaching girls. We all want to see him formally investigated.

3. Regarding anonymity - fine. In that case I shall give 5 random homeless women a warm meal if they come out and tweet that he's assaulted them.

4. What is this "convincing evidence" you mentioned? I have yet to see it in the article? Allegations are not evidence, I think we've established that.

@SixtySecondsOfHell said in #810:
> I can certainly know I wouldn't want any teenage duaghter of mine playing OTB, not just due to the privacy and predator risks, but the last thing I'd want for her is to have to stare across the board at some socially-awkward, unattractive male (of any age) that she would never otherwise go near, but now has to engage in a shared activity with for several hours, at a hotel away from home, in a tournament where she might have been preentered, where her full name and age is known from the top 100 lists. With that said, if she agreed to train to be a chess champion, she would endure this, but why bother if she can just marry a champion or have a child who becomes one and fit that much more neatly into her lifestyle?
>
> Regina Fischer certainly did as much for chess as any champion.

and now I spend my morning wondering if that guy should make me laugh or cry.

@M0r1 said in #816:
> and now I spend my morning wondering if that guy should make me laugh or cry.

I take the issue very seriously, and have played OTB since I was twenty so I am speaking from firsthand experience.

Some people just don't like each other, and when they're opposite genders and one is stereotypically attractive, problems will ensue. It doesn't even have to be about sex. USCF Rule 20G exists for a reason.

Fischer played in Havana by cable. Maybe an accused player should have to play from a penalty box or something but it does show that these chess platforms are entertainment businesses like the NFL. The accused can still play chess, just not here and maybe not some other places. I doubt FIDE would ban them from the online server.

Boris Gulko went through far worse.

Yeahhh, my comment was to your suggestion that rather than becoming chess masters themselves women should marry a chess master or give birth to a chess master if they are enthusiastic about chess. Ya know, cause that fits “much more neatly into [their] life style”

I think I’ll opt for crying.

@M0r1 said in #818:
> Yeahhh, my comment was to your suggestion that rather than becoming chess masters themselves women should marry a chess master or give birth to a chess master if they are enthusiastic about chess. Ya know, cause that fits “much more neatly into [their] life style”
>
> I think I’ll opt for crying.

Except I didn't say that. I said women have that as an option and many prefer that to enduring the chess world themselves.

Forcing women into highly personal settings with a history of sexual harassment is never going to be an easy sell.

If you don't like what I write I dont' really care btw.

@M0r1 said in #818:
> Yeahhh, my comment was to your suggestion that rather than becoming chess masters themselves women should marry a chess master or give birth to a chess master if they are enthusiastic about chess. Ya know, cause that fits “much more neatly into [their] life style”
>
> I think I’ll opt for crying.

Thanks for addressing this point. Honestly, I have run out of ideas as to how to deal with this poster's attitude. He is trying to dress it up as concern for the women but really I think he thinks it would just be easier if the women and girls go away out of the OTB scene (ref comment above) and then the problematic men at these tournaments can just carry on as before with no need to change their ways. Problem solved. Pass the tissues...