Author: Roger
Date: 18:15:32 03/29/00
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I have commented the text of the letter below. "We have just a few comments about the unfortunate cancellation of the KasparovChess.com match between women's world chess champion Xie Jun of China and the top PC chess program in the world Deep Junior, and the more unfortunate letter from Xie Jun that filled these pages last week." --I don't see the letter as unfortunate, I see it as fortunate, because fortunately, I was able to get more than one perspective on a screwed up event. "We understand that it was a traumatic and frustrating experience for all involved and we again extend our apologies to Xie Jun and the staff that assisted her during the match. Mistakes both technical and organizational were made by KasparovChess before and during the event and we accept full responsibility for them." --Good so far. "Of more concern to us were Xie Jun's comments regarding us as an organization that cannot be trusted to fulfill obligations and that we insulted her on our website. We feel that no accusations were made against Xie Jun on our part at any time (the document she refers to is still present on the site), nor do we agree that her honor or sportsmanship were anywhere criticized by anyone on our staff or anywhere on the KasparovChess.com website." --Defending without counterattacking. This is a good rhetorical device in any delicate situation, because it supports one's own position on uncertain terrain, without risky any chance to appear vicious to the public. Nevertheless, Kasparov chess cannot be trusted to fulfill it's obligations. The text below admits exactly that: That "this paperwork was lost and this payment was not made." Kasparov chess did not come through with the money at the beginning, as this statement admits. Whether deliberate or not, the past being the best guide to the future, trust eroded and Xie naturally wanted everything up front. "As for fulfilling our obligations, the best we can do is provide the facts so the reader may make his or her own interpretation of how things were handled and what was, or was not, sporting. 1. Months prior to the event KasparovChess.com told Xie Jun that she would be paid 50% of her participation fee a month prior to the match as a guarantee. During the transfer of financial procedures from our Israeli office to our NY offices in January-February, this paperwork was lost and this payment was not made. This was obviously completely our fault and had Xie Jun refused to participate in the match as the event drew near we would have completed the payment of 50% regardless. --What is more interesting is the attitude of KasparovChess.com at the time that this actually happened. That attitude would determine how Xie appraised the situation and the probabilities that KasparovChess.com could be trusted. That attitude goes unmentioned. 2. With the match less than one week away, Xie Jun agreed to participate, but insisted that she receive in advance not only the full amount promised for her participation, but also the full amount of the winner's purse. --Sure. When the paperwork was fouled up, she knew that the only way to be sure she'd get her money if she won was to have it in her hand first. 3. Despite the irregularity of this request, in an attempt to avoid an embarrassing debacle it was granted and the money was transferred to the specified account and confirmation of the transfer faxed to Xie Jun and her representative prior to the start of the event. --You are expected to forget that the paperwork being fouled up was also highly irrelgular. What the irregularity of the request more irregular than what prompted it? This would be the question of interest where something like "proportional justice" is to be observed. "4. Without belaboring the various technical issues that arose on both sides during the match, we do feel that, perhaps due to the aforementioned complications, the spirit of cooperation during the match was all but nonexistent. This spirit is very much required in the world of internet chess, and without it the chances of a successful event are zero. Several requests by our technical personnel were consciously disregarded by the event staff in China, making it impossible to complete the event as scheduled. There were, as previously stated, technical problems on both sides, and it is now clear that for any event of this sort someone from our staff must be on location." --If you knew that the "spirit of cooperation" had been violated at the beginning because of differences about the money, and if you knew that [the spirit of cooperation] is very much required in the world of internet chess, then why would you go on, knowing there was a high probability of technical problems, and knowing the kind of trust that would be needed on both sides to bring the match to a just and joyful conclusion? "KasparovChess.com wishes to make it very clear that insult to GM Xie Jun was neither intended nor implied. We admire her forthrightness as well as her play, and both elements have made her universally respected in the chess world. After being so delighted about her participation in a KC event we are terribly disappointed to see things end this way. It is our sincere desire that this misunderstanding can be put behind us." "We lament the fact that KasparovChess.com has as yet been unable to reach a professional standard for our professional events, and we beg only patience as things are improving rapidly in this regard. Our successes so far outweigh our failures and we look forward to a bright future for professional online chess. Mig Greengard VP Content and Editor-in-Chief KasparovChess.com mig@kasparovchess.com --Defensive, but seeminly sincere
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