Sample of Accomplishments in Last 3 to 5 Years
Together with USCF VP Finance, Joel Channing organized a Retreat of leaders of major national chess organizations.
Together with Joel Channing, Susan Polgar and Paul Truong organized a world record breaking simultaneous Exhibition by Susan.
Organized the 2004 and ran US Senior Open Chess Championship
Represented the USCF on the campaign team of Bessel Kok in his attempt to unseat Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. While Bessel lost the election, the campaign led to the establishment of FIDE Global led by Bessel which is now responsible for commercial ventures of FIDE.
Established contact with TV dignitary Jeff Zahn and currently involved in planning a TV reality series on chess similar to what has happened in poker.
Performed duties of USCF VP and continued a very long string of never missing a Board meeting while a member of either the FIDE or USCF Executive Boards.
Obtained commitment, though never invoked from friend Dato Tan Chin Nam to lend USCF whatever money they needed during the financial crisis of 2003/04.
Conceived and established the “Gallery of Distinguished Chess Journalists,” a defacto Hall of Fame of American journalists. It has been extremely well received by the US journalist community. Plaques of inductees are on display at the Marshall Chess Club in NY and the Mechanics Institute Chess Club in San Francisco.
2006 Chess Retreat
Frank Brady Endorsement Letter
To: USCF Members
I write to you as a former Board member of USCF, a FIDE International Arbiter, and the founding editor of Chess Life magazine. The subject is Don Schultz, who is running this year for re-election to the Board.
I have known Don Schultz since we were both children, and in all of these many years I have never known anyone more dedicated to chess than Don. His credits in service of USCF, FIDE and chess in general, are so extensive that they could not be elaborated upon in the confines of a single letter. A few highlights might include his being former President of USCF, a current and long-time member of the General Assembly of FIDE (who serves on many international committees), and an organizer of many international and national tournaments.
Don devotes his fulltime activities to chess organization, and I know personally that it is not uncommon for him to work 16 to 18 hours a day in service of the USCF, year in and year out. Although he is very much his own man in voting for what he feels is the right thing to do for USCF, he is, above all, a great mediator and conciliator, and is able to work, often with compromise, within the many different factions of USCF that arise. He also seems to come up with new ideas for USCF every minute, and they are exciting, practical and cogent ideas. Everyone in the chess world speaks highly of his imagination, his hard work, his many accomplishments.
Aside from his organizational abilities, Don is one of the most cordial people in chess. He has had to dinner at his home more world champions, international grandmasters, and just plain woodpushers than any other chessplayer in the United States. He is thoroughly connected with virtually everyone in chess.
Don Schultz is quite simply the most successful and enduring chess organizer in the history of this country. Without question, he deserves to be re-elected. Not to do so would be a disservice to USCF.
When your ballot comes in Chess Life,
Please vote for the future of chess
Vote for Don Schultz!
Sincerely,
Dr. Frank Brady
Top Ten Memorable Moments in Chess
(in no particular order)
GM Gabriel Schwartzman and parents move to Florida. I had met Gabriel at the 1998 Olympiad in Greece and invited him to come to Florida and play a match with Arnold Denker. They came, stayed at our home and fell in love with our country. I was one of several who helped arrange his move to Gainesville, Florida.
Serving on Bobby Fischer’s official team during his historic Reykjavik World Championship battle with Boris Spassky.
Receiving applause from the African countries after I gave a chess speech during a FIDE general assembly regarding the investment of FIDE’s Permanent Fund money into companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. I stressed the tone of the Fund Administrator’s words. The audience picked up on that and said: “Yes, it is his tone.”
Defeating former NY State Champion August Rankis in an early 1960 NY State Championship game. He was, I believe 2400+ rating and the highest rated USCF player I ever beat.
Every aspect of the 1990 World Youth Chess festival that I organized in Wisconsin in 1990. Arguably the best ever World Youth Festival and the highlight of my contributions to chess. A film titled “Chess Kids” made from significant parts of it was aired on prime time TV.
Giving former USCF Board Member and FIDE Delegate Fan Adam’s eulogy to family and friends.
Playing against GM Arnold Denker in his final two games. I knew Arnold for years but had never played a game of chess with him. I always felt I would be insulting him to ask as I simply was not in his league. In visiting Arnold, only weeks before he died, Arnold’s son Mitchell asked me to play a game against him. Tim Redman was there and played as my partner. Arnold was virtually on his death bed yet he split those two games with us wining the first and losing the second.
In 1993 I organized a tour of the USA by the best ten young players of Israel. Matches against US area teams took place in Washington DC, Fondu du Lac, Tucson, Bakersfield, NYC and Rochester (NY). One problem, the Israeli children were crushing the US teams. The last stop was NY. I made a panic call to Allen Kaufman and told him this was an embarrassment. I asked that he get very best young players on the NY team. NY overwhelmed Israel winning the first round 9 to 1 and the second round 7 to 3!
Scoring 9 wins and 2 draws in the 1982 Paris Open.There was a concurrent closed section where the top 40 players participated. Nevertheless, it was the best chess I ever played!
Completing my book CHESSDON after two years of intense work!
June Chess Life Statement
Dear USCF Voting Member:
Here is what I bring to the table:
A Goal for Success: The USCF must excel in every activity it engages, listen to its members, adapt to new environments and represent the USA to the world chess community with dignity, understanding and compassion.
Experience: 40 years of volunteer experience covering the entire spectrum of USCF activities.
Openness: I was the catalyst that opened up the BINFOS (non-confidential Board correspondence) to interested members. I will insist that confidentiality is reserved for personnel, legal and in-process business negotiations.
Newsstand Sales: Will encourage initiatives of the Executive Director and editors to expand newsstand sales of Chess Life and Chess for Kids.
Independence: No you scratch my back, I scratch yours; no team commitments; no chess income; I have full independence to act solely in the best interests of the USCF, the organization I love.
Micro-managing: Power of the Executive Director position has been eroding. It’s time to reverse the trend and end Board micro-management.
Scholastic and Youth Chess: I’ve given simuls at schools, organized Junior tournaments, and ran a chess school for children. In 1998 I received an award from the North Broward School in recognition of my contributions to scholastic chess. Take a look at page 34 of the January 2007 issue of Chess Life; you will see a picture of our World Youth Team sporting USA jackets. The jackets were due to my initiative.
Internet: USCF is behind, it is short on investment capital. The way to establish leadership is through non–exclusive partnerships.
Recognition: I started: the Volunteer of the Month” program, the “Gallery of Distinguished Chess Journalists” and the “Cramer Awards for Excellence in Chess Journalism.” I will continue to find ways to honor deserving chess volunteers and professionals.
Professional Players Health Fund: I support the new committee chair Fred Gruenberg in efforts to greatly improve everything about this little known service.
Affiliates: We need to work closer with them in developing and implementing mutually beneficial projects.
Amateur Team: In 1993, I obtained sponsorship for a single-location Amateur Team playoff among regional champions. My goal is to obtain long-term single-location sponsorship for future years.
TV Serial: I am helping develop a TV show for chess. Commitments from various celebrities to participate are there. Industry interest is there. The impact of a successful weekly chess show will be huge!
Innovator: At the 1996 NY Chess-in-the-Schools Invitational, in order to discourage the “Grandmaster Draw,” I split the prize fund, 50-50 between order of finish and games won. It worked: The number of drawn games was reduced and each game was fought to an exciting conclusion.
Motherhood: You won’t see me wasting your time and mine with statements favoring motherhood positions. I will confront the controversial, listen to both sides, decide what to do and announce to you my constituency what I will do and why?
“Yes, the best is yet to come! Together, we will make it so”
Sincerely,
Don Schultz
The USCF ain’t all that bad!
Those campaigning on the theme that our USCF leaders are little guys who are not up to managing a large national entity such as the USCF, are running for the Board based on a flawed premise. The truth is USCF not only has had its fair share of highly successful leaders on its Board e.g. CEO’s of medium to the very large corporations, a Fulbright scholar, a world renowned Ethicist, several Military Captains, a Colonel, College Professors, Authors, Lawyers and Government Officials. USCF also has its thousand points of light (dedicated hard working volunteers). The USCF is a major contributor to the development of world chess. I, for one, am proud of our federation. Take a look at chess in our country versus the rest of the world and you will see what I mean.
For example, I recently played in our Amateur Team East – What a great event! I doubt there is a tournament like it any where in the world. My hat goes off to Steve Doyle and the other organizers who year after year organize that marvelous tournament.
Have you ever been to one of our national scholastic tournaments? So many teams competing, dedicated coaches. I know of no comparable tournaments anywhere in the world. Our scholastic leaders who organize these events are doing a terrific job.
Go to any Olympiad and you will marvel at the comraderie among our teammates. I remember a statement by GM Gata Kamsky immediately after the US team in Calvia won the Bronze Olympiad medal: “I’m proud to be a member of the US team!” Kamsky said.
We have fair elections. They aren’t so fair in many other federations where bribes and cheating are the rule and not the exception.
Our TDs are definitely among the best in the world.
The world rating system, where did it come from? The USCF of course.
We have a Profession Player health and benefit fund where we contribute to the medical expenses of needy professional players up to a $10,000 per individual. I know of no other national federation providing such a service.
Go down to Miami sometime and visit the Sid Samole Museum and the US and World Hall of Fame. It is, unmatched anywhere in the world.
USCF has volunteers all across the country running tournaments recruiting and generally doing all they can to help. They are our thousand points of light and the reasons why we can always say: “The best is yet to come!
I have visited federation headquarters on all continents and attended more FIDE Congresses than most, perhaps any American. I have traveled the world, lived in Europe ten years and played in their chess leagues and chess clubs. Without a doubt, I wouldn’t trade chess federations with any of them.
In closing, I will say that this election is not status quo versus change. It is about openness, listening to the critics and working together to adapt to a changing world.
Don Schultz
My Vision Statement
“An organization that fulfills its mission at a high level of excellence in each and every activity it engages. It listens to it members, quickly adapts to new environments and represents the USA to the world chess community with dignity, understanding and compassion. I place these same demands on myself as a Board Member.”
My April Chess Life Statement
I bring to the Executive Board unique accomplishments, knowledge, experience and a love of the game. Organized some of the highest quality championship tournaments ever held in the US, a chess league, ran a chess club in the basement of my home, together with GM Yasser Seirawan started a children’s chess school, editor for an award winning state magazine, arranged simultaneous exhibitions and wrote two highly acclaimed chess books. President of four state associations, in each case, I left behind a vibrant state chess federation, good will and ongoing activities. Gave simuls to children and took on administrative duties of assisting Bobby Fischer in his winning the world championship from Boris Spassky in Iceland. Along the way became a chess expert, served on the Executive Council of FIDE for eight years and the USCF Board ten years. I am currently pursuing a TV Reality show featuring celebrity chess player.
My May Chess Life Statement
Personal:
After 30 years with IBM as an engineer and product manager, half a dozen moves, and various management assignments in four states plus ten years overseas split between Brussels and Paris, I concluded my successful business career and achieved my goal of retiring at the age of 51.
This October, Teresa and I will be celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary. We have three daughters and nine grandchildren. Teresa has always been supportive of my chess work. In fact, in 2004 she won the award, “chess mate of the year”. While no official records are kept, I am quite certain, Teresa has cooked more meals for chess people than anyone!
Now for a little bit about chess and me and some of my accomplishments.
Tournaments:
In the late 1950s, I began organizing tournaments and emphasized, from the beginning, high quality and an innovative approach to an event. Bobby Fischer played in the 1963 NY Open at the IBM Country Club in Poughkeepsie, NY, and later told me, “the conditions compared favorably with the best European Invitational tournaments!”
The 1990 World Youth Championships held in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin set new, high levels of excellence for this international youth event. Lazlo Polgar, there with his daughter Judith, complimented me on conducting a first-class event.
I obtained sponsorship and organized the 1993 Amateur Team Playoffs at the Baltimore Yacht Club. This was the only time the four regional champion teams had a decisive face-to-face playoff. Having future Amateur Team finals in one location is a major goal of mine.
At the 1996 NY Invitational (one of the strongest invitationals ever held in the US), I created a more competitive spirit by splitting the prize fund with fifty percent distributed according to the order of finish and fifty percent spread equally for each game won. It worked! There were fewer draws than normal and all games were hard fought to the end.
I introduced the concept of the Championship ring at the 1994 US Championships (Key West, Florida).
At the 2004 US Senior Open held in Boca Raton, Florida, I created national Champions for ages: 60 to 64, 65 to 69, 70 to 74 and over 75. What a wonderful honor for lifetime players to become national champions.
Scholastic Chess
In 1995, I won a special recognition award from the North Broward School for my support of scholastic chess.
I have given simuls at chess schools, ran tournaments for the young including the US Junior Open, and with GM Yasser Seirawan ran an International chess school.
Take a look at page 34 of the January Chess Life to see the photo of our youth team sporting team jackets showing they represent the USA. The jackets were my idea, followed by my Board motion to purchase them. I firmly believe that our youth, when representing our country in international competition, are ambassadors of our country, and as such should conduct themselves accordingly and take pride in what they have achieved.
