What are the priority actions of this first year of presidency? and objectives of your mandate?
My personal priorities, of course, must respect those set by the last Congress - that's why the President and all elected and / or appointed ICCF officers are here for.
Besides the implementation of the ICCF webserver which is, undoubtedly, the most vital task for the year 2004, the Executive Board should prepare and present to Congress in Mumbai a new ICCF Statutes, make a fundamental review of the ICCF Postal and Email Playing Rules and complete this set by the Webserver Playing Rules. Finally, a new structure of ICCF tournaments, comprising also webserver tournaments, should be drafted and presented to Congress. The respective ICCF Commissions started their work on these very important tasks long ago.
Speaking about the achievements reached so far, we managed to appoint the Editor-in-chief of the ICCF online web magazine ICCF AMICI and expect to see the first issue in April. On the other hand, we have been unsuccessful in finding out and appointing the ICCF Marketing and Public Relations Commissioner. By the way, what about a candidate from France?
The number of members of several national federations have been constantly decreasing for years. This phenomenon will also have consequences for the ICCF. Is there a plan aiming at limiting this decrease and reversing the tendency?
Allow me to start by a paraphrase of the known bonmot by the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy and address it not only to AJEC, but also to all other ICCF member federations :
"Don't ask what ICCF can do for you: ask what you can do for ICCF."
Indeed, the first question must be: what are the reasons that players leave national federations or that they don't join them?
Possible answers:
- They were annoyed by correspondence chess and decided to stop playing it forever. I am afraid that there is no remedy against that, particularly when this decision was based upon the development of the chess engines.
- They prefer to play by email for free by IECG, IECC or other competitors of ICCF, as the zero cost is their main priority. Most of them are either newcomers to correspondence chess or those who are not too interested in gaining rating points and international titles and play mainly for fun. Here, I second Nol's opinion that ICCF should not shatter its forces and in future, it should focus on other "market segments", particularly on the top tournaments as World Championships and Olympiads. In my opinion, ICCF can hardly persuade this group of players to pay, say, start fees for ICCF Open Class tournaments if they can get the same level of play in other free tournaments.
- However, there are players who leave national federations as they are not comfortable of the services offered to them for their yearly contributions. At the same time, however, they still are interested in the ICCF tournaments and want to play in them - either under the "flag" of another national federation, or using a direct entry possibility. The existence of such players is a big challenge for their mother national federations. They should ask themselves whether their services offered to players are satisfactory. Of course, there may be various reasons why a player and his national federation don't "like" each other.
What would you like to say to french players and what do you think about AJEC?
Personally, I only have the best experience with French CC players, even more, I stroke up personal friendships with many of them. My first French opponent ever, Bernard Baroin, arranged the accommodation for me and my wife in his brother's house in Saint-Denis during my visit in Paris in 1989. Then, I played two games with Michel Aymard in the friendly match Czech Republic-France in early nineties. Our games were finished long ago, however, during our play we realised that we both were philatelists, and we have been exchanging stamps since then. In the Harry Ahman Memorial, I met Alain Rogemont who proposed me a rendez-vous in Paris, and some years ago, we spent a very pleasant day there with him and his wife.
During my relative short time of ICCF presidency, I have just realised that AJEC belongs to the most active ICCF member federations, with strong top players who have participated in World Championships Finals - I remember Michel Lecroq playing in Final 17, Patrick Spitz in Final 18, and Christophe Leotard qualifying for the Final of the 1st Email Chess World Championship, sponsored by NIC. The French team still has a chance to qualify for the Final of the 13th Olympiad and plays in the Final of the 14th Olympiad. No doubt that there are some other excellent French achievements that I did not mention.
AJEC has not only strong players, but also good ICCF officers. Since Ostrava Congress, you represent AJEC in the new ICCF Management Committee as Qualifications Commissioner, with another Frenchman, Frank Geider as your deputy. Pierre Ruiz Vidal belongs to the new editorial team which prepares for us the ICCF AMICI online magazine.
It may seem as a diplomatic compliment, but just now, I am looking forward to the Congress 2007 that AJEC will organise for ICCF!(¹)
It seems to me that you like coming to Paris. Can you tell us a few words about it?
Absolutely ! Among all European capitals (except Prague), Paris is the town that I visited the most frequently. My first touch with this beautiful town was in 1980 as I waited there for my flight connection to Buenos Aires. Just a half a day spent in Paris persuaded me that I definitely would have to come again and stay longer. However, I was forced to wait 9 more years for my next visit in the hot summer of 1989, this time together with my wife.
Since 1990, I have visited Paris more than 10 times. In the last five years, I went there every spring to "recharge my batteries", always after the hectic first months of the year in my job. I feel that I can breathe easier when walking along Seine, and looking down from the staircase of the Sacre Coeur, I always promise to come back next year again. To me, Paris is the only city with a "spirit".
When my work is over and I retire, I would like to move to Paris and to spend last years of my life there - but I am afraid that this dream of mine never comes true.
I enjoyed playing a game with you in the ICCF Officials 50th Jubilee Tournament (GM-B). I know this game must be a little bitter to you. Can you tell us more?
Oh my dear Eric - why do you ask me a question which you could reply yourself easier ? Indeed, how to remain polite and at the same time, express my disappointment that I was unable to beat you in our game and only reached a draw which eventually cost me my first GM norm? However, I see that you still have a good chance to win our GM-B section, so good luck to you - should I lose my chance against the winner of the tournament, then my cross would be easier to carry!
I warmly thank Josef for the time he took for this interview and I'll be delghted to welcome him for his next visit in France!
Here are two games played during this tournament and analyzed by Josef.
(¹) : No firm decision has been taken for the moment concerning this point ; it will be discussed by AJEC's Board (AJEC president's note)
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