I ask people to reject violence and words that harm, and turn to words that heal~Barrack Obama Chess is a game that has some of the most violent words in its lingo... its enthusiasts seem always to think and talk in terms of Attack and Defense...While this contributes to the passion and beauty of the game when limited to activities over the board it offends and harms when extended beyond the confines of the 64 squares...There has been an ongoing vigorous,perhaps vicious, debate on this forum regarding the rights (or lack of it ) of fellow chess players to participate in competitive activities locally or internationally... Where as the sticking point is certainly debatable the manner in which it continues to be prosecuted is not healthy... sentiments that are not acceptable even to stray dogs are getting hurled a little too frequently at fellow chess players on the opposite sides of the argument....Ladies and gentlemen, such un-sanitized manners in speech and conduct is apt to bring the noble game of kings into disrepute...Decorum,friends, decorum is the garb that each lover of the game must wear... articulate your issues with tolerance,restraint,sobriety, wisdom and humour... otherwise you soil your reputation and sully the good name of the game for the rest of us and the up and coming juniors. On the issue of whether some of our fellow players should not have rights to bring glory to our country I dare say (and this is my considered opinion ) it is manifestly unjust....when children are the victims of such discrimination it becomes an evil that a lady or a gentleman will not want to identify with...there may be laws that defend such but they cannot outweigh common sense and good sense.... for me its enough that one is a resident (not some denizen of Afghanistan flying to Turkey to represent Kenya in the Olympiad... but one who lives in Kenya,studies in Kenya, works in Kenya,plays chess in Kenya should be allowed to contribute to the international glory of Kenya... because not all of us can represent Kenya at any given time I suggest that strength on the board should be the guiding principle. A further point of consideration,one which may not be popular with those who have benefited from the current system ,is whether Kenya must always be represented by the same fellows year in year out. Im aware they are the ones who win the elimination matches every time but is it not time to offer number 5,6,7,8,9 a chance to experience the Olympiad when numbers 1,2,3,4 have been there 2,3,4 times with nothing to show for it? Is it only the top players who can benefit from the Olympiad experience? Should the others also be allowed to enjoy this experience and spread the word to the rest? I invite you to calmly consider these questions.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 12:07:23 +0000
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