DON SCHULTZ
April Chess Life:
I bring to the Board unique accomplishments, knowledge, experience and a love
of the game. Organized some of the highest quality championship tournaments ever
held in the U.S., 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 players.
May Chess Life:
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.
June Chess Life:
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"
Editor's comment: As described above, Don Schultz
is the most experienced of the Executive Board candidates and has contributed
many beneficial new ideas to American Chess through the years. He is also
notoriously independent and even though he has fairly often disagreed with me on
issues, I support his candidacy.