i have a question, curtains.

do you think the system of titles is a good thing for US chess? i'm not entirely convinced that calling oneself a "grandmaster" is good for self-promotion in this country. other individual sports, such as golf, tennis, poker, etc, have nothing like the title system in chess, and are much more popular.

every american knows who bobby fischer was, but even saying the phrase "grandmaster bobby fischer" sounds a little silly.

should abolishing, or ignoring, the titling system be seriously considered by the US chess community? does the titling system serve some essential purpose in chess that necessitates its existence, and if so, how do other individual sports get by without a similar system?

i've often thought about what i would do if someone gave me a buttload of money to promote US chess, and i'm convinced that the first thing i would do would be to make people stop calling themselves "grandmaster." am i wrong?

i would be interested to hear your opinion.

Titles are awarded by FIDE which is in short the world chess federation. How is US going to ignore stuff like that?

Plus I think the titles and ratings are great. Chess and golf are more or less uniquie because of how measureable your success is and how you can compete with yourself to improve (and measure it in a universal system) regardless of your current skill level.

Call a number. I will donate for a Day of Chess Videos.

probably about 500.

Gay penguins. Check this out:
http://www.amazon.com/Tango-Makes-Three-Peter-Parnell/dp/0689878451/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228254907&sr=8-1

In view of the economic situation in Iceland I have to start thinking smart so I am underbidding curtains, 50 chess videos in one day for $475. I'll start real solid and instructive, move on to bullet videos and as we approach the night I'll start drinking and act insane and trashtalk....DO IT DO IT

Good Luck

I will be willing to donate some money if we could rally everyone together like the curtains chocolate fund. It has to be clear that a lot of people are willing to participate though.

I think a full day of drunken viking chess videos may rival a day's worth of "babies don't matter" curtains videos...but that's just the party guy in me talking...OOOOhhh...I can match you drink for drink while I watch them and make a drinking game out of your drinking games! Hooray beer!!

Thats it! gay penguins, in knew there was a gap in the porn industry somewhere.

Im going to make millions off this.