Arrest in USCF Dispute

The New York Times reports ("U.S. Chess Federation Lawsuit Becomes Criminal Issue") that Susan Polgar's assistant, Gregory Alexander, was arrested and arraigned for alleged "computer fraud and aggravated identity theft" in stealing email messages between attorney and client in one of the USCF lawsuits. The stolen emails are just one of many apparent internet misdoings alleged in the various USCF lawsuits, which include the proven allegation that people working for or associated with Polgar posed as Sam Sloan to make obscene forum postings (often referred to as "the fake Sam Sloan posts"). Ironically, the real Sam Sloan personally witnessed Alexander's arrest on Thursday afternoon in the U.S. Court House in San Francisco (where they were both attending a mediation hearing), as he reports online: "Gregory Alexander called out to me 'Mr. Sloan' as the handcuffs were being put on. I am not exactly a friend of his but I suppose that he wanted to notify somebody, anybody, before he disappeared into NeverNever Land."

Will other arrests follow? Does the chess public really care anymore? Personally I am waiting for the matter to be resolved and hope someone finds an interesting way to use the case to illustrate problems of the internet and the law. At least then something good might come out of this mess.

Sloan vs. Truong, et al.

Sam Sloan's lawsuit (mentioned here last month) has received its first reply with the preliminary to a motion to dismiss filed by Proskauer Rose LLP on behalf of Truong et al. Other than the failure in parallel construction at the end of the first paragraph, it looks like a pretty solid argument from the defense.

Sloan vs. Truong / Polgar

I have not wanted to discuss this case, but it has become so newsworthy that it would be wrong not to mention it, especially as it will likely cast a pall over the US chess scene for some time to come. As you have probably already heard, Sam Sloan has filed suit against Paul Truong, Susan Polgar, and the USCF, seeking to void the recent election, reinstate his own position on the board, and hold new elections due to election fraud. That fraud amounts to the Trulgar camp making a number of misrepresentations, including: posing as Sloan and others on the internet to post highly defamatory statements about Sloan and other candidates and concealing the marriage of Truong and Polgar from the electorate (both of which appear pretty much proven). You can read the lengthy, sometimes rambling, and artfully written filing online (also available from Sloan's website). It is worth reading for some of the interesting facts, opinions, and speculations it reveals. Some may wish to balance that by also reading Bill Goichberg's assessment of Sam Sloan and his character.

Dylan Loeb McClain has done an excellent job of covering the story for The New York Times and in his Gambit weblog:

• Chess Group Officials Accused of Using Internet to Hurt Rivals
• Interview with the USCF President
• The Lawsuit Against Polgar and Truong, et. al.
• The Lawsuit Against Polgar and Truong, A Closer Look

Other worthwhile commentary and coverage around the net includes:

• Slime Spillover by Mig Greengard at The Daily Dirt (with extensive commentary)
• Let no one say I threw the first rock by DG at the BCC Weblog
• Polgar / Truong Caught Redhanded by Braden Bournival