The Chess Tournament that did not happen
April, 2009
The scandal of the 2nd Barcza Memorial Tournament stirs up the world of chess. The chess tournament, expected to take place on April 6-17 in Budapest, Hungary was canceled after just one round due to the organizer's refusal to pay the hotel's expenses, sending home, empty handed, international masters who paid the €600 entry fee and Indian grandmaster Geetha Narayanan Gopal who has made the long, expensive travel especially for the event. The chess players who planned to take part at the Barcza Memorial Tournament are unanimously blaming the organizer, Gabor Pali, for the fiasco. According to two disgruntled participants' witnesses, Mr. Pali (a Hungarian chess macher, whose Facebook profile shows off friendships with Alexandra Kosteniuk and Susan Polgar among others) did not make the hotel reservation at all, and made additional suspicious management decisions including making invitations in short notice. Despite Mr. Pali prior unreliable reputation, the chess players planned to play the 2nd Barcza Memorial Tournament, trusting their experience in his previously organized chess tournaments, which went "smoothly" and "okay", despite their constant pleading for recovery of expenses. The Hungarian Chess Federation has presented a stiffer attitude towards the man and his operation, renouncing itself from the event and ordering to take a "full-scale investigation of the situation", which might include the police involvement, if necessary. In the meantime, the HCF announced forbidding from taking part in any chess activity in Hungary. The Barcza Memorial Tournament, named after Gedeon Barcza, a Hungarian chess grandmaster who won eight national chess championships and represented his country in seven Chess Olympiads. Gedeon Barcza, who died in 1986 aged 75, also has a chess opening named after him - the Barcza System with the following moves: 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3.
The scandal of the 2nd Barcza Memorial Tournament stirs up the world of chess. The chess tournament, expected to take place on April 6-17 in Budapest, Hungary was canceled after just one round due to the organizer's refusal to pay the hotel's expenses, sending home, empty handed, international masters who paid the €600 entry fee and Indian grandmaster Geetha Narayanan Gopal who has made the long, expensive travel especially for the event. The chess players who planned to take part at the Barcza Memorial Tournament are unanimously blaming the organizer, Gabor Pali, for the fiasco. According to two disgruntled participants' witnesses, Mr. Pali (a Hungarian chess macher, whose Facebook profile shows off friendships with Alexandra Kosteniuk and Susan Polgar among others) did not make the hotel reservation at all, and made additional suspicious management decisions including making invitations in short notice. Despite Mr. Pali prior unreliable reputation, the chess players planned to play the 2nd Barcza Memorial Tournament, trusting their experience in his previously organized chess tournaments, which went "smoothly" and "okay", despite their constant pleading for recovery of expenses. The Hungarian Chess Federation has presented a stiffer attitude towards the man and his operation, renouncing itself from the event and ordering to take a "full-scale investigation of the situation", which might include the police involvement, if necessary. In the meantime, the HCF announced forbidding from taking part in any chess activity in Hungary. The Barcza Memorial Tournament, named after Gedeon Barcza, a Hungarian chess grandmaster who won eight national chess championships and represented his country in seven Chess Olympiads. Gedeon Barcza, who died in 1986 aged 75, also has a chess opening named after him - the Barcza System with the following moves: 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3.