Yesterday I got a surprise package in the mail from the US Chess Federation.
As I wrote in this entry, the USCF recently changed its rules for awarding the title of Life Master, and also Life Everything Else (Candidate Master, First Category, Second Category, etc.) Under the new rules, I qualify for the title of Life Master.
Last weekend I was looking at Michael Aigner’s web page and noticed that he has posted a copy of his USCF Life Master certificate. That aroused my curiosity, and I sent an e-mail to the USCF website inquiring whether they planned to send out certificates to people, like me, who had qualified for the Life Master title retroactively under the new rules.
I received an e-mail the next day saying that they would look into it. One person said that he didn’t think so, and another said, “You are the first to ask.” I didn’t pursue the matter any more, and figured that the subject was closed. Then, on Friday, the package arrived with this inside:
Hooray! Now I’m not only “certifiable,” I’m certified!
A few random comments … The border of the certificate is actually silver, but because it is so reflective it comes out looking black in the above scan. Sorry.
Even though the certificate was obviously mailed on Monday (November 15, 2010) the certificate is backdated to October 25, 2009. That is when I achieved my fifth Life Master norm, at last year’s Western States Open in Reno.
Finally, the wording on the certificate is worthy of some comment. It says, “Dana N. Mackenzie has earned the official title of Life Master under the USCF norm system.” That is different from Michael Aigner’s certificate, which says simply, “Michael Aigner has achieved the official title of Life Master.”
One wonders why they found it necessary to insert the extra line of explanation. Because the norm system is still so new and unfamiliar? Perhaps they don’t think the new titles are quite as legitimate, or they are afraid that the chess community will not consider them legitimate? Maybe they want to be able to disavow the new titles in case they receive criticism?
I feel a little bit like Roger Maris, the baseball player whose single-season home run record was supposedly marked with an asterisk because it was accomplished over a longer season than the previous one (although this article points out that the asterisk never really existed). Ironically, Maris’s record really turned out to be a major accomplishment — it lasted longer than Babe Ruth’s mark, and some people would argue that it still has not been legitimately broken.
So, all in all, there is no disgrace in being Maris’d. And in spite of anything I’ve said, I really do appreciate the recognition from the USCF, whether it’s “Life Master” or “Life Master under the USCF norm system”.
P.S. Speaking of Michael Aigner, the latest update I have gotten on his health was that he was scheduled for his operation on Thursday, two days ago. I have not heard how the operation went.
