Vaughn L. Bennett

2520 10^th St. NE #32

Washington, D.C. 20018

April 15, 2002

Washington City Paper

THEMAIL

2390 Champlain St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

Dear City Paper,

The child that wins the prestigious Arnold Denker Tournament of High School Champions earns not only a full scholarship to college, they also earn the right to represent the United States in worldwide competition all expenses paid. In 2000, there were five full scholarships given away at the Denker. If the process for determining what child represented the District of Columbia at the Denker were fair and equitable, I would support it 100%. But we don’t stand a chance. Therefore, I do not think one can watch the tragedy of children being denied opportunities to win scholarships to college and not be moved to try to do whatever you can to help the situation.

As you walk into the basement of 1501 M Street NW, where the US Chess Center is located, the first thing you might see, is a large plaque with about 50 nameplates on it called the US Chess Center Roll of Honor. This plaque is dedicated to identifying significant contributors to the US Chess Center such as the Arcana Foundation, Meyer Foundation, and many others. Notable contributors listed on the US Chess Center Roll of Honor are individuals such as Oliver North, but the biggest surprise is the nameplate for Arnold Denker. As you read the names on the plaque you realize that these contributors must have given above and beyond to be identified in such a distinguished way. This is why when you see a nameplate on the Roll of Honor dedicated solely to Johnny Sadoff and then another dedicated to the Sadoff family, one can easily see a conflict of interest when Johnny gets to represent the District of Columbia five years in a row at the Denker (where he finishes at the bottom every year).

No other child in the history of the tournament has ever gone for five years. But I guess it gets easier when Johnny’s mother, Elizabeth Sadoff, (who by the way is listed with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs as the official Registered Agent for the US Chess Center), until word got out recently, sat on the board of directors for the US Chess Center. Imagine that after four years of sending the same child that goes to a high school that costs $20,000 per year to attend, you send him for the fifth year clearly aware that he is not even eligible to win the scholarship because only juniors or below are eligible, Johnny is a senior. What dignity is there in denying a disadvantaged, inner city D.C. high school student, (someone who can’t afford to pay to go to high school, let alone college), the opportunity to win a full scholarship?

The US Chess Center claims its’ authority to give the qualifying tournament from the D.C. Chess League. Guess where the D.C. Chess League is located, (according to the US Chess Federation), c/o US Chess Center, 1501 M Street. It gets better.

Guess who the puppet president of the D.C. Chess League is? Ralph Mikell, a Negro who is also the treasurer on the board of directors for the US Chess Center. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that the US Chess Center also gives the annual D.C. Public Schools Championship, and the winner of the high school section gets a trophy saying “DC High School Champion”. (I’ve seen the trophies) Yet the child that is given the trophy and title of “D.C. High School Champion” never goes to the Denker, and a child that does NOT win a title or trophy saying “D.C. High School Champion” goes to represent D.C. at a tournament of high school champions.

The US Chess Center, which has a twenty-year, rent free lease, (Due to a D.C. zoning law?), on a space that would cost them at least$105,000 per year, claims to work especially with the disadvantaged, inner city youth. Its’ website boasts that it has helped over forty D.C. Public schools in the last two years. It also claims to have taught more than 10,000 children chess since its’ doors opened. The stated philosophy of the U.S. Chess Center, “Places a low priority on winning.” How then can our children who are so far behind and have lost so much, ever be in position to win chess scholarships or represent the United States in the Olympics? (Chess is an Olympic Sport.) Or is it that the “low priority on winning” philosophy only applies to those who are unknowing and have not?

On August 8, 2001, the citizen elected D.C. Board of Education, clearly recognizing the need to address an unfair situation, unanimously passed a resolution, stating that “the Board of Education will be the sole, official entity to certify the District of Columbia representative to the annual Denker Tournament of High school Champions.” What gives the US Chess Center and the Sadoffs, the right to dissolve the cohesion between the people, their privileges, and governmental process?

Sincerely,

Vaughn L. Bennett