GM Davies threatens S&BCC blog with legal actio...

GrandMaster Nigel Davies has threatened Streatham & Brixton Chess Club Blog (the ECF Chess Website of the year I might add) with legal action.

The full story is outlined here:-

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigel-davies-email-to-s-blog.html



PS:- I should declare an interest in this matter. I am one of the contributors to the blog and the author of the piece in question [though not of the comment that inspired ND's wrath]

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
GrandMaster Nigel Davies has threatened Streatham & Brixton Chess Club Blog (the ECF Chess Website of the year I might add) with legal action.

The full story is outlined here:-

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigel-davies-email-to-s-blog.html



PS:- I should declare an interest in this matter. I am one of the contrib ...[text shortened]... og and the author of the piece in question [though not of the comment that inspired ND's wrath]

Gulp! 😕

From now on I'll refrain to say that Silman is a douche.

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
GrandMaster Nigel Davies has threatened Streatham & Brixton Chess Club Blog (the ECF Chess Website of the year I might add) with legal action.

The full story is outlined here:-

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigel-davies-email-to-s-blog.html



PS:- I should declare an interest in this matter. I am one of the contrib ...[text shortened]... og and the author of the piece in question [though not of the comment that inspired ND's wrath]

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2007/04/echo-echo-echo-echo-echo.html

I think it's a nonsense threat based upon the intimate relationship of Davies' comments to Keene's if those quotes are accurate.
Ironic that someone borrowed from Raymondo, who himself got clobbered for plagiarism for his Complete Book of Gambits years ago!
I shouldn't worry too much.

Originally posted by Squelchbelch
I think it's a nonsense threat based upon the intimate relationship of Davies' comments to Keene's if those quotes are accurate.

They are indeed accurate - as anybody can check if they get hold of a copy of both books.

Ironic that ....

Note to Nigel Davies should he ever come across this thread ... Please note that (again) it is not me that used the P-word but somebody else.

I shouldn't worry too much.
We're not :-)

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
GrandMaster Nigel Davies has threatened Streatham & Brixton Chess Club Blog (the ECF Chess Website of the year I might add) with legal action.

The full story is outlined here:-

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigel-davies-email-to-s-blog.html



PS:- I should declare an interest in this matter. I am one of the contrib ...[text shortened]... og and the author of the piece in question [though not of the comment that inspired ND's wrath]

Since the blog comment that caused Mr. Davies' response was removed before I had a chance to read it, I'm unable to form a personal (and private) opinion concerning whether his response was justified.

An interesting development is underway here in the U.S.A. The USCF recently voted to eliminate its cyberliability insurance, which had been costing the organization over $13,000 per year. (I don't think it would be incorrect to say the the USCF is currently struggling with its finances.) Apparently, the majority of the board decided that the risk of legal action resulting from an inappropriate posting on the USCF forum was minimal. However, one board member believed that the insurance should not be dropped, and he has either resigned or is intending to resign from the board as a direct result of the board's decision. This board member is concerned that he could possibly be personally liable if a jury were to award a very large lawsuit payout.

I know nothing about the laws pertaining to cyber liability. And of course, the USA laws might be completely different than English law in this regard.

Since i posted the above Nigel Davies has posted a response at his website

http://tigerchess.wordpress.com:80/

which i reproduce below for those who can't summon the energy to cut and paste the URL into their browsers ...

ROUSED RABBLE I
I recently had cause to threaten the ECF ‘Website of the Year, 2007′ with legal action when some general whining about my book, The Dynamic Reti, turned into libelous and damaging remarks by the roused rabble. I am told that my comments below will be published there later in the week, but no point wasting a good rant:

Thanks for removing those comments, I was left no choice but to defend myself. I see that a lot of the negative stuff is still up there and I do have something to say about this.

I’ve probably bought more chess books than your entire club put together, including some by the most damned authors out there. And it’s never occurred to me to try and do any kind of nitpicking hatchet job on them.

Why? The way I see it, books are just about the best value out there, you can gain insights into just about anything for the price of a few pints. And even the supposedly ‘worst’ authors (which ain’t me or Glenn Flear btw) usually have something interesting to say.

As an example, I started playing the Kan Sicilian after using a book on this opening that got really slated by the reviewers. It gave me an idea about the lines after which I started playing around with the thing with a board and pieces. It never occurred to me that I should be spoonfed or that this book should be perfect in every way. It saved me heaps of time in getting to grips with the thing and provided a starting point for my own thoughts.

Maybe the question you should be asking is why people are so negative about books. I believe the that the answer may be the key to why they’re not better players.

I hasten to add that this trenchant reaction isn’t like me at all. Just ask my ex-wives.

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
Since i posted the above Nigel Davies has posted a response at his website

http://tigerchess.wordpress.com:80/

which i reproduce below for those who can't summon the energy to cut and paste the URL into their browsers ...

ROUSED RABBLE I
I recently had cause to threaten the ECF ‘Website of the Year, 2007′ with legal action when ...[text shortened]... hasten to add that this trenchant reaction isn’t like me at all. Just ask my ex-wives.

Part of that almost sounds apologetic.

Originally posted by Mad Rook
Since the blog comment that caused Mr. Davies' response was removed before I had a chance to read it, I'm unable to form a personal (and private) opinion concerning whether his response was justified.

Indeed not ... although you can form an opinion as to whether his demand that the entire post be removed was justified.

Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Part of that almost sounds apologetic.

You may also be amused to know that Nigel Davies's website includes a link to "Privacy International" which starts an article about internet censorship:-

"There is an often quoted aphorism about censorship of the Internet, originally attributed to Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder John Gilmore: “The Internet perceives censorship as damage, and routes around it.”

Yet governments and commercial organisations relentlessly try to impose censorship."

and the concluding section begins:-

Intimidation is among the great threats to free expression ....


http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-82893&als[theme]=Freedom%20of%20Expression

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
You may also be amused to know that Nigel Davies's website includes a link to "Privacy International" which starts an article about internet censorship:-

"There is an often quoted aphorism about censorship of the Internet, originally attributed to Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder John Gilmore: “The Internet perceives censorship as ...[text shortened]... nternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-82893&als[theme]=Freedom%20of%20Expression

Ouch!
Hoist by your own petard is an old phrase that springs to mind.

This is a shame really.
I have Davies' 2 Gambiteer books & they are very good indeed, especially his lengthy & totally original analysis of the Ruy Lopez Schliemann lines.

Based on what I read Davies' threatened legal action wouldn't even make it to court anyway.

"Rousing rabble?" More like GM rumbled if you ask me!

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
Since i posted the above Nigel Davies has posted a response at his website

http://tigerchess.wordpress.com:80/

which i reproduce below for those who can't summon the energy to cut and paste the URL into their browsers ...

ROUSED RABBLE I
I recently had cause to threaten the ECF ‘Website of the Year, 2007′ with legal action when ...[text shortened]... hasten to add that this trenchant reaction isn’t like me at all. Just ask my ex-wives.

the saviour has spoken: thou shall not criticise a book you've bought with your hard earned money, for it is most inconvenient to the writer who is spending your cash on loose women, nice shoes and some exquisite hooch.

Originally posted by wormwood
the saviour has spoken: thou shall not criticise a book you've bought with your hard earned money, for it is most inconvenient to the writer who is spending your cash on loose women, nice shoes and some exquisite hooch.

Note to Nigel Davies should he ever read this thread...

It wasn't me who said you spend your money on loose women, shoes and hooch.

(though frankly that sounds like a good plan - except I'd not bother with the shoes if I were you)

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
Indeed not ... although you can form an opinion as to whether his demand that the entire post be removed was justified.

Sorry, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been. I thought Nigel was just asking for one offending blog comment to be removed, not the entire story. (Personal and private opinion has now been formed. 🙂 )

More grist for the mill: In this article, Nigel freely admits, "Well I must confess that none of my books are a labour of love; I write them for the money." I certainly hope that Mr. Davies doesn't decide to take legal action against himself. 😉 (I actually enjoyed this article, btw.)

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/davies24.pdf

All kidding aside, I must admit that I don't have any opening books on individual openings or repertoires, and I have no plans to buy any in the immediate future. So I don't have any reason to get emotional about the issue. I will point out that John Donaldson's review gives his book a "Highly Recommended", and Randy Bauer gives it an 8 (out of 10). So it would appear that Donaldson and Bauer didn't have a significant problem with the author's work.

Originally posted by JonathanB of London
GrandMaster Nigel Davies has threatened Streatham & Brixton Chess Club Blog (the ECF Chess Website of the year I might add) with legal action.

The full story is outlined here:-

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2008/05/nigel-davies-email-to-s-blog.html



PS:- I should declare an interest in this matter. I am one of the contrib ...[text shortened]... og and the author of the piece in question [though not of the comment that inspired ND's wrath]

Here we go again, I've already had to answer this stuff in several other forums.

Just to set the record straight, the S&BCC blog published several comments that said I'd 'ripped off' and 'plaigarised' Ray Keene's Flank Openings. All that’s left is the negative, anonymous review that rather deliberately sparked them. I was well within my rights to get them taken down.

The similarity between the notes might have come from the fact that I'd have played through this game a number of times - I've played a similar line with White (1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.b4). I also have a slightly weird memory for phrases etc. But if I'd have been copying Keene's work it should be fairly obvious that we'd have got the Black player's name the same.

Now of course there’s the issue that this Jonathan Bryant (don't see why he should enjoy anonymity) has been spreading the story far and wide for whatever reason, perhaps he like to comment on that. The Streatham site also published my initial email to them without asking if it was OK, which is something else that rather begs an explanation.

I don't have anything against bad reviews, but if they're unfair and anonymous it's very bad form. Libel and other damaging actions are a more serious matter entirely.

Nigel

Originally posted by NigelDavies
Here we go again, I've already had to answer this stuff in several other forums.

Just to set the record straight, the S&BCC blog published several comments that said I'd 'ripped off' and 'plaigarised' Ray Keene's Flank Openings. All that’s left is the negative, anonymous review that rather deliberately sparked them. I was well within my rights to get ...[text shortened]... . Libel and other damaging actions are a more serious matter entirely.

Nigel

Are you really Nigel Davies?