Sam Shankland recently appeared on the US Chess Scoop (4th video down):

http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10513/596/

This really troubled me. I like Sam quite a bit, knowing him through his work on Chess.com. This attitude startled me coming from him. While I'd seen him being upset with losses and bad breaks, he's never taken something this badly as far as I'm aware. (A somewhat related side note - IM Bryan Smith, despite performing more than well enough, failed to make a GM norm at the event because he was paired against only 2 Grandmasters in the Swiss system event - an example of FIDE's ridiculous technicalities as Sam mentions). While I agree that some of FIDE's rules are ridiculous, and I agree that this (the US) is NOT the best country for chessplaying, It would sadden me to see Sam give up tournament play, especially if he actually means what he is saying/implying and really just never plays again, or worse, if he never does anything chess-related at all.

Do you really think he's serious about totally giving up chess? (It would be especially nice if someone who actually *knows* IM Shankland would chime in ;))

Who are some of the top IM players that Sam references at the end of the video?

ouch, really pissed-off

kinda trying to kill the camera man gazing him

In a word, yes. It's good to know he isn't giving up chess entirely, at least. I hope he'll play tournaments fairly regularly still, but I definitely understand that there simply aren't all that many careers in chess open, especially in this country, ESPECIALLY for someone who's primarily a player rather than a coach, writer, etc.

Upon re-listening to the video, I hear him say one to two tournaments a year after the US Junior Closed, which is certainly more promising than my initial impression of one or two ever.

Some people have lower threshholds for pain than others.

Burn six hours losing a close game to a master, and then turn around and burn another six hours losing another close game to another master and you might start to get the idea.  It's hard to keep your attitude in the right place when things aren't going so well.

I've done nearly that before, Jpatrick. I've also done it against much worse players than masters. Yes, it's tough, but I'm sure that this isn't IM Shankland's problem here - there's no way he would have made it this far.

That was quite the death stare.  He should be directing that at his oppoents

Shankland seems much happier now that it is almost over. See the picture about one third of the way down.  http://www.globe-democrat.com/news/2010/jul/15/globe-trotter/

I've given that type of stare to many people in my life. They usually turn and speed walk the other way

Giving up chess is easy. I've done it three or four times!

i guess you need some luck with the rating of the other paricipants in  the tournaments to achieve gmnorms that are aprooved. must be frustrating

Reb,

   I suspect that the primary reason there aren't more tournaments for GM Norms in the USA:     

      is that the GMs don't want to play for 'just the norm' in a closed event - when there are big dollars available as prize money for things like the New York Open and the World Open  - and the tournament organizers go after the money (the lesser lights in chess who "fund" the prize money by their entry fees)... along with concerns about paying for the site rent and the organizers and TD fees.  

Not being involved in the major events in the USA, I suspect that most major corporations in the US (unfortunately) do not routinely support Chess by donating the money needed for closed GM Norm events.....

   just my opinion, not a site management opinion in any respect.

The USCF tries to (or used to at any rate) find free rooms for GMs attending major tournaments - just to entice them to bring their title to the event.  I do not know if this is the normal action in europe or not, but have my own opinions about letting the lower rated players pay full entry fee, find and pay for their own rooms, and coddle the GMs who deign to attend the tournament with free entry (unless they win money), and free rooms...

when you return to the USA, it will be interesting to see how you manage to attract GMs while satisfying the persistent funding requirements .... to organize and run events.

  Ret

concur with WGM Pogonina, very well stated.

What's his complaint? In his game against IM Bryan he blundered away a won game -  so he would rather have blundered against  a Grandmaster?

the fact that he blundered that game doesnt make the rest of what he said go away:)

IM Bryan didn't get a norm in that event, even despite it was announced as a GM-event and he won the tournament