Paul Truong

Paul Truong (born June 2, 1965) is an American chess player, trainer, and organizer. He was born Trương Hoài Nhân in Saigon, South Vietnam.[1] Truong holds the USCF title of National Master[2] and the FIDE title of FIDE Master.

Paul Truong
Paul Truong
CountryUnited States
Born (1965-06-02) June 2, 1965
Saigon, South Vietnam
TitleFIDE Master
FIDE rating2335 [inactive]

He is married to former Women's World Chess Champion Susan Polgár.[3] He is also Polgár's business manager, and vice-president of the Susan Polgar Foundation. He organized and/or promoted most of the events in which Polgár has been involved since she relocated to the United States. In May 2007, Truong become the director of marketing and PR of Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE), coach and chief strategist of the Texas Tech University chess team, with Polgár as the executive director of SPICE and head coach.[4] The SPICE Program relocated to Webster University[5] in June 2012, Truong has served as the coach and chief strategist of the Webster University chess team and director of marketing for the SPICE Program since that time.[6]

In 2004, Truong was the captain and business manager of the U.S. women's team for the 36th Chess Olympiad,[6] which won a silver medal.[7] While Truong served as coach and chief strategist, the Texas Tech University chess team was U.S. National Collegiate Champion in 2011 and 2012 and the Webster University team won in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The Webster University chess team has also won (or tied for first) in the Pan American Intercollegiate Championships seven consecutive years 2012-2018.[8]

Truong played for the "Collins Kids" founded by John W. Collins. He was on the team that went to Iceland in 1980. He also played when the U.S. hosted Iceland in a return match in New York City in 1981. In 2001, he won the U.S. Open Blitz Championship in Framingham, MA, ahead of Hikaru Nakamura.

Early life

Truong's father, Tien, was an important South Vietnamese official working at the U.S. embassy in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Truong learned the rules of chess along with his father at the age of five and played at the National Sports Center (CSS) in Saigon, a center for the chess life of the country. From an early age, he won the annual tournaments organized by the National Sport Center, which were informally recognized as the National Championships of South Vietnam. In all, he claims to have won the annual under-21 event four times, starting when he was five years old, and the annual adult event five times, starting when he was eight.[7] Truong has been inactive as a competitive chess player since 1986.

Chess journalist and photographer

Truong is editor-in-chief of Chess Daily News & Information.[8]

Truong has collaborated with Polgár on most of her books and videos, and he has co-authored with her numerous chess columns and articles. In 2003, Polgár and Truong won the Cramer Award for Best Chess Column and three Chess Journalist of America Awards for Best Magazine Column, Best Endgame Analysis Column, and Best Chess Promotion column.[9] They also won the 2004 Chess Journalist of America Award for the best endgame column in Chess Horizons.[10]

Following is a list of books that Truong has co-authored:

  • Alpha Teach Yourself Chess in 24 Hours by Susan Polgár, Paul Truong and Leslie Horvitz (2003); ISBN 0-02-864408-5
  • A World Champion's Guide to Chess by Susan Polgár and Paul Truong (2005); ISBN 0-8129-3653-1
  • Breaking Through: How the Polgar Sisters Changed the Game of Chess by Susan Polgár and Paul Truong (2005); ISBN 1-8574-4381-0
  • Chess Tactics for Champions by Susan Polgár and Paul Truong (2006); ISBN 0-8129-3671-X

Truong is a prolific photographer who has taken as many as 30,000 pictures per year at chess related events in several countries. He posts his digital files in the public domain, usually on the same day they are taken, for use free-of-charge by news outlets and blogs. Truong's photos have appeared on multiple book and magazine covers.

USCF election campaign and subsequent litigation

In December 2006, Truong announced his candidacy for USCF Executive Board, as one of four candidates in the Susan Polgár team. Both Polgár and Truong were elected. In 2007, Sam Sloan, one of the defeated candidates for the USCF Executive Board, filed suit to overturn the election results.[11] The ensuing litigation led to political infighting and counter lawsuits, and eventually the four members of the USCF Executive Board named in the countersuits issued a statement asking Truong to step down from his position on the Board for "neglecting his fiduciary duties" in failing to side with the USCF against himself and his wife, Susan Polgár, in the litigation.[12]

During the litigation, the USCF commissioned a report from computer expert Brian Mottershead concerning Sloan's allegations that Truong had impersonated Sloan in thousands of Internet posts. Mottershead concluded that Truong had indeed impersonated Sloan.[13][14] The Executive Board of the USCF rescinded the memberships of Truong and Polgár. They appealed the revocation to the Board of Delegates of the USCF. In August 2009, the Delegates of the USCF ratified the previous year's actions of the Executive Board with respect to the litigation.[15] In a closed Executive Session, the Delegates upheld the membership revocations.

The lawsuits eventually were all dismissed or settled, with the end result being that Truong severed affiliation with the USCF, and is now a "playing non-member". As part of the settlement, the USCF's insurer paid a portion of Polgár's and Truong's legal fees and none of the parties admitted to any wrongdoing.[16]

References
  1. Di Felice, Gino (2017-11-22). Chess International Titleholders, 1950-2016. McFarland. ISBN 9781476671321.
  2. Paul Hoainhan M Truong USCF profile
  3. "A special thank you to all!". susanpolgar.blogspot.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  4. 12 May 2007 news release from Texas Tech University titled Texas Tech Hires Chess World Champion, Establishes Excellence Institute
  5. "Checkmate! Susan Polgar Institute, Champion Chess Team Moving to Webster : Webster Today Archives". webster.edu. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  6. "Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence - Webster University". webster.edu. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  7. References for this include Paul Truong: Happy to be a USCF Member, Chess Life, September 1986, p.26 Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine and Interview of Paul Truong by Susan Polgar, 4 Aug 2003. Independent verification is difficult, due to the lack of sources from South Vietnam following the Fall of Saigon in 1975.
  8. "Home - Susan Polgar Global Chess Daily News and Information". chessdailynews.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  9. Campbell, J. Franklin. "CJA -- Journalism Awards for June 1, 2002 through May 31, 2003". chessjournalism.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  10. Campbell, J. Franklin. "CJA -- 2004 Journalism Awards for June 1, 2003 through June 1, 2004". chessjournalism.org. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  11. "Chess Group Officials Accused of Using Internet to Hurt Rivals". The New York Times. October 8, 2007. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  12. Member of U.S. Chess Federation’s Board Is Asked to Resign in Dispute Over an Election, New York Times, January 15, 2008.
  13. Bill Wall, Lawsuits, Chess Politics, and Susan Polgar.
  14. Report Submitted to the United States Chess Federation by Brian Mottershead.
  15. YOUNG, ADAM D. "Tech chess star removed from national organization - Lubbock Online - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal". lubbockonline.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  16. USCF Executive Board. "USCF Agrees to Settle Lawsuits with Susan Polgar and Paul Truong". USCF. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
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