ReputationDefender Blog has learned that the United States Chess Federation is suing a board member over stolen email and defamatory posts made online. Quoting from the New York Times:

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The United States Chess Federation, the nation’s governing body for the game, has sued one of its board members, claiming she unlawfully gained access to e-mail between some members of the board and a lawyer hired to investigate accusations against her and her husband.

The lawsuit stems from a running battle in which the aggression of elite-level chess play has manifested itself in the struggle over control of the federation.

In October 2007, the board member, Susan Polgar, and her husband and fellow board member, Paul Truong, were sued by Samuel H. Sloan, a former board member. He accused Ms. Polgar and Mr. Truong of posting thousands of remarks in his name, many defamatory or obscene, on public Internet bulletin boards over a two-year period in an effort to win election to the board.

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While Mr. Sloan’s lawsuit was pending, the federation’s board created a subcommittee to investigate the suit’s claims, and it hired Karl S. Kronenberger, a lawyer in San Francisco, to oversee the investigation. The investigation concluded that Mr. Truong was responsible for the posts.

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In August, Ms. Polgar filed a lawsuit in Lubbock, Tex., against the federation, four of its board members and other members of the federation in which she claimed libel, slander and business disparagement. She is asking for $25 million.

E-venge can happen to any one. Even elite chess players politicking for a position in the United States Chess Federation can resort to slander and libel online. The fluid nature of Identity on the internet means that people have an interest in controlling their online personal brand since it is so easy to destroy.

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