Guess who's coming to dinner?

So, who's the most celebrated diner in English chess been dining with recently?

Well, that didn't take long.

Gaius Maecenas was both immensely rich and a patron of the arts (fact fans: the Spanish term for a patron of the arts is mecenas) and I've not seen any evidence that Mr Paulson meets either description, but let us not detain ourselves too much with the foolishness of Ray and turn to the foolishness of dealing with Ray instead. Supping with that particular devil is not - is it? - a sign of a particularly wise, principled or promising President.

Moreover, it's perhaps surprising that somebody who described Ray as "toxic" shortly before being elected to a post is dining with him shortly after.

Of course, we don't know exactly what Ray and Mr Paulson talked about. So it is, one supposes, possible that Mr Paulson did his research beforehand and - having ascertained the reasons why Ray is not a member of Mr Paulson's organisation -

spoke to Ray along the lines that as he was responsible for the subs of Federation members, he and they would very much appreciate hearing

• when Ray proposed to repay the money
• when Ray proposed to provide a written explanation and apology.

Possibly Mr Paulson went on to say that until the many serious questions about Ray's business methods were answered, not least the current scandal, then Ray was not, unfortunately, a gentleman with whom the ECF could be expected to work.

We can, one assumes, be confident that something along those lines occurred since we know from Mr Paulson's election address that operating ethically is important to him. Indeed, he wants the ECF to represent nothing less than a "moral vanguard".

Which rather rules out any connection with Ray Keene. Doesn't it, Mr Paulson?

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UPDATE: thanks to Richard James for sending us this apt clue from today's Guardian crossword.

[Thanks to Pablo Byrne]

[Keenipedia]

[The Penguin Files]

[Andrew Paulson index]

[Ray Keene index]