FIDE rating of online tournaments

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MartinCarpenter
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by MartinCarpenter » Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:03 am

I'd have thought that the software/hardware solution would be plausibly cheap - some sort of cheap android tablets (and some of those do run very cheap), severely locked down to stop people installing stuff on them. Not entirely sure how easy the latter is to do, but you'd only really need to do it once then duplicate.

Maybe a question of whether people are allowed an actual chess set to mirror the moves on - makes a huge difference to the 'feel' of things that. Clock handling definitely doesn't seem trivial, although at least increments help a bit.

You could always switch to a bigger increment and get the arbiters at each location to do a simul in terms of the playing the moves :)

NickFaulks
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by NickFaulks » Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:08 am

shaunpress wrote: Nick, is it safe to assume there was no official involvement of the Qualifications Commission in this decision (or if there was, it was ignored)?
The QC meeting in Abu Dhabi discussed this proposal at great length. There were adverse comments from many present, including Rules and Anti-Cheating - unsurprisingly, since their own interests are being trampled. The main complaint was the total rejection of the idea that these competitions should have any regulations. The idea is that they are experimental in nature, and practice will determine the nature of the regulations which are required. Fine, many people said, but why does the experiment need to be rated as if the games were played OTB? The proposal was voted down.

The minutes reflected these comments. As we know, EB members rarely have time to read the papers on which their decisions are supposed to be based, but in any case that remote danger was averted because the QC minutes were omitted from the pack of documents with which they were provided on arrival at the meeting.

An interesting comment from the EB minutes is the Deputy President saying

"Mr. Makropoulos said that QC decision was very close with one vote difference [ it was in fact 5-3, but details... ] which
means that people feel that we really need this".

Er, what?
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shaunpress
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by shaunpress » Tue Nov 10, 2015 12:07 pm

NickFaulks wrote: There were adverse comments from many present, including Rules and Anti-Cheating - unsurprisingly, since their own interests are being trampled.
I always though that the FIDE Central Board of Commissions was the body that should have handled such 'boundary' disputes, as well as protecting the Commissions from the Presidential Board just rolling over them and dictating policy. But then I've seen more than 1 chairman turn to water when Makro walked into the room to know this was never going to happen.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue Nov 10, 2015 12:13 pm

"Maybe a question of whether people are allowed an actual chess set to mirror the moves on - makes a huge difference to the 'feel' of things that. Clock handling definitely doesn't seem trivial, although at least increments help a bit.

You could always switch to a bigger increment and get the arbiters at each location to do a simul in terms of the playing the moves :)"

Yes. Or just run it like an old-style telephone/cable/telegraph match. If everyone moves at once, (like on move 1) the arbiter will be rushing around making sure he's making the right move on the right tablet etc. If you used Skype, you could actually see what's going on.

I remember one "unbiased" arbiter in a telephone match grumbling about an alleged irregularity at the other end and saying, "Our team claims the game". Er, "our team"?

Roger de Coverly
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue Nov 10, 2015 12:31 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote:Or just run it like an old-style telephone/cable/telegraph match.
I expect FIDE Arena would envisage games being played like internet Blitz taking place in real time adjusted for lag. That could present a minor problem for players unaccustomed to analysing based on a monitor or device rather than a conventional set and board. The real problem is that you need an environment where you can be reasonably certain that the opponent is not seeking and receiving external assistance. Those in FIDE wanting to promote this form of chess don't seem to want to even consider the issue. That contrasts with the attitude elsewhere in FIDE to over the board players who have been banned in some competitions from using their own pens or wearing their own watches.

NickFaulks
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by NickFaulks » Tue Nov 10, 2015 1:25 pm

shaunpress wrote: But then I've seen more than 1 chairman turn to water when Makro walked into the room to know this was never going to happen.
To be fair, that isn't what happened in Abu Dhabi. The QC Chairman, despite clear annoyance and some ridicule from the Chair, did stand up and explain why the QC opposed this proposal. That may be why the chairman of the meeting had to cajole EB members into raising their hands and even then very few did, some only half way. No count was taken or result announced, the meeting just moved on. It's a pity that there was no video record.
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shaunpress
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Re: FIDE rating of online tournaments

Post by shaunpress » Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:53 pm

NickFaulks wrote: The QC Chairman, despite clear annoyance and some ridicule from the Chair, did stand up and explain why the QC opposed this proposal.
Nick, he wasn't the chairman I was thinking of. One of the points I am trying to make is that there is a 'divide and conquer' process that operates in FIDE regarding commissions (which your initial post shows). A stronger CBC might have helped counter that, but the PB seemed to have that under their thumb anyway.

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