Lucky Pens

[NickFaulks]

or the hotel car park

[Roger de Coverly]

They already do that in the 4NCL!

Not just the 4NCL. The Tesco Metro opposite the Olympia venue for the London Classic has both a wider and cheaper range of options than the in house cafe bar. I'd imagine any number of players smuggle in sandwiches etc and drinks, but I believe the terms of entry forbid this.

[Stewart Reuben]

If somebody has a lucky pen, surely that must contravene the Laws? But which one? Perhaps 11.3a or 12.2a.
Player is thinking. Opponent approaches the arbiter away from th board and says, 'My opponent has a lucky pen.' Arbiter, 'I don't believe in luck in chess'. Opponent, 'But I do'.

[John Upham]

Players not being allowed watches, whatever next?

Spectacles, monocles or contact lenses.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Hans Olav Lahlum told me (and I hope he was joking) that one player said, "I cannot play unless I have my lucky axe by the board."

Somebody will remind me who used to hide his score sheet under a large spanner. This was in the days when Tony Miles used his watch to conceal the score sheet. (This was when it was legal to hide the score sheet, now the arbiter has to be able to see it.)

[Stewart Reuben]

Kevin >(This was when it was legal to hide the score sheet, now the arbiter has to be able to see it.)<

You can still temporarily hide part of the scoresheet. Tony only used his watch to conceal the last moves. In those days he could, of course, write his intended move in advance. Geurt Gijssen told me that, when he patrolled close to Tony's game, Tony would move his watch so that Geurt could see the number of moves played. What is definitely banned i putting your scoresheet on your knee under the table.

Will they ban my implanted defibrillator? After all, it is an electronic communication device.

[John Upham]

Will they ban my implanted defibrillator? After all, it is an electronic communication device.

With what or whom is the device communicating and what form do the messages take?

[Ian Thompson]

You can still temporarily hide part of the scoresheet.

How would you do that without breaching Law 8.2 - "The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter throughout the game."?

[John Upham]

How would you do that without breaching Law 8.2 - "The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter throughout the game."?

I suspect SR is referring to the various periods in which moves are recorded on the scoresheet.

[Stewart Reuben]

John >With what or whom is the device communicating and what form do the messages take?<
The defibrillator communicates with me. It does this in the form of an electric shock.

Ian >How would you do that without breaching Law 8.2 - "The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter throughout the game."?<
It does not say the whole scoresheet. Indeed, as John points out, it is impossible for the whole scoresheet to be visible when recording the moves.

[John Upham]

The defibrillator communicates with me. It does this in the form of an electric shock.

This is not communication as no information or message has been transmitted.

A battery does not communicate with the device it supplies current to. It might be in the same circuit but that is not the same thing.

[John Upham]

The defibrillator communicates with me. It does this in the form of an electric shock.

This is not communication as no information or message has been transmitted.

A battery does not communicate with the device it supplies current to. It might be part of the same circuit but that is not the same thing.

[MJMcCready]

The main points to consider regarding the Baku Olympiad can be learnt from the Euro games last year. I was just finishing my work there, they cut off water to many parts of the city to ensure it was in regular supply for the event (Baku has never had running water), there was a huge black out on the media including deportations for those who reported the drunken bus driver who caused a major accident when the tournament, AND, you may be surprised to learn, Azerbaijan uses chess to promote its country, to put it on the map. They don't really care about the state of chess at the lower levels which is in huge decline given how prosperous it was in Soviet days. The game they call 'nard' is far more popular. It's true that the tournament will be run efficiently but it is being used for political purposes, and with such a large playing venue will probably feel empty and soulless. Must of us who live or have lived in Azerbaijan treat such large events with considerable caution, they are certainly world leaders sweeping problems under the carpet. The local press are not free to report on such matters of could,

Anyway planning to go can PM me for info.

Will we see Mr. Kasparov there I wonder?

[Ian Thompson]

Ian >How would you do that without breaching Law 8.2 - "The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter throughout the game."?<
It does not say the whole scoresheet.

See the Preface to the Laws of Chess.

If we're assuming the Arbiter lacks the skills the Preface expects him to have then you can turn your scoresheet upside down whenever you want to, as an upside scoresheet fully satisfies the letter of Law 8.2.

[Stewart Reuben]

John >This is not communication as no information or message has been transmitted.<

Nonsense of course. It communicates witth me in the form of an electric shock that my heart is malfunctioning. Every night, when I am at home, it communicates by telephone information about the state of my heart.

Ian >If we're assuming the Arbiter lacks the skills the Preface expects him to have then you can turn your scoresheet upside down whenever you want to, as an upside scoresheet fully satisfies the letter of Law 8.2.<

I think you must mean placing the scorsheet face down. That would be against the Laws. But turning it upside down would mean the arbiter would still be able to access information, as would your opponent.

Mr McCready, I am puzzled. Surely you realise that, when a company sponsors a chess event, they do so in hope of receiving favourable attention. Thus the BCF decided many years ago that it would not accept sponsorship from tobacco companies, long before that became standard practice.

I am planning to go for the FIDE Congress. I doubt Kasparov will attend the Olympiad. He is not popular with FIDE officials currently.
What is 'nard'?