Nakamura "J'adoube" Controversy

[NickFaulks]

and who could forget the classic J'adoube try by Carlsen against Kosteniuk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeyXKTVYenA

This should be compulsory viewing for all aspiring juniors, since it demonstrates exactly how the offended player should react. You don't just make despairing looks around, you stop the clock immediately and make it quite clear that you will not put up with this crap. If your arbiter is of the sort that takes the line of least resistance, they will be now be unlikely to give your opponent "the benefit of the doubt".

[MJMcCready]

Another odd thing about the Naka incident is that the king didn't actually need adjusting as it was already placed in the center of the square!

[Joshua Gibbs]

He also has an entire "controversies" section on his Wikipedia page.

Not anymore he doesn't.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurab_Azm ... troversies

i think Speelman hit the nail on the head when he said Nakamura was showing nerves... it was definitely harsh of David Robertson to call him a tw@t

[MJMcCready]

Oh, I thought you were talking about Naka.

[Joshua Gibbs]

I saw this posted on chessbase "After the game, Aronian tried to prove that he was winning anyway, when everyone in the press conference room - including Aronian - knew the position was actually drawn. I wanted to see Aronian win that game, but not like this." how true is this?

https://en.chessbase.com/post/jon-speel ... -round-six

[NickFaulks]

I saw this posted on chessbase "After the game, Aronian tried to prove that he was winning anyway, when everyone in the press conference room - including Aronian - knew the position was actually drawn.

I thought that Aronian's post-game performance was wonderful. Clearly tongue in cheek, but a complete contrast to Naka's surly refusal to show up. If he really wanted to defend his claim that he was adjusting the king, wouldn't the press conference have been the ideal opportunity?

[JustinHorton]

Do you get fined for not turning up?

[NickFaulks]

i think Speelman hit the nail on the head when he said Nakamura was showing nerves... it was definitely harsh of David Robertson to call him a tw@t

Speelman is a very nice man. It's not often I say this, but I think David Robertson hit the nail on the head.

[Paolo Casaschi]

I'm tired of all the talk of "the pressure at this level". The effect of the pressure is that players revert to type. Those predisposed to cheating, cheat.

This seems to me really too harsh. After an involuntary reaction and few seconds of disbelief about what happened, from the video Nakamura seem to accept his fate without any complain to anyone other than himself.

I do not even see why the thread title uses the term "controversy": there's no controversy or disagreement at all between the players, it just takes few seconds to Nakamura to realize what he did and then there's no attempt to really argue about it.

I appreciate you might be the kind of person looking for a traffic warden to give you a ticket if you ever accidentally exceed the allowed parking time , but I do not find anything fundamentally rotten with Nakamura's behavior. Feeling rather sorry for him, actually.

[NickFaulks]

We obviously draw different conclusions from his insistence that he was "j'adoubing", his behaviour when the game ended and his refusal to attend the press conference

[David Sedgwick]

Do you get fined for not turning up?

The Regulations provide for the player to be fined 10% of his prize money.

In the London Candidates 2013 Ivanchuk did not appear for the press conference after his Round 2 loss to Radjabov. Chief Arbiter Werner Stubenvoll (also the Chief Arbiter for the current candidates) imposed the penalty. Ivanchuk appealed on the grounds that there had been a misunderstanding about the arrangements. The Appeal Committee suspended the penalty so that it would not be imposed if Ivanchuk complied with his obligations for the remainder of the event, which he did.

[Paolo Casaschi]

We obviously draw different conclusions from his insistence that he was "j'adoubing", his behaviour when the game ended and his refusal to attend the press conference

I'd say I would not have used the word "insistence" in the sentence above.
But no definitely controversy between you and me: I hope we can disagree and still be friedly

[Michael Mkpadi]

We obviously draw different conclusions from his insistence that he was "j'adoubing", his behaviour when the game ended and his refusal to attend the press conference

Ok not attending a press conference when you lose is de rigueur these days so I don't draw anything from that. Also from when the game ended I suspect he was annoyed at himself more than anything but there was something curious about the incident.

When you assume Nakamura is up to no good and watch the footage you see a narrative for everything he did that fits that assumption.

Try watching it and assume he is a blessed saint or Carlsen, then you see him make the transgression, mutter regret to himself, take his hands off the piece, think about where he'd move the king and see Levon react and then him react to Levon reacting. Now I am not sure Nakamura was even given the time to do the right thing, he may have said "sorry" and gestured that with his hands and said "adjust" or "excuse" but he could still have been given the chance to make the move after all it was caught on camera, it is only an offence if he made another move with a piece other than the king which he touched. It might be a case of kick the man while he is down just in case he gets up and kicks you too.

[Nick Burrows]

After an involuntary reaction

Saying "J'adoube" was a voluntary reaction, if indeed that is what he said. He was under pressure and it was a quick reaction to the realisation of his mistake - but it none the less betrayed an instinctual willingness to try and dishonestly cover up his mistake. He then likely sits there realising that its all on camera and the implications of his actions.

When I played football the thought of diving under the impact of a foul literally never crossed my mind. Similarly in this situation after picking up a piece, saying "J'adoube" simply wouldn't cross my mind.

Perhaps years of playing bullet chess, for which having a 'win by any means necessary' approach is required to maintain his prized highest rating is embedded into his psyche.

He could learn a thing or two from snookers Jimmy White who self declared a foul in amongst the balls at 17-17 in the World Final against Hendry after a lifetime of trying to win the crown.

[Martin Benjamin]

Nick - you are right that Jimmy White on several occasions in tournaments declared a foul against himself for feathering the ball, but I don't think it happened at 17-17 in the deciding frame of a world final v Hendry, although I am sure he would have owned up if the situation had arisen. In that match, White missed an easy black off the spot when the frame was more or less at his mercy. In general, snooker players and golfers are rigorous at owning up to any inadvertent infringements, even when not spotted by officials or TV cameras.