Arbiter Question

[Hok Yin Stephen Chiu]

Hi MJM,

..this site is going down the drains man, it really is. What makes you say that?

My question is perfectly valid. Can a player ask if his DGT Board (live) be switched off (dead.)

Nobody appears to know in spite of the place being infested with arbiters, controllers...

I've either asked the question that must never be asked or they don't know.
It's a simple question, all it requires is a simple answer.

Yes. (thank you)
No. (a reason would be appreciated )

Or I'm in the bad books regarding the sainted arbiters/controllers gang for cracking a joke about one of them.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12240&p=286288&hili ... ve#p286288
I know they have skins as thin as eggshells and very long memories, are they still sulking.

A player can ask yes, however the answer to the question is likely to be no.

Under 8.13, a player's scoresheets are the property of the organisers, thus why games may be published online. Higher minds than me suggest that by inference a game may be published at any time the organiser wishes, or one may alternatively choose to withdraw.

The only situation an arbiter may interfer in this question is on whether the integrity of the game is in question, and whether reasonable adjustment are to be made. For example, this could be: someone who has limited eyesight, etc, would of course not be asked to physically play on a DGT board, and relevant provisions would be provided, and it would be the case regardless of whether a DGT or plain board was provided or not. I know the first time I played in a Weekender at the British, arbiters provided strips of A-H and 1-8 along the board to help notating, as I had not previously play a huge amount of chess, which is probably on the line of reasonable adjustment.

It is so far not precedented to consider the requests to not run a live DGT board, as reasonable adjustment.

[Roland Kensdale]

Just acting as Devil's Advocate, once the DGT board knows what move has been played, who else might also know?

So having isolated the DGT I wondered if a player suspecting his board was being mined
could he nobble it by playing say 3.Bb5 in a Lopez but slowly moving the Bishop to e2
pausing there, not letting go. The board would accept Be2 and then drop the Bishop on b5.

I then spent a wee while inventing a game when a computer thinks the Bishop is e2 when in fact it is on b5 and it
suggests a move to player who does not realise it has the wrong position The player plays it and gets mated.

But I have been informed this would not work. (Drat!)

Geoff's question has been answered. I have never been close to one of these boards. Idle thought: is the software robust enough to cope if you say 'j'adoube' and lift and replace 2 pieces at once? Place an extra Queen on the board at the start and then remove for play?

Even if you found a way to upset the board you probably wouldn't achieve anything, except to have the arbiters watch you very closely therafter. Idle speculation over.

As you were.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Guys,

We have one in the Edinburgh chess club. This weekend I'm going to take a screwdriver to it and find out how it works.

Then I'll put one of the kids old mobiles inside (they change mobiles every month) and next time they use it I'll ring it.
Can you imagine the faces of the players when their chessboard start playing the Colonel Bogey March!

Yes I am happy the with the answers I was given. I thought I was going to have to come out of retirement,
pay a hefty entrance fee to get into a tournament and refuse to play on a DGT board just to see what happens.
(then walk out thanking the organisers and as I'm not twitter, pin a picture of Jose Mourinho on the notice board.)