Matthew Turner wrote:If the French Chess Federation are making this public and probably sacrificing a board prize in the process then I imagine the allegation is all but proven.
I'm not so sure that you're right there Matthew. It seems to me that there are various other readings of the situation just now. I guess in part it depends on what
"French Chess Federation (EFF) announced that it has initiated, December 22, 2010, disciplinary action against...."
means.
It kind of sounds like they already know the players are guilty so they just need to decide on punishment. I'd not want to assume that based on a google translation of the original French though. It could just as easily be that the meaning of the statement is that the EFF are starting an inquiry to find out what - if anything - went on.
Does
"making this public" mean the allegation is "
all but proven"? Hardly. It seems to me that if the Federation have discovered there are
suspicions (I emphasise, not proven allegations) that something underhand went on amongst their players at the Olympiad, then publicly stating that they are going to inquire into the matter is absolutely the appropriate thing to do - to avoid any future suggestion of a cover up.
Furthermore, it's also right for the players involved. Making the matter public means that they get a chance to defend themselves. It's very hard for anybody to prove their innocence of anything when the accusations are just a whispering campaign and not clearly stated.
Like Loz Cooper above, I think it is thoroughly praiseworthy of the French authorities to make the matter public at this stage. It
may (again, emphasis on the may) yet turn out to be the case that the French players are guilty, but I do not think that the conclusions you have drawn flow logically from the facts available just now.
Matthew Turner wrote:Very sad for chess (but probably inevitable).
This, however, I entirely agree with. It's very sad for chess, but I'm surprised at the shock that some people seem to be expressing about this. I mean - yes - I'm surprised and shocked that these allegations have come up about
these particular chess players at
this particular event, but something like this - whatever the truth turns out to be - has been coming for a while.
Even if the guys concerned turn out to be innocent, the "organised cheating" of which they're accused will happen at a major chess event (Olympiad or World championship/candidates match) will happen sooner or later. It's just a question of when.
It was probably our best played match (given the relative strength of the opposing teams) with Nigel's win and two comfortable holds with black. Unfortunately Feller won a very complicated game where he had to calculate very accurately in the middle game.