Unrated player awarded CM title in Olympiad with score of 2/4 and 1823 rating performance

[Brian Towers]

The Somali player Abdullahi Mohamed Abdirahin (FIN 16100727) has been awarded the CM title for his performance in the Batumi Olympiad. He played 4 games, winning 2 and losing 2, for a rating performance of 1823. He has only ever played 4 games of FIDE rated chess.

How is this possible?

[NickFaulks]

How is this possible?

He scored 4 1/2 points from seven games. There is no requirement that opponents should be FIDE rated.

There is, as you may be aware, a new requirement that the CM title awarded for a 50% performance is conditional upon a FIDE rating of 2000. The Batumi Olympiad was the first to which this should have been applied, but in error it was not. There are some happy chess players.

[Roger de Coverly]

There is, as you may be aware, a new requirement that the CM title awarded for a 50% performance is conditional upon a FIDE rating of 2000.

The late Peter Wilson of Guernsey, who was perhaps a career 140 player at best, got both a CM title and a 2200 rating from an Olympiad performance, presumably against unrated opposition. To the extent that he continued to play FIDE rated chess, he did his bit to combat deflation in the FIDE ratings.

[David Sedgwick]

There is, as you may be aware, a new requirement that the CM title awarded for a 50% performance is conditional upon a FIDE rating of 2000.

The late Peter Wilson of Guernsey, who was perhaps a career 140 player at best, got both a CM title and a 2200 rating from an Olympiad performance, presumably against unrated opposition. To the extent that he continued to play FIDE rated chess, he did his bit to combat deflation in the FIDE ratings.

I don't have old ECF grading lists to hand, but I would have thought that Peter Wilson was more like 150 - 160 at his peak.

Players much weaker than he was obtained 2205 ratings from Olympiads in the past.

[Geoff Chandler]

Sounds like it is well within the rules.

Certainly more palatable than this Olympiad mid-match discussion:

"Our board 2 needs ½ point for an IM norm but is getting beat.
However your board 3 is clearly losing. So if you agree a draw on Board 2
so our man can get his IM norm. We will agree a draw on board 3."

And the deal was done.

England v Israel 1972 Olympiad.
Source. CHESS page 35 October 1972.

(of course some will say, 'nothing wrong with that - happens all the time.')

[NickFaulks]

http://www.olimpbase.org/pgn4web/analys ... EN2IL2.PGN

http://www.olimpbase.org/pgn4web/analys ... EN3IL4.PGN

I remember Tony Miles annotating one of his games to the point where he was clearly winning and then "1/2-1/2, strange things happen in team competitions".

[Brian Towers]

Sounds like it is well within the rules.

No, it's not! As Nick pointed out the FIDE Title Regulations effective from 1 July 2017 were not applied.

0.62
For a direct title to be awarded immediately an applicant has to have achieved at some time or other a minimum rating as follows:

GM 2300 WGM 2100
IM 2200 WIM 2000
FM 2100 WFM 1900
CM 2000 WCM 1800
If an applicant is rated lower the title is awarded conditionally and will be awarded finally on request by the respective federation as soon as the minimum rating is achieved. Any player with a conditional title may take a lower title when they reach the required rating for that lower title.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Nick,

The losing board two player. Bill Hartston, also won a board prize.
The losing board three player also won a board prize.

Have no time ATM to work out if these gifted ½ points made a difference
but there may have been more in the kitty than an IM title.

I'd would have fancied my drawing chances in Hartston's position it's not
resignable and have actually won worse, though with best play it is probably lost.

The game where Bob Wade agreed his draw, he is clearly winning.

"strange things happen in team competitions". Indeed.

---

Hi Brian,

"No, it's not! As Nick pointed out the FIDE Title Regulations effective from 1 July 2017 were not applied."

That is not the lads fault is it.