Chess Player Strip Searched

[Roger de Coverly]

No I can't prove it but I will say that while I was playing in the Euro Club Cup in Israel In October last year, despite the organisers trying to do their utmost to combat it, I identified numerous players going into the toilets with their smartphones on.

You don't need to go any further. That's against the rules and has been for many years. Perhaps it needs spelling out. The mobile phone or other device, if present, is switched off at the start of play and remains switched off for the entire duration of play. If venue security was sufficient, you make it a rule that the mobile phone stays at the board, even if the player leaves.

[Roger de Coverly]

A follow up on smart phones.

An extract from 12.3

During play the players are forbidden to make use of any notes, sources of information or advice, or analyse on another chessboard
Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off.

Note that it says playing venue rather than playing area.

Perhaps arbiters need to remind players that mobile phones, if present, not only need to switched off before start of play but remain switched off for the duration of the game. So you are not permitted to switch on the phone to check your texts or whatever when visiting the smoking area, the toilets or the refreshment area. It follows that anyone sighted using a mobile phone whilst playing is infringing 12.3 whatever they are doing with it.

[Leonard Barden]

It appears he has become a minor celebrity in his home country.

The problem he will face is that he has to maintain his good form to see off the cheating accusations, which will only continue should he repeat his results from Croatia, in particular if he continues his success at reversing engineering Houdini's evaluation function.

Today in round 2 of the Bulgarian Open at Plovdiv, Borislav Ivanov lost with White to a Greek FM rated 1969......

[Roger de Coverly]

Today in round 2 of the Bulgarian Open at Plovdiv, Borislav Ivanov lost with White to a Greek FM rated 1969......

The leading Greek under 12 according to the FIDE rating site, the title having been awarded at the European Under 10.

[Chris Rice]

Maybe the kid he was playing is talented but Ivanov was White against someone rated 373 Elo below him. Let's see how he gets on today with Kiril Kartalov rated 1824.

[Chris Rice]

Just looking at the previous results of Evgenios Ioannidis the kid who beat Ivanov in Rd 2. In his short career so far the highest player he has beaten is an 1857 player. To get to his grade of 1969 he has beaten two 1800+ players, two 1700+, seven 1600+ and a couple of 1500+. The highest rated players he has played are a 1908 and a 1907 and he lost both games but then he is only 11. Then he gets Black against a "2342" (in red hot form if we are to believe his Zadar, Croatia GM-crushing results) and wins.
Of course I guess there will be some pressure on poor Mr Ivanov as no doubt all the spectators will be huddled around his board to see if they can detect any shenanigans. Still given the grading difference one would have expected him to win regardless.

[Chris Rice]

Borislav Ivanov update - in Round 3 he did beat the 1824 as Black. In Round 4 he drew with the White pieces against a 25 year old Greek Elo rated 1985 (although the Greek does hold the prestigious FIDE title of National Instructor).

[Chris Rice]

Round 5 Yavor Todorov (2069) 1/2 - 1/2 Borislav Ivanov (2342). So a little tot up so far. With a starting rank of 34th, Ivanov now lies in 97th place, 21.9 Elo points down with a rating performance of 1981. He hasn't played anyone stronger than 2069 yet is only on +1. Can this really be the same guy that claimed he beat Houdini and Rybka by 10-0 scores?

[Leonard Barden]

Assuming that this is Ivanov's pattern for the future, ie playing as his normal self without Houdini assistance, he can still be the only player in chess history known to have successfully cheated for an entire major tournament without his modus operandi being discovered at the time or subsequently.

The nearest precedent is the German Clemens Allwermann, who won first prize in a strong open before his method was exposed by the German chess journalist Hartmut Metz who tracked down the electrical shop where Allwermann bought his equipment.

[Chris Rice]

You're right Leonard, Ivanov's basically got away with it although his credibility lies in tatters.

Breaking news on Ivanov Watch tonight:

Round 6 Borislav Ivanov (2342) 0-1 Sergeev Petrov (1983). Ivanov now lies in 122nd place and is currently -35.4 Elo with a rating performance of 1921.

[Ray Sayers]

Lol, Chris I typed almost exactly the same 'breaking news' report as you and when I came to submit it, yours had snuck in first! Well done!

[Roger de Coverly]

Round 6 Borislav Ivanov (2342) 0-1 Sergeev Petrov (1983).

Another lad, this time a Bulgarian one.

Quite a remarkable pairing sequence in its way. Usually in an open tournament with a wide range of ratings, you expect to see the bounce effect, where you play someone two hundred or more points below, one round and two hundred points above the next. Ivanov is rolling instead by always having one of the highest ratings for his score group.

[Chris Rice]

Well Ivanov's managed to beat a 1770 today so he's got one of his elo points back.

[Ray Sayers]

And to think people doubted him.........

[Ray Sayers]

Yeah! Go Team Ivanov!

A thumping win against a 1699 today. Next round sees his toughest challenge of the tournament so far against a giddy 2094. We are rooting for you!