Chess Player Strip Searched

[Roger de Coverly]

When it does become so, competitive chess will have some very major problems.

No more than already surely. It's always been forbidden to consult externally during an OTB game. That's a reason why some events feel it necessary to ban the presence of coaches and parents from the playing area. The Ivanov problem is that he may have developed a means of consulting external advice whilst playing without it being obvious how it was done.

[Angus French]

No one - not any of his opponents or fellow competitors or arbiters or spectators - has provided evidence of Ivanov showing odd behaviour at the board, have they?
In the tournaments in which he's performed fantastically well, was he accompanied by non-playing friends? Has he been seen in the evenings?
Is anything known of his background?

[Roger de Coverly]

Is anything known of his background?

Some of the reports suggested an IT or computer science background. But that is in his favour, if he's uncovered a new way of studying with computer engines that teaches you how to match their suggestions, or against if it suggests a knowledge of miniature devices.

Elsewhere there's speculation about cameras small enough to be concealed on his hands or perhaps hidden in his clothing and concealed by his hands. Pictures of him playing show that he uses the style of prop your chin up with your hand.

Do contact lenses that can transmit what the wearer sees exist outside of spy films and science fiction? That could handle the transmission part. The receiver part would be a very small earpiece, presumably only detectable with a medical examination.

[Richard Bates]

I wonder, if there is a method, and someone works it out, are they going to say anything...

No. They will send him to Guantanamo Bay without trial, lock him up in a cell and throw away the key.

Never heard the story of the man who solved chess?

[Matt Mackenzie]

There was a slightly different (and IMO better) version of that given in James/Fox's "Complete Chess Addict".

I have the first edition, where they appealed for anybody who knew the provenance of the short story to contact them. Not sure if it was found or not?

[Richard Bates]

There was a slightly different (and IMO better) version of that given in James/Fox's "Complete Chess Addict".

I have the first edition, where they appealed for anybody who knew the provenance of the short story to contact them. Not sure if it was found or not?

Ah of course, i wondered where i had read it before - bit surprised to find it on the internet to be honest!

[Richard James]

There was a slightly different (and IMO better) version of that given in James/Fox's "Complete Chess Addict".

I have the first edition, where they appealed for anybody who knew the provenance of the short story to contact them. Not sure if it was found or not?

Off the top of my head I have a vague feeling that it was originally a short story, but don't remember the details.

[geoffgammon]

I read a similarly themed short story in a collection of chess stories in the early seventies. A man presents a new opening to a chess master, the opening will force mate for white in under 20 moves. The master studies the opening using his specially designed set where the bishops are rather tall and very pointed. After a while he declares the opening so full of flaws that he cannot be bothered to point them out. The man sadly turns to leave and as he does the master plunges a bishop into his back. I don't remember any other details of the book except that I got it from a library.

[Warren Kingston]

Google glasses

[Roger de Coverly]

It's always been forbidden to consult externally during an OTB game.

A different player, but Bulgaria again and a Bulgarian as victim.

(reported on Mark Crowther's twitter account)
http://goldensands.bulchesssummer.eu/home/decision.png

According to the report, after acting in a suspicious manner, the player was asked to show his mobile phone to the arbiters. When it came up with the game position, he was kicked out of the tournament. The twitter conversation suggests the offender was a relatively young junior.

I think it would be reasonable for arbiters to be allowed to inspect any phones in possession of an individual during play if suspicions are raised. If anyone refused to hand it over, you adopt the WADA premise of "refusal means guilt".

[Chris Rice]

It's always been forbidden to consult externally during an OTB game.

A different player, but Bulgaria again and a Bulgarian as victim.

(reported on Mark Crowther's twitter account)
http://goldensands.bulchesssummer.eu/home/decision.png

According to the report, after acting in a suspicious manner, the player was asked to show his mobile phone to the arbiters. When it came up with the game position, he was kicked out of the tournament. The twitter conversation suggests the offender was a relatively young junior.

I think it would be reasonable for arbiters to be allowed to inspect any phones in possession of an individual during play if suspicions are raised. If anyone refused to hand it over, you adopt the WADA premise of "refusal means guilt".

I suspect there will come a time when all mobiles will be banned from the playing area whether on or off. In last years Euro Club Cup in Israel they instituted this rule and they had security at the doors to the playing area checking for mobile phones. However, the weird thing was they were only appearing to stop people with carrier bags and checking if they had mobiles in them. If you just had a mobile in your trouser/jean pockets you were fine to walk through unchecked. I asked the security guy why this was. He said it was not unknown for suicide bombers to use mobile phones as detonators. After that I stopped worrying about whether players were using mobile phones to cheat.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"He said it was not unknown for suicide bombers to use mobile phones as detonators. After that I stopped worrying about whether players were using mobile phones to cheat."

It does put things into perspective.

[Mike W. Richardt]

Another tournament in Bulgaria and this time a more obvious method of cheating during the game:

http://goldensands.bulchesssummer.eu/rounds.html

[Chris Rice]

Another tournament in Bulgaria and this time a more obvious method of cheating during the game:

http://goldensands.bulchesssummer.eu/rounds.html

This is the same report I believe as Roger raised a couple of posts above on the Russian, Merkin German. I looked the kid up on the FIDE ratings (link below) and he's only 12 and is going to have to live with this for the rest of his chess playing days or give the game up. Very sad.

http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=24175927

[Kevin Thurlow]

"This is the same report I believe as Roger raised a couple of posts above on the Russian, Merkin German. I looked the kid up on the FIDE ratings (link below) and he's only 12 and is going to have to live with this for the rest of his chess playing days or give the game up. Very sad."

and he probably thought only his name was a problem.

It does seem a singularly inept way to cheat. If he does (or is allowed to) play on, he will be treated with suspicion at every turn.