Chess Player Strip Searched

[Rob Thompson]

I'm glad that at the very least they are being very supportive of non-traditional gender presentation.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Richard.

You get a free pen...every round!

I'm more upset that I won't be allowed to wear my lucky tiara.

[Paolo Casaschi]

Borislav Ivanov appears to have been given the green light to play in the Grand Open Blagoevgrad 2013 which starts on Saturday (28/9). http://chess-results.com/tnr108160.aspx

From the link above, here is the third round game, against the top rated GM of the tournament (more than 300 Elo higher than Ivanov).

Quite a remarkable aggressive style (and a decent result) for an FM that, given the controls in this tournament, might not enjoy the "usual" external help.

[White "Ivanov, Borislav (2324)"] [Black "Saric, Ivan (2627)"] [Event "Grand Open Blagoevgrad 2013"] [Site "Blagoevgrad"] [Date "29.09.2013"] [Round "3"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 h6 8.Rg1 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.h4 e4 11.Nd2 g5 12.Nb5 Bb8 13.Rh1 a6 14.Nc3 Nb6 15.a4 a5 16.hxg5 Nxg4 17.gxh6 Qg5 18.Ndxe4 dxe4 19.Qxe4+ Kf8 20.h7 Qf5 21.Qxf5 Bxf5 22.Bg2 Rxh7 23.Rxh7 Bxh7 24.Bxb7 Ra7 25.Bf3 f5 26.b3 Bd6 27.Bd2 Bb4 28.Nb5 Bxd2+ 29.Kxd2 Re7 30.Nd6 Nxf2 31.Rf1 Re6 32.Nb7 f4 33.exf4 Ne4+ 34.Bxe4 Rxe4 35.Nxa5 Rxd4+ 36.Kc3 Re4 37.f5 Re5 38.Nb7 Rxf5 39.Rxf5+ Bxf5 40.a5 Nc8 41.Kc4 Ke7 42.Kd5 Be6+ 43.Kc5 Bxb3 44.Kc6 Bc4 45.Kc7 Na7 46.Nc5 Nb5+ 47.Kb6 Nd6 48.a6 Bxa6 49.Nxa6 1/2-1/2

[Kevin Thurlow]

"3. Two pieces of radio, gsm,wireless signal muting devices ( jammers or radio silencers ) will be installed in different areas on the playing hall.

4. The area where the parties are held will be surrounded with restriction strap and only the players will be allowed access to the playing tables.

5. Prior to entering the playing ground zone every player will leave all his possessions to the guards provided in individual plastic bag, like cell phones, electronic gadgets, watches, pens, sunglasses, tiaras, keys and so on, anything that is not needed during the game.

6. Writing devices will be supplied to everyone by the organizers."

I wonder if (3) is true, and if it is, would it help? (4) seems to imply that the players will be tied up and the arbiters are not allowed to watch the games. (5) is just wonderful throughout - see the guards rip pacemakers and insulin pumps from the players' bodies, next step, installation of glass-walled toilets! Even in the Surrey League, I don't recollect anyone wearing a tiara (although some give the impression they want to). In (6), anyone using Babylonian algebraic will be presented with a clay tablet and a small chisel.

[Roger de Coverly]

I had assumed a Google style auto-translate from the original Bulgarian.

So when they say "the parties", they mean the games and "be surrounded with restriction tape" means roped off. Arbiters have access to all areas as a matter of course, so it's not mentioned.

sunglasses, tiaras, keys

That does rather puzzle me. Perhaps the correct translation is jewellery.

I rather suspect it's over the top for a run of the mill open tournament and just insulting for a top GM event, but the idea of putting everything in an airport style transparent bag may have some merit.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

-- text omitted --
anyone using Babylonian algebraic will be presented with a clay tablet and a small chisel.

Surely a reed stylus would suffice

[Geoff Chandler]

New Informator sysmbols 2013

S+: Game halted whilst the player of the White pieces was searched.
Something was found and Black declared the winner.

S-: Game halted whilst the player of the White pieces was searched.
Nothing was found and White recived an apology.

Ploy No. 118.
If in serious time trouble request your opponent is searched.
This will take 5-10 minutes.
Use to the time to plan your next 4-5 moves to reach time control.

[MartinCarpenter]

Would you trust the sorts of non trivial valuables liable to be involved to the sort of very random security staff likely to be able to be employed by this sort of tournament? Simple mix ups probably more likely than outright corruption but they could be just as damaging.

A priori it seems to be utterly insane.

[Paolo Casaschi]

Would you trust the sorts of non trivial valuables liable to be involved to the sort of very random security staff likely to be able to be employed by this sort of tournament? Simple mix ups probably more likely than outright corruption but they could be just as damaging.

A priori it seems to be utterly insane.

When you go to a swimming pool, would you bring those valuable items with you and leave them in the changing room?
Or would you insist in keeping them with you while swimming?
Or do you just leave your tiara at home?

[Mick Norris]

Would you trust the sorts of non trivial valuables liable to be involved to the sort of very random security staff likely to be able to be employed by this sort of tournament? Simple mix ups probably more likely than outright corruption but they could be just as damaging.

A priori it seems to be utterly insane.

When you go to a swimming pool, would you bring those valuable items with you and leave them in the changing room?
Or would you insist in keeping them with you while swimming?
Or do you just leave your tiara at home?

Chess events typically don't take place in venues that have lockers like swimming pools

[MartinCarpenter]

Probably less density of people for the spaced involved too.

Seriously, it'd be OK in an event where people were staying over in a hotel so could leave stuff in their rooms. Otherwise you need proper lockers and a very organised system of using them. That's certainly not free.

The liability if there was any sort of lost property might be a rather 'interesting' topic too. Quite possibly owing to the tournament if you had a basic set up like smart phones in plastic bags looked after by some random volunteer.

Of course, this isn't even a remotely good idea in principle. You're making the tournament very much less pleasant to play in to try and mitigate the potential (rare/unproven) risk of computer based cheating. It a very silly over reaction, if a rather common sort of one.

[Ian Thompson]

You get a free pen...every round!

... and it's going to be a different pen every round, with you having no idea what it's going to look like until you get it, otherwise I'm either going to manufacture my own look-alike pen with built in cheating device, or put my cheating device in the pen I was given in Round 1, and then use that pen in Round 2.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Ian

I usualy record my moves in a thick red crayon.
(I'm not allowed anything sharp like pens or scissors.)
Do you think they will give me a box crayons before each game else I cannot play.

And what about blind chess players and their guide dogs.

They will have to take the dogs off them (so we now need secure lockers and kennels.)
At the end of the tournament they are bound to get them mixed up and
you will have these dogs leading the wrong people back to the wrong houses.

I don't think they have thought this one out.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"And what about blind chess players and their guide dogs."

Last time I played a blind player, I did wonder if his dog were giving him advice.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Well, with all of these barking mad measures in place, do any of you stilll think that Mr Ivanov is cheating?