European Women's Championship 2015

Discuss anything you like about women's chess at home and abroad.
Chris Rice
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by Chris Rice » Thu May 28, 2015 9:33 pm

Complete and utter bloody disgrace the way Mihaela Sandu has been treated.

The Rumanian Chess Federation have written to the organisers supporting her and at least she's got one decent person who's trying to cheer her up http://chess-news.ru/en/node/19121 and another Javakhishvili has said when she lost it was all her own fault http://chess-news.ru/en/node/19122 but I don't know how she is supposed to play well under these circumstances.

Totally appreciate that her loss today couldn't be described as a surprise as Danielian is exceptionally strong but for crying out loud leave the woman alone! This is just a good old fashioned witch hunt, no evidence produced, no evidence needed it would seem. I think those accusing her should be named and made to put down in writing what they are basing these accusations on. Its becoming very clear that it is not all the participants but a small bunch. They should be subject to bans too if they are falsely accusing someone without a shred of actual evidence.
Last edited by Chris Rice on Thu May 28, 2015 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Thu May 28, 2015 9:43 pm

Chris Rice wrote:Complete and utter bloody disgrace the way Mihaela Sandu has been treated.

The Rumanian Chess Federation have written to the organisers supporting her and at least she's got one decent person who's trying to cheer her up http://chess-news.ru/en/node/19121 and another Javakhishvili has said when she lost it was all her own fault http://chess-news.ru/en/node/19122 but I don't know how she is supposed to play well under these circumstances.

Totally appreciate that her loss today couldn't be described as a surprise as Danielian is exceptionally strong but for crying out loud leave the woman alone! This is just a good old fashioned witch hunt, no evidence produced, no evidence needed it would seem. I think those accusing her should be named and made to put down in writing what they are basing these accusations on. Its becoming very clear that it is not all the participants but a small bunch so far nameless but I'm betting they are largely all Georgian. They should be subject to bans too if they are falsely accusing someone without a shred of actual evidence.
Their are fifteen names on the petition asking for her games not to be broadcast:

Zhukova Ukraine
Galliamova Russia
Stetsko Belarus
Ziaziulkina Belarus
Bodnaruk Russia
Savina Russia
Belenkaya Russia
Vojinovic Montenegro
Ovod Russia
Melia Georgia
Matveeva Russia
Guseva Russia
Tskhadadze Russia
Ivanova Russia
Kovalevskaya Russia

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 5676726d3f

What I find very telling though is that only one of those had played her when the petition was drafted (before round 8) has signed it. 10 from Russia, 2 from Belarus and 1 from Georgia, Montenegro & Ukraine. The petition is on display in their hotel lobby and has been posted to Facebook by Lela Javakhishvili who is making valiant attempts to ask the other players to leave Mihaela alone.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Thu May 28, 2015 10:37 pm


Ian Thompson
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri May 29, 2015 12:00 am

Chris Rice wrote:I think those accusing her should be named and made to put down in writing what they are basing these accusations on. Its becoming very clear that it is not all the participants but a small bunch. They should be subject to bans too if they are falsely accusing someone without a shred of actual evidence.
They could be referred to the FIDE Ethics Commission and asked to justify their actions. They may have breached:

"2.2.9 Players or members of their delegations must not make unjustified accusations toward other players, officials or sponsors...."

"2.2.11 Any conduct likely to injure or discredit the reputation of FIDE, its events, organizers, participants, sponsors ...."

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri May 29, 2015 3:40 pm


Mick Norris
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by Mick Norris » Fri May 29, 2015 3:50 pm

Beat me to it, Loz, I have just read that article and was going to post a link

It answers Chris & Ian's point about false accusations too

It is clear that cheating can destroy chess, even when there is no cheating taking place, but I don't have confidence in FIDE taking the correct steps
Any postings on here represent my personal views

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri May 29, 2015 4:04 pm

Mick Norris wrote:Beat me to it, Loz, I have just read that article and was going to post a link

It answers Chris & Ian's point about false accusations too

It is clear that cheating can destroy chess, even when there is no cheating taking place, but I don't have confidence in FIDE taking the correct steps
Sadly, the increase in detected cases of cheating mean that anyone who has a performance way above the norm may attract suspicion. What has happened in this event though seems more of a witch hunt where players have been judge and jury and found her guilty without a trial. I do hope she can recover from the ordeal but the last few days must have been hell for her despite the support she has received which is growing bigger by the hour.

MartinCarpenter
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by MartinCarpenter » Fri May 29, 2015 4:30 pm

Aren't FIDE doing roughly what they can with the automated testing procedure? It won't help if people are really bent on being paranoid of course, but I've no idea what would. Objectively it should be a considerable reassurrance.

The live games should obviously have had a delay from round 1.

Have to say that this performance wasn't even way above the norm. A 2300 beating a few people ~100-150 points above them in a row? Not expected of course but really not cause for major surprise.

Mick Norris
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by Mick Norris » Fri May 29, 2015 4:48 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: Sadly, the increase in detected cases of cheating mean that anyone who has a performance way above the norm may attract suspicion. What has happened in this event though seems more of a witch hunt where players have been judge and jury and found her guilty without a trial.
Absolutely, they should have left it to the arbiters - if they have conducted a witch hunt, then the arbiters should have done something, and if they haven't FIDE should
LawrenceCooper wrote: I do hope she can recover from the ordeal but the last few days must have been hell for her despite the support she has received which is growing bigger by the hour.
As she was winning the tournament until this kicked off, and now she won't win it, it has had an effect and may do in her future events too - I hope she gets proper support, but let's face it chess prefers to brush things under the carpet rather than stand up to those behaving badly
Any postings on here represent my personal views

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri May 29, 2015 5:33 pm


LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri May 29, 2015 7:15 pm

Round 10 results: http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=984

Bo. No. Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name FED Rtg No.
1 7 IM Batsiashvili Nino GEO 2473 8 0 - 1 7½ GM Zhukova Natalia UKR 2456 15
2 4 WGM Girya Olga RUS 2479 6½ ½ - ½ 6½ IM Guseva Marina RUS 2391 30
3 14 GM Danielian Elina ARM 2458 6½ 1 - 0 6½ IM Melia Salome GEO 2452 16
4 6 WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra RUS 2474 6 1 - 0 6 IM Mkrtchian Lilit ARM 2459 13
5 8 IM Paehtz Elisabeth GER 2473 6 ½ - ½ 6 IM Bodnaruk Anastasia RUS 2402 25
6 45 WGM Sandu Mihaela ROU 2300 6 0 - 1 6 GM Socko Monika POL 2467 11
7 20 IM Kashlinskaya Alina RUS 2423 6 1 - 0 6 WGM Zawadzka Jolanta POL 2434 19
8 29 IM Gaponenko Inna UKR 2391 6 1 - 0 5½ GM Ushenina Anna UKR 2467 12

Rankings: http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=984

Round 11 pairings: http://chess-results.com/tnr164130.aspx ... =30&wi=984

Bo. No. Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name FED Rtg No.
1 15 GM Zhukova Natalia UKR 2456 8½ 7½ GM Danielian Elina ARM 2458 14
2 6 WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra RUS 2474 7 8 IM Batsiashvili Nino GEO 2473 7
3 11 GM Socko Monika POL 2467 7 7 WGM Girya Olga RUS 2479 4
4 30 IM Guseva Marina RUS 2391 7 7 IM Gaponenko Inna UKR 2391 29
5 9 GM Hoang Thanh Trang HUN 2472 6½ 7 IM Kashlinskaya Alina RUS 2423 20
6 2 GM Khotenashvili Bela GEO 2527 6½ 6½ IM Paehtz Elisabeth GER 2473 8
7 16 IM Melia Salome GEO 2452 6½ 6½ IM Savina Anastasia RUS 2417 22
8 25 IM Bodnaruk Anastasia RUS 2402 6½ 6 IM Atalik Ekaterina TUR 2392 28
9 5 IM Galliamova Alisa RUS 2478 6 6 WGM Sandu Mihaela ROU 2300 45
10 13 IM Mkrtchian Lilit ARM 2459 6 6 WGM Charkhalashvili Inga GEO 2318 42
11 17 IM Khurtsidze Nino GEO 2451 6 6 IM Guramishvili Sopiko GEO 2370 34
12 19 WGM Zawadzka Jolanta POL 2434 6 6 IM Kovalevskaya Ekaterina RUS 2450 18
13 31 WGM Charochkina Daria RUS 2391 6 6 WIM Abdulla Khayala AZE 2266 52

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sat May 30, 2015 8:22 am


LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sat May 30, 2015 8:30 am


Chris Rice
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by Chris Rice » Sat May 30, 2015 12:07 pm

Excellent letter from Mihaela Sandu. Agree with everything she says and particularly her decision to remain in the tournament despite the smear campaign against her. If she had withdrawn you can bet the '15' would have said "told you so". Unfortunately, as I feared the '15" have ultimately succeeded here in destroying her chances. I see she is playing another petitioner today and after 40 moves it looks certain she's going to lose that one as well. Very sad.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: European Women's Championship 2015

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sat May 30, 2015 1:26 pm

Chris Rice wrote:Excellent letter from Mihaela Sandu. Agree with everything she says and particularly her decision to remain in the tournament despite the smear campaign against her. If she had withdrawn you can bet the '15' would have said "told you so". Unfortunately, as I feared the '15" have ultimately succeeded here in destroying her chances. I see she is playing another petitioner today and after 40 moves it looks certain she's going to lose that one as well. Very sad.
Sadly she lost in round 11 so misses out on qualification.

Melia-Savina is worth a look to see how immense pressure can cause strong players to blunder, in particular move 52 and 58.