Strange happening

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Phil Neatherway
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Strange happening

Post by Phil Neatherway » Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:16 pm

I have been playing in tournaments since the mid 1970's. In my current tournament, I have seen something I have never seen before. One of the players brings his dog into the tournament hall. I have to say it is a very well behaved dog. It lies down under the table and stays there quietly. I played its master and forgot it was there. But there is all sorts of scope for issues to arise, e.g. allergies, and what if somebody steps on it (accidentally or otherwise!)?
Should the arbiters permit the dog in the tournament hall?

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Strange happening

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:17 pm

I think we're legally obliged to allow guide dogs in. Other than that, I'd say it's an organizer-level question.

Tim Spanton
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Tim Spanton » Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:34 pm

Anyone else remember the infamous incident at Hastings when a German walked out of the tournament after an arbiter forbade him from having his mascot, possibly a stuffed teddy bear (I cannot recall), beside the board?

https://beauchess.blogspot.com/

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JustinHorton
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Re: Strange happening

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:17 pm

No, can you source that one for us?
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Alex McFarlane
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Alex McFarlane » Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:44 pm

Before my time but the arbiter was the late Richard Furness. I was told the story by David Welch.

If I have the story correct the player wanted the stuffed toy to sit on the table watching his game. The opponent objected so Richard produced a chair for the toy to sit at but that was not good enough. (After all it was too small to see the board from there.) Richard decided it should not be on the table so it had to sit on the chair if anywhere.

The player refused to move until Teddy was restored to its 'proper' place and after an hour lost on time.

I believe the matter was reported to FIDE and although no moves had been played the game was rated.

David Robertson

Re: Strange happening

Post by David Robertson » Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:52 pm

Phil Neatherway wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:16 pm
there is all sorts of scope for issues to arise, e.g. allergies, and what if somebody steps on it (accidentally or otherwise!)?
Why stop there?

* what if it suddenly got startled, and bit your balls off? In the middle of a time scramble?? What penalty should the Arbiter impose? Two minutes? Ten?

* what if the dog shat in the Arbiter's pie-box? Heaven only knows if FIDE could cope with this.

* what if the dog woofed quietly, and you suspected the dog had been wired to prompt your opponent? Do the rules allow a search of the dog?

Paul Cooksey
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Paul Cooksey » Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:54 pm

what - drum-roll - if the dog is an expert on the Collie system...

John McKenna

Re: Strange happening

Post by John McKenna » Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:19 pm


Alex Holowczak
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Alex Holowczak » Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:25 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:17 pm
I think we're legally obliged to allow guide dogs in. Other than that, I'd say it's an organizer-level question.
We had a guide dog at the London Chess Classic one year, I remember. We put the arbiter with a phobia of dogs in charge of that game. :lol:

Neil Graham
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Neil Graham » Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:37 pm

I thought the toy was a stuffed tiger, though of course I may be completely wrong.

Some time ago I had a game with a blind player whose guide dog sat under the table. Unfortunately the dog suffered from severe flatulence which did not help my concentration on the game.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:10 pm

Paul Cooksey wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:54 pm
what - drum-roll - if the dog is an expert on the Collie system...
James and Fox came up with that gem back in the 1980s (and added "unless he was a paw to king four player")
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

LawrenceCooper
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Re: Strange happening

Post by LawrenceCooper » Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:37 pm

Neil Graham wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:37 pm
I thought the toy was a stuffed tiger, though of course I may be completely wrong.

Some time ago I had a game with a blind player whose guide dog sat under the table. Unfortunately the dog suffered from severe flatulence which did not help my concentration on the game.
Are you sure it was the dog? :wink:

David Sedgwick
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Re: Strange happening

Post by David Sedgwick » Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:00 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:34 pm
Anyone else remember the infamous incident at Hastings when a German walked out of the tournament after an arbiter forbade him from having his mascot, possibly a stuffed teddy bear (I cannot recall), beside the board?

https://beauchess.blogspot.com/
JustinHorton wrote:
Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:17 pm
No, can you source that one for us?

I can source it. I was the Chairman of the Appeal Committee.

The incident was discussed in some detail, with comments by all three members of the Appeal Committee, in the thread at
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1911.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Strange happening

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:17 pm

Ah, thanks for that. This enables me to locate a fuller account of the incident in issue number 13 (Winter 1998) of Arbiting Matters ("the newsletter of the Chess Arbiters' Association") which suggests that the incident took place in round ten of the Hastings Challengers, 1997/8.

(It's a Word document so I can't link, but the search phrase "unless the mascot was on the table" should get you there.)
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Paul Buswell
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Re: Strange happening

Post by Paul Buswell » Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:18 am

Club colleagues and I pop over to northern France two or three times a year for Sunday rapidplays. One of the regular local participants always has his small dog with him in the playing hall; it is completely well-behaved and no one seems to bat an eyelid. Rather more distracting was the young father whop had his baby on his lap for one round.

PB

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