Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Cheating Scandal at the Zadar Open

KingsCrusher video analysis
From my experience at tournaments I conclude that a large swath of 1700-1900 players take computer moves on every move during the opening and then atleast look at the analysis score of a computer thereafter. There are honest players out there and I want to find you all. I want to organize tournaments just for you. No prize money. Just chess and fun with like minded friends.
I'm concerned for the future of chess and what it means to be a chess player. I refuse to let chess player be synonymous with cheater.

My plan is to get my tournament director certification and then find a convenient hall to rent out to run a tournament at. I will cover the cost of the hall rental myself. Entry fee is just the rating fee and any donation to defray cost of the hall rental. $5 per player would be greatly appreciated but not required. I would hope I can find 20 or 30 players who are interested enough and care about an honest game and commit to playing an honest game to make this feasible. No cash prizes but perhaps some small gifts to the winners.
Players will be required to discuss their games and their ideas behind moves played. I think this type of post mortem is a great way to improve, builds camaraderie and decreases the likelihood of engine use. I hope to introduce an arbitration scheme which all players would agree to in the event cheating is suspected.
An analysis session will follow immediately after each game. I have not worked out the specifics of how this would work but it ought to be open to all participants of the tournament
All games played will be kept on file in a database which will be available to all tournament participants for future reference and study.
Now to address the Zadar issue specifically: I looked at the KingsCrusher video and another analysis by FM Lilov also on YouTube. Of course nothing is conclusive since no specific method of transmitting moves has been discovered. I do find it difficult to give the player in question at the Zadar open the benefit of the doubt. Yet I have to restrain myself and hear more from that player directly. If he has an ingenious training method that can make me play an honest game at GM strength consistently I'm all too ready to sign up.
I hope to have my tournaments up and running not later than summer 2013.

1 comment:

  1. Uh, this put an end to the matter: http://www.chessvibes.com/borislav-ivanov-alleged-cheater-ends-chess-career#comment-116507

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