To: The organizer of the AEROFLOT-OPEN tournament Alexander Grigorievich Bakh
From: GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Explanation of my protest
Dear Alexander Grigorievich,
On 22.09.2009 the game between myself and Igor Kurnosov was played.
During the game my opponent went out of the playing hall after each move, took his coat and withdrew himself on the toilet. After suspicion of unfair play on move 14 I offered a draw, he refused. We quickly played 11 moves, on the 12th move I played a move which confused my opponent. The next moves from him were given as first choice by Rybka, which quickly allowed him to win the game.
Due to this series of suspicions, having to do with the unusual behaviour of my opponent, Igor Kurnosov, I hereby lodge a protest and refuse to continue participation in the tournament.
I hope that this kind of situation will not occur in the future.
Sincerely,
GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
I have been receiving a number of emails and messages about this incident today. Chessvibes now has just confirmed it here. GM Mamedyarov withdrew in protest from the Aeroflot Open as the top seed.
According to the famous International Arbiter Gijssen, Mamedyarov had his suspicion during the game. He requested to have the game removed from the website and to have an arbiter keep an eye on his opponent. The arbiter tried to do that but in a playing hall with 160 players it is not easy.
However, the arbiter did notice that Kurnosov took his jacket with him every time he left the board. After the game he asked Kurnosov to show the contents of his pockets. All that he could find was a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and a pen.”
I will provide more information as I have it.
too sad
I hope they’ll catch him if he really cheated.
His behavior (leaving playing hall after every move) and playing always Rybkas best move in a highly tactical position with the amazing Qd2 tactic to finish the game is more than just suspicious, but it is not a proof yet…
But I am on Shaks side, I think he is right.
There’s no proof at all. The arbiter search and found cigarettes. Is he cheating by smoking Russian cigarettes? Shak should take the loss like a man.
This post should be titled:
“How to beat a grandmaster.”
Thanks for the idea, I’ll put it to good use (and I don’t mean the Rybka part.)
Miss Polgar,
Your way of presenting all this is not neutral, to say the least.
By doing so, you’re only making the “scandal” bigger.
It seems that the game was theory until move 16, and i really fail to see why the next moves are so exceptional for a grandmaster.
Mamedyarov lost quite some elo points, cannot live up to the expectations a lot of people had of him, gets less invitations for big tournaments and underperformed in the last Olympiad.
Very often, such accusations are born out of frustration.
I recall the case of a young hungarian girl (Anna Rudolf) who was falsely accused of cheating by some Latvian GM’s.
She was ferociously defended on this website.
But now, because one of your darling Grandmasters is the accuser, you seem to be siding with the accuser and not the accused.
If there is no proof of cheating, which seems to be the case, Mamedyarov should be punished because he more or less destroyed the tournament.
Steven
Players should never be allowed to leave the playing hall except for toilet breaks. The organizers of this tournament really showed ‘amateurish’ tournament management skills. If you invite top-level GMs like Mamedyarov in a tournament, you should make sure top-level tournament conditions are in place also. Perhaps Aeroflot should be renamed Aeroflop instead.
I don’t know about this issue enough to make a sound judgment. All I can do is to provide information as I have it.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
Steven: In what way is Susan’s way of presenting this not neutral. I cannot see her doing anything else than tell everyone what has happened?
This game http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1262647 is very similar, and it might be that Igor (from Russia) has seen this game played by two fellow Russians, and improved move number 13. The rest of the moves don’t look THAT hard to spot, do they?
Gegga
There is only one valid method of dealing with this problem :
if there is no proof, Mamedyarov’s actions should be punished by FIDE or at least disapproved of by the people and websites who defended Anna Rudolf.
If there is proof, Kurnosov should be sent in exile to northern Siberia.
Steven
Sounds just as plausible that Mamedyarov’s opponent was just going outside (and thus always with his coat) for a smoke break to think after the opponent’s move. I know sometimes for smokers they can think more clearly while puffing away on a cigarette.
Steven: You did not answer my question.
I don’t think Qd2 is very hard to find.
Gegga
Ahh,
But those cigarettes are special cigarettes! They are invention by Bulgarian genius Danailov. The user puffs his moves and opponents moves in PGN format. The cigarette then beams the info to Rybka computer then Rybka beams back new move in form of vibration morse code.
The cigarettes are an advance from Danailov’s invention he made for Topalov, a chess playing vibrator and the all time favorite: Danailov’s Rybka powered Dildo.
Danailov is a genius.
Website?
On my computer the official Aeroflot site cannot be reached. Are others having the same problem? Is there an alternative site?
Thanks
This is a serious charge and should be investigated. But I find it hard to believe that a 2600+ GM would use a computer program to “cheat”. Seems like sour grapes to me.
A lighter and a pen!! Must be a KGB agent…So is Steven, the one giving Igor cigarettes with prepared move from Rybka…
I am happy this finally came out. When the investigation is finished I am sure it will lead directly to Vladimir Knamnik and his henchmen that stole the title from the great Topalov.
In Topalov’s case Danialov found the wires. Look how Kramnik caved in to Anand when he is out of the sphere of his beloved KGB.
For a GM to accuse another GM of cheating because their moves matched what was recommended by a computer program is ludicrous. At that level, it is expected that GMs pick the best move (suggested by the computer) most of the time. Mamedyarov should be punished for his unfounded accusation. He is just upset and a sore loser for losing to someone he felt he should have beaten. Sore loser…
I’m just a patzer but I’m a fan. As I was once an athletics, bicycling and American baseball fan, do I have to now also suspect that the top competitors in chess are receiving “artificial” aid? The taint of steroid and other medications aiding performance have made all records in those physical sports suspect and of course opened the door to massive accusations which can affect the innocent as well as the guilty.
What to do? Well, let’s try to give everyone confidence in performance. It may be time to institute in chess what is common in other individual sports: regular bathroom breaks. In tennis, one cannot stop and go off of the court between every point, every game or every set at will. Why should chess be any different? Part of why some sports are popular is the tension – that the competitors can master their nerves, anxiety and tension is what makes them admirable – there are many people who can kick a ball and beat a goalie from 15 yards out, but few during the pressure of a world cup match with everything depending on that one shot.
Tal often left a board every couple moves to have a smoke (he was known to smoke couple packs a day and needed that to perform at the board). Do you guys think he was cheating as well?
If it’s not against the rules, then maybe he used it as strategy to get in the GM’s head? I don’t know for sure… It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.
** He requested to have the game removed from the website **
After Novikov scandal, the organizer took care 🙂 This year the Aeroflot website is of no help to any cheater! It hardly ever works during the games, and even if it does, there is no guarantee that the names of the players do correspond to the games shown. Kurnosov would have had zero points if he entirely relied on the site.
It is hard to prove. In the 2008 National Grade Level Chess Championship – K-6 section in Florida, the board 1 players on round 5 were playing like Rybka 3 until move 22 until the the top seed made a weak move on his 23rd move. These kids are just 6th graders, how much more GMs? I do not think that at GM level, Rybka moves are really that hard to find. I think, Mameyarov should prove his accusation rather that sound like a sore loser especially that he is not performing according to his seeding in this particular tournament.
Honestly, I do not see the cheating by the moves on the board. This looked like some preparation on both sides. A fairly strange game though, however I wasnt there and I know how strange it can seem to Shakh because I had an opponent do this to me at kings island open in 2007. Basically i moved extremely fast…..he got way behind on the clock like 30 min to make 20 moves. At that point i pointed out to the TD that my opponent was using the bathroom after every move. I guess he either had a bad breakfast or my moves were causing irritable bough syndrome lol but I won easily when he was forced to sit still and play chess. I dont see the cheating in this game at all. I been following this tournament and this guy has a number of upsets already. It is suspicious but man you got to have some hardcore evidence before you accuse someone.
I can see that professional reputation of 2 Grandmasters are on the line!
I would not make empty accusations without bullet proof facts
I was unable to follow this game since I myself was in time trouble. But when I finished 6 hours later, Mamedyarov was just taking a casual stroll to see the pairings/results. There was no hint that he withdrew/protested.
I am advocating the following rule since long time.
“Players should be at the table for the whole game. They can go to the toilet once for every hour of play.”
This doesn’t mean they have to go on the hour, it means that if the game lasts for 6 hours, then they can leave the table maximum 6 times – whenever they wish. I think one toilet break per hour is enough. Even if the person drinks a lot during the game, he doesn’t really pee more than once per hour.
If the player needs to stretch his legs, then he can stand up and walk a little, but in proximity of the table.
I see no other reasons why a player should leave the table.
Chess should be played at the table, not from the toilets, relaxation box, smoking area, etc.
Hahaha once every hour? Are you kidding? It happened to me to have problems with my stomach and having to play a game. I remember going to the toilet 5 or 6 times in two hours. So my game should have been declared lost? How many players have never suffered from diarrhea at least once during their chess career? The limit, if any, should be put on other issues, such as smoking…