Both chess kings go missing from board in restrooms clash
By Raymond Keene, Chess Correspondent
Times Online
THE World Chess Championship remained in doubt last night as officials struggled to resolve an extraordinary row over lavatory breaks.
The contenders, from Russia and Bulgaria, failed to take their places in the latest match, which was due to happen yesterday. Last night it was unclear whether the contest would continue today.
Members of the appeals commitee for the contest resigned amid complaints that they had mishandled the dispute between Vladimir Kramnik, of Russia, and Veselin Topalov, his Bulgarian opponent. Kramnik and Topalov are taking part in a long-awaited contest for the undisputed world title, which has been claimed by rival organisations since 1993, in the Russian republic of Kalmykia. The two men will share a prize fund of $1 million.
The confrontation was suspended on Friday, with Kramnik leading the 12-match series 3-1. Topalov filed a complaint against his rival, alleging that he had abused rules allowing him to visit his private restroom during their matches.
Topalov’s officials claimed that Kramnik used the lavatory up to 50 times during one match, suggesting that he was making use of a computer to gain an advantage. Kramnik, who suffers from arthritis and likes to walk around while his opponent deliberates his next move, disputed the allegations, claiming that the lavatory gave him more space than was available in the private restroom that is available for each player.
The rest of the article by GM Keene can be found here.
My Kramnik Topalov match compromise.
Eliminate tie breaks make it 16 games
Kramnik takes match if score tied.
Resume at Game 5 with score 3-1
Forfeit transferred to game 16.
Topalov may choose to use it then.
Allow loser access to 2007 event.
I find Kramnik’s arrogance despicable. He never really earned his shot to challenge Kasparov. He got lucky and now become a real twit.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2384222,00.html
There are some errors in Keene’s article:
1. “The contenders … failed to take their places in the latest match”
The correct term is ‘game’, not ‘match’.
They did not “fail” to play, there was no game yesterday, Saturday Sept 30.
2. “The confrontation was suspended on Friday, with Kramnik leading the 12-match series 3-1.”
The match was suspended before Saturday’s game 6, not before Friday’s game 5.
When the match was suspended, Kramnik’s points lead was 3-2, not 3-1.
3. “Topalov is the world champion according to Fide, the World Chess Federation. Vesselin is the Classical World Champion, a rival title created after Garry Kasparov, then the world champion broke from Fide in 1993.”
Vesselin is not the Classical world chess champ, Kramnik is (until he forfeits again on Monday Oct 2).
The Classical title was created in 1886, not in 1993.
FIDE, not Fide.
4. “This is the sixth attempt to reunite the titles.”
6th?? Quite a misleading stretch.
There are 3 sides to every story. Your side, their side, and the truth.
-one of those anonymous idiots.
Georgios Makropoulos wrote:
“FIDE is not sharing any fears regarding use of external assistance during the games, but our opinion here is not important”
Wee todd did.
GMak is saying (a) their opinion does not matter, and (b) in their opinion the conditions needed to be changed mid-match.
Gene_M
Georgios Makropoulos wrote:
“we have received a declaration from the team of Topalov with the request to get acquainted with the video recording from the restrooms. The Organisers provided all the materials”
Profoundly wee todd did.
Big Brother GMak simply gave Topalov video of Kramnik taken when Kramnik was in a private setting, out of sight of his opponent.
Why not just hire spies? Info of genuinely competitive impact could be on such a video.
Gene_M
Georgios Makropoulos wrote:
“the most important thing is for the both players to feel protected from the use of the external help by their respective opponent. For the first time we are facing such strong suspicions from both sides. I think here there is some partial fault of the journalists who were actively speculating on this topic before the World Championship. Of course when you read on a regular basis about this, that it is so easy to cheat, you start to get worried.”
GMak is adrift in a sea of wee todd did.
It could be the “most important thing” IF there was any reasonable basis for Topalov cheating accusation against Kramnik; and IF it were magically impossible to simply search the bathroom and players.
But as it is, Topalov’s farcical accusation obviously never had any merit. So the accusation is far from being the “most important thing”.
Great other point GMak, very convincing: we should all blame the journalists instead of blaming you. Because all of us are wee todd did.
Gene Milener
http://CastleLong.com/
Georgios Makropoulos wrote:
“We spoke to President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov before taking a decision regarding the appeal of Topalov’s team and the FIDE President himself proposed to close the toilets in the restrooms.”
Kirsan thought the best idea was to lock Kramnik’s bathroom, and to tell Kramnik only hours before game 5. And you took Kirsan’s approval as a sign the plan was good??
This goes deeper than wee todd did.
You are transparently hoping Kirsan’s approval shields you from the public’s judgment. How juvenile of you.
The decision was made by you on the FIDE Appeals Committee. We all saw your signature published on ChessBase.com.
The Edward Winters of this world will keep your name alive for infamy.
Gene_M
Georgios Makropoulos wrote:
“the team of Topalov with the request to get acquainted with the video recording from the restrooms. The Organisers provided all the materials, and based on these materials the team of Topalov produced an appeal
…
It was not in our authority to provide the journalists with video recording, as we thought that this is a violation of the player’s right for privacy.”
Kontruhdikshun. How very wee todd did.
Gene_M
Georgio Maropoulos wrote:
“According to the contract, FIDE shall provide both players with a restroom and a toilet. It is obvious for us that the contract is not binding us to provide the toilet in the restroom, otherwise the sentence would read “a restroom with a toilet”.
Agreed.
But to change the playing environment just because one player told you to, to the detriment of the other player, was wrong.
Such an action is defensible only if (a) there was a plausible accusation of cheating, and (b) there was no less invasive way of assuring against cheating.
Topalov’s accusation was implausble, and you could have searched the bathroom.
Even excusing your misjudgments on this points, you errored in (c) telling Kramnik only hours before game 5, and (d) allowing game 5 to start until both players were satisfied with a compromise.
Gene_M
Georgio Makropoulos wrote:
“I think this will be a terrible mistake if this match would remain in the sports history as the match stopped because of the toilets”
We are not wee todd did.
This match was not destroyed over “toilets”. This match was destroyed by the mistakes of your Appeals Committee and the Arbiter.
Both of you failed to pause the match before game 5, though that was obviously essential.
Instead you paused the match before game 6. Maybe you count wee todd did like 1 2 3 4 6?
Your failure gave Topalov the free bureaucratic point for non-game 5 that destroyed this match. The toilet issue was mere background.
Heck even Kirsan quickly resolved the toilet issue, reversing your imposed dumb decision by the way.
Gene_M
Gene,
This “wee todd” thing makes you sound silly ad it is boring.
Mr Keen must know all about this kinda setups. He was Korchnoi’s second at Baguio. So for him it must not be a surprise
Keene is one of the most infamous characters in the chess world today. Let’s not give him more credibility than he deserves.
Behaviors like this give chess a bad name. It shows that chessplayers are in their own crazy world. If chess is a sporting event, then please make it so. Have you ever heard of a sporting event where players protest about their bathroom use? This is the kind of things comedians will pick up and make fun of the games.