Wijk aan Zee (NED), January 21, 2009
Decision of the FIDE Doping Hearing Panel
Drug testing is still relatively rare in chess. However, it does occur in various official events and was carried out during the course of the Dresden Olympiad. Unfortunately, a high proportion of the tests were scheduled during the last round and there was a lack of personnel, which lead to a procedural error: there was not a designated Doping Control Officer present at this match (USA v Ukraine).
After losing a crucial game for his country, Mr Ivanchuk was distraught. The Hearing Panel concludes that although the arbiter attempted to inform Mr Ivanchuk in English that he should accompany him for a doping test, Mr Ivanchuk apparently failed to understand the instructions, especially since English is not Mr Ivanchuk’s first language. If there had been a Doping Control Officer present, he would have immediately gone to Mr Ivanchuk’s board and there would have been communication between him and Mr Ivanchuk. In that case the outcome might have been different. Because there was no notification by the Doping Control officer, there was no refusal in the sense of the regulations.
The Conclusion:
The procedural error allied with Mr Ivanchuk’s state of mind led him unintentionally to miss the test. The Hearing Panel therefore concludes unanimously that there should be no penalty.
Special thanks to Mr. Peter Long for the breaking news update!
This is the right decision. Go Chuky!
The only reason for not penalising is the lack of procedure on FIDE’s part.
Ivanchuk’s state of mind is not a consideration. Everyone can have a state of mind, like “I didn’t think I was speeding officer.”
Athletes and footballers don’t escape penalty by saying “I forgot the test – I was having an argument with my partner.”
Fudge again – probably inevitable. No idea whether this was the right outcome or not.
Great news!
At last, some common sense….
—alfanje.
I’m glad, coffee isn’t on the “drug-list”.
lot of players would get penalties 🙂
I’m glad to see this.
True, there may have been faulty procedures on FIDE’s part; but nearly everyone has agreed that drug-testing for chess is nonsense. The only reason for it is to comply with IOC rules, in hopes that someday chess will be an Olympic sport.
That leads me to ask one thing: why the push to have it in the Olympics?
This is the wrong. Go Chucky!
The decision can only be considered a sham. It is a clear indication that organized chess is not serious about living up to lofty ethical standards of the Olympic Movement.
That decision proves that all the procedures are corrupt. Despite the case that this outcome have been well received by the chess community, a lot of serious questions emerge about how the judges behave. If you just focus on the outcome, then you are promoting corruption in the long run. Don’t you think, dear Susan?
Fide hide the head in the sand.
Wonderful just, wonderful!
Right decision made by FIDE.
Great!!!
Bravo!! Right decision!!! I am happy for Ivanchuk, and presume his preformance will be affected for the better by this decision.
Wonderful! Dope for everyone!
Everyone enjoy their dope of preference because now we have..the Chucky Defense!
Go Chucky!
Go Dope!
Doping tests really don’t make much sense in Chess. Only a Dope will get Dopped,as he /she will surely lose.H’ever a lot of thought and expense must be spent in trying to prevent other forms of cheating both electronic and the manual Danny version!
Those who are complaining that this is fudge are technically almost certainly right, but they should consider that this is clearly the right decision, and common sense has prevailed: the doping rule is daft, Ivanchuk was not trying to cheat, and any sensible set of arbiters would bend over backwards to find a loophole that would allow them to make the only sensible decision in the circumstances.
Good news. Now Chucky can concentrate on playing good chess at Corus. Chess doesn’t need to be in the Olympics. For a supposedly topnotch sporting event, the percentage of cheaters in the Olympics is a shame. Chess would be better off staying away from the Olympics and its hypocritical organizers.
Unbelievable!!!
Common sense has prevailed!
Who in their right mind would want to take drugs and play proffesional chess. Are there even any drugs availible that increase chess performance? If so please let me know where I can obtain them.
Oh! and lest I forget, to all those people who think it is a cop out by FIDE, don’t be so silly, this is a mans livelihood we are talking about here. It is a daft rule that has been implemented to try and comply with the Olympic rules, but the same rules should not apply unless we are comparing like for like.I do not believe we are in the case of athletics compared with chess, and anyone who thinks so is obviously barking mad.
Chuck is a Drunk
Just another low life commie
I really really hope smoking returns to chess tables.
Chess has just been accepted in Olympiad, after doping incident proved FIDE is right pathway.
Yes, FIDE is the honestiest organziation is sports.
“Are russians nad soviets in control of most of chess federations worldwide?”
Only the “nad soviets” some would say they are progressive in nature and want to provide jobs and welfare for all, so this makes them “go-nad soviets”.