My chess motto is: “Win with grace, lose with dignity”
Unfortunately, not all chess players follow this. Right after the World Championship in San Luis, an anonymous participant of the World Championship accused the new FIDE World Champion Topalov of cheating. Even though it is not uncommon for chess players to accuse their opponents of cheating after they lost, it is still a disgusting behavior to me.
World Chess Champ Topalov “Fraudster” – 2005-11-11
An unnamed participant in the World Chess Championship in San Luis, Argentina, has accused Chess King Bulgarian Vesselin Topalov of using unallowed measures to win the title, index.hu reported.
According to the article published on the site the allegations remained secret because of “games behind the curtain.” Such allegations, however, are common for the chess world. It is not clear who has raised the allegations against the Chess King, but this man claims that during several games aide Ivan Cheparinov and manager Silvio Danailov have helped Topalov.
The site reports that after each move of Topalov, Cheparinov has used computer analysis of the game and has then secretly signaled the chess king for the next move. Peter Leko has also voiced his suspicions that Topalov has used unfair advantage by sitting on the same place during the entire championship. FIDE however, has not undertaken any measures due to lack of evidence.
If you want to make an accusation, do it publicly and be prepared to back up your statement. Let there be an official investigation. If the charge is true then the chess federation can ban the cheater(s). However, if it is a false malicious accusation then the accuser should be punished severely.
This happened to me a in August 2003. For dirty political reasons, a board member of the United States Chess Federation and his political bulldogs made a similar bizarre accusation against me. They did not have the guts to even make the charge public. Instead, they went around spreading the rumors by word of mouth.
I obviously publicly challenged the allegation. My attorney and a number of top GMs backed me up. The cowards were allowed to hide behind their masks while they tried to ruin my spotless reputation. Why? Because I refused to join their dirty political game to attack their foes. Of course the charges were dropped immediately because there was not even an ounce of evidence. It is like accusing a world champion of using computer assistance to beat a 1300. Stupid and outrageous!
Why were they able to make a charge like that? Because other politicians protected them in exchange for future political favors. I hope that these people will never be allowed to hold another position within the chess federation ever again. They are lucky I did not pursue serious legal actions against them.
I think Topalov should DEMAND to know which player made this outrageous accusation. Let that player proves it. A full investigation should be done by FIDE. If the allegation is true, Topalov should be stripped of his title and banned from chess for at least 3 years. However, if the allegation is false and the accuser was just a sore loser then let FIDE fine that player a substantial amount of money. In addition, the accuser’s name must be made public and Topalov should have the right to seek legal actions against that player. There is no place for this kind of behavior in chess.
WIN WITH GRACE! LOSE WITH DIGNITY!
Tommy says:
Bravo Susan.
Right On Susan.
I agree 100%.
NO WAY did Topalov cheat. NO WAY.
I am so glad that you have shown an outraged position. I am just as outraged at the accuser as you are.
I say ban the accuser from chess for 3 years to life.
There is no doubt in my mind that Topalov did NOT cheat. it is impossible to really cheat at that high a level without it messing up your game. his games could not serve 2 masters. his inner self master and the computer as master. the conflict would mess up all his games.
NO WAY did he cheat. I would come down very hard on the accuser. and the accuser hides behind a closed door of anonymity. but the reputation of the accused is tarnished. False accusations like this are bad for chess. and chess must punish those who falsely accuse others and thus hurt the reputation of chess worldwide.
a disgrace by whoever has perpetrated this lie.
Tommy
Is this news official? I would like to see other websites like ChessBase also verify it.
Also, I would like to add that to even suggest that Topalov might have cheated is just ridiculous!
Well, this time we know it wasn’t Garry accusing someone of cheating who obviously did not.
This whole thing is the sad part of chess. I wish more GMs would actually admit they lost because they played terrible. You always hear excuses to why they lost such as being ill, tired, personal problems, etc. The question more should ask is “Did I lose because they were better than me, or because I played poorly?”. Many would realize the answer is the latter more than they would like to admit.
Actually maybe he did cheat but not by using a computer. Maybe he used his SuperGM psychic powers to talk to Steinitz.
Topa: “Wilhelm, what should I do?”
Steinitz: “Take away his advanced support points for his knights”
Topa: “I know that already, I am a SuperGM. What else?”
Steinitz: “Trade bishops?”
Topa: “We’re in a rook endgame!”
Steinitz: “Hmmm, sac a piece?”
Topa: “I should have contacted Frank Marshall!”
(No offense meant to Steinitz, Marshall or Topalov). 🙂
Go, Susan, Go!!! I think I’ll always try to stay on your good side. 🙂 And I thought we Germans had a temper! 🙂
He should seek to take legal action against the publisher of the allegations and hope this will force out whoever made them!
This is the official story in the newspaper:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=55051
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
I dont beleive it at all. What about that miss of a win against Morozevich…I thik it would be pretty hard to cheat at this level. The accuser should be made public right away and the chess public should demand he reveal himself. Topalov I think has a right to face his accuser. I agree its disgusting behaviour. Lets find out where this stink comes from. Thanks Susan for letting us know about this tragedy. Nice cartoon.
maybe the reason these (political) pundits have so much venom is because there is so little to fight about.
Oerhaps we should leave these dogs sleep with themselves. What more do they deserve?
Awfull …awfull. Sorry to hear chess politics is in such a bad state of affairs. Breaks the heart that people choose to give their energy to such poop instead of trying to do something nice.
Reminds me of the flies in Fischers chair.
sounds pretty pathetic actually….now Mr Kramnik is playing a simul with clockmakers…wow…what a champ….sorry but the guy is a little sad
I agree..its so sad to a guy like this….we need a champion..a dominator…not this potatohead
Topalov is world champ…because Kasparov stepped down…that was Mr Kasparovs choice because he kniew Mr Kramnik would never give him the returm match which we all know Kasparov would and always has given . This coward is reminisent Alekhine when he hid from Capablanca…and he makes me sick. I dont understand anyone who takes Kramniks side except to say that mayby they are insane…..Kasparov is the true champ of the world and we all know it;
And to think..some people were treating him unfairly…haha.Mr Topalov deserves everything he gets the first half of that tourney was so fischer!!! good for him. You’d never see Kramnik do that!! I think we can all agree. The point I’m making is that this guy..(Topalov) has earned the right to be called the champ. This guy in hiding..Kramnik who plays guys he knows he can beat….no 6 or 7 in the ratings…cmon..thats pretty pathetic….this guy is an embarrassment to the chessworld and we should unite to kickk him either action or out….simple as thatt..cause all he seems to do is play second rate oponents or makes nice excuses not to play…what a wondurfull chump./…uh..chip….uh…champ…yeah..thats it…
I did notice that a lot of Topalov’s moves coincided with those of Toga II, particularly in tactical positions. I expressed the concern that he might be “wired” in the ICC spectator sessions.
I sure hope that he did not cheat but it has to be said that some of the tactical resources he found were exactly the same that Toga II found. I do not know if other chess engines found the same moves.
Ok, the legal courses against libel (written defamation), slander (spoken defamation), and invasion of privacy can help you remedy troubles like this.
http://www.law.columbia.edu/law_school/communications/reports/summer2004/jones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libel
http://www.splc.org/legalresearch.asp?maincat=4
Without libel, the Freedom of Speech right can be used to instantly destroy anyone’s reputation and career, simply upon a whim.