The following news item was just published:
Veselin Topalov May Leave Game with Kramnik
28 September 2006 14:45 FOCUS News Agency
Elista. The world Champion in Chess Veselin Topalov could leave the game for the title with his opponent Vladimir Kramnik in Elista. This will happen in case the organizers of the event do not carry out the requests of the Bulgarian delegation, the press secretary of Topalov – Zhivko Gichev reported for FOCUS News Agency.
Video records showed that Kramnik went to a particular bathroom more than 50 times during play. This was the only bathroom with no surveillance cameras installed.
According to the Bulgarian delegation, going more than 50 times in a bathroom with no surveillance cameras look little suspicious. The Bulgarians want both players banned from going to the bathroom in question and only be allowed to go to secured bathrooms with cameras after permission from judge.
Here is the original article in the media!
This is the official PRESS RELEASE from the Topalov team:
To the Organizing Committee of the match Topalov vs Kramnik
To the Appeals Committee
Mr. Makropoulos
Mr. Azmaiparashvili
Mr. Vega
To all mass media
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The careful study of the video recordings from the rest rooms done by the technical experts of the Bulgarian team revealed the following facts which we would herewith like to bring to your attention:
1. After each move Mr. Kramnik immediately heads to the rest room and from it directly to the bathroom. During every game he visited the relaxation room 25 times at the average and the bathroom more than 50 times – the bathroom is the only place without video surveillance.
2. Unlike Mr. Kramnik, the World Champion Veselin Topalov spends his time mainly at the playing table. The average number of times he visited the rest room and the bathroom is 8 and 4 respectively.
A short statistical sample derived from the camera recordings in the rest room during the third game shows:
15.54 – Kramnik plays move 15
15.55 – Goes into the bathroom
15.56 – Goes out of the bathroom
15.57 – Goes into the bathroom 15.59 – Goes out of the bathroom
16.03 – Goes into the bathroom 16.04 – Goes out the bathroom
16.07 – Comes out for move 16
The behavior of Mr. Kramnik is very similar to the above during all games played so far.
The logical question arises: How many times during a game does a player need to go to the bathroom and with what regularity? The logical answer is: between 5 -10 times at the most, but not 50 as the statistics from the games played so far shows.
We would like to once again remind you that the bathroom is the only place without video or audio surveillance.
In our opinion these facts are quite strange, if not suspicious.
In relation to the above, and to ensure the best conditions for fair play and rule out all suspicions we demand:
1. To stop the use of the rest rooms and the adjacent bathrooms for both players.
2. If a player needs to go to the bathroom, he can use the public bathroom, but only with permission from the Arbiter and accompanied by an assistant arbiter.
3. The Organizing Committee should present the video tapes from the rest rooms to all journalists accredited in the press-center so that they can verify for themselves the facts described by us.
Should this extremely serious problem remain unsolved by 10.00 o’clock tomorrow (September 29th, 2006), we would seriously reconsider the participation of the World Champion Veselin Topalov in this match.
28.09.2006
Elista
Sincerely:
Silvio Danailov
Manager of the Bulgarian team
According to ChessBase, the complaint started earlier:
Translation version:
Mr. V. Bovaev
Representative of the Organisation Committee for the match for the world chess championship between Topalov and Kramnik
Dear Mr Bovaev,
The team of V Topalov wishes to make the following comments, regarding the organisation of the match:
1. We are not satisfied with the checks carried out on the players’ rest rooms. Members of our team were not invited to attend these checks. We are surprised by the fact that the window of Topalov’s rest room was open during play.
2. Outside people have been in and out of the players’ rest rooms during the match.
3. No appropriate security checks have been carried out on spectators, to ensure they are not carrying electronic devices, such as mobile phones and/or cameras with flash.
In order to put a stop to these infractions, we call for the following measures:
1. Checks on players’ rest rooms should be carried out in the presence of representatives of both teams. The details of such checks should be agreed by both teams.
2. Rules should be established to provide each team with the right of access to footage from video cameras in the rest rooms.
3. Strengthened controls over the main entrance to the playing hall, and the presence of electronic devices therein.
The Head of the Bulgarian Delegation, Manager of the World Champion:
Silvio Danailov (signed)
Elista
24.09.06
Susan – what’s your opinion on the matter?
Is this irregular? Can this have anything to do with Kramnik’s medical condition?
Or is this now going to remind us of Karpov-Kasparov and the colored yogurt?
Chess is meant to share … how often champions go to bathroom 🙂
Sorry Susan… sequence of topics is great
Oh-oh, it’s Karpov-Korchnoi all over again. Topalov’s accusations would have a smidge more credibility if he weren’t behind 3-1 at this point.
Of course, people sneered at Bobby for complaining that the Russians cheated, but he was right….
Though Topalov’s concern is genuine, I doubt if Kramnik is _so_ desperate to win as to cheat.
Either
a) Kramnik has a problem due to his health or due to his strict diet.
OR
b) The Russians may be deliberately trying to get under the Bulgarians’ skin.
That said, I just hope Topalov doesn’t abandon the match. It won’t look reflect well on him, and we’ll be robbed of a most exciting match.
Yes the timing of this complaint could have been better and maybe he would not bother if 3-1 ahead.
However, assuming the commentary is true, it seems that once again the organisation of the World Championship of Chess is not in capable hands.
Not only must every aspect be above board, it must be seen to be so.
Toilet breaks cannot be refused but players should accept a chaperone on each occasion
this entire thing is rediculous.
first a careful reading shows that Topalov made a move and then Kramnik immediately left for the bathroom counted as 3 times. only then returned to the board to see what Topalov played.
Kramnik did not know what topalov had played while he was in the bathroom. so big deal.
he then sits down and plays the game. looks like kramnik has health issues. and topalov is paranoid.
Can anyone find out if move 16 in Game 3 was a computer move.
the real problem is Silvio Danailov. mean spirited. nasty man.
But I agree the responsibility for the match is in fide hands. it is their responsibility to show the world that the match was a fair contest.
It’s really a historical match this one. So far it lacked intrigues and behind-the-scenes events, now it really is a part of chess history. I love the “my-dad-is-stronger-than-your-dad” behavior of the players at this highest level. They are all little kids in heart, that’s how it’s been over the years.
look just check the games with Fritz, unless the moves correspond exactly (and from what I’ve seen so far they most certainly don’t), odds are he’s just taking care of business. if Topalov pulls out he’ll look like the biggest weenie in the world.
agree with 2:
mayb his medications make hm go 2 d bathroom more.
doesnt lk gd complaining when ur 3 pts down.
thanks Susan
Kramnik might get into serious trouble if he’s forced to stay long at the board, given his medical condition probably doesn’t encourage sitting upright for long periods of time. I don’t buy it, but though these accusations might be nothing more than a cheap trick (though 50 times is a lot, indeed), it’s a fairly ingenious trick.
50 times is out of the ordinary, even if his medical condition requires it, the whole thing can be done in a more controlled manner, after all Topalov’s delegation does not want to put limit to bathroom breaks as far as I can tell from the letter – they simply want things to be done in a controlled environmnent they way the should be in a match of that level.
And given the facts, the suspicions are a lot more credible than microchips in Topalov’s brain, it seems that it is a battle of nerves in the end though, I dont thinnk anyone’s cheating really.
Simply Amazing!
Having looked at multiple games thru Fritz , I doubt if Kramnik is cheating.
I can also compare Kramnik’s play to 2004. He plays like guys at his level. 95% of the time they play the best move.
Topalov should have also brought this up earlier.
Still, FIDE needs to investigate.
I hope Topalov is preparing for the next game instead of being distracted by all this.
There is a high probability of Kramnik cheating. There could be a receiver in the bathroom, and since the game is live on the Internet, he does not need to be at the chessboard to see what Topalov played. Russia takes pride in having world chess champions. If Kramnik was so sick that he needs to go 50 times in the bathroom, he would not win the game. There has to be an escort to the bathroom by the opponent representative and the arbiter. The bathrooms need to be looked at with metal detectors. It seems that Topalov received life threats- his blunders in game two shows that “Something is Wrong”. It would not be the first time that life threats are made to non-Russian chess players.
Why would Kramnik necessarily need to SEE the Topalov’s move to take the benefit of it? He could HEAR the move by phone unless the bathroom is a 100% perfect radiofrequency shielding.
And why do you assume that Kramnik might be taking advantage of a computer? I doubt it would be beneficial against the likes of Leko, Anand or Topalov. I would rather suspect a bunch of hired IMs analyzing the game for Kramnik and telling him what to do by phone. Unless the bathroom is a 100% perfect radiofrequency shielding.
Having said that, I do not assume Kramnik is cheating. Just like I do not assume he is not cheating. I just want FIDE to make sure there is no room for these or those assumptions!
I hope we will enjoy the match.
Interesting question (wider than the current match) is whether FIDE is at all prepared to fight possible (c)heating. Both different communication devices, and computers, are miniaturized, even somebody not knowing chess may support the player using some strong engine… As we can see even in case of two-player top-level match we have doubts, compare it to the situation of – say – large national team tournament.
Maybe, except of isolating the players, FIDE should also monitor and analyse the games to find the suspicious trends – just as chess servers administrators do for a years…
It’s ridiculous… I go to he bathroom often… And I don’t think Kramnik should cheat… remember, people, he left a match of 15 games against Kasparov without a loss… Toppy’s people are using this argument to try to stop the match, because Toopy’s losing…
I think Kramnik is smoking in the bathroom!
These allegations are ridiculous. Did we forget already that Kramnik blundered badlly in Game 2? Did we forget already what happened in Game 1? In Game 1, Topalov was better according to published analysis including comments made by a slew of grandmasters watching the game online . In Game 2, Topalov was clearly winning with Rxg4+ instead of the played Qg6+. If Kramnik has been cheating, he is not doing it very well. Had Topalov won the first two games, we would hear instead the observation that Kramnik lost these games because he wasted too much thinking time in the bathroom. Give me a break!
Do you happen to go to a bathroom every 7 minutes at average for over 6 continuous hours?…
I do not say such an illness is impossible (but if this is possible, would the affected player be able to perform at a GM level?…) or that Kramnik is not ill. I do not know if he is or is not ill. I just cannot understand those of you who do not see anything suspicious in this behaviour.
Regards.
This is completely ridiculous, and it looks really bad, when it comes from a losing side, just like “Topalov is cheating” came from those who lost to him. Nobody talks about an implanted microchip, as far as I can see on the Russian chess sites. The question was raised by an NTV journalist, who was probably thinking of TV ratings or just making a stupid joke.
I have no idea why Kramnik goes to the bathroom so much. He might have a urinary tract infection, or he might like to wash his face and hands all the time. The man who beat Kasparov and for a while was one of the strongest players in the world simply does not need to solve his chess problems in the toilet.
Danailov is a liability to Topalov. Why doesn’t Topalov speak up? What is this “mouth of Sauron” role Danailov took on himself? Does Topalov himself have an opinion of any sort?
In case of rheumatoid arthritis, it is important to make sure to be active by doing exercise that must not be too violent or exhausting but targeted at keeping the muscles flexible and working properly so as not to make them diminish or rigid which could cause even more pain.
Kramnik suffers from chronic polyarthritis. The worst thing for this is to sit at a chess table for hours. It is also a condition that can vary in effect from day to day.
I suspect Kramnik is doing exercises to try to relieve some discomfort he is very likely to be suffering.
He has been very quiet about his illness in the past, and I would imagine he would prefer to do his excercises in the bathroom, which is the only place available without video surveilence.
I do not believe for one second that he is receiving, or indeed needs to recieve, any assistance.
If Kramnik is cheating and his computer helper is telling him to make moves like game 2’s 31…Bxf8??, then Topalov should let him continue to consult his outside help….
Topalov is turning to be a cry baby. He is losing match and I think he is either trying to upset Kramnik so he will play worse or wants to quit altogether knowing he is going to lose anyway. Just take a look at game where both sides missed a mate in 3. No cheating is taking place. End of story, play chess you cry baby Topalov!
I find it hard to square cheating with Kramnik’s play. As other have mentioned: inaccuracies are more numerous than one might expect. I also think that it may be due to Kramnik’s health, medication, or diet. Or perhaps, nerves. Does anyone remember Kasparov at Linares going to his room for medication?
It also looks bad for Topalov to be protesting like this when he is down by 2 games.
However, it is effective tool to embarass Kramnik. Now everyone will be talking about how often he goes to the toilet and whether or not he should have surveillance, etc. It serves to make Kramnik’s private behavior public.
I found remarks (by Jakov Damsky) that there were some controversy regarding toilet usage during Kramnik-Kasparov match (see http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/default.asp?p=2&date=2006/9/29&id=237481).
Would be interesting if somebody could get more info about that.
Regarding protest date – Topalov team initially protested earlier without calling general public, but was ignored by organizers.
The solution is in plain sight! Either play in the bathroom or put the chess table in the doorway. Topalov can sit outside the bathroom but still follow Kramnik’s every … ehh…movement :).
Ha ha ha ha — 50 times in the bathroom???? –Wow! Must be some really good Vodka! — if Kramnik needs to exercise, he should have a private room with a FIDE trainer
“The solution is in plain sight! Either play in the bathroom or put the chess table in the doorway. Topalov can sit outside the bathroom but still follow Kramnik’s every … ehh…movement :).”
How about we have a Co-Ed bathroom and Susan and her sons–team Polgar–can film the match?