An exciting shocker of a final day for the Internet Chess Club’s annual Dos Hermanas blitz tournament. Cinderella-story Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (nee Zamora) (ICC: NECF-InSchools) defeated three grandmasters in the final three knockout rounds, to win the €1,800 EUR first prize and blitz bragging rights for a while. One of the few untitled players to qualify, he entered Dos Hermanas unsure if he could even reach the final knockout event!
Sammour-Hasbun’s quarterfinal victory over 2661 rated GM Kiril Georgiev (ICC: K-Georgiev) was particularly sweet as Jorge has fond memories of playing ultra long blitz sessions with the Bulgarian grandmaster way back in the late nineties before Sammour-Hasbun’s ten year hiatus from the game. He has an ambitious over-the-board comeback planned now that he’s back, but is also just happy to be enjoying the game again.
More in my 27 minute audio interview with Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (requires ICC membership) recorded LIVE, just minutes after his harrowing 227 move (not a typo!) draw to guarantee the match win against runner-up Tigran L Petrosian (ICC: Anyuta).
This is a report by Macauley Peterson at www.macauleypeterson.com
Now I remember the kids. He was just Jorge Zamora. I remember watching him play in Washington square park. He was a top Junior in the 90’s with Josh Waitzkin and Tal Shaked.
What happenned to Tal Shaked?
who knows this guy did not cheat? wasn’t it this event on the net? it’s highly possible there is a cheat.
there were proctors for the K/O rounds.
This guy COULD NOT have used a computer without ICC catching him. They monitor closely for computer cheating.
Plus, ICC can ALWAYS detect computers usage. I don’t know how they do it but it’s IMPOSSIBLE for a player to just log on, play against strong players, use a computer to beat them, and NOT get caught EVERY time.
If there’s a way for this guy to have used a computer to cheat and beat GM’s, IM’s, etc., and NOT get caught….
How could he fool ICC, use a computer, and beat such high ranking players?
You can’t. If there’s a way…then it’s top secret and only he know how.
You cannot beat ICC’s ability to detect people using computers.
If anyone has a theory as to how this guy (or anyone) can use a computer on ICC and NOT get caught, then let us all know.
It can’t be done.
Hey, please don’t accuse him of cheating without proof.
Susan advoated (If I rmember correctly) some kind of sanctions for false accusations and I’m starting to think she has a good point.
Oh and by the way ICC had a TD at Jorge Zamora house during the finals in the same room watching over his shoulder. Let’s put these foolish accusations to rest please.
Thank you.
I (the “anon” post before yours) did NOT say that he was cheating! I said (please read carefully for understanding)…that he COULD NOT have cheated due to the ICC’s strict
monitoring of this type of abuse.
So, read my post more carefully before advocating “sanctions.”
I said NOTHING inappropriate. I said that he COULD NOT have “cheated.”
I’m sick of “cheating” allegations, too.
Sorry, I was addressing the post by “lalalag”. Please forgive me if I gave the impression was criticizing you!
Stop the cheating non sense.
The guy was US Junior Champion in the 90s ahead of Tal Shaked, Eugene Perelstein and Josh Waitzkin. He just walked away from chess for a while.
pretty easy to fool ICC, if you ask me .. just use two computers – play on one and analyze on the other (with more than one engine if possible – also use an accomplice to save time) and dont necessarily pick the first option every time.
ICC knoes its system is not foolproof .. that is why they apparently sent someone to everyone’s house during the KO phase.
p.s. this is not to knock Jorge Zamora .. I am as delighted as anybody else that there is someone good representing US Chess.
“this is not to knock Jorge Zamora .. I am as delighted as anybody else that there is someone good representing US Chess.”
Jorge Zamora representing US Chess. It’s a comedy.
You should all watch “Good Shepherd”, the ultimate spy movie.
At one part of the movie, Matt Damon (playing a high rank CIA officer) coming from a WASP family interrogates an Sicily oriented(Joe Pesci) mafia boss. Mafia boss tells Matt that Italians have this, Irish have that, and asks him “What does people like you (implying WASP) have ?” The answer is plain and simple : “We have the most glorious country in the world named United States of America. You are just visiting”.
Think about this.
Jorge is only as American as Zsussana is. Or should I have sad Susan ?
The guy is just plain genius. I think he had this formula in beating the gm’s. Before he entered the tournament he could have studied the latest openings and made it analyzed by computers
then memorized the computers analysis and used it in beating the GM’s. We all know that GM’s have pet opening lines and therefore made it easier for him to prepare for them. My suggestion is to play against him using anti computer chess and there’s a high probability that he will lose.
Jorge no longer represents US Chess. It seems he changed his nationality as well as his name. He is now Palestinian.
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