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Thu, 21 Dec 2006
My Response to Readers' Comments
In the process of updating the site to add coverage of the "Chess Cheating Town Meeting" earlier this month, I am belatedly catching up with the comments posted to the preceding (July 2006) entry.------------------------------------- The idea of having all entrants sign a statement agreeing to various security measures -- suggested by Louis Blair in a comment below -- was later endorsed by attorney Nelson Farber in his "Town Meeting" panel remarks.-------------------- Regarding bathroom breaks, in public tournaments they are overshadowed as a potential cheating tool, by the possibility of hidden communication devices that a cheater could use without getting up from his board. This obviously contrasts with the situation in World Championship matches, where each side has some control over its own rest area and bathroom. New rules announced for the 2007 World Open and three other major Continental Chess Association tournaments will prohibit players from leaving the tournament hall without permission (I presume that bathrooms will always be situated inside the playing hall). This should help address any concern about cheating in bathrooms; although the subject of monitoring the bathrooms did not come up at the Town Meeting.------------------------------------- ---------------------------- Finally, Robert Moody is simply wrong in his comment that GM Ilya Smirin was never rated 2800. See http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlT nmtHst.php? 12544869 . It shows that Smirin was at exactly 2800 coming into the 2006 World Open, and was consistently between 2798 and 2816 over the preceding 4 years (during which he played in 3 previous World Opens, 3 Foxwoods Opens, and the HB Global Chess Challenge). Of course this refers to his USCF ratings, not FIDE ratings, which may be the source of Mr. Moody's confusion.
Posted 00:08 
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Wed, 20 Dec 2006
Update: Cheating Town Meeting Produces Important News
The "Chess Cheating Town Meeting" held at New York's Marshall Chess Club in early December, which I put together, was a success. I am grateful to Bill Goichberg and the other panel members who volunteered their time, and to the Marshall and its president Douglas Bellizzi, for making this event possible. For a detailed report of the VIP panel discussion and public question-and-answer session, see the 3rd page of this site, "Town Meeting."
Posted 23:44 
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Mon, 10 Jul 2006
World Open 2006: Cheating Hits the Big Time
Two alleged cheaters at this year's World Open -- one who came within a game of winning the Under- 2000 section, the other in the Open section, who nailed a top-rated Grandmaster among other victim -- have raised the profile of the computer- aided cheating threat first spotlighted on this site late in 2005 after similar incidents at that year's two biggest-money open tournaments. Following the latest World Open incidents, we augmented the site. (No, we did not have the assistance of either a $50,000 consultant, nor of an International Master who can melt chocolate by looking at it.) We sense that both organizers and the playing public are starting to move in the right direction, of showing less tolerance toward conditions and behavior that could facilitate cheating. Expressions of public support are welcome. If you would like to help bring about better safeguards, please do one or more of the following: .(1) Speak with or write to the TDs or tournament organizers you are most personally familiar with (those whose tournaments you most often play in), and let them know your feelings. .(2) Write a letter to the USCF Executive Director, and/or to Chess Life, saying you support the anti-cheating letter published in the January 2006 issue. .(3) Raise the cheating issue in any chess- related forum you participate in (whether in person or on-line), and offer your own thoughts, whether for or against. Feel free to post the link to this site, and/or to quote the actual petition either in whole or in part. .(4) If you wish to suggest specific rules, policies or enforcement methods; or have specific ideas for resolving any issue raised in the petition or elsewhere on this site; or wish to dispute any point made in the petition, then post your comment here. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP IT CLEAN, CIVIL, AND ON-TOPIC.
Posted 00:21 
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