Borislav Ivanov returns

**Gary Ruben** · Saturday, 7th December, 2013, 03:05 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Originally posted by Wayne Komer View Post

Rd 4 in the Navalmoral de la Mata tournament in Spain and after beating the Argentinian GM Daniel Campora in Rd 3 Borislav Ivanov is leading on 3/3 and up next he is Black v Armenian GM Karen Grigoryan (2604). This will be a severe test for his new socks.

http://chess-results.com/tnr118189.a...&wi=821&snr=23

and an amazed Leonard Barden continues:

Wayne, I don't get it. Did his opponent lose on time?

Anyhow, I looked at the game in questions. I thought the position after move 22 looked important so I looked at it with Stockfish. Stockfish gives 23. fxe4 with a comfortable game and a +1.65 at 24 plies. Ivanov played the rather limp 23. Nf2 which merely kept the game about level.

You have to understand black has an open game and appears to be trying to blow white out of the game while white's position looks cramped. As black I'd kind of like to protect my king better than is being done in that game.

Chess is a head game and it seems to me his opponents are "psyched out" at the thought of having to play him. So the opponents play like Simul Fodder.

**Paul Bonham** · Sunday, 8th December, 2013, 05:43 AM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Originally posted by Gary Ruben View Post

Wayne, I don't get it. Did his opponent lose on time?

Anyhow, I looked at the game in questions. I thought the position after move 22 looked important so I looked at it with Stockfish. Stockfish gives 23. fxe4 with a comfortable game and a +1.65 at 24 plies. Ivanov played the rather limp 23. Nf2 which merely kept the game about level.

You have to understand black has an open game and appears to be trying to blow white out of the game while white's position looks cramped. As black I'd kind of like to protect my king better than is being done in that game.

Chess is a head game and it seems to me his opponents are "psyched out" at the thought of having to play him. So the opponents play like Simul Fodder.

Wayne's post did mention that this is rapid play, so losing on time is a distinct possibility. I followed the links and couldn't find an exact spec as to the time controls, i.e. was there a time increment? Also, I'm left wondering about the ratings posted, are they rapid play ratings? Are these GMs rapid play GMs and not regular time control GMs? Or is there even such a distinction with respect to the GM title?

It could be Ivanov played 23.Nf2 simply to exacerbate Black's time situation. Sometimes shorter time controls lead to play that is all about making someone run out of time, not about playing the objective best move.

It is great to see Ivanov back playing. The more he plays, the worse it looks for those who have already dismissed him for cheating, including our own moderator. But I am curious as to why he seems to prefer rapid play. If it is true that he spent 3 months cut off totally from all social ties and doing nothing but playing against Houdini / Rybka / Stockfish, perhaps he did that only in rapid play time control. That would make sense with respect to getting in the most games.

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 8th December, 2013, 12:40 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

There have been confused reports coming in today that Ivanov has left the tournament after being searched. Supposedly, he demanded his entry fee back and was paid it.

There are a lot of emotional statements and misinformation, and it is hard to know what to believe. As Chris Rice just said, “As always with Ivanov, chaos reigns".

Try the following link, the Spanish ChessTalk, and google translate:

http://www.madridmueve.com/mmbb/Hilo...nio-o-tramposo

This is all very disappointing.

**Gary Ruben** · Sunday, 8th December, 2013, 01:52 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Originally posted by Paul Bonham View Post

It could be Ivanov played 23.Nf2 simply to exacerbate Black's time situation. Sometimes shorter time controls lead to play that is all about making someone run out of time, not about playing the objective best move.

I ran the position on Houdini as well. Same result. The computer move would likely take much longer for a person to calculate than what was played. The computer move is better than Nf2, the actual move, in my opinion.

I'm just gong by the game.

**Tom O'Donnell** · Sunday, 8th December, 2013, 03:05 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Looks like he drew against a 2550 GM in round five then got his plug pulled by the organizers.

**Mario Moran-Venegas** · Sunday, 8th December, 2013, 06:15 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Plug pulled by organizers only after Sixth round opponent requested Ivanov be searched. Took his shirt off in a Croatian tournament but this time again refuses to take-off his shoes..
A lot of discussion about being able to deny him entry into a tournament if FIDE has not banned him..
Mario

**Bindi Cheng** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 12:03 AM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

I don't know why people still play him. Anyone who is paired with him should protest and forfeit their game and demand the entree fee back from the tournament organizer. There's no reason why he's still allowed to play in any tournament whatsoever.

**Nigel Hanrahan** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 01:09 AM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Originally posted by Bindi Cheng View Post

I don't know why people still play him. Anyone who is paired with him should protest and forfeit their game and demand the entree fee back from the tournament organizer. There's no reason why he's still allowed to play in any tournament whatsoever.

That could backfire with players not getting their entry fee back, and losing rating points unnecessarily. If the searches are complaint driven (where is the written policy on cheating? That is likely part of the problem.) then Ivanov's opponents need to do whatever it takes to compel the organizers to do a search of both players. Ivanov declines when it comes to his "smelly" shoes, and the players can go on with their tourney without Borislav.

Maybe it's just wimpy tournament organizers who would rather burden the players with the responsibility of policing their own (and unwilling to risk any litigation).

**Wayne Komer** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 01:22 AM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

The whole Ivanov history up until yesterday is set out in his entry on chessgames.com

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=138575

**Egidijus Zeromskis** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 10:00 AM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Some English details at http://www.chess.com/news/borislav-i...ng-banned-2852

Though many stories on anonymous bases :/

**Hugh Brodie** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 12:31 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

I don't know what good getting the police involved would have done. There is nothing "illegal" about cheating at chess (or any other game) as far as the police are concerned. The police have never been involved in any other sports cheating/drug scandals.

**Wayne Komer** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 12:57 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

The chess.com coverage seems balanced and the interview is good.

ChessBase warms up the old accusations:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanov-...s-chess-career

A chess.comment that amused me:

- The answer is nude chess. Nowhere to hide anything...just saying

- Yeah, Carlsen vs Ivanov. Rules: no shoes, socks, pants, long sleeved shirts, hat, etc.

**Nigel Hanrahan** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 02:33 PM

Police involved in sports?

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

I don't know what good getting the police involved would have done. There is nothing "illegal" about cheating at chess (or any other game) as far as the police are concerned. The police have never been involved in any other sports cheating/drug scandals.

That's a good observation. I did a quick search, however, and some Indian cricketers have been arrested in some game-fixing allegations.

See Three IPL players arrested for fraud, cheating - Delhi Police

Tony Tascona (1926-2006), the late sculptor and artist from Winnipeg, once told me that in the old days, ice hockey fights would be broken up by the police. The offending players would spend the night in jail. Too bad they don't do that now.

Perhaps the sophisticated level of cheating is creating the need for police involvement. The legal angle would be fraud or something like that.

This whole thing is getting very weird. Why these tournament organizers aren't simply banning Ivanov, if they are genuinely of the opinion that he is cheating, is beyond me. Gross incompetence? Covering up their own, nefarious activitities? Burdening the players with the consequences of playing with a cheater is very short-sighted and does harm to chess. Ivanov's opponents, left to their own devices, may have never faced this situation with a (alleged) cheater given the blessing to play by tournament organizers and may be very confused and angry, not just with Ivanov but with being put in this situation in the first place. Selfish people destroy everything.

**Gary Ruben** · Monday, 9th December, 2013, 05:56 PM

Re: Borislav Ivanov returns

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

I don't know what good getting the police involved would have done. There is nothing "illegal" about cheating at chess (or any other game) as far as the police are concerned. The police have never been involved in any other sports cheating/drug scandals.

Had that happened in Ontario and the player taken off his clothes because he felt intimidated, he might well wish to call the police.

He might also want to go after the organizers, the owner of the building and the sponsors. Also complain to the human rights.

I don't know the laws in Spain so maybe what they did there is standard under their laws.

Borislav Ivanov returns

Borislav Ivanov returns

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