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Azmaiparashvili Again!
November 6, 2018
Zurab Azmaiparashvili is the president of the European Chess Union and has exhibited hot-headed behaviour in the past. The fight with security officials at the 2004 Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Spain and bullying and threatening Anton Kovalyov at the World Cup in 2017 are two that one is not likely to forget.
The latest incident was insinuating a possible case of cheating at the World Youth U14 Championship in Porto Carras, Greece.
Right after the last round of that championship, he posted this on Facebook:
(position after 80...Kh5)
White to move and black is becoming world champion under 14! Is it cheating or not? I’m asking this question to FIDE and ACP. Unfortunately I cannot react because by this result Georgian player Nikolozi Kacharava didn’t become a world champion and I’m Georgian too...
World Youth Championship U14 2018
Porto Carras, Greece
Round 11, Oct. 30
Krastev, Alexander – Gines Esteo, Pedro Antonio
A07 Reti, King’s Indian Attack, Keres variation
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nd7 4.c4 e6 5.d3 c6 6.O-O Bd6 7.Nbd2 Ne7 8.b3 O-O 9.Bb2 e5 10.h3 Bh5 11.e4 d4 12.Qc2 a5 13.a3 f6 14.Nh4 Bf7 15.Rae1 Be6 16.f4 exf4 17.gxf4 c5 18.e5 fxe5 19.Ne4 Bb8 20.Ng5 Ra6 21.Bc1 Kh8 22.Nxe6 Rxe6 23.f5 Rb6 24.Bg5 Nf6 25.Qd1 Qd6 26.Be4 Neg8 27.Bh1 e4 28.Bf4 Qxf4 29.Rxf4 Bxf4 30.dxe4 Bg3 31.Nf3 Bxe1 32.Nxe1 Re8 33.Nd3 Nxe4 34.Bxe4 Rxe4 35.Nxc5 Rf4 36.Qd3 Rf6 37.Nxb7 R6xf5 38.Nd6 Rg5+ 39.Kh1 h5 40.Qd2 Rf1+ 41.Kh2 Rg6 42.Qxd4 Ne7 43.Qc5 Kg8 44.Ne4 Re6 45.Qd4 Rf4 46.Qd8+ Rf8 47.Qd3 Rf5 48.b4 Rfe5 49.Nc5 Rf6 50.Qd8+ Kh7 51.Qd3+ Ng6 52.Ne4 Rf4 53.Nc3 axb4 54.axb4 Rf2+ 55.Kg1 Rb2 56.Kf1 Re8 57.Nd5 Ra8 58.Qd1 Raa2 59.Nc3 Ra7 60.Qxh5+ Kg8 61.Nd1 Rf7+ 62.Kg1 Rg2+ 63.Kh1 Rd2 64.Ne3 Ra7 65.Qf5 Ra1+ 66.Nf1 Rdd1 67.Kg1 Rxf1+ 68.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 69.Kxf1 Kf7 70.c5 Ke6 71.Kf2 Nf4 72.Kg3 Nd3 73.Kg4 Kf6 74.c6 Ne5+ 75.Kg3 Nxc6 76.b5 Ne7 77.b6 Nf5+ 78.Kf4 Nd6 79.Kg4 Kg6 80.Kf4 Kh5 81.Ke5 Nc4+ 0-1
__________
In the position given, the white king only needs to stay close to his h-pawn to hold the draw, but the natural reflex was to attack the knight, which lost.
The player of Black, Pedro Gines of Spain, ended up winning the gold medal as he edged out Georgia’s Nikokozi Kacharava on tiebreak. With this Facebook post Azmaiparashvili undeniably suggested that the bunder by the White player was the result of foul play.
After all the damage had been done Zurab apologized:
My fb friends and not only, I think I was to emotional and overreacted about suspicion of cheating in the last round of world youth under 14. Analyzing what happened I’d like to say that from my position of ECU president I’ve no right to post something without any clear evidence even feeling is based on logical suspicion! Of course I’ve to take into account my official position and care more about young generation. Without any conditions I’d like to apologies to both players if they felt insulted! Thank you for your understanding happy Already in my speech of closing ceremony I mentioned that Spanish player will become a great athlete of his country and now I’d like to add about German player the same! Good luck to both of you guys!
Peter Doggers at chess.com:
While investigating the story, Chess.com spoke to several witnesses who were present in the playing hall when the game between Gines and his opponent ended. Azmaiparashvili was also there, and according to our sources he said multiple times: "This is a scandal."
He came to the board, wanted to reconstruct the final moments of the game and was especially surprised about the facial expression of the player who lost the game.
"I asked them how the game ended, and why the player with the white pieces was laughing," Azmaiparashvili told Chess.com.
Later, the Georgian delegation filed an official appeal, which was rejected by the tournament's appeals committee.
The whole story with charges and appeals can be found at:
https://www.chess.com/news/view/ecu-...hen-apologizes
A reader’s comment sums up the situation fairly:
If the game had ended in a draw, the Georgian player would have been the only one with 9 points, the Spanish player would have been sole second and the German player shared third, but about fifth on tiebreak. That would still be a very desirable result for a young player (with a relatively low rating), I would say.
About the game: Krastev (I don't see any reason not to mention his name when Gines Esteo's is, and they should have been into this together, if anything did happen) was in time trouble long before move 40 (3.22 left after move 27), had 3.39 left on move 49 and was on increment probably after move 53. He had gained back some time at move 80 (2.36) by blitzing out a couple of moves shortly before that. After completing his 81st move (the blunder) he had 1.36 left. No idea what happened, maybe he had let go of the piece and watched the position in horror for a minute, before pressing the clock.
Nevertheless, that one minute thinking over a blunder makes me feel a bit different now about Azmaiparashvili. Blitzing out moves because you have been doing that for a while happens to everyone, but that seemed not to be the case here. I can understand a Georgian can have second thoughts about this, in the heat of the moment. Of course a Georgian in an official position should think a bit longer.
That being said, I can't imagine there really was foul play. It was round 11, after a long and eventful game. It seems far more likely to me that the young German player simply was exhausted. They were playing at a top board, in full view of everyone. Shouldn't someone have noticed them talking to each other at move 81? And if they agreed before the game to not play a draw, why think a minute? Or play such a long game (getting more attention, most other games having ended)?
Krastev is only 13, not an age where you normally make extensive plans to fool everybody.
Before the first time control, it was quite clear the Georgian boy was going to win, so no need to play another 40 moves before blundering. Krastev never had any winning chances after move 40, as far as I can see.
Another: How dare you accuse a young boy of cheating and national level conspiracy in the long and stressful tournament 11th last round on the top board , probably tired but still playing for glory and not money in time pressure, who makes a common endgame mistake attacking the last piece with the king , this is really ugly side of you gamblers.
November 6, 2018
Zurab Azmaiparashvili is the president of the European Chess Union and has exhibited hot-headed behaviour in the past. The fight with security officials at the 2004 Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Spain and bullying and threatening Anton Kovalyov at the World Cup in 2017 are two that one is not likely to forget.
The latest incident was insinuating a possible case of cheating at the World Youth U14 Championship in Porto Carras, Greece.
Right after the last round of that championship, he posted this on Facebook:
(position after 80...Kh5)
White to move and black is becoming world champion under 14! Is it cheating or not? I’m asking this question to FIDE and ACP. Unfortunately I cannot react because by this result Georgian player Nikolozi Kacharava didn’t become a world champion and I’m Georgian too...
World Youth Championship U14 2018
Porto Carras, Greece
Round 11, Oct. 30
Krastev, Alexander – Gines Esteo, Pedro Antonio
A07 Reti, King’s Indian Attack, Keres variation
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nd7 4.c4 e6 5.d3 c6 6.O-O Bd6 7.Nbd2 Ne7 8.b3 O-O 9.Bb2 e5 10.h3 Bh5 11.e4 d4 12.Qc2 a5 13.a3 f6 14.Nh4 Bf7 15.Rae1 Be6 16.f4 exf4 17.gxf4 c5 18.e5 fxe5 19.Ne4 Bb8 20.Ng5 Ra6 21.Bc1 Kh8 22.Nxe6 Rxe6 23.f5 Rb6 24.Bg5 Nf6 25.Qd1 Qd6 26.Be4 Neg8 27.Bh1 e4 28.Bf4 Qxf4 29.Rxf4 Bxf4 30.dxe4 Bg3 31.Nf3 Bxe1 32.Nxe1 Re8 33.Nd3 Nxe4 34.Bxe4 Rxe4 35.Nxc5 Rf4 36.Qd3 Rf6 37.Nxb7 R6xf5 38.Nd6 Rg5+ 39.Kh1 h5 40.Qd2 Rf1+ 41.Kh2 Rg6 42.Qxd4 Ne7 43.Qc5 Kg8 44.Ne4 Re6 45.Qd4 Rf4 46.Qd8+ Rf8 47.Qd3 Rf5 48.b4 Rfe5 49.Nc5 Rf6 50.Qd8+ Kh7 51.Qd3+ Ng6 52.Ne4 Rf4 53.Nc3 axb4 54.axb4 Rf2+ 55.Kg1 Rb2 56.Kf1 Re8 57.Nd5 Ra8 58.Qd1 Raa2 59.Nc3 Ra7 60.Qxh5+ Kg8 61.Nd1 Rf7+ 62.Kg1 Rg2+ 63.Kh1 Rd2 64.Ne3 Ra7 65.Qf5 Ra1+ 66.Nf1 Rdd1 67.Kg1 Rxf1+ 68.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 69.Kxf1 Kf7 70.c5 Ke6 71.Kf2 Nf4 72.Kg3 Nd3 73.Kg4 Kf6 74.c6 Ne5+ 75.Kg3 Nxc6 76.b5 Ne7 77.b6 Nf5+ 78.Kf4 Nd6 79.Kg4 Kg6 80.Kf4 Kh5 81.Ke5 Nc4+ 0-1
__________
In the position given, the white king only needs to stay close to his h-pawn to hold the draw, but the natural reflex was to attack the knight, which lost.
The player of Black, Pedro Gines of Spain, ended up winning the gold medal as he edged out Georgia’s Nikokozi Kacharava on tiebreak. With this Facebook post Azmaiparashvili undeniably suggested that the bunder by the White player was the result of foul play.
After all the damage had been done Zurab apologized:
My fb friends and not only, I think I was to emotional and overreacted about suspicion of cheating in the last round of world youth under 14. Analyzing what happened I’d like to say that from my position of ECU president I’ve no right to post something without any clear evidence even feeling is based on logical suspicion! Of course I’ve to take into account my official position and care more about young generation. Without any conditions I’d like to apologies to both players if they felt insulted! Thank you for your understanding happy Already in my speech of closing ceremony I mentioned that Spanish player will become a great athlete of his country and now I’d like to add about German player the same! Good luck to both of you guys!
Peter Doggers at chess.com:
While investigating the story, Chess.com spoke to several witnesses who were present in the playing hall when the game between Gines and his opponent ended. Azmaiparashvili was also there, and according to our sources he said multiple times: "This is a scandal."
He came to the board, wanted to reconstruct the final moments of the game and was especially surprised about the facial expression of the player who lost the game.
"I asked them how the game ended, and why the player with the white pieces was laughing," Azmaiparashvili told Chess.com.
Later, the Georgian delegation filed an official appeal, which was rejected by the tournament's appeals committee.
The whole story with charges and appeals can be found at:
https://www.chess.com/news/view/ecu-...hen-apologizes
A reader’s comment sums up the situation fairly:
If the game had ended in a draw, the Georgian player would have been the only one with 9 points, the Spanish player would have been sole second and the German player shared third, but about fifth on tiebreak. That would still be a very desirable result for a young player (with a relatively low rating), I would say.
About the game: Krastev (I don't see any reason not to mention his name when Gines Esteo's is, and they should have been into this together, if anything did happen) was in time trouble long before move 40 (3.22 left after move 27), had 3.39 left on move 49 and was on increment probably after move 53. He had gained back some time at move 80 (2.36) by blitzing out a couple of moves shortly before that. After completing his 81st move (the blunder) he had 1.36 left. No idea what happened, maybe he had let go of the piece and watched the position in horror for a minute, before pressing the clock.
Nevertheless, that one minute thinking over a blunder makes me feel a bit different now about Azmaiparashvili. Blitzing out moves because you have been doing that for a while happens to everyone, but that seemed not to be the case here. I can understand a Georgian can have second thoughts about this, in the heat of the moment. Of course a Georgian in an official position should think a bit longer.
That being said, I can't imagine there really was foul play. It was round 11, after a long and eventful game. It seems far more likely to me that the young German player simply was exhausted. They were playing at a top board, in full view of everyone. Shouldn't someone have noticed them talking to each other at move 81? And if they agreed before the game to not play a draw, why think a minute? Or play such a long game (getting more attention, most other games having ended)?
Krastev is only 13, not an age where you normally make extensive plans to fool everybody.
Before the first time control, it was quite clear the Georgian boy was going to win, so no need to play another 40 moves before blundering. Krastev never had any winning chances after move 40, as far as I can see.
Another: How dare you accuse a young boy of cheating and national level conspiracy in the long and stressful tournament 11th last round on the top board , probably tired but still playing for glory and not money in time pressure, who makes a common endgame mistake attacking the last piece with the king , this is really ugly side of you gamblers.