Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

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  • Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

    "chess blog rank zero" in Mig's blog

    http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/...iad-wrapup.htm

    points to this item

    http://schiridresden.blogspot.com/20...lgien-und.html

    Nach Ende der Runde sickert dann durch das Vassily Ivanchuk nach seinem Verlust gegen G. Kamsky die Dopingprobe verweigert hat. Auch der Captain der Ukrainer konnte ihn nicht umstimmen. Mal abwarten was passiert, die FIDE Anti-Doping-Bestimmungen sind hier eindeutig.

    My German isn't any better than it was 15 minutes ago, but doesn't this say that Ivanchuk refused the anti-doping test? As the poster points out, this could affect the medals in the just-completed Olympiad, even though Ukraine didn't win one.

    As a backgrounder, here is what I wrote about the subject in my December 4, 2004 column:

    *****FIDE, the World Chess Federation, has implemented controversial
    anti-doping regulations. The basic reason for the controversy is that
    no drug or substance has been identified or even proposed as enhancing
    of performance. The reason for drug testing is simply that one senior
    IOC official thought it was suitable, and FIDE, frightened of losing
    its IOC membership, has followed suit. Grandmaster Jan Timman of the
    Netherlands has boycotted FIDE competitions because of testing, but at
    the Chess Olympics in Calvia, Spain, players for the first time
    refused to be tested, and then were punished for their refusal.
    Amateur players Bobby Miller of Bermuda, and Shaun Press of Papua New
    Guinea refused and had all points scored in the event taken away.
    They might have been banned from competition for two years, but
    the Doping Panel decided not to take that step.

    *****Were performance enhancement an issue, drug testing might become
    a necessity in chess. Absent that issue, it is just a dehumanizing
    and degrading procedure.

  • #2
    Re: Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

    The translation I got from a German friend is:

    After the end of the round it became clear that Vassily Ivanchuk refuses the doping-test after losing against G. Kamsky. Even the captain of the ukrainians couldn't change his mind. Let's wait and see what will happen - the "FIDE anti-doping-terms" are clear here.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

      But note the chessbase report:

      Unfortunately the Ukrainian team had been selected for a FIDE doping control, and an arbiter tried to lead Ivanchuk to the checking area for a unrine sample. But the distraught Ukrainian star broke free and disappeared for the rest of the evening. This put FIDE into a quandary: to cancel all results of the Ukrainian team at the Olympiad, as clearly prescribed by the IOC rules, and give the medals to different teams; or to make an exception and risk chess not becoming an Olympic discipline for ignoring the doping rules. After some passionate canvassing by former World Champion Boris Spassky FIDE went for the second option.

      So, much ado about nothing I guess.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

        Originally posted by David Ottosen View Post

        So, much ado about nothing I guess.
        I prefer:

        Pouring oil on troubled waters.

        Happy as a clam at high tide.

        Oh do not ask what is it, let us go and make our visit.

        It's not over until the fat lady sings.

        What goes around, comes around.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

          PS: Good for Ivanchuk, good for Spassky, good for FIDE to listen to Spassky. Spassky is a world champion persuader.

          Chess may be on an IOC list somewhere, and being on that list may be of value to chess federations as a way of securing government funding (though not in Canada), but let's not deceive ourselves. It is not the intention of the IOC that chess ever become an Olympic sport, played within the Olympic Games. They invented special membership for mind sports on the millenia-old principle: "Hold your friends close, hold your enemies even closer." To the IOC, chess is one of the enemies.

          I'm presuming that "wheels have been set in motion" and I hope that the final result will be a high-level get-together between the IOC and FIDE, and that the result will be the cancellation of anti-doping tests in chess. Save lots of $$ !

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Possible Anti-Doping Controversy

            Surely Ivanchuk has seen doping tests before? I'm surprised by his action even if he doesn't believe in the test. Unless this is a case of "I'm going to protest this time because the consequences are small."

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