Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

I'm sure he's totally innocent and just another player who has discovered how to play like a computer program. They're going to be popping up everywhere these geniuses, just wait and see.

The more that appear the more likely that they're (all) cheating.

Other sports can police themselves and do so. Chess will never gain the kind of acknowledgement of professionalism, and the higher level of sponsorship that would go with that, if this incipient epidemic of cheating isn't stopped, and soon. And the plans to spend 1/3 to 1/2 a billion dollars to promote and professionalize chess (given the 600-700 million that play it) will go down the drain.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Supplemental development: FIDE has an online chess application and they have taken the step of advertising their anti-cheating measure in advance.

Real time anti-cheating monitoring

For our purposes, the term cheating refers to any attempt to gain an unfair playing advantage in violation of FIDE online arena regulations.

FIDE treats such offences very seriously.


The Premium Chess ACE-Guard™ anti-cheating system offers players maximum security. ACE-Guard™ thoroughly screens every single game played on the site when both players are full members and supplies a detailed analysis of performance trends. ACE-Guard™’s array of the latest anti-cheating technologies gives real peace of mind and supplies a more secure environment than conventional tournaments, where games are virtually never checked. Gone are those nagging doubts about if your opponent is cheating or not.



ACE-Guard™

- detects any suspicious event during a game in real time;
- detects the use of chess engines or other software;
- through analysis of behaviour and playing style trends, creates a precise player style and performance profile;
- compares current game with expected player performance and characteristics;
- verifies every player’s connection through the IP address of the user’s computer;
- increases the monitoring of any suspect player;

In short, ACE-Guard™ is a cheater’s worst nightmare.


All games played by two full members are rigorously monitored by ACE-Guard™ and then archived. This monitoring occurs both in real time (i.e. while the game is in progress), and after the game is concluded. Whenever the ACE-Guard™ anti-cheating system detects a possible cheating rule violation, the Games Manager examines the evidence and makes the final decision regarding the appropriate action to take. Such decisions are not subject to appeal or discussion. According to the seriousness of the offence, penalties can range from a lowering of a player’s Fairness Index (see below), through to temporary or permanent suspension, Premium Point and FIDE online Elo rating loss, and a temporary or permanent ban from FIDE online events.



Fairness Index



The conduct of every full member is evaluated using the Fairness Index, which is expressed as a scale of 1 to 5 stars which change colour to show progressively higher levels of trustworthiness. If you choose to play only opponents with a high Fairness Index rating, you can be confident of your opponent's integrity and real playing strength.



Each new full member is initially assigned one black star. If there is no infraction of the anti-cheating rules, the star progressively changes colour as the number of games increases; first blue, then green, silver and gold. A second star is then added, which progressively changes colour in the same way as the first. This process is repeated until a player is awarded the maximum rating of 5 gold stars.


Whenever the ACE-Guard™ anti-cheating system detects a possible Code of Conduct rule violation by an FIDE full member, the Games Manager examines the evidence and makes the final decision regarding a possible change to a player’s Fairness Index rating or other appropriate penalties. This decision is not subject to appeal or discussion.

Check out that last sentence. "... not subject to appeal or discussion." Shut up and take it! lol.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Ivanov is taking part in the "Open Republic" Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

Posted: Aug 6.2013

Controversial Bulgarian chess player Borislav Ivanov is returning to the game. He had received a no-play penalty of 4 months. The National Chess Federation stopped the playing rights of Ivanov, who became famous in the last half year. He was accused of using unregulated technical assistance in his games. Then, the 25-year-old FIDE master was attacked by the Ethics committee of the Bulgarian Chess Federation on the grounds that he broke sports morale and damaged the reputation of the BCF and chess figures in the media.

The Administrative Court in Sofia, however, cleared him, which effectively reestablished his rights. As a result of his suspension, Borislav Ivanov missed the opportunity to participate in the first two of the three most powerful international tournaments in Varna, which are under the auspices of the BCF.

Ivanov has now received the approval of the organizers and will participate in the traditional tournament "Open Republic". The contest starts on Saturday, and so far 99 players from Bulgaria, Russia and Serbia have been signed up. A curious fact is that among them is the latest addition to the "Marek Union-Ivkoni" - International Master Alex Nikolov of the newspaper "Struma".

The 55-year-old Sofia resident is among the fiercest opponents of the FM B. Ivanov and several times has openly declared in the media that the Blagoevgrad player uses unauthorized outside help, most likely from a computer. As is known, S. Nikolov became the first player in the chess history of Bulgaria, in a Swiss, to twice deliberately fail to attend a game with the same opponent - in this case Ivanov in the Tournament "Old Capital" in Veliko Tarnovo this past spring.

Because of the inclusion of blagoevgradchanina (Ivanov) in the "Open Republic" tourney, the leadership of the BCF cannot rate it with a Bulgarian ELO. The prize fund of the tournament is nearly 2,000 Levs, 800 of which are destined for the winner.

http://www.blitz.bg/sport/article/189227

There is a photo of Ivanov with two young ladies accompanying this article.
+++++++++

The article is in Bulgarian. Ivanov is called by the name “blagoevgradchanin”. I assume it is a sort of pet name combined with his town’s name.
800 Bulgarian Lev equal about $570 Canadian.


Note Added: Referenced on the same page as the above is this statement:

Sasho Nikolov created a precedent in chess history, by not appearing twice in the same tournament (Old Capital VT) against Borislav Ivanov, and later compared the student teacher at the South "West University" with Hitler and called him a "petrified dinosaur turd "in the national TV channels.

Strong language Nikolov! However, this was not spotted by the Ethics Committee of the BCF, which really casts a shadow over the impartiality of its members.
+++++++++++

A Bulgarian understatement!

[Peter McKillop]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

The more that appear the more likely that they're (all) cheating.

Other sports can police themselves and do so. Chess will never gain the kind of acknowledgement of professionalism, and the higher level of sponsorship that would go with that, if this incipient epidemic of cheating isn't stopped, and soon. And the plans to spend 1/3 to 1/2 a billion dollars to promote and professionalize chess (given the 600-700 million that play it) will go down the drain.

In order to stop cheating in chess, wouldn't it be important to catch cheaters in flagrante delicto in order to (1) expose them as cheaters with absolute certainty (rather than the probability-based certainty of the people who say, x% of his moves were the first choice of Houdini, etc.) and (2) expose the method of cheating for the edification of TDs around the world? Why settle for half measures? Let the Ivanovs play until they're properly caught out.

[Tom O'Donnell]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

In order to stop cheating in chess, wouldn't it be important to catch cheaters in flagrante delicto in order to (1) expose them as cheaters with absolute certainty (rather than the probability-based certainty of the people who say, x% of his moves were the first choice of Houdini, etc.) and (2) expose the method of cheating for the edification of TDs around the world? Why settle for half measures? Let the Ivanovs play until they're properly caught out.

I don't think you'd feel this way if you made a living playing in tournaments and someone else was cheating you out of your hard-won prize money.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Furthermore, while not legal everywhere, gambling casinos routinely ban players that are suspected of card-counting. And card-counting only improves the odds for a player; it's hardly cheating. Why shouldn't chess administrators exercise similar powers in banning those whom they think are cheating?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Why shouldn't chess administrators exercise similar powers in banning those whom they think are cheating?

If chess gets a reputation for slandering and smearing players with no proof it will become an even more marginal game than it is now.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

If chess gets a reputation for slandering and smearing players with no proof it will become an even more marginal game than it is now.

Nonsense. The damage of (potential) unpunished cheaters is far greater than the damage of the bruised reputation of suspected cheaters.

In any case, chess players will, themselves, take action far more disruptive than the expulsion of a suspected cheat. For example, a number of Bulgarians have already refused to play Borislav Ivanov in tournament settings. This is a much bigger organizational nightmare than some would-be Lance Armstrong whining over his lost medals. It's a TD's pairing nightmare. And, I'm sure more creative means of objecting to the presence of a suspected cheater could be developed by disgruntled players.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Nonsense. The damage of (potential) unpunished cheaters is far greater than the damage of the bruised reputation of suspected cheaters.

In any case, chess players will, themselves, take action far more disruptive than the expulsion of a suspected cheat. For example, a number of Bulgarians have already refused to play Borislav Ivanov in tournament settings. This is a much bigger organizational nightmare than some would-be Lance Armstrong whining over his lost medals. It's a TD's pairing nightmare. And, I'm sure more creative means of objecting to the presence of a suspected cheater could be developed by disgruntled players.

I suppose it depends on how you define cheating. Some players probably never lost to someone who wasn't cheating.

Some events in Canada, and to be fair elsewhere, seem to consist of the first 8 rounds being for positioning and the last round being for looking after business.

People tend to get their shorts in a knot over one person half a world away and miss what's happening in their own back yard.

Is a strong player "missing" and easy win in an important game in the final round or taking very short draw to lock in first place any less distasteful than what would be considered 'suspected cheats"?

If the FIDE IA's around the world are subscribing to the power trip such widespread guidelines and power to ban players would allow them then I fear for the future of chess.

It would be better if they could demonstrate how cheating is taking place.

[Peter McKillop]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

I don't think you'd feel this way if you made a living playing in tournaments and someone else was cheating you out of your hard-won prize money.

Perhaps, but it's more likely that I'd push for TDs/orgs to catch the suspect in the act asap and expose his method so that other TDs/orgs know what to do to prevent the same method being used again in their tournaments. An American proverb: give a man enough rope and he'll hang himself.

[Peter McKillop]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Furthermore, while not legal everywhere, gambling casinos routinely ban players that are suspected of card-counting. And card-counting only improves the odds for a player; it's hardly cheating. Why shouldn't chess administrators exercise similar powers in banning those whom they think are cheating?

Not a good analogy imo. At a casino you're playing against 'the house.' It's their game and they can set whatever rules they like within the applicable laws.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Nonsense. The damage of (potential) unpunished cheaters is far greater than the damage of the bruised reputation of suspected cheaters.

Rubbish. This is commonly referred to as "throwing the baby out with the bathwater".

Nigel, how would you like to be accused of a crime with no proof, and be told by the judge that you will be sentenced anyway because the "potential" that you are guilty is more damaging to society than your "bruised reputation" (which presumably would be the least you would expect from being sentenced)?

This opinion you hold is one that the world has expressed disgust with since the 1930s / 1940s, even long before that (Salem witch hunt) and after that (McCarthyism). It appears you don't even realize the extremes to which your viewpoint can be and has been taken. Smarten up!

And by the way, it should be mentioned again that chess organizers do have relatively simple means at their disposal to prove cheating. I've already mentioned and provided web links to available RF detection equipment. You simply look for RF emissions after each of Ivanov's opponent's moves: one to transmit the opponent's move and one to receive an engine's recommended response. You don't have to pinpoint the emissions as to transmission location and data content. Just their regular appearance at the expected times is enough, with exceptions allowed for positions where the response move is totally obvious, such as an only move.

The fact that organizers won't take these simple measures means they are deathly afraid of potentially finding out that there is no cheating going on. It is much easier to forget the past and bring back the "we know who is guilty" mentality. And so history repeats itself.

In any case, chess players will, themselves, take action far more disruptive than the expulsion of a suspected cheat. For example, a number of Bulgarians have already refused to play Borislav Ivanov in tournament settings. This is a much bigger organizational nightmare than some would-be Lance Armstrong whining over his lost medals. It's a TD's pairing nightmare. And, I'm sure more creative means of objecting to the presence of a suspected cheater could be developed by disgruntled players.

Simply put the RF detection technique in place, and then threaten to expel and suspend the opponents who refuse to play Ivanov. Most of them make their living or a portion thereof from chess, and they will get back in line.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Simply put the RF detection technique in place,

Be sure not to interfere with, or turn off, some unsuspecting player or spectators pacemaker.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

In the meantime, if Borislav, or anyone else for that matter, is cheating, then let him ... until he is caught?

Then it would no longer be a sport. A fair contest or a level playing field is a precondition for a sporting event.

Consider the following. If a marathon runner crossed the finish line in 30 minutes, would he be awarded first prize? Hardly. The organizers would know he cheated even if they didn't catch him. The olympics actually has such examples in its history.

I don't think you guys are getting the main point. Or, perhaps, some notion of individual rights gone mad. Unpunished cheating discredits any sporting contest. Even the appearance of unpunished cheating is enough to discredit a sport.

The legal no-man's-land that is chess (See the ChessBase interview with the Russian lawyer recently) is going to have to come to an end. And perhaps there are some, even some here on ChessTalk, who prefer such chaos to a rule-governed, law-governed arrangement.

As the old Arab saying has it, "Let the dogs bark. The caravan will move on." Of that I have no doubt.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Borislav Ivanov and Rapid Chess

Be sure not to interfere with, or turn off, some unsuspecting player or spectators pacemaker.

You must be thinking of RF jamming devices. RF detection would, AFAIK, be passive and not emit any EM radiation.