Chess Forum / General Topics / September 2006

After two shmucks have cheated
at one or two swisses, my friend
has asked me if this is the end
of chess. Now it looks like it is.

It's a great, great pity. Somehow
Kasparov went down in the famous
match with Kramnik, and there was
no silly talking about any cheating.
Leko managed to draw against
Kramnik, and they have parted friends
after an incredibly chess-wise tensed
match.

Topalov lost 2 games, drew 2,
and decided to "win" by any means
available.

***

At issue is not just the agreement but
also the status quo to which they have
agreed, and which could have been changed
only if BOTH players agree to the revision.

They have played 4 games under certain
conditions. It is offensive to a player to
impose any changes on him unilaterally.

Say, you rent a vacation or hotel suit, and
another hotel guest or vacationer starts
to move the furniture in your place to fit
his taste.

Kramnik is right to demand respect.

******

To some of you: walking to the restroom
is NOT any crime nor a violation.
A player does not have to explain anything.
That was my point. There can be a thousand
and one reasons to go often to the restroom:
diabetes, prostate, combined with a slight cold,
spices in the food, coffee, nervous reaction...
and there can be many other which I don't
care to list. I was not and I am not speculating
-- I was and am only saying that a player does
not have to be forced into any explanations.
For instance, to some people it may be highly
uncomfortable to explain that right after they
peed they feel immediate urgency to do so
again. But it is a well known condition.
A chess player should be free from any of
such proceedings, and he doesn't even have
to tell you, a stranger, the truth. He would be
justified to lie. Because the truth, and keeping
it away from others, may be essential to his
PRIVATE life while it is completely IRRELEVANT
to the MATCH.

***

Wlod

PS. Perhaps it is:

electronics 6 : humans 0

Of course we at rgc* are perfect, except
for the so-so sophistication, arguing in bad
faith, unfair comments and outright lies. Hey,
look at Hewlett-Packard's top management.
Pretexting and all. And this is suppossed to
be one of the best companies ever to work for,
the history and pride of Silicon Valley. Know
that IBM is still a zilion times worse in general,
and now think about the Kasparov-Deep Blue
match, and the subsequent covering up of their
tracks by IBM. I wish there was be a Congressional
hearing about that match.
(wh)