British Championship Congress 2022

[Wadih Khoury]

Quite weird. I would assume that catching someone cheating would only forfeit the game (and maybe get them expelled from the tournament). You'd need really serious evidence to forfeit the other rounds too, no?

Also, engines don't appear to find his games suspicious. Quite a few blunders it seems. Even if he did cheat on round 7, I don't think that would warrant a refund to his opponents if his games were legit.
Could it be not related to cheating? Ethics, behaviour or something else?
Or a mistake on chessresults?

[James Toon]

Can anyone tell me how to contact the tournament director / admin office in Torquay at short notice? I’ve entered the Weekend Open but I’m having the worst train journey of my life and may not reach Torquay until about 9pm, some 10 hours after leaving home in Surrey. There is no contact information on the Championship website and no one is answering the phone at the ECF office.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi David and Matt,
It was more of a question than a statement. I looked at the given link and the D.O.B. was
only given as 2006. This is August so there was more than a 50% chance the player was over age.

[Ian Thompson]

Also, engines don't appear to find his games suspicious. Quite a few blunders it seems.
Could it be not related to cheating? Ethics, behaviour or something else?

If he was forfeited after 8 moves for cheating then it might not have been engine use. It could have been looking up the opening in a printed book, for example.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Quite weird. I would assume that catching someone cheating would only forfeit the game (and maybe get them expelled from the tournament). You'd need really serious evidence to forfeit the other rounds too, no?

Also, engines don't appear to find his games suspicious. Quite a few blunders it seems. Even if he did cheat on round 7, I don't think that would warrant a refund to his opponents if his games were legit.
Could it be not related to cheating? Ethics, behaviour or something else?
Or a mistake on chessresults?

Rounds 2 and 5 were apparently pretty outstanding. But yes, there could have been something behaviour related. Who knows? Think he might be a year 10, so maybe not quite 16 yet.

[Paul Heaton]

If he was forfeited after 8 moves for cheating then it might not have been engine use. It could have been looking up the opening in a printed book, for example.

I don’t think the youth of today look at print books that much…

[Geoff Chandler]

The player concerned was born at 15:14 on the 12th August 2006.

The arbiters surrounded their board and as soon as the town hall clock struck 15:15 they threw
the player out of the tournament and gave everyone they had played a 1 pt default win.

It's possibly not how it happened, but it's how I will blog it.
(I'll make up the names to protect the innocent.)

[Thomas Rendle]

Quite weird. I would assume that catching someone cheating would only forfeit the game (and maybe get them expelled from the tournament). You'd need really serious evidence to forfeit the other rounds too, no?

Also, engines don't appear to find his games suspicious. Quite a few blunders it seems. Even if he did cheat on round 7, I don't think that would warrant a refund to his opponents if his games were legit.
Could it be not related to cheating? Ethics, behaviour or something else?
Or a mistake on chessresults?

My guess would be selective engine use, not needed in every game. I find it hard to believe the same player is playing in round 1 and round 5, the play from 19.Ne1 onwards in round 5 is that of a strong GM having a very good day.

[Matt Bridgeman]

See if he shows up at the Weekend Atkins Open at 7pm?

[Mike Gunn]

Can anyone tell me how to contact the tournament director / admin office in Torquay at short notice? I’ve entered the Weekend Open but I’m having the worst train journey of my life and may not reach Torquay until about 9pm, some 10 hours after leaving home in Surrey. There is no contact information on the Championship website and no one is answering the phone at the ECF office.

James, I have emailed 2 arbiters at the British (Matthew Carr, John Wickham) with this message. Mike.

[Mike Gunn]

Quite weird. I would assume that catching someone cheating would only forfeit the game (and maybe get them expelled from the tournament). You'd need really serious evidence to forfeit the other rounds too, no?

No, if it is cheating then you would forfeit him in all rounds based on the suspicion if he cheated in one round it's likely that he cheated in others. Cheating is (or should be) treated seriously and should result in at least ba one year ban, in my opinion.

[Paul Heaton]

Hi David and Matt,
It was more of a question than a statement. I looked at the given link and the D.O.B. was
only given as 2006. This is August so there was more than a 50% chance the player was over age.

Essentially zero percent chance, as the tournament uses FIDE rules for age determination. Ie 1st January 2022

[IM Jack Rudd]

The trouble with issuing bans is that the ECF has very little power to enforce them, apart from in the few events it itself runs.

[Andrew Zigmond]

The trouble with issuing bans is that the ECF has very little power to enforce them, apart from in the few events it itself runs.

I suppose they could refuse to grade their games. However if the ECF were to try to assume wider powers there would likely be outcry.

[Roger Lancaster]

The player concerned was born at 15:14 on the 12th August 2006.

The arbiters surrounded their board and as soon as the town hall clock struck 15:15 they threw
the player out of the tournament and gave everyone they had played a 1 pt default win.

It's possibly not how it happened, but it's how I will blog it.
(I'll make up the names to protect the innocent.)

In case this jocuIar post confuses anyone, the young person invoIved was born (according to the ECF database) on 30 September 2006. That makes him/her under 16 at the date of the incident which, if an offence has occurred, is a factor the ECF wiII necessariIy have to take into account.