World Youth Championships

[Matt Mackenzie]

Let's not beat about the bush here.

That's why we want definite 100% confirmation that it is the same person, I suppose.

If it indeed is, I don't think there can really be much doubt.

[Nigel White]

Additionally they were selecting board numbers and using the metal detector wand before the game on those in that pairing. If there were any other checks being carried out, they weren't publicised.

There were also random post-game metal detector checks (I waa subject to one), inluding the lesser sections, not just the FIDE Open.

[Richard Bates]

Having now read the account on Tim's blog and following comments, it's surprising that the original story wasn't treated with more scepticism. Maybe it was, but nobody wanted to say anything on the record...

[Matt Bridgeman]

It’s definitely a curious one! It could easily be a name slip up.

Eight months ago there was a Lichess account under the name DeclanLovelock, closed with the headline ‘this player uses computer assistance.

[Roger de Coverly]

Although Grandmaster Vladislav Tkachiev showed the method a while back on Chessbase;

Tkachiev has the advantage of being a GM and thus more than capable of playing based on advice and hints. Someone not of that standard wouldn't be able to without being told detailed moves.

[Matt Bridgeman]

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Looks like he also has a stupendous (debut season) club chess record coming up for grading, which hasn’t reached the ECF grading site yet. 13.5/14 with wins against the likes of FM Mike Waddington and Allan Pleasants.

http://ecflms.org.uk/lms/league_player/19082/games

The match reports are interesting. He usually finishes with more time than he started, and in the one draw he appears to have used an hour of thinking time in total.

[Roger de Coverly]

He usually finishes with more time than he started, and in the one draw he appears to have thought for a full hour at one point.

I think it actually says that his clock showed an elapsed time of one hour.

[Matt Bridgeman]

...

[Alex Holowczak]

Just out of curiosity, we’re the anti-cheating protocols stricter at the London Chess Classic than you would find at your average chess congress?

In the FIDE Open, they were insisting that mobile phones be switched off completely and placed in a bag, but that's as normal for 4NCL events. Additionally they were selecting board numbers and using the metal detector wand before the game on those in that pairing. If there were any other checks being carried out, they weren't publicised.

In addition to that, all of the results in everything that was either captured was screened by Ken Regan's screening tool. Even the Weekend Under 1600s! We managed to get two of the five Rapid sections and three of the Blitz sections too. We also had a dedicated Anti-Cheating arbiter for the first time, who was checking toilets, and checking for any interactions between children and parents, for instance.

[Jon Underwood]

He obliterated me with an attack worthy of a strong grandmaster in his 6th OTB game. The key move was a knight sacrifice moving it to a square where it could simply be taken. I've played a few GMs and never seen anything like it. He thought for as much as a minute which was more than all of his other moves and had more time when he mated me than he started with.

Yes I must admit I am cynical and spent most of the game trying to work out how he was cheating and thought it must be the baseball cap if anything.

When we talked it through after the game though he was pretty convincing. Only a genuinely decent player would have been able to do that.

[Matt Bridgeman]

So the baseball cap is a constant in all his games?

[Richard Bates]

He obliterated me with an attack worthy of a strong grandmaster in his 6th OTB game. The key move was a knight sacrifice moving it to a square where it could simply be taken. I've played a few GMs and never seen anything like it. He thought for as much as a minute which was more than all of his other moves and had more time when he mated me than he started with.

Yes I must admit I am cynical and spent most of the game trying to work out how he was cheating and thought it must be the baseball cap if anything.

When we talked it through after the game though he was pretty convincing. Only a genuinely decent player would have been able to do that.

Have you still got the game?

[Jon Underwood]

He obliterated me with an attack worthy of a strong grandmaster in his 6th OTB game. The key move was a knight sacrifice moving it to a square where it could simply be taken. I've played a few GMs and never seen anything like it. He thought for as much as a minute which was more than all of his other moves and had more time when he mated me than he started with.

Yes I must admit I am cynical and spent most of the game trying to work out how he was cheating and thought it must be the baseball cap if anything.

When we talked it through after the game though he was pretty convincing. Only a genuinely decent player would have been able to do that.

Have you still got the game?

Yes but I am in London so not on me..

[Jon Underwood]

This thread was pointed out to me by someone I had told about Declan Lovelock a while ago. I think my phrase was he is either the greatest natural talent in the history of chess, or... not.