Borislav Ivanov: a Lilov's add-on

[Hood]

Is Lilov trustable person?

[Graham Banks]

Ear receivers would be detectable by anyone who took a closer look. It could be checked easily. Bionic contact lenses? Too far fetched. Maybe a receiver between his toes? Receiving the move by vibration or electricity. Maybe there could be a even safer place for a small (or even bigger) receiver?

The anus. Nobody wants to look there.

He must also transmit his opponent's moves back to the computer somehow, so let us all pray your anus theory is wrong.

Oh my God

No wonder the whole thing stinks!

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Ear receivers would be detectable by anyone who took a closer look. It could be checked easily. Bionic contact lenses? Too far fetched. Maybe a receiver between his toes? Receiving the move by vibration or electricity. Maybe there could be a even safer place for a small (or even bigger) receiver?

The anus. Nobody wants to look there.

He must also transmit his opponent's moves back to the computer somehow, so let us all pray your anus theory is wrong.

Oh my God

No wonder the whole thing stinks!

[MikeGL]

Ear receivers would be detectable by anyone who took a closer look. It could be checked easily. Bionic contact lenses? Too far fetched. Maybe a receiver between his toes? Receiving the move by vibration or electricity. Maybe there could be a even safer place for a small (or even bigger) receiver?

The anus. Nobody wants to look there.

He must also transmit his opponent's moves back to the computer somehow, so let us all pray your anus theory is wrong.

Maybe the tournaments are all online? I thought I read that the first time their on-line web site failed to operate correctly he started playing badly. So in all the tournaments where he played super GM strength, were they being transmitted live on the web? I thought that only did that for the top boards or for only the most important tournaments?

Did he have anything with him such as a bag or purse or anything like that?

I think it would be possible for the right kind of detective to solve this mystery of how he does it. It would need to be a high tech detective, not the old fashioned gumshoe type of detective.

A delay in Live broadcast could be implemented in every tournament, If I
remember correctly, I think it's Aeroflot Open or the Tata Steel (formerly
Wijk Aan Zee), where the transmission of moves into the web is delayed
to stop cheating. I guess 30 to 45mins delay of video live feed would do.

[Uri Blass]

A delay of 30-45 minutes is not enough to stop cheating(assuming the cheater does not cheat in every move)

The cheater may use 45 minutes in some critical position and get not only the computer move but the full line that may help him to win the game.

[noctiferus]

Is it a good strategy, Uri?
IMHO: it is, whether your opponent is playing the best moves according to the same engine of yours, but what happens if he deviates from this line?
You have to redefine your choice (you are starting from a better position, I agree), but you need to spare some time, for it...

[Don]

A delay of 30-45 minutes is not enough to stop cheating(assuming the cheater does not cheat in every move)

The cheater may use 45 minutes in some critical position and get not only the computer move but the full line that may help him to win the game.

If the cheater is using the broadcasts even a 15 minute delay will solve the problem. It would still be possible as you say to possibly extract SOME benefit from the computer but the logistics of this would be a nightmare - he and a partner would have to work really hard at this to extract some benefit and he would be on his own for many moves.

I personally don't think he is using the broadcasts though and I'm pretty sure that he is working alone because whatever system he is using seems pretty reliable and elaborate schemes with multiple people involved tend to be much more prone to error.

If I were a detective hired to solve this one of the first things I would want to do is to find out all I can about this guy. His skills, interests, and reputation in school, etc. Is there any history of this sort of thing in his past? Does he have a devoted friend, perhaps a girlfriend who is always with him? Does he have expertise in electronics, computer software, anything else that might be relevant? Knowing about people can give you insight into how he might go about doing such a thing.

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

I do not know why everybody is attacking the guy while there is no evidence whatsoever that he is cheating apart from some inconclusive computer-related speculations.
Borislav is living on his own, his parents are divorced and half of the family lives abroad. I think he has a tough time of it just because of this reason. Reading some Bulgarian chess fora, you would be surprised at the viciousness of the attacks against him, although he tries to keep his ground by retorting accordingly.

He is not a programmer, and I am convinced that he is more or less technically ignorant, not to mention trying to make use of complex schemes beyond the grasp of everybody around for personal benefit.
He has been thoroughly checked on more than one occasions and nothing has been found. It might have been humiliating to pass through this experience. Exceptional results at blitz (the Kyustendil tournament) would also suggest that he is not making use of any engine aid. It is simply impossible to be suspected of cheating while making a couple of moves in a couple of seconds, sometimes immediately after the opponent's move. There is simply no possibility to cheat there.

I do not buy into those 'first lines' of Houdini. Everyone knows that first lines would depend on hardware used, time control, etc. So if Lilov claims Borislav is playing some 90% Houdini's first choices, than Lilov must be a clairvoyant to have knowledge of the hardware and settings of the machine used for cheating. I would assume it is easier to be a 'genius' than a clairvoyant. Should we now accuse Lilov of 'clairvoyancy'?

The Bulgarian chess federation banned Borislav for 4 months (exactly for the period when there are plenty of tourneys on the Black Sea Coast) on no reasonable grounds at all. They simply did not have the right to do that, as you know that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. It is interesting to know why did not they investigate alleged cases of purchased GM and other titles throughout the years. You have the games, everything would look very suspicicous, but they would just close their eyes. It is interesting that some of the players that bought their titles (by securing points under the table in vital games) are now very vociferant against Borislav.

I have looked into the games of Borko and I would say that even before 2012 he has had a pretty nice level of play and positional understanding, scoring many wins way above what his elo status would suggest at the time. If you do this once, you can certainly do it many more times. Starting from Zadar onwards, I would say that what could arouse doubt is not the probable high-percentage of so called 'Houdini first choices', because some of those moves are really very natural and human, but the 5 to 10 percent of engine-like moves in certain games.
Is 10% a high percentage to claim that he is cheating, or maybe there is a way after all for a normal human to play a couple of strictly-computer moves in a game? I would rather say that it is quite possible to play such moves, if the person has been training extensively with engines and has some natural penchant for the engines' style. I do not see why not. Borislav claims to have started training with computer assistance only recently (to be more precise, during 2012) and maybe that has boosted his strength significantly.

The guy himself says that he is neither a cheater, nor a genius, but has some natural talent for deep concentration and keeping calm throughout the games. I think concentrating properly is really very important and that could explain taking of decisions very close to computer choices.

Personally, I am convinced, that it is possible for humans to play on a much higher level than they would think they could play under normal conditions, if they have the opportunity to concentrate properly. Normal tournament conditions (high level of noise, distracting practices of opponents, unfair competition, stress) are not ideal for concentrating at a level to start playing machine-like moves, but what if a person has a natural talent for concentration?

Borislav has invited a couple of Bulgarian GMs to match their strengths with all necessary checks being carried out, but they have all refused. I would not say a cheater would make such a step. He has proposed to Kiril Georgiev to play in a 'bunker' with no possibility for electronic interference. He is eager to play in other tournaments, and I think no cheater would esily do that too. A couple of days ago he has had a thorough check carried on him in the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, and the medics said that he is clear what concerns possible subcutaneous devices, so that he has nothing implanted on him. His clothes and belongings have also been regularly checked.

Going back to those 'first line' assumptions, I do not see why a really clever cheater would not use Discocheck or Texel for aid instead of Houdini, with sufficient incoming boost of strength, as there would hardly be anyone suggesting the guy has used Discocheck (at least at the current status of Discocheck). Those first line scenarios are absolutely paranoic.

I think humans in general have difficulty imagining that they could play at a level similar to top engines, and therefore most GMs and strong players simply ignore the problem that there is an artificial intelligence far exceeding their normal GM capabilites, making their performances mostly irrelevant. And the problem is of course, lack of sufficient computer training and lack of in-depth concentration. Maybe if you find a way to concentrate at a much deeper level you would not readily join the camp of supporters of cheating accusations when they are totally devoid of ground.

Best, Lyudmil

[Don]

I do not know why everybody is attacking the guy while there is no evidence whatsoever that he is cheating apart from some inconclusive computer-related speculations.

I think those are pretty damning though. Even without looking at Houdini at all his performance is just bizarre, playing really badly (not just performance but moves) and then playing like a super GM in the next tournament.) There is NOTHING WRONG with being suspicious when you see things happens that out of the ordinary, otherwise you would be a fool and probably dead very quickly, it's a survival skill.

To really make a case you need to run the games of all his opponents under the same test, are they also playing the first and second move choices of Houdini as consistently? Is that unusual or is it typical of strong players to do?

His defenders are saying that playing identical to Houdini is not proof of anything and his detractors are saying that it's too much of a coincidence, so what we need is some solid math to back this up. Just spewing our opinions is not quite enough and that is why I'm avoiding the move choice arguments for now.

I also trust the opinions of the masters who are boycotting him. I think they would know more about this that you are I and they think he is guilty as can be. Of course I know that many people believe that all the players just ganged up on only because he is beating them but that is always the defense used in every scandal there is. That was the Lance Armstrong defense too wasn't it?

I think he is guilty but my opinion doesn't matter. I am hoping to see some statistics on this but it's pretty clear that it won't matter - he is already attracting a fan club who will defend him no matter what.

Borislav is living on his own, his parents are divorced and half of the family lives abroad. I think he has a tough time of it just because of this reason. Reading some Bulgarian chess fora, you would be surprised at the viciousness of the attacks against him, although he tries to keep his ground by retorting accordingly.

He is not a programmer, and I am convinced that he is more or less technically ignorant, not to mention trying to make use of complex schemes beyond the grasp of everybody around for personal benefit.
He has been thoroughly checked on more than one occasions and nothing has been found. It might have been humiliating to pass through this experience. Exceptional results at blitz (the Kyustendil tournament) would also suggest that he is not making use of any engine aid. It is simply impossible to be suspected of cheating while making a couple of moves in a couple of seconds, sometimes immediately after the opponent's move. There is simply no possibility to cheat there.

I do not buy into those 'first lines' of Houdini. Everyone knows that first lines would depend on hardware used, time control, etc. So if Lilov claims Borislav is playing some 90% Houdini's first choices, than Lilov must be a clairvoyant to have knowledge of the hardware and settings of the machine used for cheating. I would assume it is easier to be a 'genius' than a clairvoyant. Should we now accuse Lilov of 'clairvoyancy'?

The Bulgarian chess federation banned Borislav for 4 months (exactly for the period when there are plenty of tourneys on the Black Sea Coast) on no reasonable grounds at all. They simply did not have the right to do that, as you know that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. It is interesting to know why did not they investigate alleged cases of purchased GM and other titles throughout the years. You have the games, everything would look very suspicicous, but they would just close their eyes. It is interesting that some of the players that bought their titles (by securing points under the table in vital games) are now very vociferant against Borislav.

I have looked into the games of Borko and I would say that even before 2012 he has had a pretty nice level of play and positional understanding, scoring many wins way above what his elo status would suggest at the time. If you do this once, you can certainly do it many more times. Starting from Zadar onwards, I would say that what could arouse doubt is not the probable high-percentage of so called 'Houdini first choices', because some of those moves are really very natural and human, but the 5 to 10 percent of engine-like moves in certain games.
Is 10% a high percentage to claim that he is cheating, or maybe there is a way after all for a normal human to play a couple of strictly-computer moves in a game? I would rather say that it is quite possible to play such moves, if the person has been training extensively with engines and has some natural penchant for the engines' style. I do not see why not. Borislav claims to have started training with computer assistance only recently (to be more precise, during 2012) and maybe that has boosted his strength significantly.

The guy himself says that he is neither a cheater, nor a genius, but has some natural talent for deep concentration and keeping calm throughout the games. I think concentrating properly is really very important and that could explain taking of decisions very close to computer choices.

Personally, I am convinced, that it is possible for humans to play on a much higher level than they would think they could play under normal conditions, if they have the opportunity to concentrate properly. Normal tournament conditions (high level of noise, distracting practices of opponents, unfair competition, stress) are not ideal for concentrating at a level to start playing machine-like moves, but what if a person has a natural talent for concentration?

Borislav has invited a couple of Bulgarian GMs to match their strengths with all necessary checks being carried out, but they have all refused. I would not say a cheater would make such a step. He has proposed to Kiril Georgiev to play in a 'bunker' with no possibility for electronic interference. He is eager to play in other tournaments, and I think no cheater would esily do that too. A couple of days ago he has had a thorough check carried on him in the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, and the medics said that he is clear what concerns possible subcutaneous devices, so that he has nothing implanted on him. His clothes and belongings have also been regularly checked.

Going back to those 'first line' assumptions, I do not see why a really clever cheater would not use Discocheck or Texel for aid instead of Houdini, with sufficient incoming boost of strength, as there would hardly be anyone suggesting the guy has used Discocheck (at least at the current status of Discocheck). Those first line scenarios are absolutely paranoic.

I think humans in general have difficulty imagining that they could play at a level similar to top engines, and therefore most GMs and strong players simply ignore the problem that there is an artificial intelligence far exceeding their normal GM capabilites, making their performances mostly irrelevant. And the problem is of course, lack of sufficient computer training and lack of in-depth concentration. Maybe if you find a way to concentrate at a much deeper level you would not readily join the camp of supporters of cheating accusations when they are totally devoid of ground.

Best, Lyudmil

[Graham Banks]

I do not know why everybody is attacking the guy while there is no evidence whatsoever that he is cheating apart from some inconclusive computer-related speculations..........

I tend to agree with you at this stage.