Wesley So Forfeited In U.S. Championship Round 9

[fern]

Maybe, but still then other guy behaved as a piece of shit, taking advantage of that preposterous rule.
No decent person make much of a trifling thing like that.
"¡hey, the guy is writing a note, come judge, hang him...!"

Poo basstards fighting with such low means for a couple of bucks.

Fern

[syzygy]

..and what a heck matters if a guy is taking notes?
I do not understand that pedantic attitude so tightly associated to a rule.
But precisely not to meet those kind of imbecile is the reason i do not go to chess clubs. There are too many guys like that in chess scene. Manic, neurasthenic, no polite, aggressive and without much else in his brains than chess.

From old times when gentlemen of wide culture and humor existed regards
Fern

Well when he decided to play in the event, he agreed to play by the rules for the US Chess Championship. In effect giving his word that he would abide by their rules. Not honoring a agreement that other participants are, looks poorly on Wesley. This is not a casual game, they are playing for money.

I fully agree.

If someone was not acting chivalrous, it was the guy breaking the rule. The game was forfeited, not because his opponent notified the arbiter, but because he decided to taunt the arbiter one time too many.

Nobody is saying that a single minor infraction of the rule should lead to loss of the game. But if the arbiter has already given a final warning...

I am quite amazed how some are now blaming Akobian for So's behaviour and the arbiter's decision.

[fern]

No matter who is and what does or did the forfeited guy and if the arbiter applied a rule, my point has been always the same: Akobian is an asshole. BTW, as so many are in that field. I love chess, but not so much chess players. Tends to be a mix of pedantic guys, mentally ill, no polite and ready to make a point no matter how. In other words, too many Akobians ready to make use of anything to win a game. Because, tell me, what matter if the other guy is writing or what? Did he steal a piece from the board? Did he blew cigar smoke in the face of Akobian?
No. The guy wrote in a paper.
Big deal.
Not amazing that in an environment of so many dislocated guys rules like those are current.
So, I prefer my comps...

Fern

[syzygy]

So no player should ever complain if the opponent is taking notes?

But still it is OK for the arbiter to punish the opponent in case the "asshole" player did complain?

Does that make sense?

If the rule is wrong, then blame the rule and blame FIDE for making the rule.
If the rule was wrongly applied, then blame the arbiter applying it.
If the rule and its application are OK, then who else is to blame other than the guy breaking it?

But blaming Akobian (and, I suppose, the two other players that complained before him)? Are players that abide by the rules morally obliged to cover up the actions of those few that do not feel bound by any rule? In my world they are not.

[fern]

To talk of "morals" in such an issue does not apply.
You still do not understand my point.
I do not care about the rules USCF have.
The point is that effectively no one should "complain" for a such murderous thing as taking notes. And to do it with indignation and knowing you will get the point qualify, to me, as being asshole.
The fact that such a thing became a matter of rules, that players complain on the ground of those rules, etc is the preposterous and low thing I criticize.
If you find OK all that, well, that is your position.
I suppose there is some cultural divides between countries even with respect a simple game. It has always called my attention the importance in US is given to so many trifles. Politically correct chess behavior in this case. In my country you can play with a pistol over the table, provided you will not use it.
Just a metaphor...

Fern

[syzygy]

To talk of "morals" in such an issue does not apply.

Then why do you call Akobian an "asshole" for complaining about So's behaviour? Seems to me you consider it immoral to make the complaint...

I do not care about the rules USCF have.

You are not blaming the rule. Apparently the rule is OK.

The point is that effectively no one should "complain" for a such murderous thing as taking notes.

Then why do you think I did not get your point? I asked you "So no player should ever complain if the opponent is taking notes?" Spot on, or what?

Anyway, although you think the rule itself is OK, it is your position that no player should ever complain if his opponent breaks it. I think that is a strange position to take.

And to do it with indignation and knowing you will get the point qualify, to me, as being asshole.

Why do you think Akobian did it to get the point? As far as we know nobody has ever lost a game before by breaking this rule, so why should Akobian have expected to win a point by complaining?

Most likely Akobian just got distracted, and therefore annoyed, when he saw his opponent scribbling. So he did what two players before him did.

I suppose there is some cultural divides between countries even with respect a simple game. It has always called my attention the importance in US is given to so many trifles. Politically correct chess behavior in this case. In my country you can play with a pistol over the table, provided you will not use it.
Just a metaphor...

Funny that you make this a matter of "cultural divides between countries". I personally think this is just a question of making an objective assessment of the situation.

Akobian plays by the rules and may expect his opponent to do the same. If the opponent refuses to do that, Akobian is not allowed to take a gun, but he is allowed to notify the arbiter. It is then up to the arbiter to decide whether to impose a sanction. In this case the sanction was severe, but that was a decision of the arbiter and not of Akobian.

The situation is somewhat comparable to one in criminal law.

Suppose person A commits a heinous crime. The police investigates and finds evidence against A. However, during the investigation and/or during the trial some rule is broken by the police or the prosecutor. At the trial, A's lawyer points out that a rule was broken and requests A's immediate release. The judge agrees that the rule was broken and that, according to the law, A should be released. So A walks free, even though he committed the crime. If A's lawyer had not complained, A would have been sent to prison.

I think in most countries such things happen from time to time.

In my country, which is not the USA, the "popular" reaction by the public is to blame the lawyer for complaining.

In my view that reaction shows a lack of insight and a lack of objectiveness. The rule is there for a reason. If there is no good reason, the rule should be abolished. The sanction for breaking the rule can also be found in the law. If the sanction is too severe, the law should be changed. Usually multiple sanctions are possible and it is the judge that decided that immediate release is the appropriate sanction. If that decision was wrong, then the judge should be blamed. There is absolutely no good reason to blame the lawyer, who simply did his job.

I suspect you would blame the lawyer, but of course I might be wrong.

[bob]

I would think at LEAST a warning first. I tend to "doodle" when I am waiting for something, if I have a pencil handy, without even realizing it.

It was several times written in this thread he was warned already twice before...

I just looked at the original. It would seem to me that the FIDE rule applies to written notes about the game. If you suddenly remember your wife told you to pick up something on the way home from the tournament, would writing that down be a violation? Makes zero sense.

[syzygy]

I would think at LEAST a warning first. I tend to "doodle" when I am waiting for something, if I have a pencil handy, without even realizing it.

It was several times written in this thread he was warned already twice before...

I just looked at the original. It would seem to me that the FIDE rule applies to written notes about the game. If you suddenly remember your wife told you to pick up something on the way home from the tournament, would writing that down be a violation? Makes zero sense.

It does make sense, because one would otherwise have to analyse what was being written. The player might be writing in a language the arbiter cannot read, or he might have devised a code that the arbiter cannot decipher.

Would a player be allowed to use a mobile phone during a game for texting his wife to pick up something on the way home from work? That kind of exceptions would be absolutely unworkable.

Anyway, if there is really an urgent need to write down something completely innocent, the player can always ask the arbiter first. Especially if that player has already received two official warnings for related actions...

[fern]

My dear friend, I do not want to make a big discussion about all this and this is what is going on. Lets put a finish to it.
BUT, as It looks like I have not been clear in my points, so I will explain my position once again and for the last time.

a) The rule I consider idiotic in any case, but that was not the point of my original post.
b) why the writer of notes did what he did was not also of my care.
c) essentially i considered Akobian as an asshole for being bothered by such a trifle thing and then ask the presence of the arbiter to complain. Real men and people does not complain for those minor things.

Come on, man, would you make an scandal for such a thing?
In many areas of life there are many rules, most of them absurd, that normal and sensible people does not put in vigor. When a guy does not see that and besides gets a profit calling that rules, I insist I consider him an asshole.

I hope my position is crystal clear. I suppose you does not agree, but that is another matter.

My best
Fern

[michiguel]

If that is true then his behavior is even more reprehensible!

The article to which Ted linked in the opening post mentions that he was warned twice and was told a third time would result in forfeit.

The article also mentions that writing notes to himself during chess games is a habit of So (and shows a score sheet from 2014 to confirm this), and that he had been warned many times by his former coach to stop doing that.

Then, maybe, he can takes this opportunity to learn. Hopefully.
The fact that people "never heard" of this type of situation, is because no sane titled player writes notes. It has been against the rules for ages.

If he was warned and did not comply, now the writing is the least of the problems. He starts to be distracting just because he insists.

Miguel