Chess (#1144)

Last week saw two huge controversies.  In the US championships, second-seed and world number 8, Wesley So, was forfeited for an unusual violation. It is forbidden to use notes, or to write anything other than moves and player names on a scoresheet. In fact, since 2005, it has been forbidden to write a move before playing it. Two reasons: One, alternative moves may be written as aide memoires and two, artful players would write a move, "allow" opponents to see it and gauge reactions.

So often writes notes to himself like "eat fruit", "cut hair", et cetera. He was under stress due to a family dispute. He had lost three games and been warned earlier by the arbiter not to scribble on the scoresheet. He wrote, "Double-check, triple-check variations, use your time" on another piece of paper while in play.

His opponent, Varuzhan Akobian complained. So was forfeited. It may seem draconian but the rule makes total sense. Chess is multilingual. It is not the arbiters' business to know, or make judgement calls as to what is written down.

Hikaru Nakamura won the US with 8/11. Ray Robson (7.5) was second. So finished third (6.5) recovering from the forfeit with a remarkable display of will. Irina Krush won the women's event with 8.5/11 ahead of Nazi Paikidze and Katerina Nemcova (both 7.5).

Concurrently, the Dubai Open saw a cheating scandal. While playing Tigran L Petrosian, Georgian GM, Gaioz Nigalidze, headed frequently to a specific cubicle in the loo. Petrosian complained. The arbiters found a hidden phone where Nigalidze was logged into social media and the Petrosian- Nigalidze game was being analysed on a engine. Nigalidze now faces a automatic ban of three years. This episode may explain why he was the surprise winner of the strong Al Ains Open last November.  

Dubai  ended with a six-way tie between Dragan Šolak, David Howell, Vladimir Fedoseev, Andrei Istratescu, Ivan Ivaniševic and Eltaj Safarli (All 7). Solak had the best tie-break. This weekend, the Vugar Gashimov Memorial begins in the late Azeri GM's hometown of Shamkir. That has a stellar line up of Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Michael Adams, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Rauf Mammadov.

The Diagram, WHITE TO PLAY ( White: Conrad Holt versus Black: Nakamura US Chaps, 2015) illustrates Naka's never-say die attitude. He is close to losing but 19.Kg1 Bc2!? 20.Qd2?! The natural Qf1-Qh3 idea looks good. Play continued 20.--  Ne4 21.Nxe4 Qxe4. 

Now white seems to keep an edge with Bh5 or (engine suggestion Ng2) but he played 22.Bf1?! Bd3! 23.Bh3 Nc2 24.Be6+ Rf7! 25.Nf5? Last chance - 25. f3 Qd4+ 26. Kg2 Nxa1 27. Qg5 may draw. Now black wins with 25. --Ne1! 26.Ne7+ Kf8 27.Ng6+ Ke8 (0-1).

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player