Cheating in Chess: Give Your Vote Now in ACP Campaign

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

Computer cheating in chess is an important issue for all of us. The Association of Chess Professionals has put up a petition on their website where we all must sign online. It takes half a minute. The petition "Petition against cheating" reads: We, the undersigned chess professionals and regular competitors in FIDE rated events, share the view that computer-assisted cheating is a major problem in chess and ask the ACP to address FIDE in order to take all necessary steps for fighting this plague.

Sign the Important Petition Now

All you have to do is put your name, country, Fide rating, etc. The petition would help in addressing a serious issue that is harming our chess world. Click on the logo to sign the petition now. Anyone who loves chess may support the campaign.

You can read all Chess Blog posts on cheating in chess here. Some time back, Fide Trainer Committee accepted GM Konstantin Landa's Complete Idea for checking cheating in chess. Read about it at this Chess Blog post.

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ACP Chess Survey on Time Controls at World Chess Championships

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) recently conducted a survey (composed of 4 questions) among Top 30 world players (as of 1 July 2012) about the time control in World Championships.They received 28 answers from:

Adams Michael, Anand Viswanathan, Aronian Levon, Bologan Viktor, Carlsen Magnus, Caruana Fabiano, Dominguez Perez Leinier, Fressinet Laurent, Gashimov Vugar, Gelfand Boris, Grischuk Alexander, Ivanchuk Vassily, Jakovenko Dmitry, Jobava Baadur, Kamsky Gata, Karjakin Sergey, Kramnik Vladimir, Leko Peter, Mamedyarov Shakhriyar, Nakamura Hikaru, Nepomniachtchi Ian, Ponomariov Ruslan, Radjabov Teimour, Riazantsev Alexander, Svidler Peter, Tomashevsky Evgeny, Wang Hao, Wojtaszek Radoslaw.

Question 1:
Which of the following 2 time controls should be used in final stages of World Championship Cycles?

a) 120'/40+60'/20+(15'/SD+30") - 120 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes, with an increment of 30 seconds starting from move 61

b) (100'/40+50'/20+15'/SD)+30" - 100 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes, with an increment of 30 seconds starting from move 1

Results:9 voted for A
17 voted for B
1 player equally liked both proposals
---
1 player was against both proposals

Question 2:
The following 2 rapid time controls are widely used. Which of them should be used in World Rapid Championships?

a) 15'+10" - 15 minutes for a game with 10 seconds increment
b) 25'+10" - 25 minutes for a game with 10 seconds increment

Results:
8 voted for A
19 voted for B
---
1 player was against both proposals

Question3:
The following 3 blitz time controls are widely used. Which of them should be used in World Blitz Championships? Please sort the possibilities from best to worst.
a) 5'
b) 3'+2"
c) 4'+2"

Results:
Answer A: 2 first places; 2,5 second places; 23,5 third places
Answer B: 16 first places; 9,5 second places; 2,5 third places
Answer C: 10 first places; 16 second places; 2 third places

Remark:
0,5 arises when a player doesn't give a preference between 2 possibilities.

Question 4:
The following 5 time controls are widely used for sudden death games. Please sort them from best to worst.

a) 5'-4' (white has 5 minutes, black has 4 minutes; white has to win)
b) 6'-5' (white has 6 minutes, black has 5 minutes; white has to win)

c) (4'-3')+1" (white has 4 minutes, black has 3 minutes, an increment of 1 second is added starting from move 1; white has to win)

d) (5'-4')+1" (white has 5 minutes, black has 4 minutes, an increment of 1 second is added starting from move 1; white has to win)

e) (5'/60-4'/60) + (0'/SD+3") (white has 5 minutes, black has 4 minutes, an increment of 3 seconds is added starting from move 61; white has to win)

Results:
Not all out of 28 players answered that question.

The opinions were widely spread, however it is still possible to take a conclusion, that the option 5'-4' (white has 5 minutes, black has 4 minutes; white has to win) was clearly preferable, whereas all other 4 options were at more or less the same level of support.

Recommendations:
Based on the obtained results the ACP recommends: 1) to change the official time control used in the World Championship match/tournament, Candidates matches, Grand Prix to:
(100'/40+50'/20+15'/SD)+30" - 100 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes, with an increment of 30 seconds starting from move 1

2) to use in the World Rapid Championship:
25'+10" - 25 minutes for a game with 10 seconds increment

3) to use in World Blitz Championship:
3'+2" - 3 minutes for a game with 2 seconds increment

4) to use 5'-4' (white has 5 minutes, black has 4 minutes; white has to win) for sudden death games

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss 
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Association of Chess Professionals Newsletter for First Quarter 2012

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

As you know, the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) has charted a new and fresh course with great chess events this year with their new president, Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky.

We just found the ACP newsletter with a summary of their chess activities in the first four months of the 2012. Their membership count is now 873 with representatives from 80 national federations.

Here is the summary of chess activities:

1) Dzagnidze wins play-offs against Cramling to take the 2012 ACP Women's Cup
2) Announcing the Women's Rapid and Blitz World Chess Championships 2012 - Batumi will be the venue for this important event from 30 May to 6 June 2012. The total prize fund is of 100.000 USD, by far the highest prize fund ever for a women rapid chess event (notably the former record was held by another ACP event: the ACP Women Cup 2012).
3) Cooperation with FIDE
4) Cooperation with continental federations
5) The new ACP Book of the Year contest
6) The new ACP Tournament of the Year contest
They have also asked members to vote for the best tournament of the year 2011. This is yet another new initiative from the ACP to promote professional chess at all levels!
7) The Elite GM Survey
The ACP is working with FIDE commissions to prepare a comprehensive survey on the possible introduction of a new GM title. 

8) Jeroen van den Berg and Giovanni Vescovi join the ACP Board
9) The new ACP logo

You can read the full newsletter at the Association of Chess Professionals' website.

Here are some Chess Blog headlines we've posted on the ACP:

Congratulations to Nana Dzagnidze for winning the ACP Women's Chess Cup

Great chess videos from ACP Women's Chess Cup

ACP Women's Chess Cup begins today

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com