The side activities’ program within the frames of the 2016 Moscow Open RSSU Cup started together with the competitions themselves. In the first three days the honored coach of the USSR Alexander Nikitin ran the FIDE coaching clinic. The day before a three-day refereeing clinic was opened by the FIDE lecturer, international referee Alexander Tkachev. The official website correspondent Eteri Kublashvili met a famous specialist.
- Alexander, what’s the main subject of the present refereeing clinic?
- Let’s say, the problem of cheating and the discussion of the anti-cheating rules run all through this clinic. The reason is very simple – the FIDE General Rules may and must always be discussed, and they haven’t been changed since July 1, 2014, and people get used to them more or less. And cheating and everything that is connected with it is quite a new and it’s a really serious problem in the modern chess environment. And unfortunately it penetrates deeper and deeper as in the tournaments of the highest level, so as in the tournament for beginners. The claims containing accusation and suspicion come from the young chess players’ surroundings very often. It’s very anxious and sad.
That’s why we have to talk of this plague in the chess world and the measures of its treatment. And here in this clinic we discuss the work done by the FIDE Anti-Cheating Commission. We provide the referees with the recommendations how to discover the possible infringers.
Fortunately, cheating is not a general event. And in my opinion, it’s good that the corresponding commission was created in due time and it works day and night.
- What’s the average number of the participants of the clinic?
- Around 40, not less.
- In the first day did any of the referees ask the questions connected with the cases happened in this tournament (not necessarily connected with cheating)?
- The matter is that when I give some examples, I never mention the name of the person. Of course we were discussing some cases, it’s life of the tournament.
I do hope, the situation of the last year will not repeat, and still much depends on the human factor. As it happened a year ago, I can talk of what happened then: a wrong participant was eliminated from the main tournament, and the draw procedure had to be changed 5 hours before the start of the round. I don’t remember any similar force majeur in such major competitions.
- What’s your impression of the Moscow Open RSSU Cup?
- My impressions of this tournament are always the brightest, I’m here not for the first time. Moreover, I’d like to say, when these tournaments have just started, I brought my students here. In other words I remember the first ever edition of the tournament in the RSSU, when the Moscow Open didn’t exist. And then it turned to this wonderful event that we have now.
During the Ceremony Closing speakers always wish the tournament to develop and promote, and the Moscow Open RSSU Cup is the brightest example that these wishes come true.
The organizers do their best to have some zest every year. Besides, the Cup is growing, new events appear. For instance, this year the students’ tournament is held according to the different format, the World Championship is chess composition is organized for the first time ever, tournaments in blitz for children and adults are held, the biggest chess lesson was organized, and it was even included into the Guinness World Records.
It’s great that every good house has its solid rules, including the refereeing clinic (laughing).
I should also mention that all the changes and recommendations to the anti-cheating rules, valid from January 1, 2016, are taken into account in this tournament.
- How useful will it be for the referees to work in such a major tournament?
- For the youngest of them (I am talking about their chess qualification and not the age) it’s very useful to work together with such experienced referees as Akhmetov, Kryukov, Goncharov – it’s an outstanding school. It’s not enough for referees just to know the theory, and maybe it’s even not as important so as the practical work, and you have to “feel the pulse”. That’s why the work in the Moscow Open is valueless.
Besides, it’s important to work here also from the point of view of the professional qualification, as the tournament has an official status and it provides with the corresponding points.