FM Borislav Ivanov Disqualified

Sorry to have to do this, but let me revisit my position on this so i can clarify.

1. It has been shown that Ivanov plays like a computer.

The question is, why?

2. It is either because he cheated, he memorized lines, or he learned to play like a computer.

Humans cannot do brute force calculations like a computer, so it is not possible he learned to play like one.

If he cheated, then there is no further explanation necessary.

3. The hypothesis is Ivanov memorized lines.

What are some signs? The most obvious is how close it matches computer moves. He can also play them without much thought. It works against GMs, but not lower rated players.

Why doesn't it work against lower rated players? When a plan is made, it is made with the expectation that the opponent will play the best move (which is relative to how good the plan maker can calculate.) GMs are more likely to make the best moves. This does not mean they're predictable, but they would be more predictable than players with mediocre moves or worse included in their options.

4. What would be the method?

He would have to gather information on his opponents, have it analyzed by the engine, and memorize the engine's lines.

5. Does it work?

It doesn't work because the possibility for memorized lines to work requires all the pieces to fall exactly into place. Each set of moves is a separate piece, and there are too many pieces to the puzzle. Some of the pieces are nearly identical. To predict those choices would have to be a guess.

6. The conclusion would be that he had to cheat in order to move nearly identical to that of a computer.

The argument has been to show proof of how he cheated. The counter-argument is give a logical explanation of how he could play like a computer with over 3000 ELO.

Thank you for your time.

Come on, it's not because you can't do it that none can. You're just jealous. And you know nothing about chess.

How dare you suspect anyone of doing anything bad and say it publicly, you know what "innocent until proven guilty" means ? (extension : how dare the police even enquire about people !?)

I think that pretty much sums up the arguments of the other side. Of course, they have been said 40 pages ago, then 30 pages ago, then... and they will come back in 40 pages as if they were not answered in-between.

Yes, give it a rest.

Maybe he wrote down all possible moves on his arms in special ink only his contact lenses can detect?

FOR GOD@S SAKE FORUM TROLLS:

'CIRCUMSTANTIAL' EVIDENCE CAN STILL BE GOOD/DAMNING EVIDENCE.

DNA and fingerprint evidence is usually just evidence of presence at the scene of a crime i.e. 'only' circumstantial

If you needed 'non-circumstantial evidence' for every case you could never convict for murder without a body. That's never been the law.

Some juridictions have rules against 'uncorroborated hearsay' evidence (what someone said to them an accused did or said) being used to convict for a crime, but no jurisdiction has ever demanded 'concrete' evidence - whatever that is meant to mean.

Here either Ivanov has achieved two feats unparalled in chess history at the same time (largest short term jump in skill OTB copmbined with an ability to match engine moves so well that he is missing them only 1/4 as often as the next best players in the world) or he is using engine moves and has a radio receiver up his a**.

They didn't have lawful authoity to look up his a** so the exact method he received Houdini moves isn't known. So what? If it was telepathy (no less likely than he suddendly became a chess engine) he'd still be cheating...

Heh, that would be cheating. So to prove that he didn't cheat, he had to have cheated?

I want to hear more theories on the interesting idea of Ivanov memorizing all the moves, because since the number of positions of chess is greater than the number of atoms in the universe, it means that Ivanov must have pulled one hell of an all-nighter. Maybe he used some mnemonic phrases to help.

Nah, I'm sure he was using the old trick of image association : he memorized one mini-diagram per position.

Makes it much easier to recall everything - maybe there was even Houdini eval. flashing red in the lower-right corner of every diagram...

He could use a gym membership. Just sayin.........

.. or maybe he has become our '6 Million Dollar Bionic Chess Man' .. maybe Some Scientists saved him from an Accident he had n' implanted a Houdini Chip or whatever ,in his Brain ......

.. or maybe David Copperfield was his Accomplice ......

For example, say Ivanov memorized game 7 of Fischer-Spassky after move 17. Then, all he has to do is remember the phrase "Fischer-Spassky17  w a->b" to also remember the same position but with white's a pawn moved over to the b file.

So I think it is quite feasible, provided he comes up with enough clever mnemonics like this one.

How many times did you snicker while you were typing that? 

Does it show? Typically I edit out all the snicker-induced typos.

except that Fischer's theory isn't nearly so good in modern day chess and theoretically Ivanov's games mostly aren't relevant.

This topic starts to give me the feeling of being in a bar. You asked for like 1267 times: 'can we please go home now?' But the more alcohol, the more everyone starts to enjoy the conversation. Except for you, that is 

In order of importance, I assume? The word 'alcohol' always attracts some strange customers. Keep calm and watch your heart, sweetie  We don't want to see Dr Buzzard again, do we?

Actually Bobby Fischer was considered by people whith in the field to be a savant

which brings us back to the central problem in  the case. HOW is he cheating?!? He has NEVER been found with an electronic  device on him and ?!? HOW is he  TRANSMITTING  and RECEIVING the moves?!?

The argument goes because his moves match a chess engin he MUST be cheating. BUT there are NO Electronic devices on him, and TWO there is no way he can TRANSMIT  or RECEIVE moves which would be quite obvious.

Without an  electronic device found on him or some method detected that shows how he can transmit and/or receive a signal from outside the hall Occams Razor rules: the simpler anaswer is  he did NOT cheat. For him  to have cheated he'd either have to have been found with  an electronic devive on  him and/or found with some mthof for both  trandmitting and receiving a signal.

You are evolking in your argument goes like this: Because  Inov rating jumps hugely it MUST because he is cheating, because his moves match that of a cherss engine -- but you  can't PROVE he has had an electronic device, nor can it be proven how  he transmits and receives his moves. By Occam's Razor the method by which he must  be cheating is so complex that no one can  detect it, as such the simplier answer and thus probably the correct one is HE DID  NOT CHEAT.

 SmyslovFan  your knowledge of physics, chemsitry, astronomy, and astrophysics leaves a lot to be desired. Infinity is a very, very, large number and  the  universe  is infinite.

Ok.