*I forgot to mention that the cases of players being tested for doping are few and far between and the drama revolving around Ivanchuk was in 2008. I haven't seen any similar doping controls recently apart from the World Championship iirc.
Taking Drugs is CHEATING.
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It is a widely accepted conception that chess is a sport of the mind, and as a sport I believe there should be a strict fair-play policy to make the game fun for everyone. As Chess is a recognised sport under the International Olympic Committee, FIDE must enforce all anti-doping laws from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
It just so happens that FIDE has an entire section in the FIDE handbook that all arbiters must study to be competent in their position, dedicated to Anti-Doping regulation. There are many rules that seek to combat doping including:
2.3. Refusing, or failing without compelling justification, to submit to Sample collection after notification as authorized in these Anti-Doping Rules or otherwise evading Sample collection.
There have been many instances in which doping controls in FIDE over-the-board tournaments have lead to cases where event organizers and FIDE themselves have refused to indict those who were found guilty red handed in breaking the aforementioned rules.
One of these cases involve the notorious Grandmaster Vassily Ivanchuk. In the 38th Chess Olympiad that was held in the quiet city of Dresden, Germany, FIDE nominated the top player representing Ukraine, Grandmaster Vassily Ivanchuk for a doping test. This would, if successful involve him urinating into a cup and the sample would be tested to see if he had any drugs in his system attending the prestigious tournament. Instead of happily complying to prove his innocence, he adamently refused to provide a sample in a rude and erratic way.
For refusal to comply by standard Fair-Play policy, and his egregious demeanor, he was given NO form of punishment whatsoever. No 2 year ban, no redistribution of medals that was won by his team, and no meeting was held to discuss the matter. This shows FIDE as a weak and failing institution in my opinion but I will not get to that today
You may be confused when I suggest that doping effects the world of Chess, and I wouldn't pass blame on you, as the media portrays doping as when an athlete such as a sprinter takes performance enhancing drugs to run faster, etc.. But doping also applies to chess as it is proven that certain neurocognitive enchancing drugs (known as Nootropics) such as piracetam boosts memory, attention, creativity and motivation in way that a non-doper cannot.
Of course doping cannot and will never substitute raw chess skill, at the highest level of the game these edges can make all the difference.
No matter how microscopic the enchancements of these drugs on a doper's chess performance, it is still an unfair advantage leveraged over their opponent that simply cannot be tolerated in such a well-publicized sport and I believe widespread doping controls should be implemented in tournaments around the world, mainly those than involve prize-money and titles that are at stake.
I am looking forward to what ye think
Tóg go bog é!