Bibisara ASAUBAEVA and Viswanathan ANAND. Photo: From the personal archive of Biliary Asubaeva

The representative of Russia bibisara Asaubaeva recently became the silver medalist of the world championship among players under the age of 14 years. However, during the tournament was the public accusations of “cheating”, i.e. using forbidden techniques for tips and are subjected to multiple searches.

Why the scandal did not subside, although nothing suspicious at Asubaeva never found?

The General theme is “cheating” in chess is not new. In this sport, even just for this one tip can give in terms of the result more than the whole course of anabolics in any athletics.

Besides, if Olympic athletes for doping regularly check, in chess, such measures exist only on the tournaments of the highest level. “Oprah”, that is, open competition, where eligible holder of any rating, as well as in the children’s Championships, you can do almost anything. That is, formally, the judges, of course, work, but in reality to check on the metal detector several hundred participants is simply impossible. Moreover, viewers are often located right next to the players: how can you protect yourself from tips?

Still from GM’s high-level public statements on the topic of “cheating” is that Alexander Morozevich, who emphasized that cheaters, even at a high level, quite a lot, and find them much more thoroughly than now.

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And here’s the first real scandal at the international level. Moreover, its participants were two representatives of Russia – 13-year-old bibisara Asaubaeva and 14-year-old Elizabeth Solozhenkin. It was at the recent world Cup in Uruguay, where Asaubaeva won the silver medal, and Solozhenkin took bronze. But along the way Lisa publicly accused the opponent of cheating, and her father, also a GM Evgeny Solozhenkin, wrote an official letter to the chief judge with the requirement to deal with the incident. The quote from the article Solojenkin on the website chess-news.ru:

– At one point Bibisara went to the toilet. Lisa at a certain distance and went after her. Lisa was able to notice how booth came Sarah (it was the farthest stall), and quietly go next. After some time Lisa heard Asaubaeva very quietly asked: “what’s the score?” Apparently, after receiving the answer, said “OK” and left the dressing-room.

The story was really a detective. In the proof of daughter Solozhenkin has published screenshots of her mobile phone where she immediately after his own party told him about what happened to mom. Pepper added the fact that the party Asaubaeva, playing with significantly inferior in the ranking of the opponent in a winning position somehow quickly offered a draw. And it happened just shortly after going to the toilet, during which she allegedly caught Solojenkin.

Asaubaeva charges categorically deny, and her mother, Liana Tanarimba, erupted in an angry social media commentary. After the party and until the end of the tournament, Sara, as she is known in the chess world, before each meeting was carefully searched using a metal detector. Anything suspicious have not found, and the girl, we will remind, in the end, won the silver medal.

However Solozhenkin found no one GM, who said that during the party with notice of Asaubaev under clothes outlines of a certain device, which he used to get tips on the exams. But for some reason this young man did not complain to the judges and accepted defeat. The situation is paradoxical: a grown man lost to a 13-year-old girl, caught her cheating, but she said nothing and spoke only after many months, and only incognito.

Solozhenkin has not calmed down and has independently conducted analysis of the last batches of Asaubaev. The one in the last year markedly increased rating, complied with the norm of male international master and entrenched in the status clear leader in Russia in his age category. However, in batch is almost the perfect game on the level of male grandmasters interspersed with children’s mistakes. Is this a consequence of the tips or just natural for a 13-year-old girl, is the big question.

The conflict between Asubaeva and Solojenkin split the Russian chess community in two. Famous grandmasters support and that and the other, and the parents of the players alternately in social networks to pour mud at each other. It got to the point that one of the patrons even offered to arrange a match between girls, to those full-time struggle find out who is stronger.

But Sarah’s mom match play refused – a pier, not the level of the opponent.

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Bibisara Asaubayeva 13 years old, she was born in Kazakhstan and last year I represented this country. Chess the girl is in four years, and in seven (!) won his first world championship. Now Asaubaeva is a five-time world champion in different age groups and next year plans to be among adults. In Russia, the athlete along with their parents moved in search of better conditions for training and development opportunities. For this the family received the keys to the apartment in the suburbs.

That is, the level of professional nowhere. Now Sarah his performances have earned at least for housing. At the same time invest in the career of the daughter’s parents almost more. According to the mother, now Asubaeva several coaches, an hour of work with each of them is from 50 to 100 dollars. Just a day of chess the girl is engaged in 6-8 hours. Even with the support of the Federation, over 70 percent of the funds parents invest themselves.

– Actually, now in children’s chess is a lot of money involved and even more significant ambitions of the parents, said “SE” a well-known children’s trainer, grandmaster Dmitry Kryakvin. – Of course, without talent the child is still not break. But the competition is huge, and to be somebody, you have to invest a lot of effort and money. Many children from 9-10 years were homeschooled. Then there are scholarships, prizes in tournaments. By 12-13 years, like Sarah or Lisa, the best kids are already on the verge of becoming professionals, able to earn money.

– What can you say about the conflict between Asubaeva and Solojenkin? Whose side are you on?

I know both these families and both of them only the good side. Sorry that was such an ugly story. I think now it’s time to connect the Russian chess Federation and the anti-cheat of the Commission. You need to objectively figure out what actually happened in Uruguay. Plus strictly regulate standards of conduct children’s tournaments, in the future, these stories do not arise.

– Do you believe in the Jevgenijs Solojenkin analysis of the parties Asubaeva? Her game really gives me doubts that the child can perform at this level?

– There is an objective instrument to appreciate it. Mean programme Professor Regan, which was specially developed to detect foul play. The fact that in separately taken party any chess player can make a series of moves on the “first-line” computer rating – simply because he is a strong player, for example. But with the help of a program to determine when several parties percentage of these “computer” moves is off the charts. In my opinion, if you do this and check the party Sarah, the conflict can be put an end. Recently, the program Regan checked the party of Alekhine memorial, where there was a problem with “cheaters” and clearly identified the offenders.

Whether often there are cases of “cheating” in children’s chess?

– This problem is really urgent. Alas, I had to deal with this most directly. One dishonest player from Asia once stood in the way of our main young stars of Andrey Esipenko, who I was cooking… Now action against “cheaters” take, for example, on the Europe championship in Minsk there were special rules.

But if the judges and organizers reluctant to start a review, you can go to the toilet to perform the party at least until the bitter end.

Natalia MARYANCHIK, Sport-Express