To the Appeal Committee January 20th,2008

Corus chess tournament 2008

Mr.Adams

Mr.Kramnik

Mrs.Polgar

APPEAL Dear All,

Today during the start of the round the following accident happened.

Mr. Cheparinov refused to shake hands with Mr. Short before the game.

The reason was: some time ago in one of his interviews Mr. Short insulted him and our team gravelly.

After that, Mr.Short complained to the Chief Arbiter of the Tournament, who without previous warning immediately decide to put defeat to Mr.Cheparinov.

According to the rules of FIDE, this decision is illegal.

There is a recommendation from the FIDE Presidential Board in Tallin June 2007 about the Behavioural norms of players in chess events : http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1391

First of all, this is only recommendation ,not an official FIDE rule because this recommendation must be approved on FIDE congress during the chess Olympiad in Dresden, November 2008.

Even more, if the Arbiter would like to follow the recommendation of the FIDE PB in Tallin ,he made a big mistake, because obviously he did not even check carefully the recommendation.

Before to defeat the player he must ask him officially on the stage, that if he does not shake hand again he will be defeated.

Instead of this, the Chief Arbiter call Mr.Cheparinov to the private room and told him that he lost the game.

Mr.Cheparinov replay ,that according to the recommendation (!) of FIDE he should ask him to shake hands ,before to take any decision.

Even more, Mr.Cheparinov told him very clearly that if he oblige him to do this, he is ready to do it.

Unexpectedly, the Arbiter did not pay any attention to his explanations and took the decision to defeat him.

We protest this illegal decision, and kindly ask to replay the game in one of the following rest days.

Best regards,

Silvio Danailov Manager GM Ivan Cheparinov

Behavioural norms of players in chess events

Having discussed several recent cases in different chess tournaments where the attitude of players toward their opponent or officials, journalists etc. was not acceptable under conventional social behaviour, the FIDE Presidential Board –at the suggestion of President Ilyumzhinov- decided on setting up strict rules regarding such behaviour.

Any player who does not shake hands with the opponent (or greets the opponent in a normal social manner in accordance with the conventional rules of their society) before the game starts in a FIDE tournament or during a FIDE match (and does not do it after being asked to do so by the arbiter) or deliberately insults his/her opponent or the officials of the event, will immediately and finally lose the relevant game.

Regarding a more comprehensive set of behavioural and ethical norms to be followed, FIDE Ethics Commission and the Arbiter’s Council are to elaborate guidelines for the players. The guidelines will be published on the FIDE website.