Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2008 Round 8 Group B. Postponed Short - Cheparinov Game 21st January 2008. Comments by Mark Crowther.

Nigel Short and Ivan Cheparinov were the only players in the main group in action on the rest day on the 21st of January. This was because of a controversy the day before.

Events on 20th January 2008

The players were in the B Group and Ivan Cheparinov refused to shake hands with Nigel Short at the start of their game because of comments Short made in the press about Silvio Danailov, Veselin Topalov and by extension (although Short couldn't remember any specific references to him) Cheparinov. He later pointed out that he had, in fact, shaken hands with Veselin Topalov at the opening ceremony were neither were obliged to.

Video of the incident: http://www.chessdom.com/corus-chess-2008/short-cheparinov-live (it seems likely that the person taking this was tipped off that some kind of incident might happen)

Nigel Short was taken aback and then shocked. He claims that he was actually deeply disturbed by this, which came initially as a surprise to him. However he remembered a strongly promoted FIDE Presidential Board announcement setting up strict rules regarding such behaviour.

It says "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."

In full: http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1391

He quoted this to the arbiters who then went off to find this on the computer. Upon reading this they showed a copy to Ivan Cheparinov and immediately defaulted him. He pointed out that it says "and does not do it after being asked to do so by the arbiter)" and said he was willing to shake hands. The arbiter said it was too late. Nigel Short then entered the press room and announced that he had won the game. Short was particularly strong on the fact that the player would "immediately and finally lose the relevant game" and that the regulation was pointless if you could insult your opponent, wait to be ordered by the arbiter to shake hands and then continue on as if nothing had happened. He felt he had been so disturbed he was not in the right frame of mind to continue the game.

A number of questions emerged straight away. Was a recommendation by the FIDE Board enforcable or would it have to wait until a FIDE Congress for confirmation. Also would the fact that Cheparinov had eventually made it clear that he would shake hands mean that he had stayed just the right side of the guidelines. It turned out that according to the appeals committee it would.

Some time later, I and a few other journalists received the appeal by e-mail written by Ivan Cheparinov's manager, I distributed it around the room.

Silvio Danailov the manager of both Veselin Topalov and Ivan Cheparinov talks to the press whilst printing out his appeal against Cheparinov's default. Photo © Mark Crowther

Silvio Danailov then appeared in the main part of the press room and printed it out for official submission.

Silvio Danailov's appeal on behalf of Ivan Cheparinov it refers to grave insults to Ivan Cheparinov and "our team" in the press.

The appeals committee was set up to meet after the round finished. Initially it consisted of Judit Polgar, Vladimir Kramnik and Michael Adams but the latter being English decided he really shouldn't be on the panel and he was replaced by Michal Krasenkow who although he was in the same group was acceptable to both players. The panel was chaired (non-voting) by Jeroen van den Berg.

Short was very confident he was in the right and expected the decision to stand. He believed that the decision of the arbiter could only be over turned in exceptional circumstances.

Nevertheless the game was ordered to be replayed on the free day. The full decision: http://www.coruschess.com/article.php?s=n157. Although Cheparinov was censured for his behaviour it was Short that was very upset. He left immediately and talked to amongst others Steve Giddins. He very much considered withdrawing from the event. He said however that although he didn't sleep very well at some point he became very determined. Certainly to the outside world it was extremely unclear whether he would play.

Monday 21st January 2008

It was a free day in the main sections of the tournament but people were in to see what would happen. The first thing was that Cheparinov issued this apology: http://www.coruschess.com/article.php?s=n158 thus allowing the game to go ahead.

Silvio Danailov and a determined looking Ivan Cheparinov arrive a few minutes before the scheduled start of play. Photo © Mark Crowther

First to arrive were Silvio Danailov and an extremely determined looking Ivan Cheparinov.

Ivan Cheparinov prepares himself. Would Nigel Short show up?

Cheparinov sat at the board a few minutes early and the press took photos.

The question was, would Nigel play. It turns out he would. Photo © Mark Crowther

Nigel Short arrived 10 minutes late after walking with BCM and ChessBase journalist Steve Giddins.

See Steve Giddins Account for BCM

Nigel Short was ten minutes late to the board. Cheparinov stood and offered his hand and both players shook briefly and got on with it. Only one chance with this shot and on the move I'm afraid. Photo © Mark Crowther

People rushed in to get the shot of the players shaking hands which duely happened. In fact the whole game was conducted correctly throughout including a final brief handshake to indicate resignation at the end.

Short,N (2645) - Cheparinov,I (2713) [B92]
Corus B Wijk aan Zee NED (8), 21.01.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 Be6 10.Nd5 Nbd7 11.Qd3 Bxd5 12.exd5 Rc8 13.c4 a5 14.Kh1

Play is under way at last. Photo © Mark Crowther

This is going to be a quiet manoevering game and Short tucks his King away. [14.f3 b6 15.Nd2 Nc5 16.Qc2 Nh5 17.a3 Bg5 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.Ne4 Qg6 20.Rac1 Nf4 21.Ng3 Nxe2+ 22.Qxe2 Nb3 23.Rc3 a4 24.f4 exf4 25.Rxf4 Rce8 26.Re4 Rxe4 27.Nxe4 Nc5 28.Re3 h6 29.Nc3 f5 30.Qc2 Qg4 31.Qe2 Qg6 32.Qc2 Qf6 33.Rf3 Re8 34.Nxa4 Re1+ 35.Kf2 Qh4+ 36.Rg3 Rc1 37.Qxf5 Ne4+ 38.Ke2 Nxg3+ 39.hxg3 Qxc4+ 0-1 Yu Moqi-Xu Yuhua (2478)/Xiapu CHN 2005/The Week in Chess 555; 14.Rac1 a4 15.Nd2 Nc5 16.Qb1 Nfd7 17.b4 axb3 18.axb3 Bg5 19.b4 Bxe3 20.fxe3 Na6 21.Bg4 g6 22.Ne4 f5 23.Nxd6 fxg4 24.Nxc8 Qxc8 25.c5 Nf6 26.Qb3 Kg7 27.Qc4 Nc7 28.e4 Qd7 29.c6 bxc6 30.Qxc6 Qxc6 31.Rxc6 Nb5 32.Re6 Nxe4 33.Re7+ Kg8 34.Rxf8+ Kxf8 35.Rxe5 Nec3 36.Kf2 Nd6 37.Kg3 h5 38.Re6 Nf5+ 1/2-1/2 Qiao Liang (2350)-Zhao Xue (2478)/Xiapu CHN 2005/The Week in Chess 555] 14...Re8 15.Rad1 Bf8 16.Nd2 The knight is fine on d2, its not worth taking the time to play Nb1-c3. 16...g6 17.b3 Bg7 18.a3 h5

[18...Rf8 is very slow but h5 is commital as it makes damages black's kingside structure making various tactics possible and makes f5 hard to get in.] 19.f3 b6 20.b4 axb4 21.axb4 e4?!

Black is already much worse and Short thought Cheparinov might go for this but it doesn't work out that well. 22.fxe4 Ne5 23.Qb3 Neg4 24.Bg5 Another problem with h5 is the gifting of this square to white's bishop. 24...Qd7 25.Qb1 Ra8 26.h3 Nh7 27.Bf4 Ne5 28.c5 Short executes a pretty clear plan. 28...bxc5 29.bxc5 Reb8 30.Qc2 dxc5 31.Qxc5 Rc8 32.Qe3 Nf8 33.Qg3 Qe8 34.Bb5 Qe7 35.Nf3 Nxf3 36.Qxf3 Rc3 37.Rd3 Raa3 38.e5! Short won't concede the initiative. 38...Rxd3 [38...Qc5!?] 39.Bxd3 Nd7 40.e6 fxe6 41.Qe2 Time control has been reached and Short is surely close to winning. 41...Nf8 42.Bc4 Rc3 43.dxe6 Rxc4 Forced. Black enters a technical ending where white has to be careful but the extra exchange is enough to win it just takes some time. 44.Qxc4 Qxe6 45.Qxe6+ Nxe6 46.Be3 Nd4 47.Kg1 Nf5 48.Bc5 Be5 49.Re1 Bc3 50.Re4 Kf7 51.Kf2 Bf6 Short holds off from g4 until he is good and ready. 52.Ra4 Ke6 53.Ke2 Kf7 54.Bf2 Ke6 55.Kd3 Kf7 56.Ra7+ Ke6 57.Ra6+ Kf7 58.Ke4 Bb2 59.Rc6 Bg7 60.Be1 Bf6 61.Bc3 Short has always wanted to trade the bishops rather than bishop for knight. 61...Bh4 62.Be5 Bg5 63.Ra6 Bh4 64.Bf4 Bf6 65.g4!

Things are going Short's way. Photo © Mark Crowther

Short isn't going to win without this but having improved his pieces to the maximum he gets on with it. 65...hxg4 66.hxg4 Ng7 67.Be5 Be7 68.Kd5 [68.Ra7] 68...Ne8 69.Ra7! Finally. Short sets up a liquidation into a winning King and Pawn ending. 69...Nf6+ 70.Bxf6 Kxf6 71.g5+ Kf7

72.Rxe7+! and the black King will get turned and Short will pick up the g6 pawn with a trivial win. 1-0

Ivan Cheparinov resigned and the players shook hands briefly before completing the formalities of signing the scoresheets.

Just the final formalities of signing the scoresheets. Photo © Mark Crowther

Cheparinov left quickly at the end of the game and Short entered the press room extremely happy. Immediately after the game he said "I played a bloody good game." - "I was going to quit the tournament but at some point I became determined." "There is a god and he's not Bulgarian." He later said that he was still very upset about the decision to make him play but this rule will no doubt be at the top of the agenda.

He added the following day that the defaulted game was going to make his "60 Memorable Games" but that the win over the board would make his "100 Best Games".

Today Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov will play. Before the event Silvio Danailov said there would be no handshake and this may indeed be the case as neither player may offer. My view is that the FIDE rule should be that there will always be a handshake except for cultural reasons.

Topalov lost to Anand during the controversy surrounding Cheparinov. I can't help but feel that this kind of incident doesn't help him.