Still, chess isn't like other sports. 

For example, if I've understood the rules right (at least I've seen a couple of cases of the following in the swedish chess series) - if during a series game you have a conflict, ruled by the ref in one direction, then if you're intending to protest the ref's ruling to the rule committee you must refuse to continue to play the game - or else that result will stand no matter what the committee rules later on...

Quote:


Yes in that case I agree, but how would they have ruled if Marseille demanded that the light should be turned off, and the ref never talked to the Milans about it before deciding to turn it off? In that case I suspect that the ref would be reprimanded as a referee must avoid to appear partial.

As I stated in the Toilet thread Kramnik is not innocent of psychological warfare himself. He purpously belittled Topalov during the press conference after the fourth game. Not a very nice thing to do! I think this sparked off a nasty bit of psychology fromt the T-team. Otherwise they would have protested about Kramniks Toilet visits -during the third game- before and not after the fourth game.

Well, it is quite tragic to see the match take this turn of events.  I must say that I can understand Kramnik's actions -- there are tapes of the bathroom (which were turned over to the Topalov camp, if I understand chessbase's take on things --  a truly insulting turn of events) which found nothing suspecious, and yet Topalov's complaint was upheld.

There is, frankly, a reason why it takes months to agree to the terms of a match down to the minutiae of bathrooms, cooks, and the floor plan of their cottages.  To change things in the middle of the match, on the basis a wild complaint by one player against another (go look at the move which Topalov's camp highlights) is not something to take lightly.  It is, apparently, known that Kramnik goes to the bathroom many times during the match -- there are comments of Keene (on an on-line board, so it is not clear that these are legit) that Kramnik did exactly the same thing during the match with Kasparov (can anyone verify this?) which suggests some need.  Of course, it is not difficult to assume that this was one of the conditions he then insisted upon for the match...

Nevertheless, it would be very sad to see the match cancelled, but, as in May, this looks most likely.  While I do not argue as strongly as Markovich, I think that Kramnik should have made clear the degree of insult and insanity after (winning) the game...regardless of what happends now, it is clear that this gambit has worked for Topalov.

Kramnik to the press: Quote:


From Carsten Hensel's letter: Quote:


It looks like Kirsan has already replied urging the players to...play.

I agree with TalJechin, because if both players agree with conditions beforehand, one of them cannot claim to change the rules in the middle of the match. This only happens because FIDE is a weak federation without organization, because in tennis when a player asks for a toilet break, an arbiter goes with him and no problem at all, rules are clear and all agree, end of story. In tennis such claims will end in 2-0 Kramnik world champion and Topalov suspended, but we cannot forget that we are in the chess world where everything is possible! There are only two scenarios: 1-Or Topalov team do not have brains to see outside 64 squares that this situation could take place and this is only a strategic error of his team without reason to claim whatsoever. 2-This is a trick maybe an idea of a psycologist of Topalov team to unsetle Kramnik because fighting outside the board is the only place to try to win a lost match. This is the continuation of the same strategy that as been used by Topalov to prolong the games at maximum to try to win in the second half of the match. In the last game, Topalov was still playing when there was nothing to play and Kramnik saw this and said he was waiting for the end of the match to see some football games of champions league! 
I hope to see in the near future, new players like Magnus Carlsen without having to deal with these problems and a better federation and chess organization like in tennis, that will be a proud to all chess fans and not a shame to all or a traditional shame that passes from generation to generation and chess loosing each day.      

I think Kramnik did the right thing not to play. Surely he can't accept that his opponent is allowed to singlehandedly change things that both have agreed on beforehand. 

Going to the bathroom  50 times may sound strange as we're inclined to compare with a usual tm situation - but when you know there's a coffe machine and a tv showing the stage in the bathroom it's no wonder Kramnik pops in to see if Toppy has moved and perhaps fill up on coffe or water at the same time...

Willempie wrote on 09/29/06 at 10:20:47:


I wanted Kramnik to win. If he stops playing, my respect for him will only go up.