To: makro_g@yahoo.gr; jarrett@fide.com; ignatiusleong@pacific.net.sg;

 'FIDE Secretariat'; fide@inbox.ru

 Cc: 'Ozgur Solakoglu'

 Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 6:37 PM

 Subject: Ethics Complaint

Dear FIDE officials,

Following the e-mail received from FIDE office in Athens, the TCF was informed that one of our players in the European Club Cup held recently in Antalya was being accused of using computers software assistance during the tournament. As you have mentioned, the player's rating is around 1650. Her opponent's coach or team captain, a certain Mr. Bykov, in the attached translated article (computer translation so some semantic errors must be excused) analyzed the game and announced in highly critical terms that she has got probably computer assistance. He also attacks personally the player and tries to ridicule her play and moves in a number of games.

Not only this, but Mr.Bykov goes further and uses humiliating words for WFM European Champion Miss Kubra Ozturk, IM Mr. Mert Erdogdu and other international players. He even dared to go further in his attack and states at the end of the article, that this is a systematic thing made by Turkish Youth. Also he mentions the development of Turkish Chess  (sarcastically) because of technology.

The translated article is attached.

Following the e-mail from your side, we checked the situation with some chess masters and also our coaches.

1. Ayse Hazan Kesim, the named player in article has made only 1 point out of 7 rounds.

2. Mr. Bykov says in his article that she has spent very short time for all the game. How it is possible to get computer assistance in such a short time for such a weak player?

3. The opening in this game is a complete disaster. Why did she wait to middle game to use assistance for computer instead of playing it from the first move?

4. He mentions Rybka. But we checked with Rybka and the proposal of the first move on this software differs on several moves.

I do not want to take this nonsensical discussion too far! As the TCF we are confident that our player as an amateur did not use any assistance, and we cannot see any reason for this or any other logical reason.

If the TCF sees any evidence or proof for any illegal behaviour, the person will be given a big penalty after disciplinary hearing as established by our statute. We hate this type of thing in a sport like chess.

However, we cannot accept baseless accusation against our players, our chess heroes, and furthermore against our federation.

We insist that Mr Bykov offers a public apology to the persons he has insulted in this article failing which we will submit the case as established by procedure to the FIDE Ethics Committee for attacking TCF, Turkish Chess, and our players without any clear evidence.

 Best regards,

 Ali Nihat YAZICI

 President

* * *

Open letter to FIDE President Assistant Mr. B. Balgabaev

Dear Berik!

We received a letter from the FIDE office, on your behalf, by the Turkish Chess Federation President Mr. Ali Nihat Yazici. In his letter Mr. Yazici demands an apology from Mr. Vladimir Bykov to the persons he has insulted in his article "Ayse Kesim: a new world-class chess star?" (http://www.e3e5.com/article.php?id=1535) published by our site on November 1, 2007 (in Russian). Also the letter contains the threat to bring a suit against the author to the FIDE Ethics Committee and marks that V.Bykov in his article has offended Ms. Kubra Ozturk, Mr. Mert Erdogdu and all Turkish youth. Mr. Ali Nihat Yazici writes that he used a computer translation and considers that "some semantic errors must be excused".

The latter statement could be accepted, if it were not that the inaccurate translation let the official to build up his accusations on invalid data. Mr. Bykov did not insult any of the players mentioned above; moreover, he did not write anything on negative tendencies among Turkish youth. To make sure, it is enough to read the article or its adequate translation http://www.e3e5.com/article.php?id=1538.

Now to the point of the matter. Mr. Ali Nihat Yazici gives four reasons why Ayse Hasan Kesim could not use help from outside. None of them, in my opinion, stands up to criticism:

1. The player scored only 1 point out of 7, having won the game in question only and, to add, playing very weak in the rest of her games. This only proves Mr. Bykov's thought that the girl could not find the strongest (as a rule) 20 moves in a row on her own.

2. The player spent only 10 minutes for these moves. It does not mean they were made without assistance – on the contrary, why would she spend more than 30 minutes on the first 8 weak moves? And even more time for her moves in the other games, played poorly?!

3. The question why the player did not use the assistance from the beginning of the game is especially amusing. The simplest answer is, the help not always comes on time.

4. Concerning the fact that there is no 100% coincidence with Rybka's first lines, V.Bykov also mentioned some variance. It does not change the sense of questions raised in his article.

In your opinion, is it possible that a kid, who has just learned to swim, all of a sudden begins to swim at a speed of a world championship participant? Or the one, who just got to know music, begins to play like a virtuoso? The row can be continued.

And how is it in chess? Of course, a weak player can make 1-2 high-class moves, which would be a proof of possibility (in case of certain working) to reach a high level, which can be wished to Ayse Kesim. But a second-category player suddenly playing 20 moves in a game at a master level without assistance? Impossible. We offered famous grandmasters and coaches to go over the game Ayse Kesim vs grandmaster Irina Turova and other games played by the Turkish player. No one could come up with normal explanation of a metamorphosis happened to the girl other than interference from without. It would be nice to carry out an experiment: let Ayse Kesim play a number of games under full control of independent experts and at least in one of them approach the level of play she showed in the part of her game against Irina Turova. And in case it happens one can demand explanations from Mr. Bykov.

V.Bykov's article contains an address to FIDE and European Chess Union asking to take measures to secure fair play in all competitions, including rigid control of participants. I would like to join this appeal.

Truly yours, A.Kentler