During last year’s EU Championship at the World Museum in Liverpool Nigel Short resigned his game in round 2 against Keti Arakhamia-Grant when his Nokia phone rang. A few quiet words were exchanged at the time, no arbiter was called to the board and Nigel signed the scoresheets well aware of the rule (12.2b) If a player's mobile phone rings in the playing venue during play, that player shall lose the game.
In 2003 Ruslan Ponomariov became the first player to be disqualified when his phone rang during a game. At the time he was the reigning FIDE world champion but unlike Nigel, Ponomariov protested, refused to sign the scoresheets and slunk off.
In 2003 Ruslan Ponomariov became the first player to be disqualified when his phone rang during a game. At the time he was the reigning FIDE world champion but unlike Nigel, Ponomariov protested, refused to sign the scoresheets and slunk off.
Last weekend during round 8 of the FIDE rated 4NCL event at Hinckley Island a similar thing happened when Nigel Davies’s phone went off.
(left) Davies in play against D'Costa. Seconds later his phone bleeped.
Heads turned, some people stood up, there was muffled conversation and some hurried fumbling but the anticipated resignation never occurred. Instead a very embarrassed looking Davies left the playing room apparently to ‘ask the arbiter what I should do’. He was gone for over five minutes.
Eventually Arbiter Roger Edwards arrived and spoke to Lorin D’Costa.Davies then sat down and played 13.Rd1 by which time D’Costa had left the playing room not returning for some considerable time. He could be seen outside talking to chess colleagues and clearly unhappy about the decision to give only a warning.
D’Costa’s scoresheet after 12…0-0
And by the time he returned to the game he was over 40 minutes behind on the clock. D’Costa eventually lost the game.
Nigel has subsequently written that he was ‘prepared to fall on his sword and resign’ and 'appreciative that my opponent didn’t make a big thing of it or push for a default.’ But the point surely is that his opponent shouldn’t have to push for anything and that resignation was the right thing to do. Another example of heads I win, tails you lose, it seems.
To avoid just this sort of exploitation FIDE have taken a further step to tighten the regulation in the new laws which apply from 1st July this year.
(12.3b) Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off. If any such device produces a sound, the player shall lose the game. The opponent shall win.
Excuses such as ‘my mobile phone woke itself up’ or it 'gave a beep to say it was running short of juice’ are preposterous and FIDE have clearly heard enough and had enough of such nonsense.
To avoid just this sort of exploitation FIDE have taken a further step to tighten the regulation in the new laws which apply from 1st July this year.
(12.3b) Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off. If any such device produces a sound, the player shall lose the game. The opponent shall win.
Excuses such as ‘my mobile phone woke itself up’ or it 'gave a beep to say it was running short of juice’ are preposterous and FIDE have clearly heard enough and had enough of such nonsense.
