NEW DELHI: Getting FIDE (chess governing body) approval has not been easy. A player must participate in FIDE-sanctioned tournaments, which are organized according to strict rules and often require travel, entry fees, and constant preparation. In order to receive ratings, a player must face previously rated opponents and achieve the required level in rated matches.That tradition, however, may soon change.In a policy change that has caused a lot of controversy, FIDE and World Chess, the governing body’s commercial partner, recently unveiled the “First Rating Experiment”. The two-year pilot program will allow casual fans to access their first on-board (OTB) blitz and quickly review it via an online game at worldchess.com. It’s a valiant attempt to democratize a game unlike any other in history, as the governing body wants to grow the current 500,000 players worldwide into millions so that every Tom, Dick, and Harry can have a chance to earn their first FIDE.In order to control the new digital frontier, FIDE plans to use an AI-driven game display system with a special technology designed to adapt to online systems and physical standards. In order to protect the top teams of the game, the governing body has also set up an administrative firewall, where these online ratings will be set at 1,800 Elo.Although FIDE wants to implement the program this July, following a public review period, Indian Grandmasters, who are at the forefront of the new chess revolution, are locked in a fierce battle of brains over the decision.For some, it represents the breaking down of economic barriers; for others, however, it is a dangerous interference with the final game money, which is in the integrity of the voting system.
‘Unnecessary move’ by FIDE?
According to several Indian Grandmasters, the boundary between online and offline chess should be absolutely sacred. Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, Grandmaster (GM) SL Narayanan disagreed.“I think it was an unnecessary move from FIDE. You can’t include online games and translate the number to be on the top of the board because the rules are different for chess online and online,” he said. “For recreational players, they see it as a welcome move, but the real problem is (that) it can affect the integrity of the control system.”These views were also widely expressed on X (formerly Twitter) by the famous coach GM Srinath Narayanan, who expressed serious doubts about the safety of the Internet. He wrote, “There are serious doubts about how fairplay checks can be achieved. Online and overboard games should not be mixed.”GM SP Sethuraman also went to X to show how this integration could disrupt the already damaged stable environment, “I already feel that the chess system has not been tested properly in different areas, shapes, and situations. “Introducing official online ballots that can be converted into OTBs would create noise and uncertainty. Although the goal is to make chess more accessible, I believe that FIDE will be very careful. “Giving flexibility and caution in the same way, GM Abhimanyu Puranik told the website, “Most of the time, (it’s not good) to combine online games with OTB, but the self-rating starts to go down so much that it doesn’t change much.”‘It’s a very difficult decision to question the players because of the movement’Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, Chennai’s one of the most famous coaches, GM Shyam Sundar M, admitted that he was surprised by the news, considering the huge change in performance against the dark cloud of digital hacking:“The good thing is that FIDE is trying new ways… But, including online chess at a high level, I’m not sure. I mean, that they also play without a physical board. Like, a hybrid system, I understand. This sounds good too. “Shyam Sundar suggested that a hybrid approach, where players gather in local halls supervised by local referees and monitored by Zoom for 24 hours, would be safer and cheaper for organizers.Expressing his deep concern about the fight against fraud, he added, “I believe that even one innocent person should not be punished. It’s not easy, and it’s a very difficult idea to question players based on movement, in a two- or three- or four-player game. “However, he remains open to the future, adding, “Maybe based on AI or even based on the server. Maybe something like the browser and AI, maybe it’s possible. If it happens, maybe it’s good.”
Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay they receive the first
In stark contrast, Arjuna Awardee and former GM Pravin Thipsay hailed the project as a visionary leap as he pointed out that less than 1% of the world’s chess enthusiasts have the means to play a professional, rated game.“I think FIDE has taken a bold step… There are players… who play chess on the Internet, and they play all the time like Karpov introduced one-third of the Western world they play chess almost every day, but they play with a computer, and then they stay away from many people. TimesofIndia.com.Thipsay admitted that the system could face serious problems if cheating is not managed properly or if the statistics are incorrectly calculated, pointing out that FIDE’s reform of players under the age of 18 “was difficult and a failure”. However, he believes the 1,800 ceiling is the best filter.“If someone passes 1,700 or 1,750, there is a chance that the player will try to play chess more seriously, become a more serious player,” he added. “So I think it’s a good way, we’ll have more players coming to the chess game.”With FIDE currently gathering feedback before its final release, the chess world stands at an unprecedented crossroads. What do you think about this matter? Let us know in the comments.
