Excerpts from an interview with Judit Polgar
By Tom Bottema
Bottema:
For how long have you been using the Internet?
Judit Polgar:
For about five years, I guess. Basically Im downloading all kinds
of information and data. I think that takes care of 90% of the time I
spent online. I use e-mails to communicate. For the rest, I mainly check
cinema-sites whenever I want to see a movie. Actually, I dont like
to play chess on the Internet most of the time.
You dont?
Not really, because
when I log on, people usually dont believe its me and they
start asking stupid questions. And if they believe its me, its
just different stupid questions. For me, its not a very private
place to play chess. And since I dont fancy taking an alias...
You think that
cheating will be a major problem. Why not allow everything and create
equal circumstances for everybody?
I think its
against the spirit of the game. People just shouldnt use computers
or any other help in a game of chess, because then it turns into a different
game. One of the most important characteristics of chess is creativity
and with a computer you take away a lot of that.
Taking into consideration
the development of pocket computers and the fact that one brilliant
move can decide the outcome of a game: what should organizers do against
cheating in classical tournaments?
Actually, its
just the new shape of an old problem. People used to cheat as well. What
did you do if you played a complex line twenty years ago and you knew
you might forget some critical moves? You could write them down on a crib
and sneak into the bathroom at an appropriate moment. There have always
been and there will always be ways to cheat. But as for the organizers
concern, if they prove that someone cheated, that player should be disqualified.
When people could
use computers, would that not give them the impression that they would
really have a shot at the grand prize?
That might be the
case of course. But I would feel most uncomfortable if I would end up
in the Live Event not being able to perform the tricks I used in the Online
Event. People will figure out that when you make a perfect score on the
Internet and then lose to a mediocre grandmaster in 15 moves, you are
a cheater. But make no mistake about it: its actually the mediocre
grandmaster that has the biggest chance to get away with some cheating
since it would not look that funny if he qualifies for the Live Event.
In
October Online World Chess, the brainchild of chess organiser Bessel
Kok, announced
a mammoth Internet event. Starting mid January 2002 players from all
over the world were to compete on the Internet for one of 32 qualification
spots. They were to proceed to meet with 32 of the world's leading
GMs in April and May of 2002. The prize fund was $1.4 million, the
entry fee $32.50. Unfortunately the event had to be cancelled
after the world
press had got all excited about it. |
The
full interview by Tom Bottema can be found here...