VAR in chess
{{Short description|Chess referee software}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Orphan|date=February 2024}}
{{Over-quotation|date=November 2023}}
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File:VAR в Кыргызстане на Чемпионате Западной Азии 2023 среди детей от 6 до 18 лет.jpg
Video assistant referee system in chess, abbreviated as VAR, is a technology that helps chess arbiters at chess competitions make the right decisions in disputable situations. The International Chess Federation...{{Cite web |title=VAR in chess: New technologies will be used to help arbiters at 2023 Western Asia Youth Chess |url=https://www.fide.com/news/2491 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=www.fide.com |language=en}} officially announced the video assistance system for arbiters on July 3, 2023. It was first used at the Western Asian Youth Chess Championship among children, boys and girls under the ages of 6–18, held from June 30 to July 10, 2023{{Cite web |title=VAR in chess. At the U6-U18 Western Asia Youth Chess Championship 2023 in Kyrgyzstan, new technologies were used to help arbiters |url=https://idchess.com/news/var-in-chess |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=idchess.com |language=en}}
Viewing controversial episodes is based on the idChess technology, created by the international IT company Friflex in 2019,{{Cite web |title=idChess - General Chess Digital Transformation Project in Sport with AI and ML {{!}} Friflex |url=https://friflex.com/en/cases/idchess/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=friflex.com |language=en}} that allows to broadcast games played on a real chess board.
Procedure
= Controversial moments =
If a controversy arose, a chess player is able to apply to an arbiter, according to Article 7.4.2 of FIDE chess rules from January 1, 2023:{{Cite web |title=E. Miscellaneous / 01. Laws of Chess / FIDE Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023 / FIDE Handbook |url=https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=International Chess Federation (FIDE) |language=en}} If necessary, either the player or his/her opponent shall pause the chessclock and ask for the arbiter's assistance. If the arbiter has missed the moment of violation, then when making a decision, he can only be guided by the presumption of innocence if the tournament is not broadcast using VAR technology.
= VAR review and recommendations =
The idChess application digitizes the game and records the video of the chess board. Thanks to artificial intelligence, VAR shows which moves were made, which allows the arbiter to quickly find controversial moments. Thus, the arbiter can review the disputed episode using VAR: if necessary, pause the video, rewind it by navigating through the move marks or the timeline. The broadcast of the game is suspended until the circumstances are clarified.
= Decision making =
Having reviewed the episode using VAR technology, the arbiter makes the final verdict based on the competition regulations. Then the broadcast of the game continues.
Implementation
File:Шахматный VAR на Чемпионате Азии среди школьников.jpg
At the beginning of July 2023, FIDE approved the use of the video help system in international tournaments. For the first time, this technology was applied at the Western Asian Youth Chess Championship 2023,{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2023-07-16 |title=Western Asia Youth Chess Championship 2023 |url=https://chessnews.info/western-asia-youth-chess-championship-2023/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |language=ru-RU}} held in Kyrgyzstan, where it received positive feedback from international arbiters and representatives of federations{{Cite web |title=idChess – the technological partner of the Asian Schools Chess Championship in Kyrgyzstan |url=https://idchess.com/news/championship-in-kyrgyzstan |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=idchess.com |language=en}}
The next major tournament using the VAR system was the Asian Schools Chess Championship 2023.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2023-07-14 |title=17 th Asian Schools Chess Championships 2023 |url=https://chessnews.info/17-th-asian-schools-chess-championships-2023/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |language=ru-RU}} The system was used in the categories under the ages of 7, 9, and 11.
Najmiddin Umarov, FIDE Arbiter, stated that:{{Cite web |title=VAR idChess successfully applied at the Asian Schools Chess Championship in Uzbekistan |url=https://idchess.com/news/championship-in-uzbekistan |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=idchess.com |language=en}}
With the help of VAR, we examined 25 cases of violations in only one round in the categories of boys under the age of 7 and 9.
= Media and public reaction =
The news about the introduction of the VAR system in chess caused a resonance in the media in many countries. Articles about the event appeared in news outlets in Kyrgyzstan,{{Cite web |title=Систему видеопомощи рефери впервые применят на шахматном турнире в Кыргызстане |url=http://kg.mirtv.ru/news/144595 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=kg.mirtv.ru}} Poland,{{Cite web |last=S.A |first=Telewizja Polska |date=2023-07-03 |title=Rewolucja w szachach. Zadebiutował... system VAR |url=https://sport.tvp.pl/71019034/system-var-zadebiutowal-w-rywalizacji-szachistow |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=sport.tvp.pl |language=pl}} Russia,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=В шахматах впервые применят VAR |url=https://sportrbc.ru/news/64a299dc9a79472c21551c51 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=РБК Спорт |language=ru}} Spain,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-07 |title=El ajedrez no quiere más trampas e instala el VAR: una aplicación para ser "más transparente" |url=https://www.elmundo.es/deportes/mas-deporte/2023/07/07/64a43062e9cf4a1c418b4575.html |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=ELMUNDO |language=es}} the United States of America,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-04 |title="Where did my boat go?" Video replays are introduced in chess, much the same as in football. - ePrimefeed |url=https://eprimefeed.com/sports/where-did-my-boat-go-video-replays-are-introduced-in-chess-much-the-same-as-in-football/327674/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |language=en-US}} Uzbekistan{{Cite web |last=Hayitov |first=Behruz |date=2023-07-04 |title=Шахматда ҳам VAR тизими жорий этилади |url=https://hordiq.uz/2023/07/04/shaxmatda-ham-var-tizimi-joriy-etiladi/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=Hordiq.uz |language=uz-UZ}} and other countries.
The initiative received very mixed reviews from chess grandmasters. For example, Ian Nepomniachtchi{{Cite web |date=2023-07-20 |title=Российский гроссмейстер Непомнящий рассказал, как относится к возможному появлению VAR в шахматах |url=https://matchtv.ru/chess/matchtvnews_NI1918743_Rossijskij_grossmejster_Nepomnashhij_rasskazal_kak_otnositsa_k_vozmozhnomu_pojavleniju_VAR_v_shahmatah |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=matchtv |language=ru-RU}} and Sergey Karyakin{{Cite web |title=Карякин о системе VAR в шахматах: "Роль судьи у нас невысокая, в отличие от футбола. Спорные ситуации бывают в основном на детских и юношеских турнирах" - Шахматы - Sports.ru |url=https://www.sports.ru/chess/1115269724-karyakin-o-sisteme-var-v-shaxmatax-rol-sudi-u-nas-nevysokaya-v-otlichi.html |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=www.sports.ru|date=3 July 2023 }} expressed a neutral attitude to the news but emphasized that the system could be useful in certain situations. Sergey Shipov agreed{{Cite web |title=Шипов считает, что VAR в шахматах может быть неэффективным из-за редкого использования |url=https://tass.ru/sport/18175267 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=TASS}} that the system would contribute to resolving controversial issues, and emphasized the particular usefulness of VAR for chess:
There are many controversial situations in chess because there is no limit to human cunning and trickery.Anatoly Karpov expressed{{Cite web |title=Карпов о системе VAR в шахматах: "Думаю, толку от этого будет немного. Только затруднит жизнь шахматистам" - Шахматы - Sports.ru |url=https://www.sports.ru/chess/1115269493-karpov-o-sisteme-var-v-shaxmatax-dumayu-tolku-ot-etogo-budet-nemnogo-t.html |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=www.sports.ru|date=3 July 2023 }} his opinion in a negative way, stating that the technology "will only make life difficult for chess players." The arbiters who used the video assistance system in tournaments were satisfied with the innovations, expressing mostly positive comments:
Zhohangir Kamalov, international arbiter, chief arbiter of Asian Schools Chess Championship 2023:
"The system provided to us by the idChess team was installed at our tournament in several categories: under the age of 7, 9, and 11. It performed well: when there were many difficulties, especially in the category under the age of 7, we watched the video, and if everything was confirmed, the game was continued, if not — we issued a warning."
Jamshed Vatanov, FIDE Arbiter, Tajikistan:
"VAR idChess makes the work of chess arbiters easier: recording games disciplines children during the game, and they do not break the rules when they see that the camera is installed and recording is in progress."
References
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