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Some insights from MC (long)
Posted By: Achim
Date: Wednesday, 16 July 2008, at 2:24 a.m.
Hi all,
it's a bit difficult talking objectively about incidents when you're part of it. So I apologize in advance if I miss or misread details. We (my better half and me) just arrived at home from a thrilling (and exhausting) week in MonteCarlo and I'm now reading all the comments here regarding the final. Before people start speculating too much here are some facts and some assumptions.
1) The final was held in the room next to the playing area. The light in there was bright, but Lars later told me that he had some trouble reading the dice correctly all the time also.
2) The final was transmitted to a screen in the second half of the playing area (where advanced and beginners usually play). Falafel, who was sitting around 5 meters away from the screen had very often trouble reading the dice. For spectators on the back seats it was nearly impossible.
3) The equipment for the closed curcuit tv seemed to be not the best. I'm an amateur regarding this, but for me it looked like the camera transmitted only 10-15 frames per second instead of the usual 24 or 25. The organizers also had to borrow a tripod from a player to fix the camera.
4) At least on the screen it looked like Sequeira played incredibly fast. "Fast" meaning moving around very fast, not only using little time of thinking on a move. But this might have been a result of the frame rate of the camera.
5) Very often he used both hands as he did in the semifinal against me, sometimes with both ellbows over the board (something I won't allow in serious tournament matches anymore if I'm not in very good relationship with my opponent).
6) In the semifinals he produced a few illegal moves in the very beginning. I explicitely say here that I don't think he cheated intentionally in the meaning of putting the checkers illegaly on certain points to his advantage. He rather seemed to be irritated after I corrected all the moves. In addition he furthermore asked a few times for the correct position later in the match. Nonetheless this is very irritating for the opponent during the whole match. What also happened was that he tried to blame me once or twice when I corrected him (as if his confusing style was my fault).
7) In the semifinal against me he allowed manual or computer recording but strictly disallowed using a camera.
8) He also insisted on the "what happens on the board is legal if opponent doesn't complain" rule when I asked for the "legal move" rule.
9) There happened two additional incidents in our match. I tried to describe them as objectively as I could. Details at GammonVillage.
10) In the final (from which I watched around 1/3) I definitely saw 3 illegal plays. After a few opening rolls in one game parts of a 33 were played correctly the second part mistakenly played 6/4(2). With 4 checkers on the bar he put all in after a 55 and moved an additional 5 from 13 to 8. Also a (decisive?!) prime was built illegaly in a containment game in the middle of the match, but I can't recall the dice rolls and exact moves anymore. I saw some other suspect moves but can't say for sure those were illegal.
11) Lars later confirmed that he only saw (and corrected) one illegal play (it was a 21 iirc). If it was only a problem of misreading the dice I don't understand why one plays the first two 3's correctly but the second pair of 3's incorrectly and both players don't see it.
12) I'm an experienced recorder but I would have had big problems keeping track under all these circumstances. I don't have information why the match recorder (she made a great job at my semifinal) didn't start another attempt at the beginning of each new game.
13) When I agreed to send some material to GV during the worldchampionship I never would have thought that I'll advance to the semifinals. Nonetheless I tried my very best regarding the reports. I might have missed decisive details during the week ... but believe me, it's a tough job playing 9 extensive matches _and_ providing photos, small film sequences, results and reports. Even tougher when you have those bad internet connections I had in between.
A few last words on my own: while reading this some people might think that I intentionally want to blame Sequeira with publishing the details above because I lost against him. Far from it. Of course I'm disappointed and frustated after missing a great chance for the second time now. And obvioulsy Sequeira won't be my first choice when I search companion for enjoying a beer. But fact is that _I_ played louzy in the SF and I _also_ coudn't stand his gimcracks during the match. Gimcracks which are fortunately rare but sadly not uncommon when one goes for the big title.
Ciao
Achim
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