Robert Hess · @GM_Hess
6th May 2023 from TwitLonger
My thoughts on the current state of FIDE "hybrid" events
To the chess community:
I'm asking FIDE to immediately address the ongoing and worsening problem of "hybrid" chess events.
As someone who fell in love with chess as a kid, I relished the idea that every result was earned through meticulous calculation and strenuous work at the board. At present, I have found this has not universally been the case, and the lack of oversight of governing bodies jeopardizes the legitimacy of ratings, scholarships, titles, national championships, and team qualification spots.
Currently, FIDE-rated "hybrid" events see players increasing their ELO at alarming rates. This runs counter to the experience that can be observed from the progress of thousands of players and millions of games. "Hybrid" matches are played online at specific venues while opponents are online at a different location, allowing for more convenient participation in international competitions. Unfortunately, rating manipulation seems to be more commonplace.
Wishing to protect the integrity of the game, I wrote an email to Carol Meyer, Executive Director of US Chess, last October. I highlighted the suspicious rating transfer from Bulgarian and Serbian players to Americans participating in these "hybrid" matches. Carol replied immediately and forwarded my message to Boyd Reed, Director of Events.
Boyd promptly sent my inquiry to the US Chess Executive Board, which passed a motion effective November 9, 2022 (published on their website: https://new.uschess.org/news/update-regarding-fide-hybrid-events) that discontinued the practice of rating "hybrid" events. Although I felt damage to ratings integrity had been done, I was - and remain - appreciative that US Chess is taking this very seriously. The motion states, "Any rating reports or title norms arising from such events shall not be submitted by US Chess to FIDE for rating and the games shall not be rated by US Chess except as online play."
US Chess did well in its attempt to stop these tournaments. However, organizers - including those from the United States - found a way to circumvent this ruling. By registering the "hybrid" events with foreign federations, they were allowed to be rated by FIDE. Since US Chess has no jurisdiction to prevent this practice, many players - including titled players - have gained an extraordinary number of FIDE rating points via online tournaments. Regrettably, their over-the-board performances do not seem to match this level.
I have been in regular contact with US Chess as they attempt to figure out what more they can do. It is an uphill battle, but one I feel the public deserves to know about.
I hope FIDE will temporarily ban rating "hybrid" events until they can ensure no misconduct is taking place. Rating manipulation is wrong under all circumstances, and this situation threatens the chess community.
With the deepest respect for our beloved game,
GM Robert Hess