RECOMMENDATION TO THE FIDE QUALIFICATION COMMISSION (QC)

In the meeting of the Title and Ratings Committee (TRC) a Sub-Committee (the committee) consisting of Mr. Makropoulos, Mr. Kutin, Mr. Omuku, Mr. Kelleher, and Mr. Sand, was appointed to examine the allegation of false rating reports regarding Mr. Alexandru Crisan, hereafter referred to as the Crisan-case.

Based on its findings, the committee submits the following report, and recommendations to the QC:

1. Legality

The minutes from the TRC meeting 6 September 2001 States under point 8 that the Committee is “…to study and report on the case of Mr.Alexandru Crisan.”

According to the FIDE Statutes A.01.8.2, the TRC is listed as a sub-committee under the QC. Consequently our committee has to report to the QC, and then the QC decides whether a recommendation should be passed, or not, to the Executive Board (EB)

FIDE Statutes A.01.4.1 confirm that when the General Assembly is not in session its powers are transferred to the Executive Board. However, the EB cannot take decisions on the following:

+ Election of officials – as previously defined

+ Changes in Statutes

+ Matters of Rules Commission

+ Matters of Qualification Commission

This last paragraph however, does not limit the GA or the EB in its capacity to debate and vote on the results and recommendations of the QC. This is standard procedure in FIDE, and all reports from the QC have to be endorsed by either the GA, or when the GA is not in session, by the EB before they are valid.

The next GA or EB may alter a decision made by the Presidential Board in between GA and EB meetings. This follows as a natural consequence of the fact that the GA (or the EB when the GA is not in session) is the highest authority of FIDE.

Furthermore, it is within the mandate of FIDE's highest authority to make decisions that it deems necessary, and in the good interest of FIDE, as long as such decisions are made according to its own Statutes and Regulations.

FIDE members are national chess federations, and according to FIDE Statutes A.01.1.2 it observes strict neutrality in the internal affairs of the national federations. Therefore, the committee acknowledges that the Romanian Chess Federation, including its individual members, has sole responsibility for conflicts within its jurisdiction.

However, the committee is of the opinion that conflicts regarding rating and title issues are under the mandate and jurisdiction of the TRC, QC and the GA/EB, once they have been submitted to FIDE for rating and title purposes.

2. Procedure

The committee started its work by making a request to the FIDE office for it to provide all necessary documents relating to the Crisan-case. Later the same evening, the committee was provided with 78 pages of documents. This material, in addition to the personal knowledge of the case by its individual members, satisfied the committee that it possessed enough material to start its work.

The committee also received a 5-page document (Memorial to FIDE) from Mr. Crisan.

The committee asked its member, Mr. Kutin, to make a written statement regarding the question of authorizing tournaments on the request of Mr. Crisan. The statement is contained in the annexes.

The committee obtained a written statement from Romanian GM Andrei Istratescu, who voluntarily contacted the committee, and offered to make a statement regarding allegations of match fixing. The statement is contained in the annexes.

The committee obtained oral information from its honorary member Mrs. E.Polihroniade.

The committee asked Georgian GM Z. Azmaiparashvili to play through the games Mr. Crisan played in the Vidmar Memorial Tournament, and give his professional opinion regarding the quality of these games. The statement is contained in the annexes.

The committee conducted a meeting with Mr. Crisan, and Mrs. Muresan of the Romanian Chess Federation, to inform them about the working procedure of the committee, and to discuss and clarify some of the issues arising from the matter.

At the start of this committee meeting the FIDE Executive Director Mr. Omuku, asked to be recused from the committee based on the fact that his name was mentioned in the document, Memorial to FIDE, received from Mr. Crisan.

The committee held several sessions, and discussions among its members before the final recommendation was agreed upon.

3. The Crisan -case

3.1 General background

The so-called Crisan-case has been on the agenda of the GA, QC, PB and EC meetings for the past 4 years. In short, the background of the Crisan-case is whether the rating report submitted to FIDE including the “Trofeul Sfinx” Tournament in 1997 is invalid and/or false.

Initially it was the Rumanian Chess Federation itself, which contacted FIDE, and pointed out that it had detected irregularities concerning the tournament rating report. Among other things the presumed arbiter for matches organized by Mr. Crisan between December 1996 and February 1997, made a written statement that he had not been the arbiter and consequently had not signed any document related to these matches or games.

After a change of both President and board in the Romanian Chess Federation, the new leadership declared that they had found nothing wrong regarding the submitted reports and the tournaments. The political battle within the Romanian Chess Federation has then led to several pending court cases, expelling of members and a lot of public and official attention from the country’s authorities. However, as stated before, FIDE neither can nor will solely for this reason, intervene in the internal life of a member federation. In such a situation FIDE can only hope that the involved parties will reestablish normal proceedings so that democracy and chess will prevail.

3.2 Accusations

The accusations against Mr. Crisan relate to the conduct of the tournament and matches in question, and that he wrongfully has obtained his present ELO rating of 2635. In a summarized form, the accusations are:

+ That the tournaments and matches in question were not conducted in a lawful way.

+ That Mr. Crisan has fixed matches for his own benefit.

+ That Mr. Crisan has falsified tournament rapports.

It is almost impossible that he has become his countries highest rated player and achieved a place among the World’s 50 highest rated players, when:

+ He has played only a few chess games the last 10 years against the top 10 players in the country.

+ He has not participated in the top group of the National Championship

+ He has not represented his federation in any Chess Olympiad.

+ That there is hardly any game in the accessible databases played by Mr. Crisan, or otherwise published.

+ That no result comes from any official or well-established tournament in Romania or other places in the world.

+ That the results submitted for rating come from private tournaments and matches organized by Mr. Crisan himself.

Mr. Crisan has strongly denied all accusations and has denied any wrongdoing whatsoever. Since 1998 he has had the full support of his federation in this matter.

4. FIDE’s involvement and decisions

The QC members are aware of the previous developments in this case, and the committee therefore concentrates on the PB decision in the Dubai meeting.

In this meeting the PB decided to restore and publish the rating of Mr. Crisan at 2635.

The PB resolved to insist on the technical aspect of the verification of Mr. Crisan's rating. Therefore it was decided that Mr. Crisan should participate in 3 international tournaments selected by FIDE to be completed 30 September 2001.

The matter was then referred to the TRC and QC in order to reach a final conclusion of the matter.

5. Evaluation

When it comes to the burden of proof in this case, the committee is of the opinion that the standard cannot be the one of traditional criminal law, where one needs to be sure “beyond a reasonable doubt” for a conviction.

In case of rating and titles, the committee is of the opinion that FIDE can and must react when it is clear that results are not sufficiently documented. This is in it self the main task and reason for the existence of the QC.

FIDE and its chess players are fully dependent on a functional and accurate rating- and title system. Because of the large number of rating calculations it is statistically very difficult, and perhaps impossible, to prevent errors from occurring. Most of the errors are due to human mistakes, such as misspelling of names, wrong ID codes, inadequate rating reports etc. FIDE spends a lot of resources, both human and financial, to fight such errors and to protect the credibility of the system.

However, when it comes to the highest rated players, top tournaments, titleholders and title applications, it is of vital importance to the credibility of the system and therefore of FIDE itself, that no mistakes occur, and given this, there is of course absolutely no room for foul play.

For the above reasons FIDE has the full right to also intervene when there is a large body of circumstantial evidence pointing to game fixing or other irregularities tied to tournament results and reports. If this is not done in a firm and strong way, the whole structure and credibility of the FIDE title and rating system is put in jeopardy.

Mr. Crisan has in his document, Memorial to FIDE (see appended annexes), concluded, “There is neither a legal basis nor a statutory one to reopen the debate concerning my rating.”

The committee does not share this view. On the contrary, it is quite obvious that the PB wanted this matter to be permanently resolved after having the possibility to review the rating performance and game quality arising from the 3 international tournaments.

Unfortunately, Mr Crisan played only one qualified tournament. He is however under no legal obligation to play at all, but failing to meet the requirements of the PB does not prevent the QC and EB from finalizing the matter. It would therefore have been in his own interest to play as much as possible in order to remove any doubt about his playing strength and ELO rating. Mr Crisan has also confirmed in response to questioning by the committee, that he has no tournaments scheduled prior to the end of September 2001.

In the tournament he did play, The Vidmar Memorial, his result was 0.5/9. Mr. Makropoulos and Mr. Kelleher of the committee have stated that the games played were of such low quality, that it is impossible to imagine them being played by the no. 46 player in the world rankings.

However the committee did not only rely on its own members, none of whom are Grandmasters, to make an evaluation of Mr. Crisan’s games. It also solicited the opinion of GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili, who is one of the highest rated players in the world. After reviewing Mr. Crisan’s games, he has stated in part, “For me if I am asked how Mr. Crisan reached his rating of 2600, it is clear to me that it was done in an illegal way.” GM, Azmaiparashvili’s full statement can be found in the annexes.

Having gone through the documents, the various statements, and putting all the bits and pieces together, the committee is firm in its conviction that Mr Crisan has not gained his present rating and tournament results through honest means and fair play.

The committee agrees completely on the fact that it simply is not possible to become Romania’s highest rated player without regular participation in the strongest national and/or international tournaments. Such an achievement would have to be the result of years of hard work and the playing of hundreds of rated games.

FIDE Statutes B.01.0.4 (International Title Regulations) contains the following provision:

4 The titles are valid for life from the date awarded or registered.

0.41 Use of a FIDE title or rating to subvert the ethical principles of the title or rating system may subject a person to revocation of his title upon recommendation by the Qualification Commission and final act by the General Assembly.

The committee is of the opinion that FIDE Statutes B.01.0. 41 must come into effect in the present case, and that the EB has the necessary power to act, when the GA is not in session.

The committee is also of the opinion that, if it is shown that a player’s rating has been obtained in a fraudulent manner, it necessarily follows that this must have consequences for any titles previously obtained.

6. Decision

The committee hereby recommends to the FIDE Qualification Commission, that:

1) Mr. Alexandru Crisan’s rating be revoked and he shall no longer be listed in the rating list, with the exception of the results obtained in the Vidmar Memorial.

2) Mr. Alexandru Crisan’s titles of International Grandmaster (GM) and International Master (IM) be revoked.

3) The case be referred to the FIDE Ethics Committee, for possible breach of the FIDE Code of Ethics.

Greece, 8 September 2001

Mr. Georgius Makropoulos Mr. Boris Kutin

FIDE Deputy President Continental President of Europe

Mr. Morten Sand Mr. Bill Kelleher

Executive Board Member Executive Board member

Note I do not have the Crisan annexed document mentioned above but now have the Azmaiparashvili submission

Statement of GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili

In my opinion, it is not possible to evaluate the strength of a chess player based on the results of one tournament. However, in the Widmar memorial in Portoros GM A.Crisan has not demonstrated his chess strength in any game. It was clear that his opponents were much stronger than him. GM A.Crisan has shown no single game with his own style. It is clear that he has made some computer preparations, and knows the openings, but in the middle game, he was gradually losing his position.

I cannot judge what is the real thing. Judging by the results of this tournament, it is clear that he does not deserve the rating of 2600, or 2500, or even 2400. If GM A.Crisan had trained on a regular basis, he could have reached the level between 2400 to 2500. But it is possible for any chess player, who has even little chess talent, to reach this level, during the present times, provided a person works properly.

If GM A.Crisan still insists that his rating is worth to be among the top 40 players, I think it is just a joke.

For me, if I am asked how Mr. Crisan reached his rating of 2600, it is clear to me that it was done in an illegal way.

Kallithea, 7 September 2001

GM Z. Azmaiparashvili (signed)