The TCEC SCAM!

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DanJonesburg

Martin Thoresen's open letter to the community from last year.

Open letter to the TCEC community
From TCEC founder Martin Thoresen

Hello,
I sit here 1 week after the Rapid event came to a conclusion in the on-going Season 9 of TCEC with many thoughts racing through my head and I don't know how to let it all out. So I figured I would write my first ever open letter to the community that has been a part of me for so many years.

To start off, I will give you some background information regarding how TCEC came to be.

I was a part of the CCRL engine rating list group in the mid-to-late 2000s. However, I got tired of the concept and instead took a break. After a while, in June 2010, I returned and started broadcasting some longer time control games that people could watch online. It was a very basic and crude platform, mostly consisting of the built-in live feature of the older Fritz GUI. Then I started working on my own website, and with the help of Paolo Casaschi (the author of pgn4web) I managed to put together a site that was quite decent. At that time I used ChessGUI to run the games. The website got tweaked and/or redesigned several times during the next Seasons and the core of the current website is still the same - the pgn4web framework. With the help of Jeremy Bernstein I could replace ChessGUI with his fork of cutechess-cli and that's what still in use today.

My sister Marit was responsible for the Facebook page and she was constantly posting updates and replying to questions there. I also bought parts for a new server, a dual Xeon 2689, assembled it and used it for several Seasons, not having to rely on a 3rd party.

At the end of Season 4, now this is when I was approached by Anton Mihailov of Chessdom and we agreed to a cooperation - they would publish articles, promote the event and basically be a long-term partner. This was in effect from Season 5 and Season 6. After Season 6 concluded I was having some personal problems and was basically fed up with the whole thing at that point, mostly due to all the bullshit going on in the chat, especially with the constant "scam", "conspiracy" and "rigged" comments hurting me badly. Anton always believed in TCEC and he asked me if we could agree on a transfer of TCEC rights, including the name, the chatwing account, the tcec-chess.net domain and the Facebook page, to Chessdom. We came to an agreement and so that's what happened. I was going to teach some other person/admin to take the technical responsibilities, and then I'd be out for good. This never happened. Anton never managed to get someone else. I have no idea why, or if it was ever meant to be in the first place. So we agreed that I would be the man behind the scenes for Season 7. The same would apply to Season 8. And now Season 9.

Being roughly my own age, Anton struck me as a person willing to take a leap of faith, to gamble a bit in order to get what he wanted. It was obvious to me from all our communication that he wanted TCEC to succeed in one way or another. But during the years, there has been very little structure, a lack of planning and basically everything has happened in the last minute. This was not how I did things. I planned ahead, gave plenty of information to the community so that they could keep up to date on any situation.

I don't know how to run a business. But I do know that in today's society, communication is key. You can't just sit around doing nothing when you receive income from ads and donations, support packages and pretend that everything is fine. This will crush your name and your reputation.

This is what I feel has happened now. I have tried my best to get Anton to publish something, anything, about the situation we are in. Yet nothing. I don't know if the Superfinal of Season 9 will happen. I don't know if Season 10 will happen. What I do know, is that the TCEC name has lost tremendous value and credibility. This is what hurts me personally.

I should have never agreed on a transfer. But I can't undo the past. I have to live with my choices.

My point is that I want to extend a formal apology to anyone reading this, for how things have turned out. Thanks for believing in me.

-Martin

DanJonesburg
Below are some of the TCEC SCAM! Highlights from One Season to the Next,there were many more SCAM! Examples Posted on various sites regarding Bogus games Etc.

TCEC 9 - SCAM! - Stage 3 - Game 1 - TRUE! Win!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JIZalrnvsE

TCEC 9 - SCAM! - Stage 2 - Game 30 - TRUE! Draw!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vl9lyRSRPE

TCEC 9 - SCAM! - Stage 2 - Game 25 - TRUE! Win!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruTrffBQH0U

Stockfish Destroys! Komodo by (9) Points! The True TCEC 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW8zoyP1sYA

Stockfish Destroys! Komodo by (8) Points! The True TCEC 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyCv7aiPGyw

Komodo's Famous Blunder! 8. Nxf7 ??? :) 28.03.2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuwHTdDdLmU

ChessBase Endorse Fritz 15 Banned Chess Programmer + Komodo 9 + TCEC 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPPJONmL9M4

TCEC 8 - SCAM! - Super Final - Game 22 - Move 64 - TRUE! Win!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tphf0p--GE

TCEC - SCAM! - Thoresen Chess Engines Competition ???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfeRSq3ihwk

Komodo 8 FALSE! Propaganda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxsORZ8rcLA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
DanJonesburg
More Games Info below...
DanJonesburg
Event "TCEC 8 - SCAM! - Super Final - Game 22 - Move 64.Kg4 - FAKE! Draw ?"] [Site "http://tcec.chessdom.com"] [Date "2015.11.11"] [Round "22"] [White "Stockfish 021115"] [Black "Komodo 9.3x"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "3223"] [ECO "E15"] [EventDate "2015.11.06"] [GameDuration "06:42:03"] [Opening "Queen's Indian: Nimzowitsch, 5.Nbd2 c5"] [PlyCount "136"] [Termination "adjudication"] [TerminationDetails "TCEC draw rule"] [TimeControl "10800+30"] [WhiteElo "3224"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Nbd2 c5 6. e4 cxd4 7. e5 Ng4 8. h3 Nh6 9. Bg2 Nc6 10. O-O Be7 11. Qa4 Bb7 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Bxb7 Rb8 14. Be4 Qc7 15. Qd1 Nhf5 16. Re1 Qxe5 17. Nb3 Rd8 18. Bf4 Qf6 19. Qd3 Bc5 20. Rad1 Nxb3 21. axb3 Nd4 22. Kg2 Nc6 23. h4 a5 24. Qe2 Qe7 25. Qh5 g6 26. Qf3 Nd4 27. Qc3 Qf6 28. Bd5 Bb4 29. Qd3 O-O 30. Be5 Qf5 31. Qxd4 Bxe1 32. Rxe1 d6 33. Bf6 e5 34. Qxb6 Qxf6 35. Qxa5 Kh8 36. b4 g5 37. Rh1 gxh4 38. Rxh4 Qg6 39. Qa3 f5 40. Qf3 Qg7 41. b5 Rb8 42. b4 Rf6 43. Rh5 Qg6 44. Qe2 f4 45. Be4 Qg7 46. Qf3 Rh6 47. Rxh6 Qxh6 48. Qe2 fxg3 49. fxg3 Qg5 50. c5 Rg8 51. Qe1 dxc5 52. bxc5 Rd8 53. b6 Rd2+ 54. Kg1 Qd8 55. Qe3 Rb2 56. Bf3 Rb1+ 57. Kg2 Rb2+ 58. Kh3 Qf6 59. b7 Qe6+ 60. g4 h5 61. c6 hxg4+ 62. Bxg4 Qd6 63. Bf5 Qf6 64. Kg4 Rg2+ 65. Kf3 Rb2 66. Kg4 Rg2+ 67. Kf3 Rb2 68. Qe4 Qd6 ½-½
DanJonesburg
[Event "TCEC 8 - SCAM! - Super Final - Game 22 - Move 64.Bc2 - TRUE! Win!"] [Site "http://tcec.chessdom.com"] [Date "2015.11.11"] [Round "22"] [White "Stockfish 021115"] [Black "Komodo 9.3x"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "3223"] [ECO "E15"] [EventDate "2015.11.06"] [GameDuration "06:42:03"] [Opening "Queen's Indian: Nimzowitsch, 5.Nbd2 c5"] [PlyCount "136"] [Termination "normal"] [TimeControl "10800+30"] [WhiteElo "3224"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Nbd2 c5 6. e4 cxd4 7. e5 Ng4 8. h3 Nh6 9. Bg2 Nc6 10. O-O Be7 11. Qa4 Bb7 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Bxb7 Rb8 14. Be4 Qc7 15. Qd1 Nhf5 16. Re1 Qxe5 17. Nb3 Rd8 18. Bf4 Qf6 19. Qd3 Bc5 20. Rad1 Nxb3 21. axb3 Nd4 22. Kg2 Nc6 23. h4 a5 24. Qe2 Qe7 25. Qh5 g6 26. Qf3 Nd4 27. Qc3 Qf6 28. Bd5 Bb4 29. Qd3 O-O 30. Be5 Qf5 31. Qxd4 Bxe1 32. Rxe1 d6 33. Bf6 e5 34. Qxb6 Qxf6 35. Qxa5 Kh8 36. b4 g5 37. Rh1 gxh4 38. Rxh4 Qg6 39. Qa3 f5 40. Qf3 Qg7 41. b5 Rb8 42. b4 Rf6 43. Rh5 Qg6 44. Qe2 f4 45. Be4 Qg7 46. Qf3 Rh6 47. Rxh6 Qxh6 48. Qe2 fxg3 49. fxg3 Qg5 50. c5 Rg8 51. Qe1 dxc5 52. bxc5 Rd8 53. b6 Rd2+ 54. Kg1 Qd8 55. Qe3 Rb2 56. Bf3 Rb1+ 57. Kg2 Rb2+ 58. Kh3 Qf6 59. b7 Qe6+ 60. g4 h5 61. c6 hxg4+ 62. Bxg4 Qd6 63. Bf5 Qf6 64. Bc2 Rb4 65. Be4 Rb2 66. Kg4 Qe6+ 67. Kg5 Qg8+ 68. Kf5 Qf7+ 69. Kxe5 Qg7+ 70. Ke6 Qg8+ 71. Kf5 Rb5+ 72. Kf4 Qf8+ 73. Kg3 Qf6 74. Qf3 Rg5+ 75. Kf2 Qb2+ 76. Qe2 Qd4+ 77. Kf3 Qf6+ 78. Ke3 Qc3+ 79. Qd3 Qe1+ 80. Kf3 Qg3+ 81. Ke2 Qh2+ 82. Ke3 Rg3+ 83. Bf3 Qh6+ 84. Kd4 Qd6+ 85. Kc3 Qa3+ 86. Kc4 Qa4+ 87. Kc5 Rg5+ 88. Bd5 Qa5+ 89. Kc4 Rg4+ 90. Be4 Qa2+ 91. Kd4 Qa7+ 92. Kd5 Qa2+ 93. Kd6 Qh2+ 94. Ke6 Qh6+ 95. Kd5 Rg5+ 96. Kc4 Qe6+ 97. Bd5 Rxd5 98. Qxd5 Qe2+ 99. Kc5 Qc2+ 100. Kd6 Qg6+ 101. Kc7 Qf7+ 102. Qd7 Qf4+ 103. Kc8 Qf8+ 104. Qd8 Kg8 105. b8=Q Qxd8+ 106. Kxd8 Kf7 107. c7 Kg6 108. c8=Q Kg5 109. Qe5+ Kh6 110. Qh3+ Kg6 111. Qhh5# 1-0
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