Anti-Doping or Just Plain Dopey?

GM Baburin is concerned about the new anti-doping rules being promoted by FIDE at the upcoming Olympiad in Bled. FIDE is intent on enforcing rules against substances which have not been shown to improve one's chess abilities. Here is the text of a message that has been sent to Grandmasters around the world:

Letter to GMs

Some of us will play in the coming chess Olympiad in Bled. Most will play in other tournaments under FIDE patronage. Thus you might be interested to read the following page: http://www.fide.com/cgi-bin/read.cgi?html=antidoping.

Basically, players in Bled will be asked to sign a contract that they agree with these anti-doping rules. If one does not sign, he or she might not be allowed to play.

The document is all 'lawyer and doctor talk' - an ordinary person won't understand it and almost none can read it till the end (I gave up after 1 minute!). So, it is tempting just to sign. But there is a danger - if you eat or drink too much of something and your test is positive, you could be fined $100,000!

Nobody had showed and proved yet what substance(s) help to play better chess, but FIDE is happy to apply regulations, made for other sports, to chess players. And this is despite being rejected by MOC for the 2008 Olympiad!

Unfortunately, there is too little reaction from professional chess players - perhaps we should get a petition out? I am rather cynical when it comes to FIDE, but one might at least try...

If you are interested to express your opinion, please e-mail me - I'd be happy to post your message(s) at www.gmsquare.com. And we might have enough power to come up with a letter to FIDE (this e-mail will be received by about 180 GMs!).

With best regards,

Alexander Baburin