A CHESS grandmaster was chucked out of a tournament for allegedly using a mobile phone during a match.
The current world no.69 Kirill Shevchenko was competing in the Spanish Team Championship when the incident occurred.
As a result of the alleged ‘cheating’, his two draws in the first two rounds have been changed to defeats.
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The Romanian was competing for the Silla – Integrant Col·lectius team.
The Spanish Chess Federation has explained his expulsion from the tournament.
A statement revealed the reason was “the usage of mobile devices during the playing of his matches.”
It continued: “FEDA maintains its firm commitment against cheating in chess, acting in the strongest possible way in any case which is detected.
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“We profoundly regret that these events have occurred.
“We also wish to state that, in any case, this individual behaviour has nothing to do with the impeccable performance of his Club and the rest of his team members.”
Shevchenko has been removed from the Silla – Integrant Col·lectius team as a result.
The team posted a statement it said it “rejects in the strongest and most blunt way whichever practice of illegal and/or illicit strategy used in an unsportsmanlike way to gain an advantage.”
Chess.com has reported that suspicion arose around Shevchenko when he spent long periods away from the table.
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Chief Arbiter Oscar Bruno de Prado Rodríguez has claimed that a phone was found in a toilet cubicle.
It was apparently accompanied by a note that had handwriting similar to that of the 22-year-old.
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On Tuesday, the Romanian Chess Federation insisted that it was still waiting for “solid evidence” to support the allegations.
It insisted that it has “zero tolerance for violations of fair-play rules”.
A statement read: “We await for the details of the case and we will carefully study the accompanying evidence.
“So far, we only have press reports and alleged witnesses, but no official communication.
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“Until then, we are on the side of our chess player, who denies the accusations against him.
“We will support him as we support all our chess players, within the limits of the regulations in place.
“If further information comes to light, we will decide within the Federation our next steps.”
You never know for sure how a young player will do in the first team. All you can go off is what you see every day in training, and how he is as a person.
By that I mean how he can handle pressure, and deal with disappointment and setbacks, because those are the things that get challenged constantly in the Premier League.
Moises deserves great credit for the way he has come through all of those things, at Brighton and now at Chelsea, to be playing at the level he is currently at.
The fact that he has captained Chelsea already this season, in the Europa Conference League against Servette, says a lot about his mentality and tells you what people within the building think of him as a person.
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That side of things does not surprise me at all, because I know what he is like and how he plays his football.
When people talk about team players, well, that’s Moises – he just wants to do the best he can for his team. Of course he is a better player when the team is functioning well, but he will make everyone else better too.
He is not the guy who is going to dribble past 10 players, or try something flash.
He is physical, he wins the ball for you and he keeps things simple when he has got it, although he has got quality too – look at the through ball he played for Nicolas Jackson to score against West Ham a couple of weeks ago.
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The impact he has in the team goes beyond most of the stats that are shown for midfielders, because they don’t wholly reflect his role and influence on the team.
You can use those binary measurements, like tackles made, distance run or sprints and it tells you one thing about him – but not everything.
Former UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta FC and current Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cyborg (27-2) will attempt to add another belt to her mantle when she takes on 2022 PFL women’s lightweight champion and 2023 women’s featherweight champion Pacheco (23-4) for the women’s featherweight super fight belt.
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The pair did their jobs to make on the scale at the host hotel, with Cyborg weighing in at 144.5 pounds, while Pacheco registered at 144.1.
Now the stage is set for Cyborg and Pacheco to share the cage in Saturday’s co-headliner at The Mayadeen, which airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN following prelims simulcast on MMA Junkie.
For Calafiori, a sightseeing trip to London in January – which included a visit to the Emirates to watch an Arsenal game – would ultimately set him on the path to joining the Gunners.
“I came as a coincidence to visit the city, I had never been before,” he said.
“Arsenal were playing Crystal Palace, they won 5-0. At that point I wasn’t even thinking about coming to the Premier League.”
Four months later, in May, he spoke to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta about the possibility of joining Arsenal.
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“He first wrote to me and then said can I call you,” added Calafiori.
“It was so humble and so easy on the phone. He wanted to explain the situation and what they thought about me, what I could improve.
“He tried to convince me but I was already convinced. Not just because it is Arsenal but because it is Mikel.”
Having broken into the Italy team for the first time earlier this year, Calafiori put all his focus on the European Championship after he was named in their squad for the tournament.
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While on international duty he spoke more with Gunners midfielder Jorghino, who helped convince him the transfer to the Emirates was the right one, and he sealed the move on 29 July.
“During my first training session I was thinking ‘is this real?’,” said Calafiori.
“When seeing the Arsenal logo, could I ever think I would be here now…
“It is such an amazing journey.”
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Injury on international duty disrupted his start to life at the Gunners but he made his full debut on 22 September against title rivals Manchester City and scored an outrageous strike into the top corner.
“When the ball was played to me, I thought let’s just shoot into what you call ‘top bins’,” he joked.
But although the strike was perfect, he did admit his pointing celebration had no meaning and is “embarrassed” watching it back.
“It was not myself who ran – I was blank,” he laughed. “It was another person!”
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MICHAEL CARRICK insists the pathway for English coaches isn’t broken and does not care if it’s a German or not in charge of the Three Lions as long as they “earned it”.
When asked what he thought the problem was regarding a so-called lack of English candidates for the role, Carrick said: “I don’t think that anything has gone wrong particularly.
“It’s not for me to really say. As an Englishman I fully support the team and the manager and I hope that he does really well.
“The FA have had a decision to make, they’ve made that and good luck to them.”
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Carrick continued: “It’s just like playing being a coach, whatever it is it comes down to what you are achieving really.
“What’s right or wrong? There’s not a duty really.
“It’s up to every club really to pick who they want as players and managers. In the end, you have to be good enough.
“It would be nice if there were more [English coaches] at the top level for sure and over time hopefully that will happen. But you’ve got to earn it.”
Carrick played under England’s first two foreign coaches, the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, and says having someone from overseas in charge made no difference.
The 43-year-old, who celebrates two years in charge of Boro next week, added: “I played under two. Sven gave me my debut and Fabio after that.
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“From a players point of view, when you play for your country and you are representing yourself, your family and your nation and you give what you can.
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“I think that there is a respect for the coach and staff but then you’ve got your own responsibility and duty to try and perform, and I don’t think that really changes [whoever is in charge].”
ANDY DILLON: Thomas Tuchel has all the ingredients to become a classic England manager – tactical nous, drive and a tangled love life
By Andy Dillon
THOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.
Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience – a tangled love life.
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English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.
Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.
Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.
Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.
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Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.
An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.
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