June 04, 2008

What do they think about cheating?

Two years ago I wrote an article for the Greek Chess Magazine “Skaki gia aolous” (Chess for all) regarding Internet chess. You can find it (in Greek of course) in #22 of September 2006. One of the addressed issues was “Cheating”. Our FM Sotiris Logothetis and his wife IM Yelena Dembo sent a questionnaire to many chess players around the world as well as chess officials. Here is a collection of answers regarding cheating.

GM Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia)
This didn’t happen with me yet. If there is match for something – money or qualification, the anger is justified, if not then your opponent just help you, cause you play against stronger opponent. Much more important what does Internet play bring to your chess, does it help you to improve, or not.

GM Yannick Pelletier (Switzerland)
Internet chess has got no future as long as cheating is possible.

GM Rustem Dautov (Germany)
That’s the main problem with the Internet chess. I have no idea how to solve it. But without a right solution there will be no serious tournaments on the Internet and the Internet chess will be mostly entertainment.

GM Alik Gershon (Israel)
It happened to me a few times while I was working for KC. Back then when people used computer against me it was irritating, but not more – if seeing a computer beating GM gives them the satisfaction – let it be. To my mind it's just a very useless waste of time. Of course, whenever there is money/prizes concerned – I suppose it could get more annoying. This is partially a reason I do not usually take part in online competitions.

GM Alexander Baburin (Ireland)
I don't think that ever happened to me, but maybe I played too little online blitz...

GM Zoltán Gyimesi (Hungary)
I think it happened with me, and I felt angry. Mainly this was the reason why I stopped playing ICC or playchess. And now it is clear, why I prefer only over the board chess.

IM Jovanka Houska (England)
Sometimes I suspect this happens but of course I am not sure - yes I do sometimes get angry especially if I was winning but as always you shouldn't take these things too seriously.

WGM Anna Burtasova (Russia)
Well, never happened to me, but not sure I will get to notice it anyway :-) (but don’t tell anyone, or they will start to cheat me

WGM Viktoria Bashkite (Estonia)
People have right to choose. I am not using computers and I don’t like persons who does. If I get to know that somebody uses this help I won’t play to this person anymore.

WIM Anna Rudolf, (Hungary)
Hmm, I think it has happened to me sometimes but I don’t really get angry, they cheat on themselves — can never become good players like this.

FM Aviv Friedman (Israel)
It’s pathetic that some find joy or fulfillment in secretly using their computers to play online. Says more about the cheater than the opponent, who may be upset at losing rating points.

Nagy Laszló (FIDE International chess organizer from Hungary)
I trust people, I have never felt I play against a machine.

Ali Nihat Yazici (President of Turkish Chess Federation)
Yes sometimes it happens. But in real life it may happen as well. I think nowadays it is being controlled enough.

This article is not available for comments anymore as it has become a target for spam comments.


Posted by Michalis Kaloumenos at June 4, 2008 02:53 PM
Comments

I don't think it happens as often as people think. I have always assumed I was outplayed. What really upsets me is several times I have come up with what I considered great plays to have my opponent accuse me of cheating. I think we use that charge to cover our own failings.

Posted by: Roscoe McPherren at June 5, 2008 03:08 AM

When you make as many blunders as I do, I doubt anyone could imagine that I had help. Honestly, I've never felt that my opponents cheated either. There really isn't any point to cheating on Playchess, at least at the levels I'm playing at.

Posted by: Gary Olson at June 7, 2008 08:28 PM

people who cheat are only fooling themselves

Posted by: finnt at June 11, 2008 12:08 PM


Version 3.3 ©2000-2003 by linkTh. Stahl
Powered by Movable Type 2.64