Player caught cheating at German Championship
4 June 2011, 18.15 CET | By Peter Doggers
A participant of the German Championship, which concluded on Friday in Bonn, was caught cheating. FM Christoph Natsidis used a chess program on his smartphone during his last-round game against GM Sebastian Siebrecht to analyse a position from the game. The 23-year-old player from Bannewitz, Germany admitted that he cheated, and was excluded from the tournament, missing out on an IM norm he had scored after 8 rounds.
Yesterday another example was added to the growing list of cheating cases in chess. In a message put on their website, the organizers of the German Championship communicated that one of their participants, FM Christoph Natsidis, had been excluded from the tournament. His last-round game against GM Sebastian Siebrecht was declared lost after Natsidis had admitted that he used his smartphone, equipped with a strong chess program, during the game.
Today we spoke on the phone with Natsidis’ opponent Sebastian Siebrecht, and here’s what he told us:
“We had reached a complicated position. I had taken on b2 which was a bit risky. However, in a very concrete position where calculating was necessary, he was constantly away from the board. Three times, I made a move and it took 8-10 minutes for him to show up at the board. Naturally I started looking for him and I even waited for a while in the toilets. One toilet was occupied, but I didn’t hear any typical ‘toilet sounds’.
During the game [Igor] Khenkin came to me and asked: ‘What’s going on? Where is your opponent?’ I decided to go to the arbiter and try to find Natsidis together. Then, indeed, we did find him in the toilet, but the arbiter did nothing, which made me very angry. I could not play a normal game anymore and in a position that was still complicated, I decided to offer a draw, which he accepted.”
This is not where it ended, because after the game the arbiter decided to return to Natsidis, together with Siebrecht, to search the suspect anyway. They found a smartphone in his pocket.
More here.
He didn’t do it.
I thought there’s a FIDE regulation, to play your move first, before going to toilet? Else, cheating would be rampant in Tournaments. This is one reason I quit playing chess tournaments and even stop playing chess both online and OTB, because I am paranoid, that my opponent is using a smartphone in the toilet. Cheating is rampant these days.
The Arbiter planted the phone, this is so obvious. What do they teach these arbiters??
A microchip implanted under the skin is the best solution for the future …
The other side of the chessboard.
eheh
Best regards
Stef
In a free market economy every person has right to use whatever they feel. He is a true Republican Hero :). The guy certain believes in freedom of action!!!
He certainly believes in less regulations and thus less govt. A true republican. Sarah Palin should select him as a vice president position!!!
It was Barack Obama (Democrat) that has more tax cheats in his administration than any other president and others that were almost joined the administration.
Different rules for different people is part of the modern Democrat party.
But why are we typing about USA politics on a wonderful chess blog?
The one person cheated, was caught, and then punished (score for the good guys).
I do not cheat. Those that I play in tournaments do not cheat. There is no way to cheat without looking suspicious.
Susan Polgar keep running your wonderful chess blog (please).
Cheating is good for chess. It is only way to get into headlines of other media.
‘I thought there’s a FIDE regulation, to play your move first, before going to toilet?’
FIDE changed this rule, because people have to pee anyway if on move or not. I wonder why they don’t pee so often in other games (like soccer)?
the solution is to force players to use adult diapers during play. no leaving during play!
still, if you lose, say your opponent is a cheat!
if you win, oh yeah, i crushed your chess engine, I am invincible! now, let me play kasparov
Aren’t humans by nature a cheating race? Unlike aliens, who are reported as kind and forgiving.
This is just amazing! What do you gain from knowing you won a tournament in an ill manner. Does he not have confidence in his game to win straight up? Or lose like a man.
Joshua
How To Play Chess For Beginners
I think the best way to stop this toilet cheating is to frisk all players who are using the toilet, and remove all smartphones or any gadgets in their pockets. One security or one Arbiter should be at the toilet frisking all players before they enter the toilet.
The fact that the people getting caught cheating have done it in such an incredibly obvious manner, without elementary safety precautions suggests to me that the problem is much more widespread than currently thought. Some simple measures should be introduced immediately: It is forbidden for the players to leave the playing area during the games, except for rare toilet visits. It is not alloed to bring your mobile phone to the bathroom. Moves should be broadcast on the net with a strict 15 minute delay. Players should be seated in a way where they cannot easily view somebody signaling from the outside. The playing area should be a closed venue that spectators cannot constantly enter and leave.
Even so, somebody who wants to cheat would undoubtedly be able to device a system, that’s just the reality of modern chess.
At the absolute top level, however, it is required to do more thorough controlling, specators should not be visible for the players etc.
The comment about Obama is irrelevant ( The person is incompetent and cannot follow simple logical argument ). First the guy accuses Obama without any proof ( typical Republican ) and even if we assume s/he is right ( may be he as typical republican ), All those corrupt people in obama administration believe in less regulation and thus less govt. So those are republicans!!! The reason Republicans wants less govt and less regulations is they want to make cheating legal.
‘This is just amazing! What do you gain from knowing you won a tournament in an ill manner.’
Think before you write and you will know the answer, and not waste everybody’s time here. I pray your get smarter reading this.
‘One security or one Arbiter should be at the toilet frisking all players before they enter the toilet.’
You obviously confuse roles of arbiter with policemen. How stupid can that be?
“The fact that the people getting caught cheating have done it in such an incredibly obvious manner, without elementary safety precautions suggests to me that the problem is much more widespread than currently thought.”
Good thinking. Obvioulsy, around 10% of chess players cheat this way. Only one or two per year you get to know about. The question is why does USCF allow this to happen?
Toilet cheating has gotten out of hand. It is about time to train arbiters to smell out the cheats in the bathrooms stalls and grab them by the balls to find hidden chess devices hidden in crevasses and under micro sausages.
To be honest, if there was prize money up for grabs and the Arbiters were that unempowered to interefere then I would have a very hard time justifying not cheating.
But I still wonder why he chose to cheat at chess and not say Casino gambling or a TV quiz show, where the money to be made is significant.
It appears to be contradictory. Chess I always thought is something you play for the prestige and self-esteem of becoming a better chess player. The winning is just the icing on the cake. I can only conclude that he was an idiot.
“Which do I prefer, Chess or Sex?, depends on the position.” – Spassky