Chess Cheating Hits New High
By Will Stewart

The problem of cheating in chess has hit epidemic proportions with many reasons why. I’ll explain to you my opinion on the current situation on chess cheating, a bit on the history of cheating in chess, and what we can possibly do to stop it.

Chess cheating continues from history till modern day

Chess, the honorable game of kings, has had a markedly dark and diverse history of cheating. As a matter of fact, cheating in chess is just about as old as the game itself. However, in recent days the problem has gotten so bad that there is suspected cheating even amongst world class grandmasters. With computers becoming ever more powerful and earpieces and other forms to cheat becoming smaller and harder to detect, it’s no surprise that cheating in chess has become more prevalent and harder to detect.

So how do players cheat?

The most popular methods and utilities used for cheating in chess appear to be:

  • A covert earpiece – to receive transmissions from a distant accomplice who is using a supercomputer to suggest moves (ex. 2006 World Open, 2 players were disqualified)
  • A strong player posing under a weak player’s name to cash in on an easier section (ex. 1993, John von Neumann at the World Open in Philadelphia)
  • Classical Collusion: A weaker player leaving the board to receive advice from a stronger player (ex. 2002 World Open, 2 Russian players working together)
  • Toiletgate – Taking multiple trips to the bathroom to consult a PDA/chess engine (ex. Alleged “Toiletgate” Scandal – 2006 World Championship Match between Topalov & Kramnik: in 1 game Kramnik went to the bathroom more than 50 times)

More here.

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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