Cheating in Chess

Chess Cheating Scandal

Cheating in chess can be referred to as deliberate, knowing attempt to violate the rules of chess game to gain an unfair advantage. In recent times, cheating in chess has been a serious issue to the Chess Community as a whole that needs total reform. Despite some improvement, the game’s image is still plagued by the presence of rogue elements.

Cheating can occur in different forms either before, during, or possibly after a game. However, what is considered as cheating in some events may not be considered as cheating in other events.

Here are instances where cheating can occur:

v  Conniving with other players: Players may deliberately conspire to lose to their friend or teammate in order for their friend or teammate to win the game or by pre-arranged draw where players agree to draws in order to help both players to gain an advantage over their opponents in a tournament.

v   Cheating with Computers: Some players use a chess program while playing chess with the help of their friends in a different room.  

v  Touch and Move Law: if a piece is picked up and released on another square, the move must stand if it is legal move. If an opponent’s piece is touched, it must be captured if it is legal to do so.

v  Rating Manipulation: This occur when the results of the game are determined before the game starts, or simply by forging the reports of the tournament.

Chess cheating scandals do not exclude high-profile players. The most viral and controversial chess cheat in the recent time is the involvement of Bulgarian FM Borislav Ivanov who was strip searched after being suspected of cheating at the Zadar Open held in December 2012 in Croatia. He scored 6.0/9 points with a performance rating of 2697 which he gained victories over Grandmasters Bojan Kurjica, Ivan Saric, Robert Zelcic and Zdenko Kozul. During the search, it was explained to him that refusal would mean a forfeit and disqualification from the tournament but he refused to take off his shoes and socks. The 26 year old player has been accused on several occasions of cheating but he has never been caught red-handed.

In 2013, another high profile player caught in the act of cheating was a German international master Jens Kotainy who was caught and disqualified for using his phone at the Sparkassen Chess Meeting held in Dortmund, Germany. During the tournament he also had a victory against GM Eckhard Schmittdiel.

Another incidence which occur 20-years ago is the game between the world champion, Gary Kasparov then and 14 year old Judith Polgar in Linares, Spain, 1994. Kasparov changed his move after momentarily letting go of a piece and later went on winning the game. Polgar did not lodge complain during the game but waited a whole day before complaining. She later explained afterwards saying ‘’ I was playing the World Champion and I did not want to cause unpleasantness during my first invitation to such an important event.’’ Kasparov also stated that ‘’ I have the feeling I did not take my hand off the piece. My conscience is clear.’’ According to the arbiter, he has said since Kasparov’s hand is still on the knight, he has the right to move it to another square. Also a video replay proved that Kasparov’s hand left the piece for one quarter of a second. Robert Solso, a cognitive psychologist stated that ‘’it is a too short time to make a conscious decision.’’

In the VirginiaScholastic and Collegiate Championship 2012, a player was disqualified from the tournament after he was caught using a chess engine running on a PDA that was disguised as eNotate, an electronic Chess Notation Programme allowed to be used at United States Chess Federation tournaments.

At the 2011, German Chess Championship, FM Christoph Natsidis admitted using a Chess Program on his Smartphone during his last round game against GM Sebastian Siebrecht.

There are several reasons why people cheat; some players cheat because they are too lazy to think deep, some cheat out of frustration and others cheat for fun but the question is can cheating in chess get rid of?...Cheating is common in all games of life, but integrity is the heart of champions.