Chess Player Strip Searched

[NickFaulks]

Yes, PokerStars run software on your machine to look for certain things (which you will agree to when accepting the T&Cs when you create an account and install the software

Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I must set up a FIDE Online Arena account, to see whether they require similar agreement ( unless someone here has done that already ). I suspect that they don't, and that they should.

I tried to follow the poker cheating link, but I'm in Abu Dhabi so of course it's blocked.

[Simon Ansell]

You can read the T&Cs here. 14.1.7 is relevant.

[Roger de Coverly]

14.1.7 is relevant.

Machine ID allows it to be determined if two sessions were played on different computers or not. In addition, the Website’s client program registers when a user switches from the client program to some other program and vice versa. The Website’s client program can also detect whether a chess program is running on a user’s computer while they are playing an event. This information is necessary for the single purpose of determining if users are improperly using a chess engine to gain an unfair advantage when playing.

If you haven't got sight of your opponent, you cannot know that he isn't using another computer or device for move suggestions or database research, following analysis in a book or consulting a friend.

[NickFaulks]

You can read the T&Cs here. 14.1.7 is relevant.

Thanks again. I saw an early draft of these, and I don't think that 14.1.7 was there.

I'm not a tech expert. Is it possible to be sure that whatever they have put into your computer does only what they say it does, and nothing more? This is important because we have absolutely no idea who Premium Chess are.

They say

"To further guarantee the highest possible standards, our Anti-Cheating Team constantly monitors tournaments and individual challenge games for regulation violation. The team is made up of highly qualified information technology and anti-cheating specialists, chess masters and legal experts."

It would be interesting to know the identity of the chess masters.

[Simon Ansell]

You can read the T&Cs here. 14.1.7 is relevant.

Thanks again. I saw an early draft of these, and I don't think that 14.1.7 was there.

I'm not a tech expert. Is it possible to be sure that whatever they have put into your computer does only what they say it does, and nothing more? This is important because we have absolutely no idea who Premium Chess are.

No, it's not possible to be absolutely sure. Probably somebody sufficiently technically skilled could reverse-engineer the processes to some degree, but that's not me. I've never heard of Premium Chess either, and I won't be installing their software any time soon. I do play on ICC though, who use similar measures - but I trust them; they're well-established and have much more to lose as they depend on paying members.

There's only so much they can see though. I don't know how they intend to detect stuff running on a separate machine to their client. It's impossible. Or as Roger mentions, if I'm not sufficiently technically minded, I could just have a team of GMs in the room with me.

They say

"To further guarantee the highest possible standards, our Anti-Cheating Team constantly monitors tournaments and individual challenge games for regulation violation. The team is made up of highly qualified information technology and anti-cheating specialists, chess masters and legal experts."

It would be interesting to know the identity of the chess masters.

Elsewhere it is stated that every game played is checked, so I assume they're using some kind of automated system that flags when Regan's system spots something suspicious, then the Anti-Cheating Team will investigate further. Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit.

[Roger de Coverly]

Elsewhere it is stated that every game played is checked, so I assume they're using some kind of automated system that flags when Regan's system spots something suspicious, then the Anti-Cheating Team will investigate further.

Whilst the Regan system was being presented to FIDE's ACC as the solution to detection of those using computers and devices OTB, it's never been established that FIDE's Arena had any overlap, developed as it was by a third party and then FIDE branded.

[NickFaulks]

Whilst the Regan system was being presented to FIDE's ACC as the solution to detection of those using computers and devices OTB, it's never been established that FIDE's Arena had any overlap, developed as it was by a third party and then FIDE branded.

Indeed. I was going to correct that misapprehension myself. Whatever you think of Regan's system, it has been properly presented and well documented. We know nothing about Premium Chess or their AceGuard product except that FIDE has signed a contract with them. It was confirmed when I asked at the Online Commission meeting that "FIDE endorsed" means precisely that - a contract has been signed.

I remain puzzled that ACC, FIDE's in-house anti-cheating experts, have not been invited to perform any due diligence on the third party product.

[Simon Ansell]

When googling Ace-Guard just now, I found this thread on a Canadian chess forum.

It contains the following information (the original source isn't linked).

Originally Posted by FIDE Online Arena
Real time anti-cheating monitoring

For our purposes, the term cheating refers to any attempt to gain an unfair playing advantage in violation of FIDE online arena regulations.

FIDE treats such offences very seriously.


The Premium Chess ACE-Guard™ anti-cheating system offers players maximum security. ACE-Guard™ thoroughly screens every single game played on the site when both players are full members and supplies a detailed analysis of performance trends. ACE-Guard™’s array of the latest anti-cheating technologies gives real peace of mind and supplies a more secure environment than conventional tournaments, where games are virtually never checked. Gone are those nagging doubts about if your opponent is cheating or not.



ACE-Guard™

- detects any suspicious event during a game in real time;
- detects the use of chess engines or other software;
- through analysis of behaviour and playing style trends, creates a precise player style and performance profile;
- compares current game with expected player performance and characteristics;
- verifies every player’s connection through the IP address of the user’s computer;
- increases the monitoring of any suspect player;

In short, ACE-Guard™ is a cheater’s worst nightmare.


All games played by two full members are rigorously monitored by ACE-Guard™ and then archived. This monitoring occurs both in real time (i.e. while the game is in progress), and after the game is concluded. Whenever the ACE-Guard™ anti-cheating system detects a possible cheating rule violation, the Games Manager examines the evidence and makes the final decision regarding the appropriate action to take. Such decisions are not subject to appeal or discussion. According to the seriousness of the offence, penalties can range from a lowering of a player’s Fairness Index (see below), through to temporary or permanent suspension, Premium Point and FIDE online Elo rating loss, and a temporary or permanent ban from FIDE online events.



Fairness Index



The conduct of every full member is evaluated using the Fairness Index, which is expressed as a scale of 1 to 5 stars which change colour to show progressively higher levels of trustworthiness. If you choose to play only opponents with a high Fairness Index rating, you can be confident of your opponent's integrity and real playing strength.



Each new full member is initially assigned one black star. If there is no infraction of the anti-cheating rules, the star progressively changes colour as the number of games increases; first blue, then green, silver and gold. A second star is then added, which progressively changes colour in the same way as the first. This process is repeated until a player is awarded the maximum rating of 5 gold stars.


Whenever the ACE-Guard™ anti-cheating system detects a possible Code of Conduct rule violation by an FIDE full member, the Games Manager examines the evidence and makes the final decision regarding a possible change to a player’s Fairness Index rating or other appropriate penalties. This decision is not subject to appeal or discussion.

[Simon Ansell]

^There's nothing new in the above.

[NickFaulks]

^There's nothing new in the above.

No, just words.

I'm intrigued by the Fairness Index. Can you tell whether your opponent has a middling index because he hasn't played many games or because he has played lots of games and at some point got busted?

[Jonathan Bryant]

meanwhile in Italy

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ndant.html

[MartinCarpenter]

That isn't so worrying mind - moderately intelligent but mostly fairly dumb (surely this was always going to be quite obvious, never mind slow in time scrambles etc?) cheating effort, tried, caught etc. You'd almost worry more if they stopped appearing because maybe they'll have turned more intelligent....

[Stewart Reuben]

I pointed out in Abu Dhabi that the Anti-Cheating chess people intended to be in the Isle of Man for the Poker Stars Chess Tournament. The two groups would be able to discuss matters to their mutual benefit.

One of the easiest ways to cheat in online chess, unless you had a camera looking at the player, is for somebody to subtitute for the player. He would play on the player's computer, using his ID. Nigel Short told me he played a match against Ehlvest in an online tournament. Except he didn't, it was the late Wojtkewiz.

Yet they are talking of mixing online ratings with over the board. The Laws of Chess relate solely to otb chess. There are no laws for online. What happens when the system crashes?

I understand it is being introduced from 10 September as a pilot scheme. The Qualification Commission voted 5-3 againt inoruction of this mixing in the rating system two different types of chess. Makro said tht wasn't a bigger enough different in the vote to block progress! The FIDE statutes are quie specific. The EB or PB cannot override the QC or RC. The only recourse would be to take FIDE to court.

I don't know whether Malcolm Pein has waxed lyrically over this matte in The Daily Telegraphr. He certainly did so privately at yesterday's meeting.

[Clive Blackburn]

What puzzles me is that the player refused to open his shirt but then agreed to pass through a metal detector, which revealed the pendant around his neck. Had he refused to submit to the metal detector check, would he have got away with it?

[Roger de Coverly]

Yet they are talking of mixing online ratings with over the board.

I thought the exact proposal was that the change in OTB rating would be added to the Arena rating. This preserves the OTB rating from contamination.

Have they moved beyond this? The consequence would be that it would be possible to get the ratings dependent titles of (W)FM and (W)CM wholly or partly by playing on-line. With no details, it's quite impossible to accept that the Arena system guards against non-computer based cheating and even for engine based suggestions, it's likely just a witch hunt against those guilty of playing well whilst in possession of a low rating.

(edit) FM not IM (/edit)