FIDE Online Arena

[Roger de Coverly]

Does anyone use it, or know anyone who does?

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... ially.html

[Paolo Casaschi]

I played a few games every now and then.
The platform works well, there's always room for improvement, but it's not that bad.

After a testing phase, they recently announced the commercial plans for a premium account (25 Euros/year) that allows for online games counting towards the blitz/rapid FIDE Elo. The free account does not provide much anymore.

[Niall Doran]

After a testing phase, they recently announced the commercial plans for a premium account (25 Euros/year) that allows for online games counting towards the blitz/rapid FIDE Elo.

Is this for real?

[Paolo Casaschi]

Is this for real?

From their official website http://www.arena.myfide.net/

FIDE ONLINE ARENA is the newest member of the PremiumChess family. Thanks to PremiumChess’ advanced anti-cheating technology, members are for the very first time able to obtain official FIDE and federation ratings for games played online, with no distinction between FIDE blitz and rapid ratings for games played over the board or on FIDE online arena – just one single rating, revolutionising the way we think about and play chess.

[John McKenna]

I watched the latter rounds of the Candidates there and they gave the final standings as -

N# Player name Score SB
1. Anand,V 8.5 57.25
2. Karjakin,S 7.5 51.75
3. Kramnik,V 7 49.25
4. Andreikin,D 7 48.5
5. Mamedyarov,S 7 48
6. Svidler,P 6.5 46
7. Aronian,L 6.5 45
8. Topalov,V 6 42.25

Games won (by color) White 30%, Draw 61%, Black 9%

The above is slightly different to some other places in that Andreikin is 4th.

As for the question about getting FIDE rapid & blitz ratings by playing online - was the question serious?
It would seem it is a stated aim of FIDE to do so, unless I am mistaken.

Edit: That seems to be confirmed by Paolo's post above and denied by Nick's, below?!

[NickFaulks]

Is this for real?

From their official website http://www.arena.myfide.net/

FIDE ONLINE ARENA is the newest member of the PremiumChess family. Thanks to PremiumChess’ advanced anti-cheating technology, members are for the very first time able to obtain official FIDE and federation ratings for games played online, with no distinction between FIDE blitz and rapid ratings for games played over the board or on FIDE online arena – just one single rating, revolutionising the way we think about and play chess.

Oh, dear. I'm on it.

[Roger de Coverly]

Thanks to PremiumChess’ advanced anti-cheating technology

In the absence of a local arbiter or even the poor substitute of a live webcam, there would be any number of ways that a player might cheat in a way that's unlikely to be detected, or if detection were tried would give any number of false positives.

Here's three for starters
(1) have your friend play a game or two to boost (or lower) your rating.
(2) play the opening with an open book ( could be a physical one, could be a database).
(3) consult an engine once or twice at critical positions.

You can detect (2) and (3) if the programs are on the computer used to connect to the server by using a form of spyware to detect task-switching. A separate computer isn't going to be discovered by this method.

[NickFaulks]

After a testing phase, they recently announced the commercial plans for a premium account (25 Euros/year) that allows for online games counting towards the blitz/rapid FIDE Elo.

Is this for real?

It's confirmed that somebody jumped the gun. It's obviously what the FOA people want, but the concept needs to be tested, and that process is about to start.

[Paolo Casaschi]

It's confirmed that somebody jumped the gun. It's obviously what the FOA people want, but the concept needs to be tested, and that process is about to start.

What do you mean?
From the announcement on the FOA homepage it does not seem a test (i.e. something temporary, partial or provisional)... they are just going to do it.

[NickFaulks]

As I said, that announcement was premature.

[Roger de Coverly]

After a testing phase, they recently announced the commercial plans for a premium account (25 Euros/year) that allows for online games counting towards the blitz/rapid FIDE Elo. The free account does not provide much anymore.

According to the sign up material on the website, it also qualifies you for an official national blitz/rapid rating. A list of signed-up national Federations supporting this isn't present. Anyone joining in the hope of an ECF rapidplay grade is presumably going to be disappointed.

[NickFaulks]

According to the sign up material on the website, it also qualifies you for an official national blitz/rapid rating. A list of signed-up national Federations supporting this isn't present. Anyone joining in the hope of an ECF rapidplay grade is presumably going to be disappointed.

The only one I've heard about, though can't confirm, is Italy. You might expect that, since this is the Italian federation's brainchild.

[Niall Doran]

Can't see it EVER working correctly. Even with perfect anti-cheating technology, there are zillions of ways to cheat.

Imagine a rapid tournament in real life that's coming up in a couple of weeks/months. Simply sit down and play online, but have a few alcoholic drinks as you play. Result: lower rating and more chances of picking up a rating prize, and the software won't detect anything.

IMO, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to have a rating common to both online and real life play, they're different beasts entirely.

[MartinCarpenter]

Goodness, even if no cheating at all the issues with things like the sheer quantities of games causing (hyper) inflation and the like are distinctly non trivial.

[Mats Winther]

Fide Online Arena is now officially launched. If you have a Fide id-code you are entitled to one month free membership. The system builds on an AI-algorithm that checks the games to see whether cheating occurs, that is, whether the game looks computerish. Thus, they can use real Fide ratings. One must identify oneself with ID-card or passport number.

However, I haven't been able to sign up. When I press the "next" button, after having input the information, nothing happens. Please tell me if it works for you.

Mats