Cheating in chess

[Roger de Coverly]

I was left with the impression that the presenter has little understanding of chess, ratings or accuracy. His argument was that if the world champion can only manage 92% accuracy anyone who exceeds that must be cheating. I doubt he would realise that accuracy is dependent on the complexity of the position.

I would have thought it well established that "accuracy" is a function of the complexity and difficulty of the position. For example you win a piece in the opening for next to no compensation. Your opponent may fail to find "resigns" but the subsequent play can generate a high accuracy rating provided almost anything sensible and initiative retaining is winning.

In the Smerdon model, did chess.com run their "cheat detector" against the sample games? Did it do any better than the players?

[Roger Lancaster]

In the Smerdon model, did chess.com run their "cheat detector" against the sample games? Did it do any better than the players?

Seriously, does anyone believe chess.com will allow their "cheat detector" to be subjected to outside independent testing ?

[Mick Norris]

I know it's a long watch, but the whole of the Smerdon piece is worth listening to if you want the full picture of what he said

One of the main points is that there's now a database of over 100 games played by cheaters, following his work, which can be used for Ken Regan or anyone else to test their detection systems

[Kevin Thurlow]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technol ... 9e0&ei=251

MSN provides an article from Daily Express about cheating, linking it to World Championship. Apparently Ilya Merenzon of "World Chess" is very worried about chess losing its integrity. They want to introduce polygraph ("lie detector") tests as well as the other things. I thought polygraph tests were unreliable - I just checked - The American Polygraph Association says they are 90 % accurate, but in general, people agree with me! Even if the APA is right, is it correct that you end someone's career with a system that has a significant error?

The article is not a work of genius, but may be of interest.

[NickFaulks]

It should be safe to discount anything that comes from Ilya Merenzon.

[LawrenceCooper]

Kramnik banned again from chess.com prize events: https://x.com/chesscom/status/186688321 ... 37/photo/1

[Chris Rice]

The latest victim of Kramnik's accusations is Tom Rendle, here's the game that led to the latest ban. Tom doesn't need defending at all, the accusations are pathetic. Kramnik declines a repetition and then goes on to lose a pawn. He was an awesome world champion respected by all and now he's fast becoming a joke, tragic.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The latest victim of Kramnik's accusations is Tom Rendle, here's the game that led to the latest ban. Tom doesn't need defending at all, the accusations are pathetic. Kramnik declines a repetition and then goes on to lose a pawn. He was an awesome world champion respected by all and now he's fast becoming a joke, tragic.

Well, nearly all

[Paul McKeown]

At the Hogeschool Zeeland tournament at Vlissingen: https://www.schaaksite.nl/2024/08/08/sp ... ktoernooi/.

Some newspaper articles concerning this incident:

• Omroep Zeeland (NL)
• Omroep Zeeland (NL)
• Sport in Zeeland (NL)
• Perlen vom Bodensee (DE)

[NickFaulks]

At the Hogeschool Zeeland tournament at Vlissingen: https://www.schaaksite.nl/2024/08/08/sp ... ktoernooi/.

Forty years after living there, I find I can still get the gist of simple written Dutch. For those without this benefit, an alert arbiter noticed this player walking towards the toilets with a phone in his sock.

[Ian Thompson]

FIDE Fair Play Commission statement: https://www.fide.com/news/3266

Now updated to suspend Shevchenko for a further 60 days from 1 January -

"FPL has finished a full-fledged investigation into the incident involving GM Kirill Shevchenko and passed its materials to EDC.

Meanwhile, the provisional suspension of GM Shevchenko from any official activities as a player was prolonged for 60 days staring from January 01, 2025."

[Keith Arkell]

Given that there is a crazy amount of online cheating going on, and even quite a bit over the board, what Kramnik is doing is good in principle, but the problem is that he's awful at it.

Because he suspects every none-Super GM who beats him, there is a tendency to think that because he's paranoid he's therefore wrong every time, so, paradoxically, his none-discriminatory behaviour is helping to protect the actual cheats.

[Mick Norris]

FIDE Fair Play Commission statement: https://www.fide.com/news/3266

Now updated to suspend Shevchenko for a further 60 days from 1 January -

"FPL has finished a full-fledged investigation into the incident involving GM Kirill Shevchenko and passed its materials to EDC.

Meanwhile, the provisional suspension of GM Shevchenko from any official activities as a player was prolonged for 60 days staring from January 01, 2025."

Shevchenko has a 3 year ban, 1 of which is suspended

[Matt Mackenzie]

It looks like FIDE have shown some leniency because of "mitigating circumstances" and not everybody is happy about this.

[Mick Norris]

It looks like FIDE have shown some leniency because of "mitigating circumstances" and not everybody is happy about this.

FIDE

GM Shevchenko admitted to hiding a phone in the toilet and using it to access Lichess but denied that he had “effectively” cheated or that his actions influenced the game. He presented several mitigating factors:

a) He fully cooperated with the investigation.
b) He admitted wrongdoing in a timely manner.
c) He had a clean disciplinary record.
d) He was 22 years old at the time of the offense.
e) His mental state was compromised, as he had been receiving death threats.
f) He demonstrated remorse on multiple occasions.
g) The cheating attempt was not fully executed.

Furthermore, according to the findings of Prof. Regan, there were no significant statistical deviations in the player’s performance during this tournament compared to his usual rating performance.

The EDC Chamber found that GM Shevchenko did, in fact, hide a phone in the toilet at the Spanish Team Championship. It further concluded that he attempted to cheat but was unable to determine, with comfortable satisfaction, that actual cheating occurred.

The EDC panel acknowledged the mitigating factors presented by the Respondent, specifically noting his cooperation with the investigation, his admission of wrongdoing, and his remorse.

As the Respondent had already been provisionally suspended and had not participated in any events since the Spanish Team Championship, the ban will commence on 19 October 2024 and terminate on 18 October 2026, with the suspended portion ending on 18 October 2027. The Respondent’s GM title will not be revoked.