How To Avoid Engine Users

Unfortunately, we live in a day and age where engine use during online games has become more common than we would think. And unfortunately cheaters are becoming much more difficult to prove guilty (sometimes only using engine during critical moves), leaving us to trust our senses more than the report button. Here are my top tips to minimize the odds of you having to come across one of these engine abusers. These tips apply mainly to classical and rapid time format games.

1. This one is the most obvious and well known tip. If they have a provisional (question mark) rating this indicates they are a newly made account. I'm not saying don't play these accounts all together, but simply have a quick analysis at there recent games and judge from there. An experienced lichess user would have less incentive to risk using an engine.

2. Look at there classical rating compared to blitz/ bullet ratings. If there blitz/bullet ratings are 300+ points less than there classical ratings, it wouldn't be unsound to think they may be using an engine. This is more accurate for players with higher than 2000+ classical / rapid. It is more acceptable for a player with a lower classical/ rapid rating to have a higher margin of rating points between long and short time controls because blitz and bullet relies heavily on experience, which breaks down into knowledge, pattern recognition, and intuition.

3. This last tip is controversial, but can nevertheless be used as a successful filter. If an account ONLY has classical games played, and is a fairly highly rated account, they may be using an engine. Approach these guys with caution, these are the players who will use chess engines sparingly, depending on the position or how they're feeling that day.

Any other tips that you use yourself feel free to share with the rest of us!

I dont care if my opponent uses engine or not.

I want to find the best moves. I dont care about my opponent. I want to improve, and I can do that, no matter if I play against an engine or not.

That being said, it's of course really stupid to use an engine, and nowhere near fair-play.

"Unfortunately, we live in a day and age where engine use during online games has become more common than we would think"

So you think there are more cheaters than you think? That makes no sense.

"And unfortunately cheaters are becoming much more difficult to prove guilty"

And yet here you are, speaking as if you know authoritatively who is a cheater, how many there are, etc.

Your paranoia and misplaced trust in your own "senses" does far more to harm your experience than any cheaters do.

There’s a base level noise of cheaters. Period. You cannot avoid. Period. If you filter too much you won’t play. Period. If you cancel too much of your games you get banned yourself. Period.

Don't win games to impress others.
Clear you mind and enjoy the game.
Let it all go and see what happens.

@youngmoney2299

While Sarg0n is correct that there is a base level noise of cheaters, I am correct that the number can be greatly increased or decreased depending on our (mis)conduct in various areas.

Watch this, and learn.
Do not miss the point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Wiok4H1RY

What about time shifters - time magically disappears?

With reference to the honourable member youngmoney2299 and his / her quote - "...If an account ONLY has classical games played, and is a fairly highly rated account, they may be using an engine. Approach these guys with caution, these are the players who will use chess engines sparingly, depending on the position or how they're feeling that day..." How would ye view / approach people like myself, who only play 1 day per move correspondence ? ?

@Rarelyadraw Are you saying you think players cheat you by manipulating your clock remotely?

Time magically disappears with a few players