I guess some of online players here have cheated before including me, but after I've found "YouTube Enlightenment" and realize I'm also a cheater for so many times, I've stop accusing and complaining about cheating. 😗🤠👾The Authorities and Principalities that runs the online chess world is doing a great job to stop the cheating pandemic. Long Live Online Chess. 🤔
One of the first players I played against when I opened my account was a cheater. Reported, blocked him, and happily moved on. Checked his account later and he was banned. If you are getting this upset over cheaters than it's your fault; your emotional reaction to their behavior is giving them control over your chess life. Lichess.org and Chess.com should have countermeasures in place to prevent cheating to keep the community health and alive, however think of the reality you're in. The majority of the games you will play will not be against cheaters; your rating and your play can improve unabated in the aggregate. Those who will cheat will get caught especially with further improvements to the site and, more importantly, they will not learn. They are reliant on their crutch and cheating themselves, removing any hope of self-improvement or challenge. As we get better they will be banned. I feel sorry for them, not angry.
The big chess servers ban thousands of players everyday. AFTER they had cheated. So what do you suggest exactly?
It is a major problem, not only for online chess, but also for over the board chess.
Denial is as bad as paranoia.
It is less paramount in faster time controls: more difficult to cheat, easier to detect.
It might help if everybody was forced to play under their real name.
Simple answer- you can't.
I measured the idea that there was too much cheating a few years back (December 2017). I came to the conclusion that there was not too much cheating on lichess.org. This evaluation came after my rating took a huge hit from playing 2 consecutive players that were eventually banned in standard (but I did not recover the points due to a provisional status.. you can still see the pain in my graph). Here is a summary of my findings:
In longer time control only - rapid+ - the percentage of games where I could suspect foul play was just under 7% of games and got lower as the time controls got shorter - many fewer in the 5 0 time control - I don't think I can even suspect a single player in the 2 1 time pool.
I was likely wrong on several of those longer games (but I did count all of the banned opponents as definite), and also didn't play enough in that time control to get a good data set. On further analysis.. most of the time I just played very poorly and then got mad after the game. I haven't run into more than a handful of actual cheating players since then. I never suspect anyone, and have enjoyed chess here for the most part over the last 4 years.
p.s. @ the op. I have seen in real time players that gain hundreds of points in any given month. This is not indicative of cheating. They probably just hired a coach. (not an advertisement - please don't hire me.)
Dear @ddwildin!
You know that your friend is using assistance on another site and you are neither reporting him nor are advising/asking him to stop immediately?!
I think that you are indirectly supporting it, which is, sad to say, co-cheating. :<
Maybe ask them for a reason why they are (blunder)checking their own moves with an engine. What is the point? Dont they want to feel the taste of a honest victory?! Tell them, that even if they are not banned (yet), they are just about to fool themselves...
No, I am not denying this problem, I know that cheaters exists - on each level, in each rating range.
I just have managed to develop a sane attitude over years which helps me enjoy playing online despite of possibly being cheated. Not more, not less. Cheers :-)
I guess i'll have to report him to the Count, since he so eagerly believes in "Authorities and Principalities"....: )
@Funkmaus Nice of you to assume I haven't talked to him about it or tried to convince him not do it. Being called a 'co-cheater' by a total stranger has truly made my day.
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