Correspondence games: Remove access to move database

#20 I think we can agree people in internet forums aren't always rational, for example:

Subject: "Remove access to move database"
@dmilex said in #1:
> I find this to be extremely unfair for players who spend time with prep just to get "databased".
>
> This is the sole reason I refrain from playing correspondence games.

So I conveyed what may be required to prevent players from being "databased" because of this unfair feeling. The reality is that there are very few correspondence chess sites which enforce a "no opening database" policy.

Incidentally Lichess allows correspondence chess960, where there are comparatively few reference games in the database.

Regardless, if your actual question is literally "Why does the software work this way?" despite the harsh connotation of your complaint-question, the answer is "because it is coded that way."

@dmilex said in #5:
> I'm sure everyone enjoys playing against a database, isn't rated chess suposed to evaluate you as a player ? Then why would you have access to a masters database of moves played in said position during a live game and literally play a full game by database (if both players decided to follow database moves throughout the game), this doesn't make any sense to me.
If you have an analysis board open while playing a game with engine on the game ends immediatly and is declared a loss for the player with the analysis board open. (Happened to me once on accident)

@eRiKjaKin said in #22:
> @dmilex said in #5:
>
> I'm sure everyone enjoys playing against a database, isn't rated chess suposed to evaluate you as a player ? Then why would you have access to a masters database of moves played in said position during a live game and literally play a full game by database (if both players decided to follow database moves throughout the game), this doesn't make any sense to me.
>
> If you have an analysis board open while playing a game with engine on the game ends immediatly and is declared a loss for the player with the analysis board open. (Happened to me once on accident)

It's ok, they had a temper tantrum and closed their account.

IMO, this whole thread was ridiculous. Written materials have ALWAYS been allowed in correspondence chess ever since there's BEEN correspondence chess. The definition of "written" has since evolved to mean chess databases. Engine use is universally banned (to my knowledge) in serious play except in the ICCF.

Complaining about reference use in correspondence chess is like complaining about the noise in an auto-race. It's part of the environment, and if it doesn't satisfactorily meet your needs, don't play.

#24 Honestly, if he'd just asked, I could tell him that every time Lichess updates the Terms of Service (rules), I make sure to remind them that we allow opening books in correspondence chess... so yes, the code is coded the way it's coded, but also the site policy (which affects whether or not we choose to make code changes in the future) is guided by my information, so don't expect the code to change before the site policy changes.

(That is, OP's question is irrelevant to getting any sort of change to occur.)