Cheating at chess

[chadlincoln]

This is pathetic. Smart, but pathetic. I'll have to drop him now in my fantasy chess league. I would pick up ACS, but I've seen him play.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/news/story?id=2710555

Chess player banned after cheating with Bluetooth

An Indian chess player has been banned for 10 years for cheating after he was caught using his mobile phone's wireless device to win games, chess officials said on Wednesday.

The player, Umakant Sharma, had logged rating points at a rapid pace in the last 18 months and also qualified for the national championship, arousing the suspicion of officials and bemusing rivals.

Mr. Sharma was finally caught at a recent tournament when officials discovered that he had stitched a Bluetooth device in a cloth cap which he always pulled over his ears.

He communicated to his accomplices outside the hall, who then used a computer to relay moves to him, Indian chess federation secretary D.V. Sundar said on Wednesday.

"We have banned him for 10 years," he told Reuters. "We wanted to send a clear message to such people."

Chess officials were also probing whether another player had similar advantages through such illegal means, he added.

[The Artful Dodger]

I played chess growing up and played in rated tournaments, about once or twice a month. Why didn't they have this bluetooth technology back when I was playing? I'd show that Vladimir Kramnik who's boss!

Seriously, this reminds me of a few opponents I played against who were listening music on CD walkmans. Not cheating at all since they're not hooked up with any kibbitzing of any kind, but it sort of sent a signal that they never took you seriously. So, there was one opponent who I just drove mad because I kept counterattacking every good attack he had to the point he drops his headphones in anger and had the good sense to concentrate on the match better. Too late, as I made him resign. Then, there was another opponent who I lovingly called Unabomber because he wore a hoodie over his walkman and wouldn't take off his sunglasses during the game. Ah well, good times.

[JTWood]

This should deflect some attention from Barry.

[Amazinz]

I know someone that likes to play Chess on Yahoo and places like that but they use Fritz to make the moves for them. Not really sure what the enjoyment factor is but I think he spends more time doing that than getting his work in on time.

[Snakes Gould]

that seems very silly to me, but i can understand cheating in live chess...looks at every other "sporting" event. everyone tries to cheat and get the upper hand.

[Omaha Red Sox]

I know someone that likes to play Chess on Yahoo and places like that but they use Fritz to make the moves for them. Not really sure what the enjoyment factor is but I think he spends more time doing that than getting his work in on time.

There is no point at all. Except that the player this guy is going up against is probably better than he is.

[The Big Train]

At the recent World Chess Championship, Kramnik was accused of cheating by his Bulgarian opponent Veselin Topalov after Kramnik kept taking frequent bathroom breaks. Topalov went so far as to claim that Kramnik was linked to the KGB and that the KGB had placed an internet connection in Kramnik's bathroom to relay him moves made by Fritz in order to ensure that there would be a Russian world champion. Topalov claimed that after the bathroom breaks Kramnik would play "instantly," and that cables were found in the ceiling of the bathroom after the tournament.

Kramnik recently lost a 4-2 decision to Fritz. I guess he will have to console himself with the $500,000 he got for losing.

[The Artful Dodger]

At the recent World Chess Championship, Kramnik was accused of cheating by his Bulgarian opponent Veselin Topalov after Kramnik kept taking frequent bathroom breaks. Topalov went so far as to claim that Kramnik was linked to the KGB and that the KGB had placed an internet connection in Kramnik's bathroom to relay him moves made by Fritz in order to ensure that there would be a Russian world champion. Topalov claimed that after the bathroom breaks Kramnik would play "instantly," and that cables were found in the ceiling of the bathroom after the tournament.

Kramnik recently lost a 4-2 decision to Fritz. I guess he will have to console himself with the $500,000 he got for losing.

Interesting. I'm a little behind in following professional chess since Kasparov retired just because for the last decade or so, there was always dispute over who was undisputed champion and all that. But I read that after Topalov accused Kramnik of outside kibbitzing in the restroom, they locked down that restroom and had both players share the same restroom with someone accompanying either of them. Kramnik refused to play another match (it's a best of 12 matches and Kramnik was up 3-1) until the rule was reverted back under rules of the contract of the reunification championship. The judges had given Topalov a win for the fifth match as a sign of forfeit, but had to give in to restoring the bathroom privilege. Kramnik would eventually win on tiebreakers when the 12 matches were nodded up.

In regards to that Deep Fritz match, Kramnik should've won the first game which ended in a draw because he had a promising attack on the outset. Kramnik lost the subsequent match with a gigantic blunder as he failed to see that he would've been checkmated on the ensuing move, which is considered a very, very amateurish setback in chess circles. Think of it this way: it's like accidentally trading Albert Pujols for Wes Helms. Yes, the perception of that kind of blunder is that bad.