You don't actually win when you're cheating. It looks like a win, but it's in fact a different game..

Anytime you have the human element involved in anything, there will be those that chose to cheat.  For what purpose?  There are many answers that can be debated for years.

I played OTB for many years, and enjoyed it.

However, there are a number of reasons that this venue appeals to me:

1. We no longer have a local club in the immediate area, forcing me to a 90-mile round trip if I want to play chess competitively,
2. The typical cost of club play was roughly $1-to-$2 per hour, for venue rental and ratings fees whereas even Diamond membership here costs only $2 per week,
3. Each evening, I saw the same chess players week in and week out for years on end, with only a slow trickle of new blood entering while hundreds of new players enter chess.com on a weekly basis,
4. While the occasional lesson was given at the club, access to training materials like those at chess.com was non-existent (yes, the Internet was non-existent for some of that period), and finally,
5. I could not play chess at 3AM in my pajamas at the local club ... OK, I could if I were willing to be arrested.

Drawmaster- Wise words indeed. #1 is the main reason for many of us, including me.

this is why i appreciate internet chess for what it is. a chance to improve and have fun. i dont encounter cheaters all that often, and i still enjoy myself, so no big deal. i agree that cheating is pointless and it would be better if no one did it, but i believe internet chess' long and glorious reign will live on.

Please tell me you're being sarcastic.

Please tell me you're being sarcastic.