Help!

You could always post the game here for people to look at. That said, I want to make sure that you understand that it is triple repetition of position, not necessarily moves, and those positions don't have to be sequential.

Here is the board to make it easier to read.

Black to move after:

17.bxc3

19.Rf1

21.Bc1

Are all the same position.  So it's a draw by threefold claim.  I'm fairly sure that in OTB play first you write down the move that would cause the 3rd repetition and then stop the clock without making that move.

Apparently on it'syourturn.com you can claim the draw after the fact.  I wonder how it works here at chess.com?

then how come move 22-25 still going ?

Well, technically any draw other than stalemate must be claimed (at least in OTB play), so it's not a surprise to me that the system allowed them to keep making moves.

What is surprising to me is that it (apparently) allowed his opponent to claim the draw even after more moves were made.

It took me a few playthroughs to notice all 3, so I wonder how his opponent even noticed in the first place.  The final position wasn't boring, I certainly wouldn't have been reviewing it for a 3 fold repetition.

When I play through the game in my viewer, nothing happens.  But when I re-make the 21st move for white, it shows a draw.  This makes me believe his opponent was storing the game in his computer and the computer alerted him to the draw (or he was going to cheat).

hmm good work Marlowe.

A big thank you ALL so much for your help, comments and review of this game. I was able to find out through further research that my suspicions were confirmed. The individual I was playing through HIS site, was in fact cheating and had been for a long time. Enough said on that. I'm working on getting him black-balled through his site as he has pulled this stunt on others as his need arises his computer program allows. No matter, and I will never be back there again and hope other new guys on the block (like me), see this post and learn from the lesson in this thread of comments. Player beware #1 and learn early on about the "threefold repetition" rule, how it applies and always be aware of shady characters on other sites (mostly the free ones), so this never happens to you. At least if it does, you will have learned much and pursue a situation to the end for your satisfaction as I did. They're out there unfortunately and will cheat all day long as they do, unless you are persistent and get great help as I did via this site and all the wonderful folks who play here. Chess.com is the only place to be!:):)

Thanks everybody so very much!

Continued success to you all in your games, ratings and pursuits!

Best of luck!

Woody

One last comment or I would be remiss: To wafflemaster taking the time to find that 3rd rep, and theory behind it; Mr. Stahl for the original help; kco for great thinking and comment, and to jwh315 for re-posting my board and move list so it appeared correctly.

You all rule!

Yeah...same guy!

Woody   

Well, we solved that one! Cheers!

 It's too bad these rodent droppings are a fact of life.   

      4 of his last postings have been very foul mouth. Staff will delete it.

    That kind of language helps your chess playing, does it??

    I'm a paying memer who likes to keep the postings relevant, helpful, and nice!

    Had a bad day did ya??  Go ahead, its 3 in the mourning, staff will never see this.

Going by his ratings, it doesn't seem to help much.

    Thank God he doesn't pay for membership.