I think that the biggest downside to playing chess online is that people can cheat!

I agree...but the best thing is to understand that this isn't the norm, and it's best to let it go if you think someone is bending the rules.  The argument (and burden of proof) isn't worth the hassle.

 Ya!! Thanks. :):):) I agree

Yes. It is a very bad feeling to have when you suspect someone else is cheating online. But as the people before me have posted it is better just to move on and even to analyze the game to see the mistakes that you made against a player who may have used Chessmaster to play against you. Its still possible that someone could play the exact same moves that your opponent did when he cheated because they are very good and legitimate moves. But if you want to get better you will want to analyze every game you play one move at a time asking yourself the questions:

1. What was my reasoning behind this move?

2. What was my opponents reasoning behind his move?

3. Were there better moves that I could have tried instead of the one I actually did?

We are all going to suffer many defeats and its absolutely neccessary to analyze our games if we hope to become any better.

Thanks ayjaraki, great advice. thanks a lot. :):) U Rock

 You too STeveM, anyone else interseted on this topic?

this topic has been discussed at length many times so interest may be waning. my advice to you is not to care what brain ur opponent is using since it doesn't really matter. play the game to the best of ur ability and if you lose then try checkers or connect four or sumpthin :P

if you think someone is cheating, use the Report Abuse link. :)

timmaylivinalie, I take it you like checkers and connectfour. Is that correct ? Are you better at those games than chess ? I assume that you are...

LOL

9xave wrote: timmaylivinalie, I take it you like checkers and connectfour. Is that correct ? Are you better at those games than chess ? I assume that you are...

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 actually, tic tac toe is my forte..once i master that then i'll try my hand at the other two.

retailhomegoodscom wrote:

Hi,

I'm new to chess.com. How could someone cheat?  Thanks.

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 nine times out of ten cheaters will ask for my advice on what their next move should be. the rest of the time cheaters will mimic their opp. moves in a game against chess software which is basically just the same as asking moi.

Hi all,

 

     I agree 100% with what ayjarak said.  The only difference I would add is that it is unfortunate for the honest players who learn through mistakes but have their ratings affected by those who take "the easy way out".  Play unrated, remove competitive instinct, and lobby for a way to play nonrated tourneys to encourage non-competitive competition (oxymoron?).

     That's my 2 cents.

 

     Grim
 

Wow, finally a thread about cheating which brings something new and interesting to the table that the other 239852343 didn't!  Hooray

 

sarcasm

man!..timmaylivinalie is rated 0...23223 out of 23224...who is 23224? anyway no one to give chess advice.....other sites have tried to control cheating ...using engines...wthout real success...no need to worry much below 1800 anyway...most people are honest i believe...

on the otherhand there are people who are trying to lose as many games as pollible to get the lowest rating...a perverse tendency....you just waste your time signing on to play them...always check profile and online chess before playing someone....

Would it be cheating to deliberately seek out those who are trying to lose? Not a serious question, just wondering aloud really.

 

Sharukin, 

If you know ahead of time that someone WANTS to lose a game...it doesn't necessarily mean they WILL lose...you could make a few blunders anticipating him making blunders and overcompensate or something...

Of course, there's the "that was easy" mentality.  People who play other people knowing that they want to lose get used to having "easy" games...

 And then there's the issue of rated games.  If someone is deliberately losing rated games, it makes your rating go up...perhaps if (like me) you were a mediocre player just under tournament eligibility, the people deliberately losing would put me unfairly into tourney eligibility.

So no, I don't think people should play to lose.  I don't see the point.  And no, you shouldn't play them...unless it's unrated and you are laughing the whole time.

 

Grim 

Sharukin wrote: Would it be cheating to deliberately seek out those who are trying to lose? Not a serious question, just wondering aloud really.

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 Why would you or anyone want to ? 

One way to avoid cheaters is to look at the number of games lost if it is very low, then be suspicious about  him/her, except the person is a FM or GM.