WOW... I just realized that the member whose account was closed by chess.com was our Admin. Grey_Game.  A few weeks ago one of the guys from the Columbia Club (and a member here as well) mentioned to me that another one of our top players here at Team TN had been kicked off, but I didn't realize it was Grey_Game.  That makes THREE highly rated players on this team who have been kicked off for cheating since we started in JANUARY 2009.  Now I don't know any of the three who were accused, and of course I have no idea if any of them is guilty of what he was accused, but I would think chess.com would not take action against someone unless they had fairly substantial evidence against the person.

It is difficult to understand why anyone would cheat at a game they play for enjoyment... but of course, it happens everyday.  But let me say publicly that cheaters are not welcome on Team Tennessee.  And it goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, if any of our members cheat, they have two choices: 1) stop cheating NOW or 2) leave this team NOW.  You're not welcome here.

And to all of you who play fair, thanks again for joining Team Tennessee.  Best to you all in your games and matches both here and OTB.

Greg
Team Tennessee

Hmmmm, that is disturbing.  Even more so that we have had 3 members booted.  I suspect, sometimes, ratings is  more important then integrity.  Hopefully, they will overcome this event and move forward.  I have no animosity for any of them, we all fail at times.

I was surprised when Salty Dog was taken to the Pound... Now this!

He still has 81 games he is active on! I can't play that many... without assistance.

What State are the Judges from?

If anybody else ends up missing, I am going to check the back yard for Alien Pods!

Salty Dog to the Pound?  LOL... now that is funny.  You are very clever with words, as I learned in our game last month.

81 games?  WOW... I am about to go nuts playing a couple dozen games with a 3-day time limit at once, which I did not intend to get into and will never do again if I ever get out of this mess.  When I entered the tournament, I expected to play one opponent at a time two games, but it turns out I play everybody who entered at the same time two games at a time.  But as it happens, almost every other entrant is rated higher than me so I expect to be eliminated rather quickly.  We'll see.

Like you JLK, I have no animosity toward any of the three removed from our ranks, but I wish it had not happened here.  Grey was a nice guy and helpful when the team first formed.  He will be missed.

I'm not sure who the Judges are, but I would bet there is a group of volunteers who help in that regard.  I wil see if I can find some information on the subject.

I just hope they are certain before declaring someone a cheat. Maybe a warning first offence... I don't know. They were strong players, sometimes things are not what they seem. Look at my win/loss record... Now that is suspicious! I  am half tempted to turn me in.

Here is what I found in the chess.com FAQ:

What are the rules for playing?

You many only have ONE Chess.com member account. You may NOT get any help from any person or any chess engine throughout the course of a game, including tablebases. You MAY use books, magazines, or other articles. You may also use computer databases (including Chess.com's Game Explorer). EXCEPTION: If both players agree for the use of a chess engine in an UNRATED game then it can be allowed.

Awww, man our top players.