Cheater or not?
As you know guys, I am the chess coach. One of the main things in the learning process is practice. That's why every week my students play in our club tournaments. We have two tournaments as usual: Saturday- kids section and Sunday - Open section. In Open sections, advanced players and champions of kids section. So, every kid wants to win his prize in a kids tournament and then step higher in the Open section. But unfortunately not all adults are ready for that.
Every month we have more and more talented kids in the Open section. As a result more sensations and more confused adults, who can't believe that they can lose to kids. Therefore every week they send me messages with 'truth' about some kids. Yes, I know that sometimes kids can joke or find simple ways to win in chess. But on the other hand I know these kids well, and I know he can do this and who can't. Anyway, every time I checked their games just in case something went wrong. Because cheating it's well known disease in chess. One day my student in the kids section won all his games in a row even against stronger players, so then i talked with him, and he said that he found this way on YouTube. I did not calculate his result and told him not to play anymore in our tournaments, then he called me and asked me for a second chance, and there are no problems anymore, because the kid just made a mistake once and understood that. So it's very important to realize the problem and solve her. I personally knew a kid who learned chess online, and he was a very successful chess player. His mom looked for a GM on Facebook for coach him. She found my advertisement about chess lessons and we talked about his son. I was surprised when she told me that he is only 1700 ELO. But she was very impressed about his fast improvement during only a few months only. So I decided to play a game with him to check his level. I beat him pretty easily in the endgame, but his mom was very happy that I did it, because he beat a few masters before me. After that I started thinking that something was wrong here, and I was right. During our first lesson I realized that he doesn't know the basic things, so how can he beat masters?? Later they found another chess coach, and maybe after a few weeks his mom called me, she was very upset, because the new coach realized that he was a cheater. It means that his first coach didn't teach him at all, he just showed him how to use engines!! Imagine this! Almost half a year his mom paid for chess classes, but they are just a waste of time and improves his cheating skills! So both are lying, son and coach.
So cheating it's huge problem in chess right now. But it's not so simple to catch cheaters. And it is very funny when not professional players are sure that a player is a cheater because of his accuracy. I know that it hurts to lose against kids, but chess is not about age! Never look at age or ranking! Very high accuracy of kids very often means that your opening it's not good. Kids are very sharp in tactics, they learn openings in Twitch and YouTube, they have more time for improvement. Adults do not have so many opportunities, and very often they do not like to lose to kids. But chess is a gentleman's game, which means that you need to be ready for loss. Without losses no wins! Every loss is a lesson for you, and you must analyze your mistakes and avoid them next time! Instead of that, every week adults complain about cheating. That is funny when people look for problems outside, instead of finding real reasons for losses. If a cheater is against you, why is your accuracy so low? Less than 30%? Really? You think you had any chances in this game?
Then about kids...They are working with me 3 times per week + self- improvement + home work +individual lessons. You think somebody cheats, ok join our group lessons and try to solve faster than these kids! If not please be brave to lose like a gentleman! The easiest way is to find problems outside, it's not so hurt! So guys, please play chess fairly and remember all our problems inside of us!
