Is it cheating if I use a real chess board during a live game?

 It is legal in daily because in correspondence chess rules against it were unenforceable. 

Unlike playing games in live chess, where rules against it are... well... unenforceable. 

Chess.com can make their own rules, but this one is pretty silly given they already have settings that would be massively illegal OTB that I don't use but see on streams quite often. 

Well I didn't know about that 

It is acceptable for daily because daily is a form of correspondence and correspondence has always been designed to allow it.  The shorter forms have not been designed to allow it and have prohibited it for decades (not sure if it is multiple centuries yet).  When electronic notation devices (ENDs) first came out an initial reaction was that people could use it as an analysis board and the requirement to make the move before recording the move became stronger (absolute for ENDs).

The tournaments that prohibit it have the difficulty of managing it as part of the reason for the prohibition (with those side/rear views of the players with the chessboards showing, many of the other players (who can all see those views) would start complaining about the person using the board to analyze.

Well I don't really have a very strong opinion on that . If you wish they made the rules same for daily as well as live , I would kinda disagree but it's not much big of an issue for me either . 

30 mins would be called rapid I guess . And there's also this 15+10 . I agree with you that doing the moves over the board kinda makes it messy , but hey there are all sorts of people in the world . Also it's not like they are going to do it on every move . They would perhaps do it only in positions they feel are critical 

It's completely different. Blindly following a database in Daily is a recipe for trouble, especially when your opponent leaves the database and the player doesn't understand why the moves they chose to follow were played in the game. Add to that, not every move/position reached is a good one and you can't tell when one side made a mistake, unless your database happens to be well annotated (but without engine numerical scores which would be prohibited), or you're just strong and good at analyzing anyway.

Players still have to make a choice of what moves to play when utilizing a database of games.

Once you allow it, and you have cameras that would show it in use then you also have to ensure that the boards are being used only in conjunction with the current moves, not for analysis of future moves.  There are not enough arbiters to watch and live-track every game (video feed of the person/setup plus a feed showing the current game position).  Rather than invite abusing the privilege (may be some) and claims that other people are abusing the privilege (probably a lot regardless of whether or not the claims are valid), it is a lot simpler to ban the extra boards.  The same logic has been used to ban spectators at many kids tournaments to get rid of all the claims that a parent or coach scratching an itch (or coughing, or turning their head, or reading a book and turning a page in a certain way, etc.) are all obvious(?!) signals that should result in the kids of those parents or coaches immediately being ruled as losing or getting ejected.

I don't see how anyone, other than yourself, would know that you also used a board. A  chess.com rule that banned using a physical board and pieces for on line games would be unenforceable.

Because Live is supposed to mimic OTB and Daily is supposed to mimic classic Correspondence (without engines).

But it is different because most users blindly following and engine is going to beat 99% of their opponents. The same isn't remotely true for Daily and database use.

ColoutAc I can't believe that you think Databases and Engines are the same thing 

     Technically it is against the rules, but as you are not on camera no one can know you are doing it. Should you move the pieces on the physical board it is cheating, but your practice seems ok and I doubt most opponents would object. Some might not believe you're not actually using the real board to analyze. 

     Chess rules are tweaked from time to time as real-life situations occur that were not considered when the rule was written. And some rule-breaking is overlooked 99.9% of the time as nobody cares about some technicalities. For example, often in the opening I know what I am going to play next as soon as my opponent moves so I write down his move and my move, which I make immediately. No one has ever objected, even in FIDE rated events. Probably they don't even notice something that trivial.

The post is inaccurate. A made up interpretation of this topic that has been discussed in many threads for years. Not going to get into the facts nor debate these kind of misleading and false assumptions that members make regarding the subject. These posts are merely guessing at what  they think is the proper use of a 2nd board for live play. 

CC staff highly discourages the practice and has never said nor admitted otherwise. It is not ok. Staff has never endorsed nor promoted differently.

It is an unnecessary practice which is undetectable  and hence no rule is written prohibiting it. Learn to using one board - the screen. Anything else is not desirable and can easily result in unwanted practices.

I'm pretty sure it's allowed. 

Good question... I don't think that you can't (u can), but it is not analysis so it's fine I guess.

But there's no way to police that.

So whats the point saying using it specifically those ways isn't allowed. It's impossible to know.

As much as I think a rule against it is silly, I do think in a live game using a separate analysis board or even drawing arrows is a very bad idea for anyone with any ambition to explore their own mind in the context of chess. Being able to hold things in your head and manipulate them is a basic type of intelligence and that sort of function is important especially for us older people that need this sort of thing to help stave off mental decline. 

So don't do it and don't worry that other people might be.

No that's wrong. other forms of cheating like having a friend help, or using an engine is clearly detectable because your level of play won't ascribe to the level you usually play at or your rating.

But using a chess board, first off it's impossible to know if someone has it set up. Secondly it's not going to boost your level of play, at least not much. You will still perform at a level that you usually perform at. You just get to analyse visually instead of mentally.

^Thats what im saying. if that is considered cheating, there is literally no way to police it.

https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/34642284105

I highly doubt that would be considered cheating. As long as a computer or person isn't helping you with your moves.

Huh ????

You don’t think - but give an answer anyway by saying … it’s fine - u can.

Beyond my comprehension members who make such guesses often providing wrong and misleading information. 
I will say this - the right answer is provided in the guidelines and rules of fair play. A clear distinction is made between Live and Daily where in Daily clear language is used sanctioning the practice. The language for Live play is also clear - however it often gets interpreted incorrectly to suit those who believe the practice should be ok. 
It’s simple. The practice is undetectable - therefor no rule can be put in writing prohibiting it.  CC makes it very clear - the practice is highly discouraged. There are many valid reasons - but disputed by those uneducated in the matter. Hence they make there own interpretations of the language. Their main focus is because no rule is written against it - it must be  OK and is endorsed. That is incorrect.

The world doesn't revolve around you and what you think