It's not allowed to use computers, but the group you're thinking of calls themselves the Circle of Trust - they don't use opening books or table bases and such if I recall correctly.
I've actually wanted in to that group myself for a while. I assumed it was invite only...
Hey, COT, is there room for more?
Yes, the Circle of Trust group is invite only. I, too, have wanted to join but have not been invited. 
I did ask some questions about the use of computers-is there a way to find out if people are using them ? If it is not legalto use here, what happens if one uses them anyway!!!
Hansqq:
There really isn't a way to definitively determine if an opponent is cheating. someone could be entering the board position into Fritz and then playing the best move that is computed. Certainly if your opponent was playing poorly for the first 10 moves and then suddenly began playing strongly that might be an indicator, but it's still not definitive.
Interestingly, the USCF allows the use of chess opening books and other learning material when playing rated correspondence games.
I wouldn't mind being involved in the COT. In spite of the USCF's allowance for opening books, etc. I choose not to use any external aid in my games. I certainly don't suspend my reading of chess boks while playing (I'd either never play chess or never read chess books =) ) but sometimes I'm not certain of what I should do if a study of mine revealed a new way to play a position that I'm in the middle of playing. Ah well.
Ignore the cheaters. They exist but are a minority. Look at it on the bright side. If they cheat and play strong, you'll be challenged harder and forced to be a better player.
Cheaters CAN be detected accurately and efficiently. Chess.com has very good software designed for this purpose. If you're cheating you will be caught, and you will be banned.
Aye, chess.com is able to detect most cheaters. If you suspect your opponent is cheating, click Report Abuse and the staff will verify that sooner rather than later.
With my wide range of mistakes and brillance, lol, some have inquired as to the difference. Sometimes I see good moves but the blunders keep on coming...
I use books to study but it seems i forget how to implement. I still cant fathom how to use a pgn to study my losses. With my rating straining to stablize, its worse than a termite in a yo yo...
Personally, I find the thrill of chess is about making your on moves - and living or dying on the consequences. Nothing's better than a plan you have coming together, and nothing worse than not seeing what your opponent is upto... Fantastic.. Certainly no thrill in seeing what a chess computer thinks of your position - they are so boring...
rich-125 wrote:
... Certainly no thrill in seeing what a chess computer thinks of your position - they are so boring...
Would your views change if there was a chess computer with Genuine People Personality (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius_Cybernetics_Corporation) which could complain about "terrible pain in all the diodes down his left side"?
In reply to hansgg: As these discussions http://www.chess.com/forum/view/endgames/is-this-cheating and
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/is-using-a-computer-to-help-you-with-your-moves-cheatinglike-going-to-a-website?lc=1#last_comment also discovered, the statement about what constitutes cheating on chess.com why using books and DataBases is not cheating is very succint. Does it need an article spelling it out in detail?
I havent thought of it before i read of a guy here that was member of a group where they made a point of not using anything but the head to play.
Is it usual to use computers here ? Is it legal ? Is it possible to find out. How do you dealwith it ?
Sorry if i have asked a inproper question !
Hans