I do see your point, but I also remember being enormously frustrated in the two verified games I had against cheaters (their accounts were subsequently closed for cheating although I didn't report them at the time). Just seemed like nothing I could do was quite good enough. I'd work out long complicated lines (3 day game)that would seem to give me an advantage, but the game would take a turn that I genuinely didn't understand. When I reviewed the games it turns out I didn't play badly at all; a few inaccuracies and a mistake or two, but that's all it takes to lose against a computer. Gotta admit though that at the time of the losses I just figured I was playing someone much much better than me and wondered why their rating wasn't higher. I think the main problem is that without constant vigilance by chess.com we could reach a critical mass of cheaters where so many would be cheating that it would ruin the site. Of course the "C" word isn't actually to be mentioned in the general forums according to the guidelines (that's what the Cheating Forum is for; it's a group you have to join). Good chance this thread will be locked as a result.
Why care about computer cheaters? Does it really matter?
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Oh I didn't realize about the rule. Thanks. Funny though, it was seeing complaints about cheating that prompted me to post.
I definitely would expect chess.com to have a zero cheating policy and take it very seriously. Good for them that they do.
https://support.chess.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1444879-fair-play-on-chess-com-what-you-need-to-know
There is also a policy not to discuss the issue in the general forums. If you want to have that discussion join the following group.
https://www.chess.com/groups/home/cheating-forum
[Of course I'm only talking about cheating in general online play where it effects one's personal rating. Obviously any cheating where there was some meaningful reward/prize/prestige to be won would be immoral and should be rooted out.]
Maybe I'm missing something but why would anyone care if another player is "cheating" by using a computer to help them make moves?
I can understand if the person used vacation time or some other time-out tactic to disrupt or steal a game. That would be intolerable.
But if a person was to use a computer to aide them then it really has little impact on the person he's playing. For us it just seems like we are up against a better opponent. If you look at someone's rating what do you care if it is inflated by computer use? It simply becomes the effective rating of the person plus the computer. Ultimately it's going to be the cheater that is losing out by not progressing as a player.
I mean even if it was blatant that at some critical point in a game the player used a computer to get the win - even say in a chess.com tournament - so what? It would be annoying for sure but long term it doesn't change anything; you improve, they don't.
But then maybe the vast majority of players truly don't care about computer cheaters and it's just the general posts I see that makes it seem like it's a big issue?
Wha'd ya think?