Was I right to be accused of cheating?

I was recently accused of cheating in an online game.  I used an opening database for the first 11 moves but played on my own after that.  I was wondering if my opponent was right to accuse me of cheating.  I know I am allowed to use an opening database, but was my play after move 11 suspicious? 

Using databases in correspondence (ie online ) games is not cheating; entirely permissable. As for the game after move 11, your opponent's 15.Nd1? was just plain bad and you played simply thereafter, it seems to me. 

Yes it's cheating, you should not look for any move in database even if it's the first move..If you want to know your opening is going right then better to play on your own and if you lose cos of mistake in opening then it would stuck in your mind better that way.

You are allowed to use the chess.com opening database, but you cannot use any other opening database.

Both of these statements are incorrect.

You are allowed to use any opening database you like in turn based provided that the positions presented by the database to not include computer analysis (i.e. generally any indication of which side has a better position outside of win/draw/loss ratios).

In live chess, on the other hand, no assistance of any kind is permitted.

Please be sure you understand the rules yourselves before attempting to inform others.

Normally I stay out of this nonsense ... the topic of which has been discussed ad infinitum.

@ Kinan - Pull your tiny head out of your very large arse! You're either completely ignorant of CC play, chess history, turn based chess, or all three!

My guess is all three! 

@ kingslayer - Really!? What *&%$#!@!& computer! The Sicilian was 20+ moves deep before computers. And as for the Ruy ... White has been trying to refute the Marshall for almost a hundred years - no luck.

For goodness sake you can read about any and all opening lines in any book dedicated to a particular opening. Do you have any chess books? I suggest you go to your local 2nd hand book store (although I admit they are harder to find - but that's another question) then pull your head out of your arse and have a look around!

This is CC or TB chess - call it what you will. It's been around since they invented the postage stamp. 

The OP used a perfectly legitimate and legal source to prosecute his game - if you don't like it then I suggest you and your ilk %$#@ off and forever be doomed to play live chess and leave those interested in learning to themselves.

@ ChrisSol - When does an opening end ....  At what point do you say "I'm going to ignore my betters and play a clearly inferior move" - the entire concept is ludicrous.

CC and TB chess is about research and learning - those that suggest this is cheating are ignorant of chess history and ... not to put a fine point on it - Morons!

Read post #6.

Well, if it was 11 moves of book theory, then you opponent could be accused of the same thing right? Perhaps it is some sort of online conspiracy started by Hungarian hamsters in a plot to take over our breakfast cereal by occupying us with board games.

I think it could be granted that a new player who joins this site might not realize that "online chess" actually follows correspondence rules - it's not obvious from its name - and correspondence rules expanded to include electronic databases.

@ Atos - I'll grant you that a "newby" may not be aware of the "resources" available to his/her opponent or to themselves ... but this doesn't mean the offended (losing) party gets to claim cheating!

Shame on them.

@ DeathSceptor - that was funny

No, I didn't say that they would be right but they might believe it to be cheating. (Eg move 11 in the game wasn't something that a 1400 player would find unaided.) I wish there was a shortcut to "CC rules" from the Online Chess page.

I knew at least one person who played "online chess" for months and was rated 1500-1600 without realizing that it was legally permitted to use databases. She didn't believe it even when I explicitly told her that.

Fair enough - I hate the Sicilian so what would I know  - 11. ... Bh6! was still "findable" - I don't see the problem, or for that matter, question. A simple matter of exchange with check and tempo? What am I missing here?

Perhaps more to the point would be the fact that his opponent saw the ensuing complications and declined (?!)

i once got accused of cheating after a nice seqnuence. see,  i never disable chat, because if they swear at me, i like having them get silenced. then i can be like heeey whats wroooooooooonggg cat got your tounge? anyway, he got warned i guess, but not kicked and due to a mouse slip i lost to a weaky 1700 in 55 moves. the next game rematch i played the falkbeer countergambit and crushed him in 17 moves. then he says

"good engine!???" "chessmaster?"  but really. i usedmy superior common sense and telepathy (to shut down his otherwise nonexistant mind) to destroy the weakling.

... I was with you all the way until you said "common sense" and "telepathy".

You sound rather arrogant.

i can type right now atos my fullmetalness has disappeared (im on the smallest laptop in history. i typed slowly just for your sake though.)

 *cant

 lol