It is not cheating it just makes people lazy :)
It never has made me lazy though! I think my body just naturally adjusts to each type of game, realizing in OTB analysis board is off limits, but using it to death in a CC game.
padman wrote: artfizz, you look different these days. New glasses?
I've just washed my hair and now I can't do a thing with it.
BTW, I will point out the chess.com analysis board will announce mate on the final move when looking for that perfect finish. I think this is slightly wrong of chess.com to have it do that, since it effectly evaluates a position the person might not know is mate. I've personally used it to make sure my mating attack was air-tight at the end.
Do you mean that when you make a move which is mate that it annotates it correctly, i.e. Qc7#?
If so, this means that you're using that feature to make sure that a checkmate position is indeed checkmate, I think.
I have to ask for those who say analysis board makes you lazy doesn't opening databases?
and books? ...you cannot use books at a otb tournament.
opening lines at GM level is hard to compete with if you don't know the opening yourself. you can play moves you barely understand because it is part of an opening line. you do not have to know the theory to play the line.
on the analysis board you have to think yourself. you will have to think hard as opposed to opening lines where you don't have to think at all.you simple have to read them in a book.
I guess that why random 360 chess is getting popular because it takes a long time to get a real chess game. not two people sitting and using book moves.
Itz not cheating exactly, probably in online games we have a day or two or even more time to play a move. In these gap one can have the help of any person or a book or just find out the best move through any other means. Online chess is just to improve our game through deep analysis.
Could chess.com make it possible for members to permanently enable/disable this feature and have the choice made be easily visible in players' profiles(with a little icon or something)?
Or allow members to make challenges/tournaments where it is disabled?
That way those with a moral objection to the analysis board could stick together and everyone would know where they stand.
If these options are possible already I apologise.
to Prakash_M: . "In these gap one can have the help of any person"
Asking another person for advice is cheating...according to the site rules.
http://www.chess.com/article/view/site-playing-rules-a-guide-for-the-perplexed
@ bobbyDK
Yea it is, but how will chess.com come 2 know whether a person has asked for help. 
Unless a player is sincere enough.
Use of the Analysis Board in our equivalent of correspondence chess is of course just the same - in principle - as analyzing the game with a real chess board. I find it very helpful even though I often use a real board for analysis.
Could chess.com make it possible for members to permanently enable/disable this feature and have the choice made be easily visible in players' profiles(with a little icon or something)?
Or allow members to make challenges/tournaments where it is disabled?
That way those with a moral objection to the analysis board could stick together and everyone would know where they stand.
If these options are possible already I apologise.
Extended personal profile and Essential Chess Types were two voluntary schemes proposed to convey these preferences.
@artfizz
Interesting thread.
What are the chances of any of it seeing actual use?
@artfizz
Interesting thread.
What are the chances of any of it seeing actual use?
The use of analysis boards, game data bases and (while they are not allowed) engines in turn basd games is probably the reason why turn based rankings for players is higher than live chess games.
I would prefer that they not be allowed but there is no practical way to deny their usage in the turn based and the correspondence game. Thorefore, I believe that most players should be measured by their live chess rankings rather than turn based at this site.
The analysis board has not helped my board visualisation at all, in fact it has probably hindered it a bit. It makes that part of my brain a bit lazy.
When I'm in the mood, and really into a game I'll analyse it to death using the analysis board and making notes on different candidate moves in the notes tab. If I'm not in the mood and am feeling just generally lazy I tend to make moves without analysing them on the analysis board. Guess which games go best?
The use of openings books is far from being lazy - it requires effort to use them properly. For example, I have 9 books on the French Defense: to use them properly requires cross-referencing, playing through the position to see if I like the plan that particular move option offers etc. If I'm being lazy I'll just check out the games explorer and go with the best % option without too much thought on why it has the best % return or if it suits my style. Again, which game goes best - the one I've engaged with and understand the plans or the other?
Conclusion: the lazy chess player will rarely succeed. There are different ways of exhibiting this laziness. Do whatever engages you and motivates you.
It is not cheating it just makes people lazy :)