Why me and playing Internet chess are finished!

bla bla bla........

Gumpty, if you read my first response then you will see that i acknowledged your passion and i applaud it and why say "excuse me for voicing my opinion"? I know it's your opinion and this is mine, it's not about getting into petty squabbles with people over this issue, and it seems to be a pretty hot topic with varying responses and levels of outrage, indifference, sympathy and so on....this is great, this is what it's all about,! lively debate. i don't agree with you and that's ok too, isn't it? I was once asked if i'm ok because i voiced an opinion which differed from the norm so i know what it's like. People think you've flipped but i do think you are getting your panties in a pickle over something which i suspect is only a small problem on chess.com, and to say "i'm not playing anymore" is just pathetic, "yeah that'll show em!" You are just playing into the hands of the cheats by taking this passive stance and it's a shame to see someone who is obviously a well respected player and member of chess.com, although i have no respect for you and i'm sorry about that but quitters deserve no respect. just "my" opinion. Purple (my fav colour)

What's the matter Mcfly? ya yella?

I think it depends on the attitude and diligence of the chess site.

chess.com is far more diligent about investigating and banning program users than other sites I've visited.

beta version is the limited version open to community while alpha is for developers..'beta' is used for feedback..the the completed versions with patches etc are again back to 'alpha' ..and the cycle repeats if there are more patches added etc. I'd rather have a fixed version than a open version with continuous testing.. at least then we can differentiate distinctly!

no, it is NOT a big problem (which is the problem with threads like this - it fans the flame of paranoia when it isn't necessary).

Hello all,

I am new to the site and have enjoyed my first day. Just for the record, I do not use engine and my only reference is live games on another site. I see this is quite a passionate discussion. I think it is rather naive to think that cheating is not at least a slight problem. Honestly, we see people cheating in OTB tourneys now too..I suppose the benefit is better in those situations.

I just want to bring-up something that seems to be discussed infrequently. In reference to Erik's continued comments that it is all about paranoia, I agree. I truly believe that most cheaters actually cheat because of the possibility that others are cheating. Ever been in a game, and you are clearly building momentum, and then a series of unlikely and highly tactical moves get played against you? Do you think it was great play or maybe a cheat? Have you ever wanted to use an engine to prove that your opponent was using one? Have you ever? I suspect that in many situations this does occur. Let’s face it, once someone uses the likelihood is going to increase in the future.

I disagree that people are just paranoid; I do believe that paranoia is a precursor to engine use.

Anyway, good to be here. I’ll keep playing live games.

momadu

 Impressive.  It takes a big man to hit a guy when he's down.  Too bad YOU aren't the one leaving.

Gumpty, I will miss you very much. Please stay in touch.

hey I noticed this thread earlier and just had to say something..a relative of mine plays on this site regularly, he is still only young and learning..but he really enjoys his chess and has started playing in tournaments recently. I keep an eye on him and how he does etc. He has played over 100 games on the site and has never felt cheated until now in any of his games and from what i've seen of his games and others on the site I can honestly say I think 'cheating' of the form you are talking about really isn't  a very widespread problem and seems to be dealt with very well by the management. Anyway that was not the point of my post sorry, so let me get back on topic..

The lad recently started a new tournament and was really enjoying the challenge- losing most of his games yes, as a 1300 level player usually will, but learning and enjoying the challenge and competing with those around him in the table. Then at the weekend a funny thing happened. He had lost two games to a player of rating around 1900..so understandable that he lost and no question of conventional cheating involved. However, the strange thing that happened next was that person mysteriously resigned all his remaining games in the tournament and gave most of the lads rivals an easy 2 points, meaning now he has a huge disadvantage in competing for position in the tournament. 

He was really upset but we assumed there was some good reason the player left, maybe a bad family illness, a sudden emergency trip abroad, maybe banned for breaking rules or something..however, then i stumbled on this forum earlier and found this thread and i see that the reason the person resigned all his tournament games not to mention many others, causing chaos,upset and inconvenience to people, is because he had some sudden paranoid outburst and launched some vague, unsubstantiated attack on the suspicion that possibly there is the potential for someone to cheat on this website..and this had apparently suddenly occured to him after months on the site and meant he couldnt go on playing for another minute.. so he effectively picked up his ball and went home in a strop!I think you can guess from where im posting this who i'm talking about.

I don't want to go over the top about this..my lad was upset but he will get over it and play other tournaments..but i did just want to give the thread writer at least some knowledge of the inconvenience he has caused to others by his actions..I don't agree with his views but respect his right to them and his right not to play on a chess site if he chooses not to..even if my personal view is that it is a bizarre stance. What i do disagree with is that he wasn't man enough to at least play through the remainder of his games in a  professional way so as not to disadvantage others and damage the integrity of the tournaments.  It is my view that, ironically, the person taking the stance against cheating is actually the one who has left others feeling cheated by HIS actions in that he has ruined perfectly good tournaments by playing half of his games then giving other contestants free points!!

To anyone else thinking of taking a stance like this..please try to get a  sense of perspective and think first before taking out your paranoid frustrations in such a childish manner...

Thankyou for your time and i'm sorry for my rant but I saw how upset the lad was and i just think it's wrong that people can ruin things for others with such rash and unfair actions (in my view)..

here is a post that this (and other recent posts) have prompted me to write:

Cheating at Chess on Chess.com - Questions and Answers

now can we just get back to playing chess?

My sincere apologys to ANYONE who may have been upset or angered by me resigning my games. I do find it strange however that this is your 1st and only post on this site, and that you only joined today?

hmmm....

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

hahahaha :)

I play anti chess on another website, it involves trying to give away all your pieces instead of taking them.  Since I was so good at doing that on this site already, I thought what the hey!!  It's harder than it sounds actually, but I hope they never make an anti chess engine or I just don't know what I would do!!  Maybe you should take up anti-chess for your online games?

It's mostly a free world so do what you must, but it sucks that you canceled all of your games instead of playing them out, I feel sorry for those guys.  Sounds like chess.com is losing a good player for something that's an inexcusable but unavoidable reality in this type of format.  I liked the idea that someone mentioned earlier of developing a host of players whom you know personally and have no trust issues with.  This is after all a great community and I'm sure after a series of background checks, personal analysis of their computers, and some in depth psychological profiling you can find a few people to regulary play who wouldn't cheat ever ever.

I'm of the mind that as long as I play the best chess I am capable of playing, then at the end of the day I've lost nothing and hopefully learned more.   But then again I'm not really good enough to be able to detect a cheater or worry about how my rating would be effected by a cheater taking away a few points.  I mean, really.... someone wants to play me.........awesome!! Computer or not, I get to play chess!!

Hope you can find some balance between the advantages and disadvantages of turn based online chess that lets you play the game you love in a format that's really great when it's used correctly.

~Lee

-Ruy Lopez FOREVER!

im sorry to see u go :(

"but I hope they never make an anti chess engine or I just don't know what I would do!!  Maybe you should take up anti-chess for your online games?"

I have got a program that plays anti-chess (losing chess). On a pretty average level, through.

err who cares if someone resigns all his games in a tournament? are we under any obligation to play out the games we start? yeah right...

so a lad got upset cuz someone resigned all his games? now that's hilarious ! Now, someone like 'Bart' would deliberately resign all his games just to screw with such a pansy ! haha

How can people that cheat enjoy the game. They are just wasting their own time.

It's a shame you resigned our games, gumpty, they were a lot of fun.

Also a shame to hear you're stopping playing online.