Are you sure its not the "conditional moves" feature for online games?
It's a feature that allows you "premove" your moves upon a "conditional" move your opponent makes, you can set several conditional premoves if you are a paying member, non-paying members I believe only get 1. So if your opponent deduces your next move correctly, the computer will automatically play their "premove" in correspondence to your move.
Though double check with your opponent.
When that happens, you get the message along the lines of: "Your move has triggered a conditional move, it's your move."
What I'm describing is, in online chess play, I submit a move, the player does not have the green "player is online" indicator, and within 30-45 seconds, they've made a move. And it appears the same is happening with dozens of their games.
Maybe someone using a phone to play doesn't register as being "online".
Yes, but only chesscom app. I'm on the phone (internet, not app) and should be online now...
When someone is on the phone app then they aren't displayed as "online."
When someone is on the phone app then they aren't displayed as "online."
I use the iPad app a lot, it shows me as online.
Don't forget the other aspect to this -- when I check their profile, there are dozens of active games, all of which are waiting for their opponent to move next.
It happened to me too. I even asked the opponent how that he does not shows as being online. No answer.
I suspect that's another tip that you're playing someone using an automated bot script -- no response to chats.
I just checked the profile of the last "suspect" I played:
1) "suspect" not shown as "online"
2) "suspect" has 50+ active games (more than 3,000 games played in 1 year)
3) none show a status of waiting on the "suspect's" move
4) several opponents are online
5) refreshing the page after about one minute shows 7 games have changed
6) "suspect" still not shown as "online"
What other method, other than an automated script, could moves in seven games be registered in a 60-75 second timeframe, without the user status showing "online?"
Mobile devices do not register a user as being online, but do allow them to make moves in their games. This is almost assuredly what your are witnessing.
What is his rating? Win-draw-lose ratio?
Mobile devices do not register a user as being online, but do allow them to make moves in their games. This is almost assuredly what your are witnessing.
Only this, all else is unfounded speculation.
What is his rating? Win-draw-lose ratio?
Rating is 1500+. Win-draw-lose ratio was slightly high on the win side.
One of the descriptions of the bots I saw, allowed for a setting to set the included engine to play at your profile rating, or slightly above.
It looks like there's seven different chess.com bots out in the wild, some more sophisticated than others.
edit to add: It looks like one is available through a private GitHub repository, indicating that perhaps several people are contributing to improving/modifying it.
I'm registered as "online" when logged-in through my iPhone or iPad. Don't know about the Android versions.
Again, "conditional moves" , it clearly states the computer will move without you being logged on if you have set a premove.
Again, "conditional moves" , it clearly states the computer will move without you being logged on if you have set a premove.
Again; you're notified that your move has triggered a conditional move in that case. No such notification has happened.
Some time ago, I experienced a few players (online play, not live) who responded to my moves in a near-immediate manner, yet were not online. Recently, I experienced this again.
Each time, I see that my opponent has dozens of active games, all apparently waiting for their opponent to move -- hence the rapidity of play is not limited to my game.
After one simple Google search, it became clear there are potentially several automated "bots" that one can download and use -- some brag about managing up to 100 simultaneous games.
As a paying member, I find this deplorable that the Chess.com tech/IT team is not able to close holes that allow for non-human scripts to make moves in online games. It's not hard.
Has anyone else experienced rapid-response play in online chess from opponents who aren't tagged as being online at the time of their move?