There seems to be a new incident of electronic cheating reported every month or so. Whether or not there is more cheating going, the publicity seems to be generating more suspicions, complaints, and accusations.
A few people in the Pacific Northwest are considering forming an informal regional committee that would develop recommended actions to help prevent electronic cheating, and a recommended protocol for TD’s to follow when accusations are made.
But is someone already doing this at a national level?
And if you have any comments or suggestions on this topic, feel free to post them here.
There was a conference on this issue in New York about eight years ago.
Larger US organizers (USCF, CCA, Millionaire Chess) have taken varying steps to combat this issue.
Internationally, the ACP has developed policies on this issue. Sevan Muradian is best qualified to discuss how much this may relate to FIDE in general, and RTRC deliberations in particular.
All that said, it can’t hurt to have more groups talking about it. Good luck with your idea, and please share your deliberations with the rest of us, through here and elsewhere.
Skunks have something in common with each other. They Stink. And news of them is very often shared by TDs nationwide of such skunks. Thus, for the most part, these skunks have short lives.
Is there a way to suggest a rule be put into place uniformly that no electronic devices (except for those directly involved in the game) be used while competing in a round. Is it really that much of a deprivation to not be able to listen to “music” while competing for USCF rating points?
I was spectating at a league event and saw a hyperactive young man listening to his smartphone and heading for the skittles room with it while playing a rated game. Why not remove any opportunity for cheating? Tournament directors cannot be everywhere and judging from what I see at the college level, I believe there is a ubiquitous erosion of ethics. If a uniform policy banning superfluous electronics is enacted it will show a level of respect for all rated chess and not just the “big” money variety.
William,
I don’t think we need a rule change for what you want. I announce at the beginning of every tournament that all devices must be turned off, not merely silent.
And USCF Rule 20N provides in part:
“Without the permission of the arbiter/TD, a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off.”
But IMO, enforcing this rule is not easy as a practical matter. If you depend on the devices being turned off-- How do you know whether it is turned off? How do you know whether the player turns the device on when he goes to the bathroom? Blue tooth connected ear buds can be so small they are practically undetectable.
If you ban the devices altogether like big tournaments do now, how will you detect the devices without a metal detector or pat down search? How do you know what devices a person has in his pocket?
I think FIDE rules expressly allow an arbiter to demand that a player empty his pockets, bags, etc. and display the contents. This power seems to be granted, even if the arbiter has no evidence of wrong doing. Essentially it is an investigative authority. I don’t know of something similar in the USCF rules, and I am not sure whether I want to have that authority. But maybe it is needed. Some people have argued to me that this authority is implied in the current USCF rules and that a TD may demand that an individual player (as opposed to all players) give up his phone, regardless of whether there is evidence that the phone is turned on or being misused.
Your post highlights the complexity of allowing the electronic devices in the playing hall turned off or not. A simple rule that bans superfluous electronic devices with strict and consistent consequences enacted for violation of this rule would leave directors better equipped to deal with the more expert parts of their jobs. I believe it would also make for a better playing experience as well.
I am not sure that banning all electronic devices would be practical for all tournaments. Many people like to listen to music during games that can last 5 or 6 hours each. Some people use noise cancelling headphones to reduce distractions. Banning cell phones sounds like a reasonable idea, but many players actually need their phone at the conclusion of their game to contact friends or parents.
The larger the event and the greater the prize fund, the more serious the countermeasures needed to deter cheating. I don’t see a big need at local 20 player swisses. If all you do is inconvenience honest players, then you will quickly lose loyal patrons.
Also, there would be a need to better define “all electronic devices”. I know some very strong players that utilize a “device” powered by electricity for transportation in the playing hall. I certainly can not see those devices being banned!!
DrCheck:
IMO the definition in the existing rule is probably adequate. 20N ". . a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication. . "
FPawn:
The TD can hold the devices if need be. As far as the need goes, in my experience we already have accusations at small tournaments, and dealing with the accusations is in itself disruptive, whether or not there is actually any cheating going on. If you have not had to deal with accusations yet, count yourself lucky, but don’t plan on being immune.
My goal is to figure out some way to get ahead of this potential problem and solve it in a way that impedes cheating and reduces the perceived need for accusations, but does not insult or burden honest players.
As I indicated, I don’t claim to know the perfect answer, and so far I have not even made much progress. Thanks to all for your comments.
If the TD is willing to assume the liability of storing equipment, then fine; I am not. I don’t think any TD should put him/herself in that position. YMMV.
FWIW, my standard position at any event where I am the chief TD is that I do not ever take responsibility for any player’s belongings. I just don’t want the liability. I know many TDs are more flexible about this than I am, which is fine.
There will be people who will try to cheat, no matter the size of the tournament or the prize fund. The quest for trophies can be just as ruthless an enterprise as any Grand Prix event. It is difficult, if not impossible to ban every electronic device from the room. More and more of them have the ability to communicate with one or more devices. The telecom companies are moving to provide access to all sorts of content. About every year and a half a whole new generation of smarter, faster, smaller devices appears. The “newest” generation are wearables: watches, glasses, bracelets, necklaces. It is hard for the TD/organizer to keep up with all of the innovative tech that has appeared. I know I don’t want to hold onto someone else’s stuff, if only because it appears too fragile.
The cheater may be clever and get away with his scam for a while. He knows that presently it is too expensive and difficult to catch him at his craft. So far, the chess community has only caught the dumb, hamhanded cheaters. You can’t catch them all, but if you do, then the penalties should be so severe that the dumb ones will think twice before doing it and the smart ones will see that it is not worth the risk. My suggestion is a minimum ten year ban from competition worldwide; in the US revocation of USCF membership and placement on a posted suspension list for ten or more years depending on the nature of the cheating. The cheating player would then have to request reinstatement from the federation. If accepted back into the fold, he/she would then be on a posted probationary list for a number of years to be determined at reinstatement. Since these lists would be public, and accessible by potential employers and educational institutions, this should have a deterrent effect. If you don’t like the particular suggested numbers for years of the penalties, consider what would be most equitable number for deterrence.
I thought that such suspensions are currently the purview of the ED or EB.
There would need to be an estimate of the litigation costs associated with such actions. Currently many parents or coaches will readily accept their kids’ expulsion from an event as long as that is pretty much all that happens, but would start bitter legal fights if the consequences included something that would affect college or employment (starting a bitter fight over an expulsion would risk making the reasons for the expulsion public and suffering the consequences for college entrance or employment).
There have been all sorts of ideas such as: a temporary ban on playing in national events (handled by the entry software for them); a ban from entering the future events of the organizer that uncovered the offense; a fine that must be paid before being allowed to enter future events of the organizer; expulsion without publicly stating the reason; etc.
In the old rating supplements there used to be two suspension lists, one for players and another for TDs. The lists did not state why the players were suspended. Usually it was for failure of payment of required fees, but there was no explicit reason noted. Players on the list could not play in rated tournaments. The suspended TDs listed could not run events and had to contact the federation to resolve differences.
In this age of social media, just being put on a suspended list will cause a host of consequences for a cheater as the internet does not forget. Makes you wonder why people will risk so much for so little. Reminds me of the movie “Fargo” where the policeman played by Francis McDormand asks the perpetrator in the back seat, “Don’t you know that there is more to life than money?”
