In 1789, the man who by all account that I have seen, was without question the greatest American to ever live,
Benjamin Franklin, published “The Morals of Chess”.
From Wikipedia: He outlined the essay around 1732, but did not publish it until 1786. After a short prologue in which Franklin details the history of chess he gets to the main part of his essay. He compares chess to life and writes that foresight, circumspection and caution can be learnt from the game. After describing the effects chess can have on one’s perception of life he describes a set of moral rules that a chess player should hold, including to not cheat and not disturb the opponent. Franklin suggests that the opponent be told about mistakes he makes, for example if he would lose a piece.
It is indeed difficult to believe that it is possible for anyone to live the life he had. Incredibly brilliant, in so many different fields of science, education, and diplomacy. The inventor of bifocals, Franklin Stove, discovery of electricity, and much more. Founder: University of Pennsylvania, American Philosophical Society, Library of Congress, Philadelphia Hospital, US Postal Service, and much more. Diplomat, Early Abolitionist, and much more. Hard to believe Franklin only lived 84 years. What a life to live.
The problem is that there will always be some people for whom winning (or the appearance of winning) is more important than morals. We also see this in physical sports. Some people just can’t resist the temptation to cheat, given the opportunity. And when you raise the stakes (professional sports, chess tournaments with large cash prizes, etc.) and/or increase the chances of “getting away with it” (online chess), the number/percentage of such people will increase. This is a major reason why I have always avoided big-money tournaments and online chess. I can’t stand cheaters, but they are drawn like flies to these types of events.
As for Ben Franklin, he was indeed one of the great figures in American history, but I suspect he was not quite as perfect as you’re painting him (because nobody is).