Who was blinded by certain new understandings and became Paul, or so the narrative goes. Well, I was Saul in my precovid19 perceptions about the validity of online chess ratings. I now must humbly east crow in reconsideration. Several points - I understand, agree with, and fully embrace having different rating categories for online play and OTB. For several reasons: a. it is not the same game - either from a visual standpoint, or ability to verify WHOM it is
exactly one is playing (online) v OTB, or whether illegal “aides” are being used. b. the “pressures” are quite different playing on one’s laptop compared to OTB, with quite often, a crowd watching. For many (including myself) interpersonal games are far more difficult than online. The sting of losing OTB is far greater than that of online.
However, the above stated, it grows wearisome for one offering many online tournaments that we hear so much
_itching from those higher rated, but extremely stale in recent US Chess tournament play, either OTB, or online, who
are instantly classifying all those who upset them as “cheaters”. While yes, there certainly are cheats, these are FEW.
and over-time, their accounts get annulled. Problem is of course, is that creating new accounts is not very difficult.
So how should we proceed as organizers? Which as more value - camera intensive events- which will greatly
restrict players participating, or non-camera events which are far easier for more to join ??
thoughts, please…
The bigger the prizes, the bigger the need for cameras.
Interesting narrative, and lots of food for thought.
I assume by “non-camera” events you are still talking about online, just those that don’t require camera set-ups, correct?
Already, almost every online event with significant prizes has had some players – two or three, typically – who have been disqualified because the platform’s fair-play software has detected apparent cheating.
I strongly suspect that the operators of all three of the major online platforms – Internet Chess Club, chess.com, and lichess – have long since concluded that strong measures, including cameras, are necessary to combat cheaters, whenever significant cash prizes are involved. The same, I’m sure, is true of any organizers who have put together more than a handful of online events offering significant cash prizes.
So it appears that the idea of “non-camera” online events is feasible only when the prize fund is small or non-existent. “Fun” tournaments, if you will.
I, like many others, am staying away from online chess, in the hope that someday, perhaps July 2021 or so, we can safely resume “normal” OTB tournament activity. To each his or her own.
Bill Smythe
From what I have seen, July 2021 may be a fair target for a true start for some returning to OTB from online. Just
that those who have been avoiding online, well, can expect to be crushed by hose who have stayed current in the game through online.
To cheat or not to cheat, and this is a huge problem in the way many are viewing the issue, is not one of $$$ but
of simple character and integrity. Either one possesses or one does not. I have conducted quite a few Online tournaments and close to 2,000 OTB before covid19 hit us. In both cases, cheating is uncommon. But, the key difference is that if one is caught cheating OTB, then a report to US Chess about their activities can make their life much more difficult, for it is hard to find a logical excuse for looking at a chess engine during play However, for those busted online, as “fair-play” policies too often “convict” the innocent due to a variety of factors, and the ease
of duplication of accounts avail to cheaters, there is too often no absolute certainty in cheating catches.
Rob Jones
Please stop fear-mongering. I think you’re greatly overestimating how “rusty” people will get if they don’t play online. There are other ways (solitaire chess, playing against a computer, problem-solving, etc.) to keep your skills from decaying. And if they do decay, so what? I don’t fear “getting crushed”. I’ve played over 1000 rated chess games in my life, and lost well over half of them. I’ve been “crushed” many times, and here I still am. It’s not the end of the world if I lose a chess game. Winning is nice, but not necessary for me to enjoy the game. And I can’t be the only one who feels this way. You’re not going to scare me into doing something that I have no desire to do (i.e., play online).
Or perhaps the opposite. Players may become accustomed to doing things the online way. When they get back to OTB, one might hear, from every corner of the room, moans of “Press my clock? What do you mean, press my clock? I never had to do that online.”
Or maybe “I offer a draw.” “Let me see your move first.” “What do you mean, let you see my move first? I have to offer the draw first, otherwise the machine won’t register my draw offer.”
Or even “Touch move? What does that mean? I never heard that expression before.”
Bill Smythe
Cameras will cut down on cheating, but will not eliminate it by a long stretch. All you need is an in-ear canal receiver and a confederate in another location off camera with a computer or tablet. These receivers are readily available online and are quite inexpensive. This has been discussed before on other thread and I provided a link to a blog article on the methods that a determined cheater can use to cheat and not get caught. As the article pointed out, those who get caught cheating online, including titled players, are really just low hanging fruit.
It isn’t just about prize money. People cheat for many other reasons which should be considered by those desirous of reducing it. See the following:
chesstech.org/2020/understand-the-cheater/
Fear mongering?? No. Reality, for the most part, YES. And no, I am too old to any longer believe I can change those whose minds are stone to a subject, whatever that subject may be.