Online Chess: What to Do when You Encounter a Cheater

If you play chess, chances are you play chess online at least some of the time. Have you ever suspected that your opponent swindled hard-earned points off of you by utilizing a strong chess program? It happens all the time - probably even more often than you think.

At a real, over-the-board chess tournament, cheating is somewhat difficult due to playing in a room full of people who can actually see you. At home on the Internet, however, it's a totally different ball game. The ease of acquiring a strong chess program, coupled with the dishonest nature of some players has caused quite a problem when it comes to online chess.

Without going into too much detail, cheating on the Internet is rather easy. All a player has to do is install a chess engine onto their computer, sign onto a chess-playing site, and input the moves of the game to the program. The chess engine will find very strong moves, and some engines can even beat the mightiest of Grandmasters. Therefore, the average club player's chances of winning a chess game when the opponent is using software assistance is extremely low to none.

How do we spot a cheater? There are many telltale signs, and some of them the user themselves can spot if they know what they are looking for! Check move times; many times a program will have a set number of seconds it will use for each move, and if the player is using such a program, the time he or she takes for each move can be indicative of cheating.

Another red flag is when a player takes a long time on forced or very obvious recaptures or check sequences. For instance, if you capture an enemy Bishop with a Knight, if your opponent takes a long time to recapture when there is quite obviously no better move on the chess board, they may be using software chess assistance. A program will look at EVERY alternative move on the board before recapturing to make sure there are no other winning combinations. Therefore, it may take a while even on the most obvious of moves.

Another, easier way to spot a possible cheater is when they are simply playing miles above their rating. If you are involved in an online chess tournament, for example, and a lower rated player is clearly ahead and beating every expert or master-rated opponent they encounter, this player should definitely be looked at for possible chess software assistance.

Keep in mind, however, that not every player exhibiting one or more of these signs is necessarily cheating. Since you cannot see your opponent, there is no way to tell if they have taken a restroom break, are answering the door or phone, getting dinner ready, etc. Taking some time on obvious moves could also mean the player is just careful, and does not wish to play quickly and make mistakes.

So what do you do when encountering someone you suspect to be a cheater? Most of us will get quite upset, and feel literally ripped-off and swindled. Our gut reaction might be to call the guy every name in the book and announce to the whole site that so-and-so is a lying, dishonest thief and they should be banned for cheating. However, this will likely get you nowhere but muted or banned yourself. Handling the situation unprofessionally only causes more drama.

Contact an administrator immediately if you feel you have encountered someone using chess assistance. The better Internet chess sites have a team of administrators who regularly check games for cheating. Once a player has been determined a cheater, steps are taken to prevent that user from using chess assistance in the future. Trust me on this; it is far better to address this problem behind the scenes with staff than to take the law into your own hands. Keep in mind administrators are people too, and probably have the same feelings you do about cheating.