cheating in chess new york times Cheating Accusations at the World Open. Your key to fresh ideas, precise analyses and targeted training! Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more. Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > 8 million games online! Updated weekly, our definitive database has all the latest games. With Live Book and Let’s Check! Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > My Games – Access your games from everywhere. Store your games, training material and opening repertoire in the cloud. Annotate, analyze and share. Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Sac, sac, mate! Solve tactical positions of your playing strength. Boost your calculation skills. Enjoy adrenalin rush with tactic fights! 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The two players who were involved in the scandal at the World Open in Philadelphia last month, where the total prizes were $358,000, are named by the New York Times. One player, Steve Rosenberg, was expelled, the other, Eugene Varshavsky, was allowed to finish the tournament but was searched before each round, then watched closely during the games. Varshavsky was one of the lowest-ranked players in the main tournament, but he started off by beating two high-ranked masters in his first three games. After that he beat FM John Bartholomew, rated 2452, with the black pieces, then lost to GM Giorgi Kacheishvili, 2643, and went on to defeat GM Ilia Smirin, 2659, again with the black pieces, in a virutally flawless game. GM Larry Christiansen, who did not play at the world Open, ran the moves through the program Shredder and found that the last 25 moves matched those played by the program. [You can replay the two wins, against Bartholomew and Smirin, on our JavaScript board using the link given below.] Bill Goichberg, the director of the World Open, asked to see Varshavsky before the next round, at which stage the player hurried off to the bathroom. Goichberg waited ten minutes outside a stall until he came out. Varshavsky consented to be searched, but no electronic device was found. So he was allowed to proceed in the tournament. When a couple of tournament directors went to search the bathroom stall later on they found it occupied. They waited 45 minutes before a director peeked under the door and saw Varshavsky’s shoes. After Varshavsky left the stall, nothing was found in it. In the last two rounds, Varshavsky played against two grandmasters and lost each game quickly. The Phonito wireless receiver. In the second case Steve Rosenberg, playing in a lower section, was leading before the final round. A victory would have been worth about $18,000. Before the round began a tournament director noticed that Rosenberg was wearing something in his ear and asked to see it. Rosenberg told the director it was a hearing aid, but the director wrote down the name and the serial number of the device and looked it up on the Internet. It turned out to be a "Phonito", a wireless receiver used for undetected communication between two people. Part of the paraphernalia of the device was additional equipment that had to be worn elsewhere on the body to boost and receive signals. Rosenberg was wearing a heavy sweater and declined to be searched. World Open director Goichberg said the discovery of the device did not prove that Rosenberg had cheated, but he felt he had no choice but to remove him from the tournament. Goichberg said that the incidents were troubling because of the players’ stealth and effectiveness. In the future he planned to take countermeasures to try to catch people who might be using hidden electronic devices but he would not be specific for fear of tipping his hand. Amongst the signals that organisers had to look for were sequences of moves that are different from what a player would do, error-free play and, as in the case of Varshavsky, if a player shows a sudden dramatic improvement in strength over a short period of time, something that is rare among adult players. Original article in the New York Times (you may need to register to read it) Herald Tribune reprint ABC News: License to Cheat? Mercury News: Crying `cheat' in chess The State: From the weird world of sports. Two Varshavsky games from the World Open. Bartholomew,John (2406) - Varshavsky,Eugene [C69] World Open Philadelphia, 2006 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nb3 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bg4 10.f3 Bd7 11.Bf4 0-0-0 12.Nc3 c4 13.Na5 Bc5+ 14.Kf1 Ne7 15.Nxc4 Be6 16.Nd2 h5 17.Nb3 Bc4+ 18.Ke1 Bg1 19.Ne2 Bb6 20.Nd2 Bf7 21.Bg3 Be3 22.Nf1 Bc5 23.Bf2 Bd6 24.h4 f5 25.exf5 Nxf5 26.Ne3 Ne7 27.Ng3 Rde8 28.Kf1 Rhf8 29.Kg1 Bg6 30.c3 Nc6 31.Nc4 Be7 32.Nf1 Bf7 33.Nce3 Rg8 34.Nd5 Bd8 35.Nf4 g5 36.hxg5 Bxg5 37.Nh3 Bh6 38.Ng3 Bg6 39.Re1 Ne5 40.Bd4 Nd3 41.Rxe8+ Bxe8 42.Nf5 Bf8 43.Nf2 Nxb2 44.Re1 Bg6 45.Ne7+ Bxe7 46.Rxe7 Re8 47.Rg7 Bb1 48.f4 Re1+ 49.Kh2 b6 50.Be5 c5 51.g4 Nc4 52.gxh5 Nxe5 53.fxe5 Rxe5 54.Rg8+ Kb7 55.Rh8 Bxa2 56.h6 Kc6 57.Nd3 Re7 58.h7 Rc7 59.Ne5+ Kb5 60.Kg3 Bb1 61.c4+ Ka5 0-1. [Click to replay] Smirin,Ilia (2659) - Varshavsky,Eugene [C83] World Open Philadelphia, 2006 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Be3 Be7 10.c3 Nc5 11.h3 Nxb3 12.axb3 0-0 13.Re1 Qd7 14.Nbd2 a5 15.Nf1 Bf5 16.Ng3 Bg6 17.Qd2 h6 18.Rad1 Rad8 19.Qe2 b4 20.Rd2 Rfe8 21.Qd1 Qe6 22.Nd4 Nxd4 23.cxd4 f6 24.Bf4 fxe5 25.Bxe5 Qd7 26.Rde2 c5 27.Re3 Bg5 28.f4 Bh4 29.Rf1 Rf8 30.Kh2 Rf7 31.Qd2 cxd4 32.Qxd4 Qa7 33.Ne2 Qxd4 34.Nxd4 Be4 35.g3 Re8 36.Rc1 g5 37.f5 Rxe5 38.gxh4 gxh4 39.Re2 Ree7 40.Rf2 Rc7 41.Rcf1 Rf6 42.Rf4 Rg7 43.R1f2 Kf7 44.Rxh4 Ke7 45.Rg4 Rgf7 46.Kg3 Bxf5 47.Rgf4 Bd7 48.Re2+ Kd6 49.Rh4 Rg7+ 50.Kh2 Rg5 51.Rd2 h5 52.Re2 Rf1 53.Rd2 Be8 54.Rg2 Rxg2+ 55.Kxg2 Rd1 56.Kf2 Rd3 57.Ke2 Bg6 0-1 . [Click to replay] New Cheating Scandal. Chess Vibes, an Internet chess news Web site, has reported that a player in the Dutch chess league has been banned from playing until the end of the 2009-10 season for using PocketFritz, a hand-held version of the popular computer program Fritz, which is made by Chessbase. This is the latest example of cheating, or apparent cheating, that has cropped up in recent years. Last year, two players were suspected of cheating at the World Open in Philadelphia. One was expelled from the tournament, the other was thoroughly searched before his remaining games and could not repeat his performances from earlier rounds. In India, a player who had a string of remarkable performances over many tournaments, and who always wore a cap during games, was given a 10-year ban from competition after a bluetooth device was finally found in the cap. An article about this incident and other rumors of cheating can be found here. Cheating is, unfortunately, not a new problem in chess. For example, for years Bobby Fischer accused Soviet players of colluding during the candidates tournaments to insure that one of them would become the challenger for the title. Subsequent information that came out after the fall of the Soviet Union seemed to support his contentions. It was only after the World Chess Federation went to a system of matches, where collusion was no longer possible, that Fischer managed to break through and win the title. Using electronic aides (correction, aids) is of a whole different nature, but given how powerful, and small, computers have become, it could potentially be a real problem. What, other than being more vigilent (correction, vigilant), can be done? Chess Cheating conference in New York. Your key to fresh ideas, precise analyses and targeted training! Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more. Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > 8 million games online! Updated weekly, our definitive database has all the latest games. With Live Book and Let’s Check! Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > My Games – Access your games from everywhere. Store your games, training material and opening repertoire in the cloud. Annotate, analyze and share. Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Sac, sac, mate! Solve tactical positions of your playing strength. Boost your calculation skills. Enjoy adrenalin rush with tactic fights! Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Thousands of hours of high class video training. Openings, Middlegame, Endgame Lessons. Top authors like Daniel King, Lawrence Trent and Rustam Kasimdzhanov Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Real Fun against a Chess Program! Play, analyze and train online against Fritz. Beginner, club and master levels. Assisted play and calculation training. Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Learn openings the right way! Build and maintain your repertoire. Memorize it easily move by move by playing against the variation trainer. Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > The ultimate chess experience every day, PlayChess.com welcomes 20,000 chess players from all around the world – from beginner to grandmaster. ONLINE SHOP. Mega Database 2021. The ChessBase Mega Database 2021 is the premiere chess database with over 8.4 million games from 1560 to 2020 in high quality. The session will showcase expert views on a broad range of issues – legal, logistical, technological, and economic – that arise in connection with proposed anti-cheating measures. It is expected to command wide attention from fans of chess and other mind sports both in the U.S. and overseas, in view of: The VIP panel (see below); Recent heavily publicized instances of alleged cheating during a major chess tournament held in Philadelphia this past summer; and finally; Sensational accusations surrounding the World Chess Championship match in Kalmykia that concluded last month. Time will be provided for both the audience and the press to pose questions to the panel. Background. With the availability of grandmaster-strength chess playing software that today retails for around $50, the potential for computer-aided cheating has emerged in recent months as a major challenge facing the chess community. In an episode from the 1960s TV drama “Mission: Impossible”, master-of-disguise Rollin Hand (played by Martin Landau) impersonated a chess master competing in an international tournament. Using a hearing aid to receive computer-generated moves from his mission colleagues, Rollin demolished his grandmaster opponents (“A Game of Chess”, episode aired Jan. 14, 1968). That plot device was widely ridiculed in chess circles. At the time, even the best chess programs could hardly compete with casual players, let alone professionals. Fast-forward to July 2006. In an open-to-the-public chess tournament with a $28,600 first prize, a little-known amateur player, who Chess Life magazine later dubbed “The Cat in the Hat,” was tearing up the field. Suspicions mounted after he defeated the world’s 43rd ranked player, the Israeli Grandmaster Ilya Smirin – who was quoted saying, “I felt like I was playing against a machine.” As the next round got under way, the tournament director confronted the hat-wearing magician and asked to search his person. The suspect agreed, but first ducked into a bathroom. Although no device was found on him and no penalty applied, suspicions remain that he used that bathroom visit to dispose of a miniature wireless receiver that might have been hidden in the hat he wore. In a second incident in an all-amateurs section at the same tournament, a man who was on the verge of winning the sectional first prize of nearly $18,000 was ejected during the final round after a clandestine listening device was found on him and he refused official requests to inspect him further. Bathroom visits also figured prominently in a series of public accusations hurled last month during the World Chess Championship match between Bulgarian Veselin Topalov and Russian Vladimir Kramnik. Cheating charges leveled against Kramnik by Topalov’s manager and publicist were widely covered by the mainstream press. They almost caused the contest to abort mid-way through, when officials responded to the complaint by denying Kramnik the use of his private bathroom, and Kramnik in turn refused to continue playing. (He ultimately relented and went on to win the match.) Did the nearly 40-year old “Mission: Impossible” fantasy become reality this summer? Only the suspected cheaters know the answer. But one thing is certain: this time, the chess world isn’t laughing. Event details. What: Chess Cheating Town Meeting – A panel discussion and public forum about ways to safeguard both professional and amateur chess competitions against cheating. When: Monday, December 4th, 8:00-11:00 P.M. – Prepared remarks from panel speakers: est. 8:00-9:00 P.M.; Q&A from audience and panel: est. 9:00-11:00 P.M. Where: Marshall Chess Club, 23 West 10th Street, New York City. Why: With two much-discussed instances of alleged cheating during the World Open in Philadelphia this past July, followed by sensational accusations surrounding the recent World Championship match in Kalmykia, the potential for computer-assisted cheating has emerged as a major challenge facing the chess community. Come and hear a freewheeling discussion among a panel of chess authorities and professional and amateur competitors, covering a variety of possible measures to combat cheating. The session will showcase expert views on a broad range of issues – legal, logistical, technological, and economic – that arise in connection with proposed anti-cheating measures. The first hour will be devoted to panel members’ prepared remarks, with the remainder of the program reserved for Q&A from the audience and from panel members. Who: Confirmed panelists: Bill Goichberg, USCF President; and America’s dominant chess tournament organizer. Grandmaster Alex Stripunsky, 2005 US Chess Championship runner-up Dr. Danny Kopec, Brooklyn College computer professor, chess and computer author, International Master Nelson Farber, practicing attorney and active chess player Steve Immitt, US "Tournament Director of the Year" for 2005 Jon Jacobs, active non-professional competitor, chess author, anti-cheating activist. Panel member bios. Bill Goichberg is the President of the U.S. Chess Federation, elected in 2005. He is also America’s pre-eminent organizer of chess tournaments through his Continental Chess Association, which he founded in 1968 and continues to operate. Bill is a FIDE Master. GM Alexandr Stripunsky tied for 1st place in the 2005 US Championship, and won a number of tournaments in Europe and the US over the last several years. He tied for 1st in the US Open in 2002, and won the USCF Grand Prix in 1998, the year after he moved to the United States. IM Dr. Danny Kopec is an associate professor at Brooklyn College, where he is graduate deputy chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science. His academic interests include artificial intelligence and the genesis and avoidance of errors in medical treatment and other fields, including chess. Dr. Kopec is the author of 6 chess books, 8 chess DVDs and some 80 academic articles, and runs one of the best-known chess instruction summer camps. He relishes the time when chess was the "Royal Game." Nelson Farber is a practicing attorney in Manhattan and an active member of the Marshall Chess Club. Steve Immitt is a national-level TD who has directed over 2,200 chess tournaments since 1991, when the US Chess Federation began publishing its statistics, and was the USCF's most active tournament director from 1986-1991. Last year the USCF honored him as “Tournament Director of the Year.” He has been directing the Marshall Chess Club’s Thursday “4 Rated Games Tonight” tournaments and many of the weekend events since 1994. Jon Jacobs is a non-professional tournament competitor based in Brooklyn. He maintains the “Blockade Chess Cheaters” Web site, www.seniorchess.zoomshare.com. He became interested in the danger of computer-aided cheating after a local tournament encounter with a player who later figured in a notorious incident in a class section of a big national event. Contact: Jon Jacobs, (347) 782-3393. Email: [email protected] (Principal contact, available at all hours) Marshall Chess Club, (212) 477-3716. Email: [email protected]. Web: www.marshallchessclub.org (Note: The club is open only on evenings and weekends.) ChessBase articles on the subject. Chess, cycling, hearing and other aids 26.08.2006 Seldom has a report generated such intense feedback as our series on cheating. It turns out that the communications device worn by a player at the World Open, the Phonito, was indeed a hearing aid, but one that is ideal for wireless communication as well. It is made by a company that sponsors cycling. Interesting information. Cheating at the World Open – more details 17.08.2006 Last week we reported that two players were accused of using computer assistance during their games at the World Open in Philadelphia in July. The story was in the New York Times, but contained some inaccuracies. The tournament director who found the secret communication device sets the record straight. And one of the victims sent us analysis of his game. You'll probably guess who played it. Cheating Accusations at the World Open 10.08.2006 Two players are under suspicion of having received help from computers at the World Open in Philadelphia. One locked himself in a bathroom stall, the other, who was leading the event before the last round and stood to win $18,000, was caught wearing a "hearing aid" which turned out to be a wireless receiver used for surreptitious communications. The New York Times reports. Think Cheating is Bad in Baseball? Try Chess. Interesting article in the New York Times doesn't report any real news about cheating in high level chess--at least nothing new for chess.com readers. Does mention that the very highest levels of chess (the top 20) seem free from the problem- but doesn't appear to realize that this is unlike baseball, where two of the three last "champions" won partly owed to cheating. Talks with Danny Rensch and Guy LeMarechal about chess.com's decision to fight cheating years ago and the success of their ongoing efforts- with many amateur and titled players banned every month. I slipped a long time ago. Surprised there is little discussion of the article either place. Search for Sponsors Threatened by Cheating. Corporate sponsors are not easy to find in chess, although tournament organizers are beginning to make headway in the search for big money. Rosneft, a giant Russian oil company, agreed this year to finance a World Chess Federation program to promote the teaching of chess in schools worldwide. And Andrew Paulson, an American who made millions of dollars in publishing and online media, said he was close to landing several sponsors for the world championship, which he is now in charge of organizing. But those efforts could be hurt if chess organizations cannot figure out a way to stop cheating. The latest accusations of cheating occurred two weeks ago during a team match in the German Bundesliga, the pre-eminent national league in Europe. Falko Bindrich, a German grandmaster, was playing Sebastian Siebrecht, a fellow grandmaster from Germany. Siebrecht began to suspect that Bindrich was consulting a program on his smartphone every time he went to the bathroom. (In June, during the German championship, Christoph Natsidis did just that against Siebrecht in the last round.) When confronted, Bindrich refused to let the referee inspect his phone, and league rules forced him to forfeit. Bindrich, in a statement released afterward, acknowledged that he had a chess program on his cellphone, but he denied having consulted it during the match. He said he refused to hand over his phone because he thought it was an invasion of privacy and because it contained confidential information he did want not anyone to see. It might seem odd to cheat during a simple league game, but the top players in the Bundesliga are paid, sometimes very well, to compete. Performance bonuses are also awarded during the season. The episode raises the issue of the limits on players’ privacy. Tournament directors must also make some crucial decisions. Should they put monitors in bathrooms and other areas to make sure players are not cheating? Should players be forced to turn over any devices until their matches are over? The night before he had to forfeit the game against Siebrecht, Bindrich beat Pavel Tregubov, a grandmaster from Russia, with an unusual and brilliant combination. From the position in the diagram, the game went 47 Nb5 Rd1 48 Na5 Re1 49 Kd3 Nb8 50 Nc6. Tregubov did not play 50 . Nc6 because of 51 Nd4 Kd7 52 Nc6. So the game continued 50 . Rd1 51 Kc2 Nc6 52 Kd1 Ke5 53 Ke2 h5 54 Kf3 Nb8 55 h4 Kd5 56 g5 Kc6 57 Nd4 Kb7 58 Ke4 Nd7 59 Kd5 Kc8 60 Ke6 Kc7 61 Nf3, and Tregubov resigned.