What is are the rules about cheating?
You can NEVER use chess programs or engines (Chessmaster, Fritz, etc) to
analyze current ongoing games unless specifically permitted (such as a computer
tournament, agreed upon unrated game, etc). The only type of computer
assistance allowed is games databases for opening lines in Turn-based
Correspondence-style Chess and Vote Chess, Chess.com Opening Explorer, chess
books, and an analysis board. You cannot use ANY outside assistance on Live
Chess games.Fixing games results (through intentional loss or multiple
accounts) is also cheating.
How do I report someone I think is cheating?
If you are suspicious about somebody cheating, please use the Help & Support (Contact Us) link
found at the bottom of any Chess.com page and include all relevant info (name,
reason for suspicion, etc). We investigate all reports and keep them
confidential. Do not discuss possible cheaters in the forums - just submit
their names to Chess.com for analysis.
How does Chess.com detect cheating?
One part of our analysis involves comparing human moves to computer moves and
looking at statistical significance. The other parts are not public knowledge.
We will never disclose our exact methods for catching cheaters (to prevent
cheaters from adapting their methods), but it involves both cutting-edge
technology and human judgment.
How often does Chess.com catch cheaters?
In the past we did not make huge public statements about catching cheaters even
though we close many accounts for cheating. Now we are going to start listing
cheaters that we catch in this forum. See the next post for a list of known
cheaters. We close many accounts each week for cheating, including accounts for
paying Premium Members who are cheating. We are constantly going through our
top players and submitting them to our cheat detection process. Still, very few
people cheat. Most people are good people here to enjoy the game. If you are
playing people rated under 2200 it is extremely unlikely that you are playing
someone who is cheating - if they were they would be rated much higher. If you
are playing someone higher rated then the chances are slightly higher, but
there are only a few hundred players on the site in that category and out of
those we know that the vast majority are playing legitimate chess without
computer help.
What happens to a player who is found to be cheating on Chess.com?
We close the account and add a cheater icon that will appear next to their
name. We also post an explanatory notice is posted on their homepage. Finally,
we add them to the list in this forum. Any pending games of cheaters will
eventually timeout and result in a loss. But we cannot roll back results of
games or tournaments, nor do we restore ratings. Ratings are not cumulative,
they are a reflection of chess ability, so losing a few points to a cheater
does not impact your rating whatsoever in the long-term. Don't worry - just
keep on playing!
How long does someone cheat before chess.com finds out?
It depends. But unfortunately it generally takes a little time to build up
history to be submitted to the detection process.
What should I do if my opponent accuses me of cheating?
If your opponent accuses you then you can just disable chat and continue your
game with a clear conscience (assuming you are not cheating!). Don't worry
about accusations, just play your game. If you want you can add them to your
blocked player list so they cannot contact you again.
If I reported someone for cheating, why hasn't their account been
closed?
We appreciate you reporting the suspected cheating, but ultimately we will
decide on if they were cheating or not. If we have not closed their account
then the evidence was not conclusive.
You closed the account of someone I know - I'm sure they weren't
cheating!
Sorry that you are upset. Unfortunately, people do cheat - sometimes even
really nice people. Again, we only close accounts when we are absolutely
certain, not because of suspicion.
Can someone appeal if their account is closed?
Sure, we're happy to listen to anyone. But it's generally the same old story:
"I didn't cheat! Prove it to me!!" to which we respond: "You
did. But we can't tell you exactly how we know, but we know." Generally
cheaters who are caught make threats because they are embarrassed and upset they
were caught. But we don't mind - we're here to protect players, not cheaters.
Why do people cheat?
It's not our specialty to psychoanalyze people and their reasons for cheating,
but people like to win, want to feel important, and occasionally disregard the
thoughts and feelings of others. Cheaters aren't necessarily horrible people -
maybe just someone with low self-esteem who doesn't think that winning a game
unfairly is a big deal (even though it is to the person being cheated).
What does Chess.com think about cheating?
We think cheating is a terrible disease in online chess in general (on all
sites). We have a very strict no-cheating policy and we enforce it with maximum
effect whenever we are confident we have found cheating. We feel that we are
extremely effective in identifying and dealing with most cheaters.
What do we recommend that you do/think about cheating?
Forget about it! We are here to worry about the issue for you so that you can
focus on enjoying chess. If you are under 2200 then you should never even think
about it - it shouldn't affect you. If you are a top player then you should
know that we are constantly checking top players, always getting better at
detection, are always responsive to your reports, and are closing accounts
daily. In general, life is too short to worry about what a very small number of
people are doing. There are bad people in all areas of life and that shouldn't
stop you from enjoying life. We are here deal with them so you don't have to.
keywords: cheat, cheating, cheaters, engines, chess engines, outside assistance, computer assistance
