Computer Cheating Question

Question of the day
Friday, 26 December 2008

Official website: http://elista2008.fide.com

IS COMPUTER CHEATING CONTROL NECESSARY AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS?

Alexander Grischuk: – At world championship matches all the anti-cheating measures should be strict. Only two players take part in it and it is possible to check all the attempts of computer cheating. All the measures are possible: regular searching that provides no results, some transmission jamming devices. What ways of transmitting data to the player do we have? I don’t think players receive SMS via their mobile phones. Actually there can be two ways of cheating. First, one can use a small earphone to receive computer advice, but in this case it the process can be easily checked with jamming devices. Second, some electronic set transmitting data with the help of Morse code by way of tapping your leg is possible. To prevent this it is necessary to search the players before entering the playing hall. I believe that if a player uses computer assistance, it will be difficult to play with him at the board. That is why grandmasters shouldn’t treat the searching before the game as something humiliating.

Rustam Kasymdzhanov: – There are many methods of the computer cheatings. I have read the whole book dedicated to the question how to use the computer help in chess. Many articles were published in due time. If I am not mistaken the Morse alphabet method, mentioned by Grischuk, is called tactile. Generally, I can say, the separate science on this subject appeared. If we talk about our tournament, so the Organizers haven’t set the task to prevent all possible computer cheatings. I think that while the player has a contact with audience, all search, detectors, jammers have no meaning because the audience, i.e. the people, who are in cahoot with the player can signalize as it practiced in card games. In order to avoid all kind of cheatings, it is necessary to isolate the players from the audience. Besides, one should thoroughly examine the players. Because even the room key or the cloakroom ticket also can look like a disguised transfer device. That is why the player should be allowed to come into the playing hall without anything (the pen should be given by the Organizers) and there should no contact with the audience. Moreover, there should be all kinds of jammers and the things like that. Only under all these conditions we can approach the situation when cheating, not only with the help of computer, will become impossible. It is clear that in this case the medicine could be worse that the illness. Anyway as Sasha told if a man is using the computer help it would be not possible to play with him and all our attempts to avoid the cheating would be ineffective.

Teimour Radjabov: – There is special equipment which allows you to neutralize all the attempts of the transfer of the electronic information. Probably this equipment is actively used by the secret services. Something similar is used at the world championships. I think that none of the chess players who really achieved something in their life won’t risk your sport career and cheat. Otherwise, one can be disqualified forever.

Evgeny Alexeev: – The question is very important. There were some cases in the tournament practice when some chess players used computer’s help from outside. Of course, during the tournaments of the high level, one should use different technical equipment to prevent cheating of the game.

Pavel Eljanov: – I am not a big specialist in the computer equipment. I know that during Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match in Elista the jammers were used and the players have been divided from the auditory by the glass wall. I don’t know how effective is this and should one make such arrangements at the other tournaments, in particular at such tournament which is held in Elista at the moment. Besides, all these equipments are expensive enough.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov: – I totally agree with Pavel Eljanov on this subject.

Ilja Odessky, journalist: – There are some scientific data that the electronic cover for the playing hall, mentioned by Akopian, are very unsalutary for the health of those who are in the hall. It can rub off in due time, in years and can course certain illnesses. The grandmasters who can get sick with cancer in some years will sue FIDE for large sum of money.

Ernesto Inarkiev: – Computer cheating is a very big problem which will be developed because the technology becomes accessible as well as the competitions with good prize funds. I think that there should be set of measures so the chess players would not be against. To my mind the participants of the tournament should play in the separated hall. It also very important to legitimate the punishment in chess for the computer cheating.

Dmitry Jakovenko: – I agree that it is very important question, although argues about the computer cheating became quite down a little. I think that there should be a procedure which would let to find and prove that the player has used the computer during the game.

Peter Leko: – I think that one should not allow using the computer during the game. Hardly the elite chess players would do this. The chess players should play fairly and, I am sure that the majority of the players would not compromise with conscience.

Vugar Gashimov: – I also think that top chess players hardly will cheat during the game. But in principle if you have a proper technical equipment it would be not difficult to identify someone cheating.

Vladimir Akopian: – This is really a big problem. Even if there is some suspicion that your opponent is using the computer’s help from outside, it becomes psychologically impossible to play with him. There must be metal detector for sure. To my mind, it will correctly to cover the playing hall by the electronic cover in order to black out all signals, let say, including the mobile phones. It is often practiced at the concerts not to tell everybody to switch off the cell phones. The hall covers with the invisible cover and there is no call during the whole concert even if you haven’t switched off the phone. These measures are necessary because there are many cases of computer cheatings. There was a case when I suspected cheating of my opponent. He played too fast in very difficult position. It is possible but it was suspicious because he used to come out after some quick moves. I wanted also to play quickly in order not him to go away and get the help from outside. We should cope with the problem of the computer help.

Ivan Cheparinov: – Besides the common metal detector, we should need to have the set of measures directed to the prophylaxis and interception of the computer cheating of the chess players who are used to play at the big tournaments.

Etienne Bacrot: – Certainly, we need to learn how to cope with computer cheating till it hasn’t get the big resonance in the chess world.

Wang Yue: – I can only agree with Etienne. We must play chess fairly.

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