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We like to think of chess as an honourable game. Perhaps our main protection is that for most of us, the stakes are so small that the incentive for cheating in minimal. Some experienced TDs have observed, however, that there is probably more cheating at the lower levels. Be that as it may, my question is how one should deal with the following hypothetical situation:
A young player with a relatively low rating is observed going to the bathroom and locking himself in a stall between nearly every move, usually after noting his opponent's move and before making his own, returning to play his move immediately. The moves are of fairly high quality, indeed, on subsequent review, most are the first choice of a chess computer program such as Rybka. On the few occasions when he remains seated at the board, the moves are of a significantly lower quality.
What is the appropriate action for the TD to take? Does it depend on the nature of the tournament?
Wow that sucks, I can't believe kids would do that. I think it depends on what's the prize amount that is at stake and then penalize accordingly. Also, if it's a little kid, speaking with their parents usually helps and straightens things out pretty fast cause hopefully, their parents aren't helping the kid cheat and would teach them otherwise. If they're cheating and it's that obvious, you should note their name down and when it comes to future tournaments, either not let them play as punishment or watch him/her. But I think the most important thing is talking to the parents and letting them know their kid is being a bad boy. Hopefully it works out, good luck!
If you can't catch him you can't accuse him, at least not publically.
If you're absolutely sure, try telling him to stop doing what he's doing without specifying. He'll know. If it continues I wouldn't enter him in future events.
The evidence in such a case is entirely circumstantial---unless the TD breaks into the bathroom stall and searches the youngster.
My main concern is that if he is rewarded for this behaviour it will only reinforce it. I guess the answer is to warn him without being accusatory but that is easier said than done. Of course, in a major event, the TD could require him to remain in the hall unless escorted but that can only be done in extreme cases.
Simple solution - and I've had this exact problem before - the player cannot leave when it is their move.
I had one (young) player doing this repeatedly, and I warned him that he was not to leave the general vicinity of his board (ie the "Playing Area") on his own move. If I caught him leaving the room again on his move, he would forfeit his game.
Sure they could still do it on their opponent's move, however this will be harder (more moves to remember). If the problem persists you could go the route of "One bathroom break per hour, or you will not be welcome in my events anymore"
I teach some online lessons. One of my students is a 12-year-old American with a USCF rating of roughly 1000. When we have our lessons and are playing practice games in openings we are looking at, at least half the time he is simply playing the move "suggested" to him by his computer and pretending they are his own ideas. It's a combination of funny and sad.
An example from this week:
We get a very sharp position and I play the move Ra4-g4+. With a pile of pieces on the board he clicks his mouse a few times (I can hear it over the headset) and plays ...Kg8-f8! I ask him why he didn't go to h8, which is a lot safer looking. A long pause... then he gives this really elegant variation involving a self-clearance combined with mating threats and a fork explaining to me "his" idea.
A couple of moves later I try a test. I ask him what he will do if I play some rook move. Equally long pause. Answer is ...Rd2#.
Point is that explaining why people do what they do is a mystery to me. Also that anyone who thinks they can run events over the internet where people won't try to cheat are just naive. It's hard enough to police the players when they are in/near the room.
My suggestion to Gordon: next time you are played with this player insist that the TD watch him. Most kids are awful liars. If the TD "catches" him when he exits the loo and asks him if he is using some sort of device you will know immediately beyond all reasonable doubt if he is cheating.
"Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.
Simple solution - and I've had this exact problem before - the player cannot leave when it is their move.
I had one (young) player doing this repeatedly, and I warned him that he was not to leave the general vicinity of his board (ie the "Playing Area") on his own move. If I caught him leaving the room again on his move, he would forfeit his game.
Sure they could still do it on their opponent's move, however this will be harder (more moves to remember). If the problem persists you could go the route of "One bathroom break per hour, or you will not be welcome in my events anymore"
Chris' first point is fully backed up by the Laws of Chess, specifically Article 12 :
"The conduct of the players", which includes
"The player having the move is not allowed to leave the playing area without permission of the arbiter."
At the 2010 North American Youth Chess Championships in Montreal, where I was assisting Hal, we had a situation like this, and we easily applied this law like Chris says.
We were discussing this situation at the Ottawa Spring Open tonight, and it seems many players are not aware of this law. If they flag the situation to the arbiter, hopefully that will facilitate getting the behaviour corrected ASAP.
Speaking of the Ottawa Spring Open, I was about to post the pairings, and then I read an email about someone having to pull out of the event, so I will be adjusting the pairings in the next few minutes. I just took a break! ;)
This may be a silly question, but what happens if player A leaves the playing area while it is his opponent's turn, and his opponent (player B) moves while player A is still away, and then at some point while player A is still away, player B (and/or even the arbiter) declares that player A left his game while it was still player A's move?
If there is no witness who can remember if player A left the playing area while it was player B's turn, is the onus on player A to prove that he did not do so?
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer
I try to hold my bio-breaks until after I move, but sometimes you just can't wait.
We are all awaiting fair played chess games in O.T.B. and such cases of cheating are not expected whatsoever! How to prevent such situations! Any suggestions?
The comments above are all very helpful. If the TD determines that a player has in fact cheated, what should the sanction be? Forfeit of game? Forefeit of all games in tournament? Banned from future play and if so, for how long?
All this assumes that there is very strong circumstantial evidence and that the player has a right to appeal to a discipline committee, etc.
The comments above are all very helpful. If the TD determines that a player has in fact cheated, what should the sanction be? Forfeit of game? Forefeit of all games in tournament? Banned from future play and if so, for how long?
All this assumes that there is very strong circumstantial evidence and that the player has a right to appeal to a discipline committee, etc.
Cheating is an attack on the very premises of the game and tournament and I would think be dealt with quite harshly - minimum expulsion from the tournament. Of course, the problem is probably that strong sentences require strong proof.
However, the thread does not deal with a related issue - unfounded, without evidence, accusations of cheating. This is something that comes up occasionally - witness the post on this board last year about someone not winning a Q vs R+P endgame. This too, is quite serious.
I've often thought the first person I punish on circumstantial evidence would be someone who didn't do it. Maybe the kid has weak kidneys and gets nervous when competing. An older guy might be on dieuretics.
If someone is caught with no doubt, a suspension would have to be reasonable.
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