Cheating in Chess

[AdminX]

What is your most favorite story about Cheating using Computer assistance in chess? I think mine would have to be the Clemens Allwermann case in 1998.

Here are his games from the Böblinger Open. Fritz 5.32 and Powerbook 99 were his tools of choice at the time. Prior to this event he had a rating of around 1900 for years.


Clemens Allwermann

[Rolf]

What is your most favorite story about Cheating using Computer assistance in chess? I think mine would have to be the Clemens Allwermann case in 1998.

Here are his games from the Böblinger Open. Fritz 5.32 and Powerbook 99 were his tools of choice at the time. Prior to this event he had a rating of around 1900 for years.


Clemens Allwermann

I read such anecdotes with mixed emotions. It's too easy and superficial to accuse or blame such an individual. The story should better be understood this way.

If you reach a constant 1900+ you are among the best amateur players. You know a whole lot about chess BUT, alas, you simply cant succeed in OTB chess because you blunder and against better master players you lose the game without often feeling why.

For these players the seduction of the thought is tremdously high, to rely on the help of computers. You dont see it as a crime. You know how good you are and the little difference to true mastership in OTB is in your private eyes just so small so that the little, very unimportant aid by a machine is NOT a problem for you.

But the mistake in such an attitude is that the difference between a real master in chess and all of us amateurs is higher than we all want to admit. Because we simply oversee the importance of the difference between the ability to know spontanesously what is "correct" in chess and what is just a guess. Even masters can blunder, but for the amateur the blundering itself becomes an expectance. And the wish to get rid of such a petite quantite negligable is absolutely human. It's typical for all chessplayers like me too who think that just a little bit of this opening knowledge and that secret stuff would allow us all to become Champions. Because when we see the master play it's so obvious! And we make the mistake that we think that if we could understand the result that we could have also found the way to get to the result in OTB. So there the story begins.

In real life any good master can tell after a couple of experiences with an amateur if he has the potential of becomning a master or if he will remain a patzer. A patzer isnt a bad player, but he isnt a master either.

If I wanted to become a master I could easily let me implantate a chip which avoided my general tiredness and inexactness during a game of chess. I learn in CC that this isnt allowed to be called cheating. So what is the problem? I could give it a try!

[pedrox]

According.

In one of the games, he played against a GM, this resign and he said to GM that is the right because it was mate in 8.

Anand asked for the position, he said: "I could not see mate, I need information about the game".

[Rolf]

According.

In one of the games, he played against a GM, this resign and he said to GM that is the right because it was mate in 8.

Anand asked for the position, he said: "I could not see mate, I need information about the game".

Consequence must be, you become autist and no sprek engle.

I would also let my girlfriend make the press conferences. Would mystify me. Also if I let her announce that I couldnt play chess at all. I do never play computers!

[Terry McCracken]

Hi Ted. Your link isn't working, just displaying a 404 error.

[glorfindel]

In one of the games, he played against a GM, this resign and he said to GM that is the right because it was mate in 8.

I have read in a greek magazine that he said it was mate in eight, the GM smiled at him in disbelief, and then Allwermann replied "It is true, check it out if you want". or something like this. Quite stupid of him.

[AdminX]

Hi Ted. Your link isn't working, just displaying a 404 error.

Sorry Terry,

I forgot to upload it. It's working now. My bad.

[Terry McCracken]

Hi Ted. Your link isn't working, just displaying a 404 error.

Sorry Terry,

I forgot to upload it. It's working now. My bad.

Thanks!

Can I copy this into Fritz 8?

[lmader]

Here's a nifty article that gives some history of the topic, and includes the story about Allwermann:

http://www.chessbase.com/columns/column.asp?pid=190

[james uselton]

There was a case out West 8 or 9 yrs ago that was quiet interesting. It was around the time of 9-11 so it wasn't well publicized. It mostly concerned A and B players playing in the A and B sections of big tournaments. Some of the big tournaments have large cash prizes for section winners. There was this strong player, probably master level, who used his friend, a B level, to play in these big tournaments. The strong player would watch the game as a bystander sometimes watching other boards but always moving back to the board in question. They had an electronic device that fit in their shoes. The strong player could signal the B player by sending an electric impulse with his toes. Two electric impulses signaled a knight move---they even had signal to designate which square the Knight was to move to. And the bishop was 3 impulses, rook was 4 impulses etc., etc. Six impulses was an optional move, which the B player could make on his own. This made it a realistic looking chess game. Some of the prizes were a thousand dollars or more and the B player's rating quickly went up to A and then expert. Of course the money became less and less as the B player rose in the ratings. There was a short article about this in one of the West coast chess publications.