[dcow]

How do you cheat at chess? Serious question… there are fixed rules that govern the game, certainly a piece of software or in the human case 3rd party observer should be able to enforce them? In other words, given a list of moves, you can write a program that returns `valid` if the set of moves is allowed or `invalid` if it is not, no?

[tacitusarc]

Simple: don’t play moves you discover independently, and instead use an advanced chess AI to tell you what to play. You play your opponent’s moves against an alternative AI program, and then play its moves back in your game against the human.

I don’t know why people do this. It’s not like it makes them better at chess.

[brundolf]

The same reasons cheating is rampant in all online videogames, I imagine

[dcow]

Oh, wait, this must be cheating in the sense of “I used a computer to assist my brain in determining my move”. I guess that is a new type of problem in online chess…

[kzrdude]

New since 1994 or so

[dcow]

I never got into online chess. I’ve always played against physical humans or a bot.

[synu]

There are people who have snuck chess computers into over the board tournaments as well, or used signaling from someone who had one.

[_zihg]

Open up high level bot in another tab. Play their moves and copy what the bot does in response.

I have no idea why people do it, it's not even like video game cheats where it gives people a advantage but you're still in control - you're literally just copying.

[as-j]

I’d have to guess, but fake internet points? The ability to say “I’m ranked 5th at blah blah chess website”. Maybe it’s not even to others but just to themselves.

[V-2]

The (not visible, but presumed and imagined) frustration of the player on the other end gives some people joy.

[V-2]

They don't even need to open another tab. There is at least one Google Chrome extension specifically for cheating in chess (which the creators pretty much openly admit - their YT channel features a blatant cheating tutorial video).

I've reported this extension for abuse - since it's obviously unethical, goes against the rules of the websistes it's supposed to be used on, plus the description in the Store is misleading, as it's deliberately vague and unlike their YT profile, it cautiously doesn't mention cheating at all. Obviously it hasn't been taken down though.

[CrankyBear]

Simple. You use an engine to decide what moves you make instead of your own knowledge and skill. It's depressingly common.

[mkmk]

There are multiple permissible moves. Cheaters use a computer to identify the best one.