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Subject: Re: This guy is still not a cheater

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 08:00:18 11/15/00

Go up one level in this thread


On November 15, 2000 at 10:32:56, Alvaro Rodriguez wrote:

>On November 15, 2000 at 09:05:13, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On November 15, 2000 at 01:18:22, Bruce Moreland wrote:
>>
>>>On November 14, 2000 at 17:25:22, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>>>On November 14, 2000 at 15:08:50, Côme wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On November 14, 2000 at 13:11:02, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On November 14, 2000 at 13:00:53, Alvaro Rodriguez wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On November 14, 2000 at 12:54:00, Mogens Larsen wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On November 14, 2000 at 12:18:05, Peter Skinner wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>After move 18 there is _no_ improvement. I have no doubts about wicker-man being
>>>>>>>>>a computer.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Being rated on ICC at 1800 is like being rated about 1400-1500 on FICS. There is
>>>>>>>>>almost no possible way for that type player to beat todays programs. I would
>>>>>>>>>inform speedtrap of his actions.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>That's a very speculative foundation for reporting another player. If he did the
>>>>>>>>same against human opposition, his rating probably wouldn't be as low as it is.
>>>>>>>>Besides, what's the big deal in cheating on a computer program.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Mogens.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>It´s a big deal because the program expects to play a human opponent and when
>>>>>>>the person who is running the (C)(in this case Rebel Tiger) analyzes the games
>>>>>>>played against humans, he will analyze this game too and import it to a database
>>>>>>>with all human opponents. So, he will get wrong results.. Allthough, it´s just
>>>>>>>one game but if everybody cheats, then the results against humans will be
>>>>>>>completly worthless. IMO
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Alvaro
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>If you play 1800-level players on ICC, FICS or chess.net, this is just a fact
>>>>>>of life.  You _are_ going to play computer cheaters.  There are far more
>>>>>>cheaters at the lower ratings (there are also far more players down there too,
>>>>>>of course).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>It is a huge problem...
>>>>>
>>>>>Hello !
>>>>>Wrong again I think.
>>>>>How is it possible to have 1800 if you cheat with a computer ?
>>>>>If you cheat you have a much higer rating.
>>>>>Best Regards
>>>>>Alexandre Côme
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Easy.  5 years ago, you would be correct.  But high ratings now draw a lot of
>>>>attention.  You will find that there are just as many cheaters with low ratings
>>>>as there are with high ratings.  They just pick and choose who they cheat
>>>>against.  I have seen more than one such person get caught, where they
>>>>were cheating in only an occasional game here and there.  But the ICC guys
>>>>try all the commercial programs in their analysis, and they found a 100%
>>>>match between this cheater and one specific commercial program, but only in
>>>>about 1 of every 4-5 games...
>>>>
>>>>He was playing 17-1800 players and playing reasonably close.  He would
>>>>occasionally play a 2100-2300 player and win easily.  A pattern emerged...
>>>
>>>Why is this thread about cheating?  Someone beats a computer and it's cheater
>>>cheater cheater.
>>
>>I don't buy that line of reasoning, and I didn't say that.  I looked at _one_
>>game, and was suspicious of the result for several reasons that I gave.  I
>>also said that one game is not enough to be sure.  That one game doesn't prove
>>that he did or didn't cheat.  an 1800 player beating a 3000 player (rough ICC
>>ratings) is unusual.  _very_ unusual.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>And the guy's ICC name was featured in the original post, so he is being tarred
>>>with this.
>>
>>
>>I didn't look at the PGN, which was unfortunate.  And you are right in that
>>respect.   However, I am also not against calling a spade a spade, and in this
>>game, to me, based on my (and computer) analysis, it looked a bit fishy.  It
>>might be perfectly legit.  Or it might not.
>
>Can´t you check the time per move used by the "human" player in this game ?
>More evidence is needed to call him a cheater IMO..
>
>Alvaro
>


I mentioned this earlier.  The time per move wasn't included, so that was not
data that I used.  It _is_ important data.  But even with the time per move,
I always look at four or more games before I become convinced.

In this discussion, someone was concerned that Tiger got rolled by an 1800
player.  I pointed out that this _might_ not actually be what happened.  I
didn't look at the mate in 7 at all, other than to note that the game
went mate in 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 which is strange for most mates.  For this one,
it was not so strange since it was mostly spite checks.  I still find it
unusual that an 1800 player played without making any tactical mistakes I
could find with a computer, for almost 40 moves.  That _is_ unusual.  At
this fast time control it is even _more_ unusual.  But not 100% convincing
of course.

I wish I hadn't said anything without more data.  I didn't notice that the
ICC handle was given.  Generally when I post PGN I wipe out the name to
protect the innocent (or guilty).  :)

In the context of discovering 'cheaters' one game is useless.  In the context
of showing that a computer can be rolled by an 1800 player, knowing more about
the player is critical.  Which is why I took the time to go over the white
moves in that game.  Tiger plays very well.  Well enough that I found it
difficult to believe it fell into such a loss.  It is _definitely_ possible
that it can happen.  The Trojan Horse is the common way to beat programs at
very fast time controls (this wasn't a trojan attack of course).

I was trying to pull the thread "back on center" a bit...  Tiger is not the
best thing ever done.  Neither is it the worse, which this game might suggest.




>>
>>
>>>
>>>The guy isn't a cheater.  He's someone who played a decent attack against a
>>>computer and it worked.
>>
>>
>>I don't think you can conclude that from one game, any more than I could
>>conclude that he did cheat.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>I like to play against computers sometimes, and I would hate it if I had to deal
>>>with a 100-response thread about how some people only cheat sometimes, about how
>>>cheating is a huge problem, about how hard it is to detect cheaters, the mate in
>>>7 nonsense, and so on.
>>>
>>>If this thread should be about anything, it should be about not letting the
>>>opponent play f6 when there aren't any good defenders and the enemy queen is in
>>>the vicinity.
>>>
>>>bruce



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