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Subject: Re: Chessbase

Author: Mike S.

Date: 12:43:34 03/12/03

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On March 11, 2003 at 18:57:28, Russell Reagan wrote:

>On March 11, 2003 at 18:39:41, John Jack wrote:
>
>>Chessbase has software installed in there computers That can detect  software
>>being used on the playchess web site (Main Playing Hall) How is this possible.
>>If you buy there software we tend to play like computers.(Learn)
>
>They can't know "for sure", but they can get a pretty good idea.
>
>Probably the first thing they check is how long the player took between moves.
>If the player always takes 15 seconds for each move, then there's a good chance
>that it's a computer, because even beginning chess players know that some moves
>are forced and they play them quickly.

Bad idea IMO... that doesn't *prove* anything. It would just lead to false
cheating accusations, and therefore lots of complains. False accusations against
honest customers are *much worse* than a few cheaters who are not detected.

(Btw. I've repeatedly read the advice in chess books, that you should think
twice especially when I move seems forced...)

>(...) There are probably even more sophisticated ways. Maybe someone can add more.

AFAIK they have chess software running in the background, doing a (obviously
very quick, but sufficient) tactical analysis. There are types of correct
combinations played after short thinking times, which are very unlikely to be
done by a human. Things like, you can mate in 5 easily with a "normal" move
sequence, but instead sac the queen after 2 seconds, resulting in mate in 3,
with a wide tree of crazy problem-like continuations... This would also detect
cheating by using a second computer (where normal software detection methods
would fail).

Although I wonder if they would "detect" Kasparov as being a computer :o)), IOW
I don't think it's a 100% perfect method. - But 98% reliability would be
sufficient too. Furthermore, cheaters are not immediatly cancelled. AFAIK there
are one or two warnings first, then the rating is reset etc. (I think the
detailed steps are explained somewhere in the server's docs online).

Regards,
M.Scheidl



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