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Subject: Re: How can we ever have Regular(non GM)tourneys on the net when comps exist

Author: Ratko V Tomic

Date: 17:38:30 11/01/99

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On November 01, 1999 at 19:56:01, Charles Unruh wrote:

>How can we ever have Regular(non GM)tourneys on the net when comps exist.
>People are always talking about how the internet is the future of chess.
>However how can anyone reasonably trust ones opponents.  They can use books,
>computers, even assistance from stronger players.

There are two things which will happen to help solve the problem:

 1. Regular human-to-human play will be possible without cheating once a
convention is established (and technology advances a little bit) to use a small
video camera on the monitor. A camera with a wide angle and a microphone will
let you see the opponent while he is thinking. Obviously, they can still go to
the bathroom few times during the game, but that would have to be while you're
thinking so they won't know your next move. Note also that even when playing in
regular torunaments a player can go to the bathroom and is not seen there, so
it's not a completely new loophole, although it fairly minor one (the player
cheating under these conditions would probably get more distracted than you and
he could cheat only for a few moves, having to guess your next move, anyway).

 2. A form of "full power" chess, similar in freedoms (and quality of play) to
the postal chess, but played at regular tournament pace, will take a life on its
own and become yet another official branch of the competitive chess. In that
case nobody needs to check on anyone since a player can use all tools available
during the game. The postal chess works as a competitive discipline, so the
"full power" chess can work, too.



> I'm cheated on so much
> on the net that i don't even play on ICC or FICS, i just look.

Someone pretending to play on their own while using computer is really cheating
himself. If you don't have your ego and self-image tied up with the ICC/FICS
rating, and you're just playing for fun, it shouldn't matter if someone is
cheating. The rating there of your opponent reflects their strenght plus
whatever they use for play, so if someone virtual person is highly rated, they
may be a strong human or a patzer with a fast computer. Either way his rating
tells you whether the opponent(s) is (are) too strong for you and it shouldn't
depress your rating at all. After all, you could play with IMs and GMs and keep
your rating by winning the expected (from the ratng difference) fractin of
points. So, the virtual players on the internet can't cheat you at all, whatever
combination or proportion of carbon and silicon their "brains" are made of.


> Besides from what i can see playing many blitz games does NOTHING to
> improve your game.

Blitz is like a smoking or alcohol or illegal drugs, not good for you but it
does give a special kind of kick (and one can overdose on it, too). I personally
avoid it (I play only for the enjoyment of game, its puzzle/mind challenge
aspect, not the ratings or any blitz kick), but my younger brother, who is a
master, loves blitz and can play it all night long (he plays on any blitz
tournament in his city, although he consciously puts an effort not to overdo it
in the club).




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