Chess, Cheating, and Computers

By Edward Scimia, About.com GuideOctober 29, 2012

 

 

Cheating is obviously a serious subject in chess. While this has always been true, the rise of computers threw the issue into the spotlight, as by the last 1990s, it was possible for any player to receive "help" from a computer program who was at least as strong as a grandmaster, if not stronger.

Of course, tournament organizers were able to fight back against this, and -- as far as anyone can tell -- this has kept cheating in chess tournaments to a minimum. However, the rise of mobile devices that can host very strong computer programs themselves has once again raised the specter of cheating as a potential problem in chess. A recent article at Grantland explored the issue, using the case of one scholastic player as an example of what could potentially become a wider problem.

While I don't think that many players want to cheat in tournaments (and even fewer are successful), this is clearly an issue that deserves attention. What do you think is the most effective way to prevent cheating in chess?