GM Ben Finegold's Unpopular Opinion on Cheating

#benfinegold #chess #hansniemann #magnuscarlsen

[russellthorburn]

I get accused of cheating frequently because one would have to cheat to play the worst move possible so often. That takes skill.

[ExtraCheeseProject]

When friends asked me why I stopped playing over the board the answer is because I never played in a FIDE-rated tournament that had any anti-cheating measures in place. I have no idea why Finegold's opinion is unpopular and it actually feels like it's the most obvious way to handle things. Eventually cheating will define the game of chess if people keep treating like the elephant in the room; it needs to be in the limelight because if more isn't done to prevent cheating it could literally destroy this game.

[ravikeller]

“It may not be a compliment on your character, but Hans can’t really expect many of those anyway”… savage

[Izukachan]

I remember attending a Fide event in Singapore back in 2019. There were literally no safeguards in place. No metal detectors, no checks, no nothing. Sure, phones were "banned", but only at the "venue", which was an exhibition hall in a hotel. When you go to the bathrooms of the hotel, they literally don't check if you are using phones. I remember overhearing some kid talk to his mum on the phone and he said his game wasn't over. Sure it wasn't cheating or malicious, but the fact that phones could be used so easily means that OTB events held by fide is not at all free from cheating.

[upisntdownsilly]

'either by his admission, or his admission' finegold being the funniest person ever even when talking about unfunny things

[Al-gvuw]

The important part is that you said fide should allow people to discuss possible cheating

[TH-dgmm]

I'm incredibly good at a couple meaningless video games and I get Ben's point. Being accused of 'hacking' or cheating is a compliment for me because I know I'm not cheating.

The difference is I'm not a professional and I don't make a living off it and so the accusations are meaningless. For Hans the accusations could end his career.

[ExtraCheeseProject]

Ben once accused me of cheating because on stream I suggested the same puzzle solution that he was thinking. It turns out our solution was a big advantage but the correct solution was a forced mate. To Ben's point, I took it as a great compliment!

[DerangedAussieMan]

This is why I love you Ben: you're not afraid to express an unpopular opinion. And you backed up your view pretty well.

[lifeofupendi]

I like that quote, "maybe he did cheat, I just don't think he did." I was waiting for the ULTIMATE plot twist when at the end of the tournament Hans and Magnus both come out in a joint statement how they orchestrated the whole thing and Magnus would be like this is why I am struggling with caring about chess, because this little nonsense where I never say he cheated or anything, and the whole chess world dissolves into accusations of vibrators and plugs.

[regalalien]

There's another aspect to cheating that has not been discussed anywhere that I know of. When you suspect your opponent of cheating, it becomes a big distraction that can affect your game adversely. I think this happens quite a lot in US tournaments. In the Chicago Open, for example, players get up and walk around, go to the restroom, look at other games, joke around with their buddies, and come back whenever they want. (Cellphones are supposed to be turned off and not be taken into restrooms, but this is hard to enforce.) When a player comes back in a complicated position and plays an especially strong move that the player at the board did not see, the player at the board can be distracted for the rest of the game.

[sanekabc]

Magnus and Hans are missing a golden opportunity to have a pay per view match with each other. They would make millions.

[hexstone]

The combination of $$$ and internet gaming is a breeding ground for cheating. It's never going away.

[johnrainmcmanus]

The main thing is that Magnus is an alcoholic, and nobody talks about that.

[Zonbachiru]

"It may not be a compliment on your character, but Hans can't really expect those anyway" LMAO

[FabioHamza-qrvl]

Exactly, I was thinking about the same thing yesterday: if somebody would accuse me of cheating and I am not I would be flattered. No need to explain anything in postgame interviews as my chess would speak for itself.

[albertbatfinder]

Ben combines a ruthless intellectual logic with the funniest of wit. But above all he’s honest and I suspect incorruptible.

[monkerud]

Pro tip for all cheaters out there, cheat 1 move per game and you will never be caught xD

[nicolasseespan]

Best opinion I heard on this subject. So much emotional reaction everywhere else.

[jamie]

I remember when games would adjourn after a sealed move. Players would return to the hotel and go to work on the position with their team, then resume the game the next day after studying the position all night. Imagine that today?