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Don’t cancel your chess congress - hold it online!

All players need is something to play chess on [laptop, iPad, tablet, phone] and something to log in to Zoom on [phone, iPad, laptop webcam]. Ideally participants would use a separate camera or use a phone or iPad or built-in webcam on a laptop. You could participate in an event using two phones!

10 players to 1000 players
Multi - section events
One day rapid events
Chess congresses
Junior tournaments
County Matches
International chess tournaments
Club events also accommodated
Free venue hire

Hosting service includes;

Qualified and experienced FIDE International Arbiter and Organiser to run the event
Zoom chat for all participants, no installation necessary
Video recorded throughout on a cloud server, deleted after 1 week
WhatsApp Helpdesk available throughout

We can design an online form for your entries
Players can pay you directly using PayPal, or card
Players register directly on Tornelo under their real names to participate
All pairings available on Tornelo instantly
All games are played on Tornelo, no installation needed
Friendlies, re-pairings, late entries - no problem!
Draw claims, 50-move rule claims dealt with diplomatically
PGN files available instantly
FIDE Anti Cheating software routinely employed, you are provided with the information and can decide what to do with it
Games not rated or ECF graded (but grading can be arranged if all participants are ECF members in advance)

Publicity includes mailing to 4000 active players

For affordable prices contact;

Adam Raoof, FIDE IA and IO, [email protected], www.chessengland.com

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my question is a simple one

how safe is it and also can you stop people cheating?

John Reyes wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 12:08 pm

my question is a simple one

how safe is it and also can you stop people cheating?

Thanks John - what do you mean by safe? In most circumstances this is safer than meeting face to face, and if you mean safeguarding we have had no problems with several hundred children so far (Zoom chat can be turned off between participants)

As far as using assistance goes, I would say that it is far easier to detect cheats online than it is in your average over the board congress, for many reasons. If you break the rules, you will be caught. You cannot stop people breaking the rules, that's why we have rules in the first place.

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:30 am

FIDE Anti Cheating software routinely employed, you are provided with the information and can decide what to do with it

What is the information? Can you provide sample results? How much knowledge of statistics and the methods used would an organiser need to have to properly make use of it?

What should an organiser make of this statement:

https://www.chessprofessionals.org/content/open-letter-kenneth-w-regan-cheating-chess wrote:The interpretation becomes difficult when only a small number of items are tested. What caused us to select them for testing? If the cause comes from preliminary indications of the same kind—which in this case means the mere fact of beating strong players as well doing a quick check of games with an engine—then the bias in selection can upset the interpretation of probabilities. This is why my policy [https://cse.buffalo.edu/~regan/chess/fi ... lfers.html] has been to require an independent factor that determines the selection, such as behavioral or physical evidence of cheating.

which, if I've understood it correctly, implies that using FIDE Anti Cheating software for online events is unreliable due to the lack of "something independent of the consideration of chess analysis and statistical matching to a computer."

It is not usually one game, and it is often accompanied by other signs.

Rank Matc% AvScD ROI #Mvs Sc/#Gm Player Rtng Event
----- ----- ----- ---- ---- ------ --------------- ---- ------------------------------------
1 69.8% 0.054 75.0 129 4.0/ 5 A Player 1400 A Tourney

MM/Matc - Move Match (“finding the novelty”) - 50% for club players is suspicious, 55%+ is very suspicious, 60%+ is cheating
ROI - Raw Outlier Index - 60+ is suspicious, 70+ is cheating
AvScD - Average Scaled (in complex positions) 0.0X is cheating - not to be confused with Lichess and their CPL which is from one game, not reliable, but anything under 20 is highly suspicious.

You can try this out for yourself using pgnspy - take games from one tournament, and compare them to a similar tournament held online. Or take the games of one player from an event and check that against your games from the same event.

Ian Thompson wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 1:18 pm

which, if I've understood it correctly, implies that using FIDE Anti Cheating software for online events is unreliable due to the lack of "something independent of the consideration of chess analysis and statistical matching to a computer."

In over the board events there are such indicators as frequent absences from the playing area, unusual attire and suspicious behaviour either by the player or accompanying people.

Roger,

I'm intrigued to learn the of the potential correlations between "unusual attire" and cheating ? Is this something you have noticed in any opponents or other players ?

Would playing barefoot (but not being a Contessa) qualify as unusual attire and a possible indicator of cheating?

Tell me more....

Sorry, Nick, no cigar. The design of the pieces suggest these are not real chess players.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:54 pm

I'm intrigued to learn the of the potential correlations between "unusual attire" and cheating ? Is this something you have noticed in any opponents or other players ?

If someone is trying to consult a device during over the board play without it being noticed, I would have thought there were three ways of dong it. The obvious one is to leave the board for somewhere private. A second is to have someone signal suggested moves. A third is to have the device concealed about your person. The third and perhaps second require something electronic to be concealed. There's history over the last thirty years of the various attempts that have been made. Hats worn indoors having the potential to conceal a device in the ear being an example. There was the Bulgarian who was suspected of having something in his shoe.

I would agree that


or maybe
would raise your suspicions.

Any other example of "unusual attire" that you have encountered Roger ?

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:30 am

FIDE Anti Cheating software routinely employed

Many of us would like to know more about this - for instance, does it exist?

Can you give further information?

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:04 pm

You can try this out for yourself using pgnspy

I have, using pgnspy's default settings for all parameters, and I'm not sure what to make of it. This player scored 8.5/9 in a tournament. Are their results suspicious or not, and why?
Overall results:
and broken down by game:

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 6:23 pm

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:30 am

FIDE Anti Cheating software routinely employed

Many of us would like to know more about this - for instance, does it exist?

Can you give further information?

Fair point - what is the best way to describe Ken Regan's algorithm and FIDE's opinion of it?

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 04, 2020 6:33 pm

Fair point - what is the best way to describe Ken Regan's algorithm and FIDE's opinion of it?

If we are going to be kind, how about "impenetrable"?