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Online chess is broken, I assume you’re cheating until you prove me wrong

After a few months of playing online chess, I’ve noticed a shift in my mindset. I now catch myself assuming that my opponent might be cheating until proven otherwise. It is not a great place to be, but in a strange way it gives me a certain peace of mind, because it removes the emotional rollercoaster. I stop taking every loss personally, and I stop overinterpreting every brilliant move.

At the same time, it says something troubling about the state of the game online. Chess is built on trust, on the idea that two people meet on equal terms, relying only on their own thinking. When that trust erodes, something essential is lost, even if the games themselves continue.

So this is where I’ve landed for now. A more detached way of playing, a bit more guarded, a bit less naive. It works for me individually, but I cannot pretend it is good for the community as a whole.

Anyway. Just putting it out there. Take from it what you want.

After a few months of playing online chess, I’ve noticed a shift in my mindset. I now catch myself assuming that my opponent might be cheating until proven otherwise. It is not a great place to be, but in a strange way it gives me a certain peace of mind, because it removes the emotional rollercoaster. I stop taking every loss personally, and I stop overinterpreting every brilliant move. At the same time, it says something troubling about the state of the game online. Chess is built on trust, on the idea that two people meet on equal terms, relying only on their own thinking. When that trust erodes, something essential is lost, even if the games themselves continue. So this is where I’ve landed for now. A more detached way of playing, a bit more guarded, a bit less naive. It works for me individually, but I cannot pretend it is good for the community as a whole. Anyway. Just putting it out there. Take from it what you want.

maybe it’s time to play offline

maybe it’s time to play offline

Uss man. @gruuk . Although i dont exactly support assuming people cheating in online chess with that sort of information. But i still think playing otb is still better. And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide.

Uss man. @gruuk . Although i dont exactly support assuming people cheating in online chess with that sort of information. But i still think playing otb is still better. And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide.

@Deshichele said ^

And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide.

Did it ever occur to you that bragging the same way round and round everywhere you step gets quite annoying pretty quickly?

@Deshichele said [^](/forum/redirect/post/BRkZncSq) > And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide. Did it ever occur to you that bragging the same way round and round everywhere you step gets quite annoying pretty quickly?

Better not to expect cheating. I think engine use is very rare at my intermediate level from what I see on this site, but nearly ever player seems to want to tear me to shreds due to some imagined atrocities he thinks I committed against his entire family lineage going back to 5000BC.

Better not to expect cheating. I think engine use is very rare at my intermediate level from what I see on this site, but nearly ever player seems to want to tear me to shreds due to some imagined atrocities he thinks I committed against his entire family lineage going back to 5000BC.

I also assume you are cheating then, until you prove me wrong.

I also assume you are cheating then, until you prove me wrong.

@Deshichele said ^

And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide.

Do you think bragging about this even makes sense? Nobody is jealous of you. What kind of paranoia is this?

@Deshichele said [^](/forum/redirect/post/BRkZncSq) > And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide. Do you think bragging about this even makes sense? Nobody is jealous of you. What kind of paranoia is this?

@TheMagnusAura said ^

And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide.

Do you think bragging about this even makes sense? Nobody is jealous of you. What kind of paranoia is this?

I've encountered a school senior irl with this thing........ Although it Doesn't matter anyways. You gotta learn to ignore people when needed.

@TheMagnusAura said [^](/forum/redirect/post/FxTZt1ZC) > > And there probably are people online jealous of some1 who got a fide rating with a chess.com rating they cannot even start to think about getting fide. > > Do you think bragging about this even makes sense? Nobody is jealous of you. What kind of paranoia is this? I've encountered a school senior irl with this thing........ Although it Doesn't matter anyways. You gotta learn to ignore people when needed.

Cheating happens, but in less than 1% of games.
Do not get paranoid.
Do not blame your own losses on divine intervention.

Cheating happens, but in less than 1% of games. Do not get paranoid. Do not blame your own losses on divine intervention.