Here you can read a very interesting article on internet chess by GM
Pablo Zarnicki :

http://www.chess-players.org/eng/new...le.html?id=120


THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

There is a saying: "silence implies consent". In fact, I do not always share
this philosophy and I believe that when dealing with someone who does not
know what they are talking about it is better to ignore them than to respond
to them. Though it is different when one is unjustly harmed, and even worse,
one notices a system in which it is possible to continue to do damage to a
person's image without consideration. This situation, like any other has its
limits, and that is why I find myself forced to publicize my position.

CHESS ON THE INTERNET

For years we have known of the importance that technological advances are
making for our game. We get instantaneous games, we see the tournaments live
and even better Grand Masters, Masters, and even Intermediate players can
make a living with this. This point is very important considering that
nowadays the chess "pie" is being served to fewer and fewer people.
To earn money many of us are online instructors on one or various servers.
Also, in the past little while there have been online tournaments with cash
prizes, and this brought into suspicion the use of "external help" by some
players, which I want to particularly address.
Before further discussing this topic I would like to share some personal
references, from both the internet and "real life".
I've been giving lessons at the ICC for over 5 years; the site has become my
second home. 200 students have been under my tutelage there, and I have
developed friendships all over the world.
That is still my primary work and for now, among other things, I have
drifted away from "serious" competition. Therefore when there is an
interesting online tournament I can't resist the temptation to sign, even I
loose money. The classes are more productive.
In "serious" chess I have had the honor of being Junior World Champion in
1992, and a GM in 1994, and many others achievements I don't want to bore
you with.
As far as the blitz - and I am referring to real life, since there are
idiots that could say that I cheat in a friendly online game- I have beat
several of the best players in the world. The list is long but I will name
just a few: Kasparov when he visited Argentina in 1992, Karpov, with him we
played many blitz games in the Dominican Republic in 2002 (of course he won
most of them). In that same country I also came in third in a blitz
tournament, ahead of Shirov and Svidler (Milov won) beating Volkov, Filipov,
Moiseenko, amongst others. One match to Leko in 1994, etc.
Over the internet I have won games against all the best of the world that
play online. Of course they always win more games than I do, but I want to
say that I did beat them eventually. Finally it's said that the slower the
game the easier it is to cheat. In that case I would be better than Bill
Gates with computers because where I most stand out, is in the 1 minute
(bullet) games where I am always amongst the best at the ICC.

THE BEGINNING OF THE PROBLEM

At this year's Dos Hermanas tournament played at the ICC, I had the "bad"
luck of playing well in one of the qualifying stages, winning in an
undisputed way. A few days after the tournament, and before the final, I was
warned I could not play because I was under "suspicion" for having used
extra help. Although the tournament rules were clear in stating that the
organizers can eliminate anyone without giving any explanations (let alone
proof) it doesn't stop them from being discriminatory. First and for most it
should be said that the pace of the game under dispute (8+2) each player who
won was automatically under suspicion by the general public. Also if a not
so well known player surprisingly beat a GM they'd have a good chance of
being disqualified and in fact that's what happened in several cases.

Like I said at the beginning, I though of the issue as calmly as possible, I
am sill at my job at the ICC because the decision was only for me to be
barred from playing in said final. I can even understand, in some way that
the methods that they use sometimes fail and they made a mistake. Then many
ignorant people that supported the unjust disqualification got into a verbal
attack towards me, but it was a great compensation to feel the support of
the majority of the people who did not understand my disqualification.

It's certain that I will not return to play at Dos Hermanas, but I do enjoy
participating in events like this one. Now a days, I play frequently on the
Chessbase server where, as any other GM specialized in blitz, I win various
tournaments in which I participated in, also hung out all my pieces in many
others.
In fact, two ideal tournaments (good prizes) would have been perfect for me
to "cheat" in, are the one by the ACP, in which I didn't make it to the
final and the one from the Canary Islands, in which I qualified for and
ended up in 29th position.

You are probably asking why I'm writing this now and not before. It turns
out that in one of the servers I used to play in, up until few days ago, is
the WCN (World Chess Network). Minutes after beginning the Saturday Masters
tournament, I was informed that I was being barred, for having used extra
help. There, the time control of the game was 3 0, and in the games I had
participated in, they had gone just as well as they had gone badly. The
person with whom I spoke, (Julie Trottier) treated me with contempt and only
informed me that many titled players (who?) saw my games and came to an
exact conclusion. Maybe one of their "pieces of evidence" was if I was
eliminated from Dos Hermanas, it must have been for some reason. In reality,
that is the biggest problem of what occurred with said tournament, not
loosing the final, but the creation of suspicion around me that I don't
deserve. It is good to clear up that many title holders are my rivals and
prefer that I did not participate, maybe they were the ones consulted. If
they tell me that their experts were Kasparov, Anand, and Kramnik then I
would say fine, I better not play in any more online games because I'm that
damn good, like Fritz. But, that's a big joke.
I am a person who has worked in different areas of my country. I write in
our biggest, and most important newspaper. Never in my life have I needed
artificial schemes to obtain what I have.

PROPOSAL

With the growth of online chess, the business has also grown and therefore
everyday there are more and more servers on which to play, give lessons,
etc. I would like to tell you, dearest colleagues and make it public at
once, that many of these servers are good, and many not. Many masters have
been swindled and in many cases, and the owners or managers of these sites,
worship their own arrogance.
The same way we united to fight together in "real life" with the ACP, I
propose that within our growing association, we create a commission of
online chess, and maybe that way, those of us who are interested in
participating will be more protected in front of those who have never
touched a chess piece, who win money at our cost, and what is worse, damage
our image without any form of evidence, based only on rumors, how and when
they please.

I am at your disposal, and a warm greeting to those who love chess.

GM Pablo Zarnicki

I would really like to hear more on this from people that are close to the
story. I had heard at a local chess tournament the Pablo Zarnicki had
cheated during an online tournament. I was shocked when I heard it and it
is difficult for me to believe that he cheated. Does anyone have more facts
on this story?

David Bohm

"Jerzy" wrote in message
...
Here you can read a very interesting article on internet chess by GM
Pablo Zarnicki :

http://www.chess-players.org/eng/new...le.html?id=120

Subject: Pablo Zarnicki on internet chess and cheating
From: "David Bohm"
Date: 8/7/2004 8:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: lxeRc.3461$yh.614@fed1read05

I would really like to hear more on this from people that are close to the
story. I had heard at a local chess tournament the Pablo Zarnicki had
cheated during an online tournament. I was shocked when I heard it and it
is difficult for me to believe that he cheated. Does anyone have more facts
on this story?

David Bohm


Like GMs haven't cheated before and often?

John Fernandez

"John Fernandez" wrote in message
...

Like GMs haven't cheated before and often?

John Fernandez

I don't know do they? That is why I was curious if there was more
information available on the story. Maybe I am a little naive in this area
but it is hard for me to believe that GMs are cheating that often.

David Bohm

"David Bohm" wrote in message
news:C7lRc.3501$yh.2692@fed1read05...

I don't know do they? That is why I was curious if there was more
information available on the story. Maybe I am a little naive in this
area
but it is hard for me to believe that GMs are cheating that often.


Until there are no clear rules for disqualifying a player from any internet
chess event on ICC or WCN usw. there will be no consent upon the matter of
internet (c)heating.
Proposal of Pablo Zarnicki sounds reasonable. But I can already hear in my
mind objections of John Fernandez who is involved in ICC business ;-)

Regards,
Jerzy

From: "Jerzy"

Until there are no clear rules for disqualifying a player from any internet
chess event on ICC or WCN usw. there will be no consent upon the matter of
internet (c)heating.
Proposal of Pablo Zarnicki sounds reasonable. But I can already hear in my
mind objections of John Fernandez who is involved in ICC business ;-)

Regards,
Jerzy

I've had nothing to do with ICC for almost 3 years. I'm just going from my
experience as the creator of this event, and as someone who knows a hell of a
lot of GMs and what goes on in these things.

John Fernandez

"John Fernandez" wrote in message
...

I've had nothing to do with ICC for almost 3 years. I'm just going from my
experience as the creator of this event, and as someone who knows a hell
of a
lot of GMs and what goes on in these things.

OK, this event is quite an interesting one. However I must admit it`s
strange to see Pablo Zarnicki or Alexandra Kosteniuk being disqualified. I
think not giving a little bit piece of explanation makes all the mess.
No doubt there are procedures to disqualify a player from such an event on
ICC but until they are unknown to the players there will be no consent upon
them.

The situation is similar to the drug testing in other sports. Sure, there is
a list of forbidden "medicines" and it`s still growing because sports(wo)men
or their doctors are looking for new ones all the time )) But at least
there is such a list and the rules are quite clear.

Regards,
Jerzy

"John Fernandez" wrote in message
...

Like GMs haven't cheated before and often?

You're kidding! Name her, oops, them.

I don't know do they? That is why I was curious if there was more
information available on the story. Maybe I am a little naive in this area
but it is hard for me to believe that GMs are cheating that often.

David Bohm

It's sadly quite common. Most of the time they're caught, but the entire
cheating issue is bad, and harder to detect at the GM level.

John Fernandez

"John Fernandez" wrote in message
...
I don't know do they? That is why I was curious if there was more
information available on the story. Maybe I am a little naive in this
area
but it is hard for me to believe that GMs are cheating that often.



It's sadly quite common. Most of the time they're caught, but the entire
cheating issue is bad, and harder to detect at the GM level.


And on what basis shoud I trust you ?

Regards,
Jerzy