The Mind of the Cheater

Just recently read over at Chess Tactics Server a discussion on cheaters at the site. It's a self drill! You're not even playing a person or a computer. They are simply puzzles to help improve your game. Why on earth anyone would cheat is simply beyond me. I understand why people would cheat on RHP or blitz sites, because they get some satisfaction out of beating someone (although they aren't really). I recall back in the 60's (hippie land in California) a friend telling me about a free store where people were invited to come in and help themselves to breat, eggs, milk, etc. He said he spotted a woman putting bread under her shirt. "M'am," he said. "Everything's free here, you don't have to steal anything." He said she got really indignant and told him to mind his own business, that she wasn't stealing anything. So every day, he said, the woman would come in and stuff things into her shirt and walk out with a big grin on her face. There are so many weird and crazy people out there, some have to play chess, and there's no reasoning with them. (that's also why i'm anti-gun, but that's another forum topic.)

Imagine a particular webisite has security vuneratbilities, but in order to exploit them you have to use all your knowledge on proxies, servers, yada, yada.

I should imagine this amature hackers get quite a buzz by hacking a website -- even if it is a chess site -- next time, they may go and find something harder - like the MOD

as for engine cheats at RHP i'm not sure this applies -- perhaps its attension seeking, or a simple curouiscity -- trying to work out "how" they caught you...I'm not sure.

Originally posted by buddy2
Just recently read over at Chess Tactics Server a discussion on cheaters at the site. It's a self drill! You're not even playing a person or a computer. They are simply puzzles to help improve your game. Why on earth anyone would cheat is simply beyond me. I understand why people would cheat on RHP or blitz sites, because they get some satisfaction out o ...[text shortened]... ning with them. (that's also why i'm anti-gun, but that's another forum topic.)

this thread is interesting ... esp the bit about the anti-Tiger software... hope it goes somewhere as I'm sure there is a market for it1http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=45573

Over at Chess Tactics Server, you are only in competition with yourself. Nobody knows who the handles are. So you go on, do the drills, hoping you can raise your rating a little. I don't even look at anybody else's rating, as it's meaningless to me. He could be a grandmaster or Joe down the street. I actually had a conversation with one cheater on ICC blitz (which does a lot to keep them out). Why do you do it, I asked. He said, "for respect." I said, "What about self-respect?" "Oh," he said, "I have enough of that." So where's the "respect" reward at CTS? Nobody knows who anybody is. There's a sickness there that i can't define. Maybe somebody trained in psychoanalysis can chime in on this one.

Perhaps it's the RPG mentality. That one's online persona is a fantasy. And like any enjoyable fantasy, characters are instilled with super-human powers. Powers that, in chess, can only be obtained by cheating with a calculating monster. Its magic, see! Dungeons and Dragons. Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. It lifts some people out of their drab existence. It puts an element of "control" into their lives.

Are they sick? I used to think so. Now I'm not so sure. I don't think they care about the damage they do. People they cheat are just additional characters in their fantasy world. There are no real world consequences for their actions. If we ban them, they move on to another site, or come back in some new guise.

Are they deluding themselves? Probably not. I think they know exactly what they are doing. And it makes them feel good. Its entertainement. For them, this is a role playing game, not chess.

Originally posted by Gatecrasher
Are they deluding themselves? Probably not. I think they know exactly what they are doing. And it makes them feel good. Its entertainement. For them, this is a role playing game, not chess.

I think at first it isn't a self-delusion however over time it does become that. Just look at the likes of TRACKHEAD's forums posts. He truely believed himself to be a good chess player. If you lie to yourself enough eventually you'll start believing yourself.

with CTS i guess it's because they have a league table of the best tacticians. Getting your name to the top of the list is the motivation i presume.

Originally posted by drdon
this thread is interesting ... esp the bit about the anti-Tiger software... hope it goes somewhere as I'm sure there is a market for it1http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=45573

You say you have it? I've never heard of it. Care to display a screenshot? Do you use it during your games?

D

Originally posted by XanthosNZ
Just look at the likes of TRACKHEAD's forums posts. He truely believed himself to be a good chess player.

But did he really? His forum posts were all part of the game. His RHP character certainly believed itself to be a great chess player. Who knows what the person behind TRACKHEAD really thought?

Originally posted by Gatecrasher
But did he really? His forum posts were all part of the game. His RHP character certainly believed itself to be a great chess player. Who knows what the person behind TRACKHEAD really thought?

I seriously doubt anyone can act that well consistently.

Originally posted by Gatecrasher
Who knows what the person behind TRACKHEAD really thought?

I often get the feeling someone new is someone from the past, even when their role seem to be completely different, maybe even different gender. but little tips and the way they write makes you suspect. like some of the 'females' the guys keep flirting with.

the roleplayers can be incredibly tenacious. just last autumn there was a guy who dropped the ball after 8 years of waterproof posting in character on a finnish newsgoup on creationism. the guy had been doing 'religious nut' almost daily, and his identity was borrowed from an existing person. then he once posted in wrong character with another character's mail-account. that was it. but 8 years he went on with it successfully!

there was another dude on another newsgroup, this was a real person, and had been met in meets, so no question about that. one day, five of the 'regulars' in the group disappeared simultaneously. after a while people connected the dots and figured they were all the same person. of course, all kinds of harsh comments were made and jokes told. until the guy's wife, who was also known to be real person, informed the group that her husband had died. it turns out the guy had been doing FIVE long term characters for years! some female, rest male, and all very different personalities. the only character I ever saw questioned, was a female engineer that was just a little 'too male' with 'her' train of thought to pull it off. all characters were on for years, along with his real self that was never suspected until his wife told the truth. the guy was okay, smart and friendly. his just liked acting.

and there is even less to be gained roleplaying on a newsgroup than on a chess site. they just like to play.