Three members of France’s chess team, including the captain, have been suspended for five years after being caught cheating in the 39th Chess Olympiad in Russia. The method had been carefully worked out between the three of them. While player one was actually competing, player two was using a piece of chess software on his computer elsewhere to find out the best possible moves. He then texted player three, who was in the room where the game was being played. Various positions had already been agreed between them, so if player three went and stood beside a particular table, that signified a particular square on the board. Luckily it was the vice-president of the French Chess Federation who read a message on player three’s phone saying “Hurry up with the next move!” and blew the whistle.
I’m not a chess player and it all seems very complicated. Wouldn’t it have been simpler just to play the game? The whole thing certainly conjures up an amusing picture of a hyperactive Frenchman skipping gaily round the room from one piece of furniture to another.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Chess is not just about winning, it is about prestige. Once a player wins there are no rules that say the winner has to play the loser ever again. Losing therefore means that you might never get a chance to play the superior player again.
One of my relatives created history back in the 1800s when he found a new move to solve a great chess problem . I myself have played chess since I was a child. A great game.
It’s also faster than cricket 🙂
Hee Hee Donald,
Eddie the Eagle was faster than cricket FFS.
This is an incredible tale Sheona. Almost like that captain fellow with the cough codes on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.
I suppose wherever there is a prize some bent sod will try and fiddle their way into getting it. Is nothing sacred?
This little device has been used many times to cheat at chess and cards
It’s a Morse code key that attaches to a players leg, pretty difficult to use in chess though as the user would have to remember the names and codes for thousands of different moves but some people were very successful at it once. 😦
I played against Tigran Petrosian once ( a world champion) and took him all the way to a draw. It was bit of a cheat though because I was only 10 years old and didn’t understand the “en passant” rule too well so he waived it. Very nice man, I still remember him. 🙂
Chess is a mystery to me 🙂
I know the rudiments of the game, but my bother was always better than me, very quickly having the ability to think several moves ahead, so I gave up – and have never returned to it. I can beat him at Othello though.
Chess, along with Bridge, Poker and Golf, is one of the few great games of the world that can be played both by the beginner and also by the expert practitioner.
OZ
I’ve never understood the “cheat” mentality. Cheats know that they haven’t really won, so what’s the point? Money, prestige – and an eternity in hell from a vengeful God! 🙂
Bearsy – Maradona, cheated, became wealthy and went back to Argentina and became a God, but it was done in the spirit of the game and against the dreaded thief of the Falklands, so that makes it a good deed.
Blessed be thee Diego for bringing the cup to the holy continent of soccer! 🙂
Bearsy – You know it and I know it, but to the cheats results beat performance (or lack of it if you’re a betting man) every time. 🙂
OZ
The whole scheme just seemed so complicated to me, I felt it would have been easier to concentrate on the game and just play it.
It certainly sounds complicated, Sheona. But I suppose there was the added ‘spice’ that they were going to beat the anti-cheating systems as well as win the game of chess. Not much difference between the two activities really – all about out-witting one’s opponents!
I reckon that they should barred for life… cheats don’t change.
Donald, my only advice to you is avoid the UK, unless you fancy a knuckle sandwich! 🙂 It gives a whole new meaning to ‘hand of god’!
The last photo I saw of Maradonna showed that the Hand of God had come down on him with a vengeance. An overweight drug addict.