Chess grandmaster hid an iPod touch in the bathroom to cheat during tournaments
Georgian chess champion Gaioz Nigalidze has been accused of using Apple's iOS devices to gain a competitive advantage during tournaments, hiding an iPod touch --?which was used to analyze the game being played -- in the bathroom during at least one such event.
Nigalidze's match sheet and the iPod touch found in the bathroom
Nigalidze was expelled from the Dubai Open Chess Tournament after organizers discovered an iPod touch, wrapped in toilet paper, stored in a bathroom stall that he visited after each move. Though Nigalidze denied that the device belonged to him, it was logged in to a social networking site under his name and an iOS chess app was found with one of his games on screen.
The search was conducted following an inquiry from Armenian opponent Tigran Petrosian, according to the Telegraph.
"I noticed that he would always visit the same toilet partition, which was strange, since two other partitions weren't occupied," Petrosion said. He notified the tournament's chief arbiter, and officials tossed the stall soon after.
"What they found was the mobile phone with headphones; the device was hidden behind the pan and covered with toilet paper," Petrosion added.
Electronic cheating has long been a concern for chess tournament organizers, and well-known grandmasters have become increasingly vocal about the need for more stringent regulations regarding the use of electronic devices at tournaments.
British grandmaster Daniel Gormally said last month that there are "a few players in English chess whose 'improvement' [he has] found a bit suspicious, to say the least."
"The problem is that computers are so powerful," he added. "It's just a shame because now when you see someone have a significant improvement you think 'hang on, wait a minute' and it shouldn't be that way."
"Of course, you can't prove it. If somebody wants to go to the toilet once or twice in a match you wouldn't be suspicious, but they could easily look at their phone and gain a significant improvement."
Nigalidze's match sheet and the iPod touch found in the bathroom
Nigalidze was expelled from the Dubai Open Chess Tournament after organizers discovered an iPod touch, wrapped in toilet paper, stored in a bathroom stall that he visited after each move. Though Nigalidze denied that the device belonged to him, it was logged in to a social networking site under his name and an iOS chess app was found with one of his games on screen.
The search was conducted following an inquiry from Armenian opponent Tigran Petrosian, according to the Telegraph.
"I noticed that he would always visit the same toilet partition, which was strange, since two other partitions weren't occupied," Petrosion said. He notified the tournament's chief arbiter, and officials tossed the stall soon after.
"What they found was the mobile phone with headphones; the device was hidden behind the pan and covered with toilet paper," Petrosion added.
Electronic cheating has long been a concern for chess tournament organizers, and well-known grandmasters have become increasingly vocal about the need for more stringent regulations regarding the use of electronic devices at tournaments.
British grandmaster Daniel Gormally said last month that there are "a few players in English chess whose 'improvement' [he has] found a bit suspicious, to say the least."
"The problem is that computers are so powerful," he added. "It's just a shame because now when you see someone have a significant improvement you think 'hang on, wait a minute' and it shouldn't be that way."
"Of course, you can't prove it. If somebody wants to go to the toilet once or twice in a match you wouldn't be suspicious, but they could easily look at their phone and gain a significant improvement."
Comments
this is hypocritical... Who hasn't used an iPod touch to cheat on a game or wife in their life?
I don't see any sense of having chess tournaments. Computers destroy humans in chess.
So because computers are better at something, humans should no longer challenge each other? Wow.
I remember not too long ago when the super-computer beat a human champion for the first time.
according to wikipedia:
" Deep Blue [wins] over then World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in 1997"
"After convincing victories in two matches in 2005 and 2006, it appears that chess programs can now defeat even the strongest chess players."
Hardly surprising really is it?
If I recall correctly the computing power of the moon landing craft was < Apple][.
Not to mention these 'professionals' cheat! What does that say about this 'sport' ... Oh yes, it's like cycling!
Chess tournaments for kids though are fabulous way to help their minds develop.
Can you really call yourself a Grandmaster when you're cheating with a computer?
Lesson learned ... Beware the Chess Poop!
Now, an App for the Apple Watch that allows you to count cards in the shoe -- Blackjack in Las Vegas (Sport) -- or Chemin de fer in Divonne-les-Baines (Edition).
The way I see it, soon, the developer will have access to the Watch sensors ... And he could, then, write a Watch app that detects things like strumming fingers, taps, slight arm movements, slight clenching of the hand as input -- then provide taptic feedback when the odds were in your favor ...
Banco!
Not on this level. As a game, fine. As a profession? That's just silly. When some of the best players in the world can be beaten by a 99 cent App on your phone I think its time to move on. This is like having professional arthimetic competitions.
We should just cancel most of the Olympics then because machines easily run faster, jump higher, and toss things further than any human can.
Come to think of it, canceling the Olympics, for whatever reason, isn't such a bad idea.
Using an ?Watch that just taps you would be easier
That is so funny. Did anyone see that the design team spent over a year on what the watch buzzes should feel like?
What does a text "feel" like? What does a phonecall "feel" like? "Less metallic feeling!" "More organic feeling!"
[Side comment: Our 2009 Al Macbook (not Pro) has the glass trackpad. I read they worked 3 months on just the texture].
So you pick up a chess piece that's a bad move and get a tiny Zap: BZZZT!
Then pick up a better piece and get a soft bzzzzz
Best Piece: Shshshshsaaaaaahhhhhhyeeeeesssss.
Still chuckling. Thanks for the laugh.
That's hilarious.
Be careful not to drop that piece of cheese on the chess board
Again, with apologies ti Tony Orlando ...
Tap three times on the left wrist -- for a good move;
Twice on the right [tap, tap] means it's a no-go!
Can you really call yourself a Grandmaster when you're cheating with a computer?
Same as athletes that take steroids I guess, they care more about the adulation than the feeling of having worked for something and earned it fair and square.
Be careful not to drop that piece of cheese on the chess board
Hah! I editted for that typo, but too slow!
Not on this level. As a game, fine. As a profession? That's just silly. When some of the best players in the world can be beaten by a 99 cent App on your phone I think its time to move on. This is like having professional arthimetic competitions.
Shows how much you know about chess at "this level.” No, some 99 cent app on a phone cannot beat the best players in the world. It takes some serious computing power to do that. It took IBM’s Deep Blue to beat Kasparov and that only happened the second time around after some serious upgrade in computing power. Kasparov beat Deep Blue handily in the first match.
Did Nigalidze ask for his iPod back? Or did he buy a new one?
Using an iPod in a chess tournament is more like using steroids in athletics: the issue isn't that machines are better blah blah, but because it's cheating in competitive sports
hmm what else should humans no longer compete among themselves on when machines do it better? lifting heavy objects? throwing objects? spelling? etc..
Not on this level. As a game, fine. As a profession? That's just silly. When some of the best players in the world can be beaten by a 99 cent App on your phone I think its time to move on. This is like having professional arthimetic competitions.
And thus starts the downfall of human kind. When you depend on machines for everything, what do you do when you don't have those machines.
Never depend on computer apps to do your work for you. You use a spreadsheet to do all your calculations for you. You should know how to do all those calculations yourself and you should be able to double check that your spreadsheet is correct.