Case A : Android Cheater
World Chess Federation FIDE Arbiters ' Commission
Case A : Android Cheater
This case occurred during the 2015 Dr . Hedgewar Open Chess Tournament , April 2015 , in New Delhi , India .
In the previous issue of this bulletin , we covered the cheating case of GM Gaioz Nigalidze at the Dubai Open . Only a couple of weeks later , there was an even more surprising case of cheating , this time at the 2015 Dr . Hedgewar Open .
Dhruv Kakar , a 19-year-old engineer , defeated his first 5 opponents , including GM Praveen Thipsay , who was rated almost 900 points higher . As explained further below , Kakar and his accomplices devised a thorough cheating system , including various pieces of hardware . In the end however , they were discovered by the straightforward yet thorough observational skills of GM Thipsay , who had been bothered throughout the game by Kakar ’ s repeated foot-stomping :
“ I noticed that he was taking around two minutes for every move , whether it was a complex move or a simple piece-capture with a pawn . I expressed my doubts to the Chief Arbiter , who asked me to continue . By the 29th move , I was clearly lost and chose to offer a draw . He promptly declined the offer . But , my doubts stood confirmed when he missed simple winning lines , as though he waited for a confirmation from someone . At times , I thought he misheard the move ( that was transmitted through hidden phone and earpiece ) and played incorrectly . ( At other times ), some of his moves were out of the world .“
These words from the opponent are quite instructional for arbiters . There are many different types of observations that can be made by arbiters , and then when brought together , serve to flag potential cheaters . As arbiters , we have the responsibility to always be aware for potential cheating . Regardless of how many guidelines there are , the fundamental focus point is to always be aware !
Immediately after the game ended , Kakar was escorted away by arbiters to a separate room , to be searched . As witnessed by the accompanying pictures on the next pages , this searching was very successful , as there were many pieces of hardware to find ! In the end , it was a remarkably daring and vulnerable plan !
The evidence
Two 9-volt batteries in a pouch , strapped to another belt , wires heading in both directions …
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