NCFP winning fight vs cheats

MANILA, Philippines — The National Chess Federation of the Philippines is starting to win its fight against cheats with the strict measures implemented for weeks.

The NCFP has banned several local wood pushers for three months including some minors caught using computer assistance in the past editions of the Philippine Bullet Championships and tournaments organized by the world chess governing body.

A repeat offense will mean stiffer sanctions.

NCFP executive director Cliburn Orbe said they would apply more measures to combat cheating.

“The grand finals, which will be double-round robin, must be conducted after the lockdown because we need arbiters to watch each finalist,” said Orbe. “If they’re in the US, cameras would be required to look at the monitor the screen of the player.”

While cheating isn’t tolerated, there were some who continued to cheat including one in Saturday’s Rising Phoenix International 7 Arena where a lichess account of a player, a minor who used a pen name, was closed after finishing third behind eventual winner FIDE Master Arden Reyes.