Chess.com’s Fair Play Team Releases Report on Cheating Rates in Titled Tuesday Events

The debate over cheating in Chess.com’s Titled Tuesday events has been ongoing, but a new study by Chess.com’s Fair Play Team has shed some light on the issue. The study, which involved over 30 people and used advanced statistical models, found that the cheating rate in Titled Tuesday events is generally less than 2%, with most events falling below that threshold.

The report, which was published today and spans 16 pages, analyzed players’ performances in Titled Tuesday events over the past year. It found that while cheating does occur, it only involves a small fraction of participants. In fact, from March 20, 2023, to March 19, 2024, only 1.1% of participants were closed for cheating.

The report also highlighted the use of a new statistical model to identify players who overperformed relative to expectations. While overperformance alone does not indicate cheating, the report noted that 3.6% of players who overperformed were eventually closed for cheating.

In response to the findings, Chess.com announced a new public closure policy for titled players who violate fair play rules in prize events or on second chance accounts. This marks a major shift in how fair play violations will be addressed, with the aim of improving oversight and preventing cheating in Titled Tuesday and other prize events.

Overall, while the study found that the majority of games and players are clean, Chess.com emphasized that even a 1% cheating rate is unacceptable. The platform is committed to combating cheating and ensuring fair play for all participants in Titled Tuesday events.