How Anyone Can Get A 9d Rating On Go Servers Without Cheating Too Much

Table of contents Commentary Actual Incidents Chess Parallels

To do this, connect to two go servers XGS and YGS and challenge 9d players on each. Once you have a 9d player on each server willing to play you, make sure that you are black in one game and white in the other and that the komi and handicap are the same in both games.

Start the games going at the same time and wait for the 9d player with black to make his move, then make that move in the other game. At this point, wait for the white 9d response, and play that move in the first game, and so on. If you manage not to lose on time in both games, then you are guaranteed at least an even score (one win and one loss) against two 9 dan players. If you continue this practice and no one notices, the average of your rating on XGS and your rating on YGS will be 9d.^[1]

Even if you don't apply this technique, knowing it is useful to win bets. I've already done this in the KGS chatroom, but you might find it more profitable IRL.

-ilan

[1] Of course, this could depend on the different rating systems of the different servers. If anyone presents further objections, I will simply point out that any conclusion is true when you use a false premise.

Commentary

ilanpi: Interestingly, this "cheat" is the proof of the mathematical formula G - G = 0 in Combinatorial Game Theory, see Difference Game.

Jion: I guess you could, but it seems pointless to me.

ilanpi: But au contraire, mon frere, how do you think I got my 3k rating?

Anonymous: ilanpi is right! I've done the same thing in a different situation. I draw pretty pictures of medals for bravery and intelligence and tape them to my chest. That's so people can tell I am so brave and smart! It isn't cheating because I never draw diplomas or try to sell the medals. The best part is bragging about it. See, I can hardly stop!

Warfreak2: On a Go server that allows more than one game (per user) at a time (such as a turn-based Go server), you could avoid the "difference in rating systems of both servers" problem. Just make the games private. Oh wait, you're joking anyway.

Actual Incidents

In May 2006, a player on KGS was caught doing this. Apparently he put a 4d IGS player up against a 9k KGS player to all but guarantee himself a win on the KGS account. This was done using a provisionally ranked 3d? account on IGS, where you can set your initial rank to whatever you like. It seems that the player was reprimanded, but not banned.

Bill: There appears to be something in this claim. However, there has been some ping-pong editing with some people identifying the player in question and other people removing the reference because of the possibility of defamation of character. Well, we do not want anyone defamed, but we don't want baseless gossip, either. If there is verification for this, please post it, or provide the links so that the reader can check it out. WMS could verify or deny the incident without indentifying the player, for instance. Do the identical game records on IGS and KGS still exist (if they ever did)?

This is the second documented incident to my knowledge. The first offender was not named and there is no reason for the second to be. Both were dealt with in the usual manner. SL is hardly the place for mud slinging. Will we have escapers and profaners listed next? IanDavis

tderz: http://www.freewebs.com/kgs-fight/ Interesting enough, the May 2006 period seems pretty normal DDK stuff - at first sight.
Yet in April to August 2008 there is an 1k playing tough games with 3dans (possible),
though still losing. Is it continuing?
This way of cheating seems not be possible with short time limits :-) There are several other reasons why this way of cheating might fail, resp. would not always lead to a 100% safe win:

• the stronger opponent on the other server could commit an irrevocable mistake
• the stronger opponent on the other server could become bored (if strength difference to great)
  • and leave
  • be polite and resign (how to find then another, stronger opponent and replicate from this position?)

Another way of cheating: let s.o. else, stronger play for you! Several years ago, I got a message from s.o. begging me to boost his 25k-or-so account to dan strength. He would have made a bet with friends and wanted to show off on friends. First I stayed indifferent, then I commited a mistake and read him/her a lecture on morality, pursuing own strength, cheating etc.. Getting into an argument, I really got nerved and eventually told him 'Ok, then give me your account access' with the plan of shutting it down (by changing password), once I would have access. We proceed, yet first I placed a game into one of the rooms with the title 'Hey, I want to cheat - 3d playing for 25k' or so. If remembering correctly, a 2d accepts and we play. Perhaps it's useful to add, that I was Black and received 9H. The 2d plays really well, fast and light handicap style. ^^ In the end, the cheaters account lost (for the good cause; however the 2d was really good!) and I didn't change the password of his account, despite that he insulted me heavily after the loss and told me 'that I wouldn't be a dan player anyway'. Let him live on and see where he will be ending (forgot his account name, not interested in it anyway; yet wanted to tell the story here)

Chess Parallels

Zarlan: I've seen this on a tv show only with chess and "in real life". I wouldn't really say that this is not cheating much. This is cheating very much! I'd say it is worse then any other way of cheating actually.

Bill: I think the title is a joke. ;-)

Wang: This is similar to the "mirror Go" principle, except slightly sleazier as you are misrepresenting someone else's game as yours. A colleague of mine used his Palm Pilot to play Chess actually, I don't think it's too far off.

Foobat: Derren Brown did this with 9 chess masters and paired them off into sets and winning against the other one player, he also managed to predict the number of pieces left on each board.... god knows how

yu6: There's a folk tale in India about a little girl who beat two chess masters this way.

Beat them both at the same time? ~srn347