Cheating chess players to be banned for up to 15 years 

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino chess players who will be caught cheating will be banned from playing in all online National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP)-sanctioned events for a maximum of 15 years. 

From three months, NCFP chief operating officer (CEO) and national team Olympiad delegation head Jayson Gonzales said violators would now be slapped a ban of “not more than 15 years” on all its online tournaments.

FIDE had slapped the same sanction on the person in question, who could still join in over-the-board NCFP events.

The decision was an offshoot to the country’s recent disqualification from seeing action in the Top Division of the 2021 FIDE Online Olympiad caused by one of its 12 players violating fair play rules.

“Before kasi three months lang ang ban. Ngayon susunod tayo sa ginawa ng FIDE na world governing body natin sa NCFP,” said Gonzales, a Grandmaster himself and former Olympiad veteran.

The NCFP did not identify the player or the specific violation although it may have involved relying on a chess engine or piloting (coaching) during an online match.

The country also appealed the decision thrice after its first two was denied using the contention that the sin of one must not be blamed to the whole team.

The last one was filed Tuesday night, or on the eve of the start of the Top Division games, straight to the FIDE council headed by its president Arkady Dvorkovich himself.

The Filipinos would have still qualified even if the total score of 3.5 points by the offending player were already deducted.

But FIDE decided otherwise and cracked the whip on the whole team.