Did I CHEAT on Chess.com??? | The Ugly Truth

[@GMTalBaron]

I'm very scared of what might be coming next.

[@tom2314]

Tal Baron you showed a lot of courage. There will be haters, but I suspect you have earned a lot of respect and admiration. Not everyone would confess their wrongdoings so publicly. In my opinion you are a role model to us all. 👍👍

[@Perchumovic]

so, technically, the last game in the tournament was two engines playing against each other with the game ending up being a tie?

[@Darkego15]

There will be two kinds of people on the internet now. The ones who are forgiving and respect the courage you have showed for admitting your own mistakes and the people who will be hating you more as you already can see in the chat. Alright, you have made a mistake, but look at all the positive things you have done, learning people to love and respect the game of chess with all the free content you put on your channel.Also taking your time to get beginning players to get better(Hutch f.e.) See the 1300 dollars as a bonus for your hard work and keep doing what your doing. As always things will be alright! Good luck.

[@OoGaGajR]

Tal Baron 👍🏻

[@mechanicalmind07]

I got two words to say, "SHIT HAPPENS"

[@ste1l1]

"By definition I did cheat. Does it make me a cheater? It's up to you. " Of course it makes you a cheater. Why wouldn't it?

[@ste1l1]

So he either lied live to IM Astaneh and all the viewers, or IM Astaneh was in on it and Tal made him lie to his viewers for him. Both actions are equally immoral and bad imo.

[@somebody9112]

By your logic if you do good all your life, you can afford to kill a guy or two, shouldn't make you a criminal, because you're a good guy overall.

[@ste1l1]

Yea, agreed Some Body. We don't even know that Tal has been "good all his life". Cheating and the lie about it afterwards points to the opposite sadly.

[@somebody9112]

Yes, but also he is punished for having cheated by not being allowed to compete anymore. I don't see any reason to hate Tal now, from a fans or the communities perspective. He has done nothing but positive things for most of us as chess players. So, while I'm not looking the other way and think he deserves the ban, I don't judge his character or hate on him because he made a mistake. Curiously I did investigate a couple of weeks ago and I was quite sure he had cheated in more than one game, so I wonder what his method was for the other games. Maybe consulting with multiple GMs?

[@ste1l1]

Yea, there's no reason to hate him. I've just lost some respect for him.

[@harryc2549]

I've made some really stupid decisions in my life, so in a way I find it comforting when other decent people do the same. I think you will discover that in accepting this mistake you will become more understanding and forgiving of others. Clearly, some commenters here have never made such a mistake and they are showing very little understanding or forgiveness. It is a lesson they are still waiting to learn and which can only be learnt the hard way.

[@MElixirDNB]

hmm that was deep, thank you for saying so. i often get frustrated with them but the way you painted it makes a lot of sense

[@Anonymous51701]

Tal, although you did cheat. You did the right thing confessing it. I hope you learn from this and move on. Btw your videos with Hutch helped me a lot. Thanks, and i hope you feel better. 😃

[@KillianDefaoite]

Cheating is cheating. Nothing more to say here.

[@MElixirDNB]

no, its not. its to defeat a known cheater chess.com did nothing about . why are so many people here retarded?

[@santiagoargayo778]

@@MElixirDNB Because he cheated. I thought it was obvious.

[@dontyellatmecurrier9607]

@@MElixirDNB I understand what you mean. The obvious answer to everyone is while the belief was the other (unknown or does anyone know because this video doesn't say) player was an engine user is not a reason to also use an engine. Just play your best and report the other player to Chess.com of your belief. I believe the saying is Taking the High Road so as to not diminish your credibility. @Tal Baron I believe you made a mistake and deserve forgiveness from yourself (and maybe Chess.com) so you can continue on your path.

[@MElixirDNB]

@@dontyellatmecurrier9607 i agree dont get me wrong he shouldnt have done it, its been a long time since i watched this video but i *think* my point was that its a lot less bad since he claims it was to defeat a known cheater, not use against normal human players.. bad but a lot less bad morally speaking. If chess .com wasnt stopping them i can see how he got frustrated

[@stevenodonoghue6856]

@@MElixirDNB the "known cheater" who he was accusing of cheating was Hikaru Nakamura

[@joshfromspeedway1705]

I respect your confession. Most people would not have owned up to it. As for the haters, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. We are all human.

[@joshfromspeedway1705]

Farsi because we are not all perfect like you. I'm sure every time you have screwed up you confessed to it publicly, right? Keeping hiding behind your keyboard anonymous troll.

[@joshfromspeedway1705]

Farsi that makes no sense.

[@mcpartridgeboy]

Sure ive never cheated, he is a low life.

[@ricott2]

mcpartridgeboy is a usual cheater on lichess.org

[@mcpartridgeboy]

i have never played on lichess and my handel isnt mcpartirgeboy on any site except this one.

[@followthefleet1]

For speaking out truthfully, you are showing strength and wisdom.

[@jacobhannah2969]

no matter what comes next it's obvious from watching your live streams and yt videos that you're a very skilled player and a great teacher tal. you messed up, but you've done what you can to make things right. keep up the great work. you've taught me a great deal and I just think you're great basically so please don't be discouraged

[@DaBears8690]

As a guy who became aware of you simply through Hutch's account, I think it's cool you admitted what happened and answered questions about it. Regardless of this event, it's obvious you know how to play chess and you make it fun to watch for a noob like myself. Respect the bish!

[@khawajh]

Farsi Because it's the right thing to do... Are you questioning the fact that he did it lol?

[@khawajh]

Farsi Because now is when he wanted to... I don't entirely understand the type of answer you are looking for. Are you trying to find some sort of conspiracy? Trying to examine his psyche? What could he possibly gain from coming clean about a wrongdoing that was simply speculation up until now? You could argue that he wanted to come clean before he gets a high sub count, which is reasonable and also intelligent on his part to do. If you're trying to examine his psyche, well I would suggest attending a Psychology class

[@gdounito]

dont waste ur time with farsi. the guy is stupid and insists on repeating the same bullshit over and over.

[@GeoffreyHale]

I found him through Hutch too :)

[@Gene3211]

Good for you Tal. People will always look for anything to bring a person down. You already showed you have more integrity than 99% of the people out there by admiring ur mistake. U have my support. Keep ur head up.

[@xaviercombelle4316]

Thanks for doing this video. All humans make errors. I was confused to have no explanation. Now this confusion is gone I will follow you back. This video was the best thing to do once the error was already done.

[@MotioninSync]

Hi Tal, I appreciate your openness and humble attitude very much. I believe it is a big step for you in your growth as a human being. The first step to healing for yourself, is repentance. I can understand it is hard to confess to what you feel is a sin. Yet it is a necessary step to get it of your conscience. Obviously your felt alot of shame and guilt over it. The second step towards healing is to forgive yourself. You came clean and if your conscience can accept that, you can move on. Don't underestimate that the example you set by confessing you cheated, is big. Many will respect you for owning up to it (although some will not). You know, haters are gonna hate. In my humble opinion, you will gain more by owning up in the long run then you will loose... Am proud of you for taking that step!

[@progressp6351]

It's still a nice channel and your are an awesome teacher. “A good act does not wash out the bad, not a bad act the good. Each should have its own reward.”

[@chopin4525]

I could say a lot of things since I basically walked on the same path as a chess player. Sometimes you just need to learn to ignore your own ego, admit your mistakes and learn from them. That's just part of growing up. So congrats on being mature!

[@adityashrivastava8498]

Don't lie after cheating Tal. You cheated in every single game that you won till 7-0 as well. And how on earth can you call Hikaru Nakamura a cheater??? How dare you?? You don't feel ashamed??

[@drerski]

unfortunatly Naka is cheater whole this years

[@freeshavaacadooo1095]

Damn, imagine being so bad after dedicating your life to chess you have to cheat to maintain self-value... They should just strip your title at this point.

[@Cellkist]

Yes, three years later they should strip his title for cheating against another cheater on a tournament that means nothing to anyone. Completely rational.

[@NN-sp9tu]

Cellkist Seems totally rational. Cheaters should be stripped of their title, end of story

[@williamwallace4080]

He's not that bad lol, he's a GM

[@jestawell]

@@williamwallace4080 he is very bad he cheated, thats the first rule of chess do not cheat

[@michaelkorostinmk]

Kramnik is onto him 6 years later

[@arvo1980]

You seem like a decent person and this seems like a decent thing to do, although painful for you. Stay strong and know that you are inspiring and a great motivation for many chess players. Your channel is great!

[@Pawn87]

We all make mistakes Tal. Don't beat yourself up over it too much. I would imagine that there is a whole lot of that going on at high level chess where participants are competing from the privacy of their own homes, not many folk would have the courage to put their hands up to the internet and admit such a mistake. Keep up the good work.

[@Nerol4l]

The man you were yesterday is not the man you are today. Things from your past don't define you. Its how you learn from them and improve that decides who you become. Great content Tal keep it up!

[@1PawnStar]

If your final opponent was an engine user how did you have the tournament won before that game. Surely the other engine user would have won the tournament?

[@lightningprowess6031]

Exactly

[@puppycasey8883]

I thought the same thing. Unfortunately, I dont rrally believe this guy. He is just the type of person who isnt honest.

[@MichaelHarrisIreland]

1PawnStar: Yes, thinking like a chess player why isn't everyone asking this question. The pieces don't fit.

[@paulrachel4489]

...Unless, of course, the other player had a bye, or had computer issues, in the first round/s and decided to use the engine when he could get it to work, to try and improve his rating, but I don't really know how these tournments work...

[@Cellkist]

It's pretty likely that the guy would've been trying to hide using the engine. A lot of cheaters will use the tactic of losing or drawing in order to keep the account alive while scalping high level players.

[@lelorenzo]

Thank you for coming clean. Although I am disappointed, I am still a fan of your channel and think it is very instructive.

[@Chuckdrums11]

-Tal, you are only human, situations similar to this are bound to happen and happen to everyone. The way you dealt with it is truly courageous. -If the other guy is really a cheater then you have balls of steel for actually doing what everyone else would have wanted to do and did not do. Congrats lol. -I understand the way you feel, you seem deeply affected by all of this. It proves that you take chess to heart and seriously. but you know what? I think that this situation is not that bad really. You will see. I bet that it's even for the better. Anyways, it changes nothing to the fact that you're a beast at chess :P keep on doing your best and one day you'll be playing in big tournaments in person, proving to all that you know your thing.

[@joshualerner8471]

I am a supporter of this channel for months and I will support it more after this video.

[@weewee2169]

Joshua Lerner why? fools

[@joshpointoh]

The apology is pretty innocuous in that he is admitting to a type of cheating that is as "non-cheating" as you can get, (I had already won, and the guy was a cheater, so I didn't gain anything from the cheat and it was against a bad guy)and mostly I just can't believe he didn't cheat in some way in that MVL game. Maybe it's covered under the stuff he said he couldn't talk about, but I dunno, whatever his motivation was for this, it may do more harm than good.

[@youtubecensoringcomments7427]

Note he never played at that level ever again

[@syrob8348]

Two things :- 1. Life time ban is not a justified punishment. Its like giving death penalty. I believe in transformation of heart and second chances. And you should be allowed to play in these tournaments again. 2. And as far as I know the last game that u played was against Hikaru. So are u saying that Hikaru cheats on chess.com? I would not think so. He has been a very dominant online blitz player from ICC days. And had a FIDE rating of around 2900 in blitz at the time that tournament was played.

[@reinhartpetrovich9675]

It takes a big man to come forth and confess his mistake, as well as give his reasoning for it. He cheated yes, but confessed and it takes big balls to face the community of people you wronged. Props to you Tal Baron, I will continue watching and appreciating your tips, and vids, hats off to you good sir.

[@Yakushii]

Ironically, he had to cheat to make this video you commend him for. Why not go to someone else's channel and commend them for NOT cheating in the first place?

[@dannywalker9871]

Also you seem very broken about this in the video, and yet feel it necessary to give this video such a click bait title and fun thumbnail.

[@carlosbrown5083]

you cheated un more than one game. be a man tal

[@gobbedy]

This

[@georges64]

I am still a supporter, and I believe in Teshuva. But for me the first point is when you face cheaters, you have to name/fight them if you do not want to be faced with them in the future even it means be negativ (against your positiv values). On the other hand, there is a saying that says: G.d speaking (to be taken with a grain of salt obviously) "For the one who says he is perfect, there is not enough place for him and me in this world"... Let's move on, you are bright, young and the Future is open to you! (F.ck the haters!!) (and let's go back to the analysis of your superb games)

[@djosephsss]

Hope this makes you feel better! Huge kudos for coming out and confessing (even if you do not consider it to be a full confession )

[@darth_wager]

hey tal, I'm very proud of you sir. and no matter what happens you did the right thing. I commend you for your choice. i took guts and I respect it. best of luck in the future and I hope we get to keep watching you grow as a chess player and a man.

[@736Jar]

I'm disappointed as it seems like a pathetic reason to get banned, mind you in your position i may have done the same if emotions were high. Still this doesn't take away from the fact you are a great chess player and highly educational so we'll be sticking around. You also remind me of myself and seem to be a genuinely good person, this was a little slip up so don't let it define you. Keep up the beautiful work and respect the bish!

[@19son96]

Keep up the good work. Leave the haters behind. There is nothing more you can do now. I am not trying to defend what you did, but you can only look forwards, you can't change the past. Good luck in the future and take good care of the bish.

[@jeruchess]

עשית את הדבר הנכון.... סלח לעצמך. חג שמח. המשך הלאה תמשיך להתקדם., בהערכה

[@alonilutowich4505]

מסכים, פסח שמח

[@paulrachel4489]

.כן, הוא עשה מה שהיה צריך לעשות

[@Apoorved]

It's alright man, we all make mistakes and while doing it we don't realise the possible outcomes. More important thing is you are no more that person! I'm not a fan or follower of yours, but I think you should be given a second chance!

[@sonicmarble]

Tal, I think nothing but positive thoughts about you. You are very brave to be so open. I'll keep following your work.

[@oliverupload]

I love your videos! You're a very interesting philosophical person, and I root for your improvement

[@IamKhylsdrak]

You're a human and a human makes mistakes. Ok you cheated. It can be once or twice it doesn't matter. Today, you say the truth and It's not easy to do. So you have all my respect and you're still a GM for me. I'll follow you again. Thanks for this video that makes you greater.

[@InnerAlchemy8]

It DOES matter. And that little smug serial cheater will NEVER get my respect.

[@supplycm6892]

Tal you are a great person!! It doesn't matter whether you cheated or not. you are doing great things for chess world by promoting it and so on. The fact that you confessed takes huge courage. Please don't give up and continue doing what you are doing.

[@supplycm6892]

Also I have confessed which makes me feel easier now.

[@edmoala]

so by avoiding question #2, it seems that you cheated in other ways? but you want to emphasize that the engine use was only in one game? why not come clean about everything instead of bringing it up and then only coming half clean? not hating man, you seem like a great guy. but imo you'd feel better about the situation by getting it ALL out.

[@KidNasty99]

Maybe Tal had a certain way of using the engine that was harder to detect. He might not want to reveal that part, which would prevent people who watch his videos from learning it.

[@mailmanownz]

I think because of the amount of times he means it's ''ethical'' and better for the people that it involves, it was probably a kibitzer helping him think about moves.

[@gdounito]

he didnt avoid question #2. he just didnt name the persons involved. jesus guys is it so difficult to understand that he is practically saying " I was having external help from others and I dont want to reveal their names"

[@besner]

But he completely is not being truthful when he sayshe only cheated on the lastgame. He clearly is finding it difficult (in order to save face) to admit to what actually happened.

[@gdounito]

He has his reasons to not reveal their names. Stop acting like judges the guy admitted his mistake so cut him some slack. Cheaters play everyday and YES top players GM IM use engine also and get away with it stop acting like he did anything really bad. fucking hypocritic bitches

[@nothinglike1586]

Vladimir Kramnik send me here...

[@ea2763]

Hi Tal. Please be kind to yourself. It really is not that big of a deal. If it happened as you say it happened, then it is quite understandable. Let he who has not gone wrong throw the first stone.... You are still my go-to Expert on the 4. f3 Nimzo!

[@davidmbonu2689]

I really appreciate this. Didn't even know you had previously cheated but we all have dark moments. Coming clean is a great and unnecessary step to take to be honest with us.

[@elijahcastillo3186]

This took some balls to do. Most people don't even admit there mistakes and this guy made a video about it. What a Stand Up move Mr. Baron. Keep up the great content. You're still one of my favorite Chess players no matter what.

[@bignosebluesable]

I say the guy who came up with the idea of paid online chess tournaments should be banned. At any given tournament, you're liable to find an engine user. If certain people CAN cheat, they WILL cheat. It's that simple.

[@akashdhotre3604]

Well, titled players are expected to "behave".

[@ivanstanisavljevic8245]

Lol liar, guy rated 2400 would easily crush both Hikaru And MVL without engine? Yeah, sell that story to someone else....And you were making fun of those who said that you cheated...

[@prathameshlotake1318]

Ivan Stanisavljevic might be he beat is on own mvl and naka loses doesn't mean he cheated

[@davidheigl3092]

He is rated 2600+ idiot!! Don't make up stuff to make your stupid comments sound good lol

[@ivanstanisavljevic8245]

@@davidheigl3092 you moron, see his fide page

[@davidheigl3092]

@@ivanstanisavljevic8245 his blitz RATING you dumbass

[@ivanstanisavljevic8245]

@@davidheigl3092 you moron, his blitz fide is barely above 2400, nobody cares abouth chess.com rating, mine is 2200 even though i'm 1800 fide

[@charlesng8385]

Takes a lot of courage to admit this. Everyone makes mistakes, move past it and keep up the good work with the vids.

[@angkari7244]

That sound of the toilet flushing around 2.30 is his reputation going down the drain. But fair play for owning up. It's the first step on the road to recovery and it takes guts.

[@shikamarunara6244]

Tal i just have 2 questions for you, if you could answer would be nice! Just before that to say that i dont know what happend i diddnt follow chess last month and half, but as i saw from video apperently you used engine in that game and things started to colapse! Question number 1: Mentality? If i am Gm(unfortunatly not) and i know for example: my opponent cheats, i would try to give it my all( like to be in tryhard mode) to win that game even if he use engine thats simply my mentality.Becuase i would show him that even with engine he cant win and how much he is bad! Now i understand that emotionaly stage for example if i were tilted or simply angry maybe i would too use engine if i know for sure my opponent use it but that would be like 1% or lower. So my first question is that i mean maybe i live in illusion where engines aint much better then Gm's 2600+ but idk i would love to see your opinon and mindset on this one! 2nd Question is about part 18;14 till the end!And first to get it right i dont give a fk are you cheater or not, to me thats like really not important i mean its pointless to talk about it lets put it like that because i dont care i think if you are its not good especialy because you are Gm rank you should already know to respect game and yourself! But to get back to my question you said all you who think bad or thinks i am cheater and have some facts i would like to hear them in person, but please dont write online or go into discusion about it because it hurts when i read! I mean i get it you probably lost some subscribers and viewers(maybe a lot) and thats why you want to save what you can, and you cant do that if they bla bla bla....! But what i dont understand as person is part i would like to hear it in live, and hurts when i read online? i mean if you ask me and if someone come and say to me you are shit in live and online(for example on facebook) i would probably be more shooked or more hurt in live then online! So i dont know what kind of person you are but thats part confusing me, you really valute more online converstaion then live conversation?! I know its long but thats my two questions would be nice if you answer,again its nothing about this topic its more about your mindset! Peace and Take care :) sorry for bad english

[@Jeibz4prez]

Not enough confession in the world. As long as you know what happened my friend. There are rules and standards in this world that do not reflect the natural beauty of forgiveness. You have picked away at your thoughts, fears, and emotions. You have stated what you did, why you did it, and how you feel about it. It bothers you in an extreme manner. For those who see this and still say shame on you do not know love fully. You know what you did. Like they say, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. In order for you to have fooled me a second time, I would have had to most definitely forgiven you for the first time. It's all good my friend. You have a great mind, and for those that think you use it for no good did not watch the same video as I did.

[@ami1649]

I love your content. Lots of respect for this.

[@daleo1019]

nc tal . dont worry about it too much normal people makes a mistake but you are here admitting it and learning!

[@Chess-Talker]

Poor guy, obviously destroyed by his own actions. I got here because of the unfolding Hans Niemann scandal. I wasnt aware of this case before, but I do think he deserves a second chance, especially from himself. Come on Tal Baron, you did the right thing. What you did was wrong, but you need to move on now. Cleanse you soul, donate the winnings to some charity and have a chat with your dear ones, god and yourself and end this and move on. We can not change what we have done in the past, learn your lessons and be a good man, husband, father and friend. Shalom

[@AgentSmith911]

Dramatical, DRAMATICAL!

[@r3ss26]

you blew it man. For you and your fans

[@VitorSantos-dh1jr]

Life moves on. We will maintain the support for you and your channel, thank you for the courage!

[@bubsadoozy]

Regardless of cheating I appreciate you sharing your insights with the public free of charge. Not many experts in anything would be willing to do that.

[@richwaight]

Yo Tal, Am here because of Hutch! We're all human dude so if you made a mistake then you've done the right thing by owning up to it. Love what you're doing with KZbin and trying to get people into Chess :) Keep going!!!

[@thewayihandleit]

Tal, so are you saying you didn't cheat against Hikaru and MVL? Because they both said you cheated.

[@eulefranz944]

Halberstram and on the Vs magnus carlsen video he answered a comment "a few gms have accused me of cheating" lol nothing to be said....

[@CGoody564]

The last round was Nakamura; he's admitting to cheating against him. That being said, Hikaru isn't an engine user.

[@asherz3621]

it's a huge shame for everyone involved. What you did is terrible and massively unsporting especially for a GM. However it is understandable given the circumstances. I personally would have definitely not cheated and let the people in charge of the events decide how prizes were distributed. You failed to be the better person but you did well to make this video.

[@bigmac329190]

We're all human and we all make mistakes. Everyone deserves a second chance. All the best for the future Tal Baron.

[@franciscokuilan4233]

My brother I have been following you for months now. You are truly a great person from what I have seen. You inspire me in chess. Please don't let this silly thing bring you down it is not a big deal don't let it get to you. God bless you my friend.

[@christopherrhodes7220]

nitwit

[@AM-sp6je]

Silly thing? Inspiration? Are you fucking kidding me?

[@puppycasey8883]

Its not a silly thing ....

[@TheFearco]

man you are very brave, I actually like you more now. In my opinion, don't be too hard on yourself, we are humans, we make mistakes, but to admit and forgive is godlike. Keep on playing chess, have fun, ignore the haters, be strong and move on

[@piobaroja7198]

Thanks Tal, I shall keep learning to play chess with your videos. Your explanations are good for me. We are humans.

[@downstairstelevision2226]

I wish you the best .If we all reacted to our mistakes as you have, the world would be a much better place. Thank you for your honesty and desire to improve.

[@GunAddictAllDay]

Wow Tal, very brave of you to make this video. Everyone makes mistakes brother. Just know the real supporters support you through everything and until the end. I can say I've learned a ton from you and I thank you for that. Great message here in this video! I'd love a game sometime. Stay Strong Bud!

[@CaslavNorisavljevic]

Im one of those people who would spam "GM cheat baron" whenever i saw you on reddit or hutch's streams. Im glad that you talked about this. Im sorry if my behavior kept you from talking about it earlier. I just want to give you support for doing something that must have been really hard

[@jordiperellogelabert1770]

Hey Tal! You could use the 1300$ to buy a proper microphone! I can barely hear you with my phone and with the laptop at full volume is just a pinch above normal. I also hope you get over the guilt and we see a little more colourful Tal.

[@keshavptech]

Definitely very courageous and brave of you to do this video. Thank you! I am sure there are so many cheats out there who don't even care. You have really showed that you care about the chess scene and community.

[@thetruthabr9879]

Hey Tal, we all make mistakes man. There's going to be haters who will keep harping on it and that's just life but just know that most of us can forgive and move on and one of those people is me. Love the content man, hope to see more in the future. :)

[@mylovelyman2]

It takes enormous courage to admit you cheated. Please remember, you are not the only one, but you are one of the few to confess. " Everybody lies and everbody pays a price." G House M.D.

[@BigReno73]

keep up with the you tube lessons Tal, your a good chess player , in few years no will care ..forgive and forget . good luck in all your future matches look forward to more gm lessons on your site ..

[@toequantumspace]

Dear Tal! I respect you very much you did the right and very courageous thing. God bless you.

[@joddle23]

Tal, I am glad you admitted you cheated, but it is indeed a little late. Late is better than never, but when you continue to lie you only make things worse (and you were not very forthcoming in your interview with IM Astaneh in a stream a few months ago). I believed you as well which makes me feel a little deceived. Don't get me wrong -- your channel is great for chess, and I will happily continue to watch your content. No one is perfect and I believe in second chances. I think you learned a very hard lesson, and wish all the best for you and your channel going forward. Cheers.

[@gungnjreclipse774]

I feel you. I did it a long time ago too when I suddenly found out my opponent was cheating (around early middle game) in a 3 day correspondence game. I also knew if a game is still in progress when he is caught, then I get a free win. I just did what I thought was necessary to stall the game as long as possible (meaning i pick a move that looks like it would stall the game the longest). unfortunately I did not get my free win as I got grinded down to just a lone king, and what was depressing was that he was banned a month AFTER the game ended in a draw (he timed out too long). after this distasteful game I concluded "I give up on this."

[@carlix20]

chesscom cheating detection sucks balls!

[@fredo8850]

Fault avowed, fault half forgiven. you are on the good way and you won't do it again. you have learnt something and it would make you better in the future.

[@circleviii1801]

not going to lie; it's very fucked up that people so respected within the game as grandmasters would ruin the integrity of the game by cheating, and no less for a prize pool AND admit it immediately after you have already made a video regarding the "uselessness" of the dollar... I cannot help but feel like you, Tal, are quite the hypocrite but I can respect that you would acknowledge the issue publicly... that being said, I wish you all the best, but respectfully, sometimes "the right thing to do" is a moment long passed.

[@oyvey8520]

Fairly certain looking back at TT's that Tal Baron won he's referring to Hikaru. Kramnik really is double/triple/quadrupling down on accusing Hikaru of cheating. But looking at the skill levels I'm doubting someone this much lower rated than Hikaru accusing him. Haters going to hate.

[@myst93]

A 20 minute video that could have been 3. Here's the problem Tal... Regardless of why you used assistance, you still did it. Everyone on that site could be using an engine, but you personally used an engine in a tournament that you received money for. The end. There's really nothing more to it. Regardless of you offering the money back, you still have the character to use an engine in a tournament for real money. I understand that you think your opponent was "cheating" and using one as well. I get it. You wanted to "show him!". You didn't want a cheater that wasn't banned to receive money either, especially when he is cheating. However, you still did the same thing. There's no sympathy here. You're supposed to be a Grandmaster. That's the highest titled you can achieve at this game, and you disgraced it. In my opinion.

[@cengizyldrmaa1030]

hey there is nothing with that ? u are a amazing player ! I mean you didn't want him to get that prize ! it would be a stupid thing to be angry at you ... so calm down no cheater would confess something like that :D keep up the good work ! you helped me a lot in my chess by your questions :) can't say thank you. enough :D

[@peterkittsteiner663]

Everybody who cheats should get a lifelong ban for both otb tournament games and games on online chess servers. No second chance. That's my firm opinion. The reason it's that it's not the subject of cheating once, twice, online or otb. Instead it's the cheater's total lack of character. That's the main problem. A cheater can never be cured because of that. If you let him cheat again, he will do it again - without any doubt - sooner or later. Nobody can fight his own lack of character.. And whatever he promises, is already a lie soon-to-be in the moment he expresses his promise.

[@MElixirDNB]

eh, im sure we can trace many skeletons in your closet hypocrite. Its incredibly easy for anyone to cheat on a computer, take youre nazi attitude and shove it up your ass

[@sanferrera]

You sir, have more balls than many adults twice your age. I have followed your channel for a long time and I sincerely believe in you. You work hard, and everyone who watches this channel regularly knows it. I believe in everything you said in this video, because I don't find any reason not to. You will continue to grow as a person, and after this experience, one who will have a lot of integrity. Keep on the good work.

[@sanferrera]

Why does anyone denny they did something wrong in the first place? Fear, shame, sometimes a sense of superiority. I am sure everyone has been there, in some sense or another, including you and me.

[@j.6230]

It almost seems that cheating and admitting to it afterwards makes you more special than people who don't cheat at all. This person doesn't deserve any special praise or whoever else admits to doing wrong, you should talk like this about the people that do no wrong but those get unnoticed of course. Very sad, you're a fool.

[@CerebralAssassin]

You cheaters are a disgrace to this game...you've caused me much heartache over the years,which is why I had to quit Chess.com And a GM too omg...if it were up to me you'd be stripped of that title as well!

[@petermahoney2808]

CerebralAssassin and stripped of his clothes and pelted with various rotted fruits and vegetables.

[@puppycasey8883]

But youre a random no body and its not up to you. People make mistakes.

[@reanimatedfaith]

Yeah we dont care if you quit. Nothing of a value is lost

[@joaoschapke2707]

CerebralAssassin So much melodrama. Tal Baron caused you heartache over the years, what?

[@MElixirDNB]

Except he only used to it because he was vsing an engine.. how are you so stupid mate?

[@TheAlleycat0909]

Hi Tal. Have been watching your content for a while now. When watching titled tuesday live a while back one of the games was a sicilian najdorf, you were playing white and the play seemed a little too perfect. I accused you of cheating in the chat. Anyway then recently watching you playing live blitz on chess.com it seemed impossible to me that the same player beat Andreikin , Maxime with such ease and drew with Hikaru with winning position and often you are struggling with FM's and untitled players in blitz on chess.com recently So it was pretty clear. I respect your confession and you definately can move on and clear you name, we all make mistakes however you say that you only cheated in one game, and that is where i still have some doubts and am still unclear on the situation.

[@JUNGELMAN2012]

Tal... your a big man! Too bad the other GM 's also guilty are not mentioned.

[@stefantemme7168]

I know this feeling to be cought as a cheater! Special on my passion in collecting iron crosses 1st. class! In the early beginning of my collecting phase, I cought a Juncker marked with a post war fake mark "2". Now, I know that there will be never ever an IC1 marked 2, but I was too new in this hobby. At least it was under discussion and rated as suspect! But unfortunatly I found a ground dug Iron Cross 1st Class from Juncker with an intact unmarked pin and due to the other bolt of the remarked pin was not fixed, I decide to by this ground dug cross to replace it with the unmarked pin to get final my money back what I have spend. But due to it was in a discussion with pictures inside a forum, some one was rember this wrong marked cross and anouced this finding in the same collector forum! So I was suddenly a cheater! And they were Right!!! I nearly was so emotional that I was falling in a very deep deep hole and I was not proud of this my self! You don't want to hear it that I was even crying like a small child! I was fighting with my self if I should stop this hobby. But my passion was final a bit stronger then my emotional chaos and show the collectors, that passion couldn't stop me and I created the world biggest internet data base of Iron Crosses "EK1-DNA"! In all there will be an evolution and if your passion is strong enought you will reach all! Even starting with BAD SIDES of your passion. Passion has always a small border from bad to good! But if it is real passion the good side will win! I think you hear a lot of time,"cheating was very bad!" But if chess is your passion you can show it very easy! Play Chess for ranking or money not on Internet, play on real tournament without WLAN. Only for practice you can play via Internet and if some one cheat on Internet, he cheat him self ;-) For me I'm Elo about 1400 until 1600 and my name is Stefan T69 at playchess.com. I don't care if some one cheat by check out and check in to get more time on a Blitz-Game of 5 min! I don't care if some one use an engine! But to play for money online via Internet is the main fault, because every one can use an engine. So for me, only the real personal games is the right games and gives all the same chance to win without support of an engine ;-) So for me you made a mistake but you can make it undone by playing official chess only at live tournament ;-) And there will be no doubts that you use an engine! Sorry but my english is not my nature language ;-)Go on and show your passion!

[@dougmarkham]

Hmm, the goal then is to study the game to find a way to beat the engines within the time limit. If you can discover how, then your confidence will return. I think the assumption that the human mind can't compete is interesting (causing depression and motive to cheat); however, I think as a problem to study, finding weaknesses of engines is perhaps more intriguing and therefore more fun than the task of trying to beat a player who knows theory to a deep level. I find it interesting that Deep Mind can defeat Stockfish via an AI approach rather than via brute force after a remarkably short time frame.

[@adolfunobtainiumsteinsheke8790]

The more I argued with them, the better I came to know their dialectic. First they counted on the stupidity of their adversary, and then, when there was no other way out, they themselves simply played stupid. If all this didn't help, they pretended not to understand, or, if challenged, they changed the subject in a hurry, quoted platitudes which, if you accepted them, they immediately related to entirely different matters, and then, if again attacked, gave ground and pretended not to know exactly what you were talking about. Whenever you tried to attack one of these apostles, your hand closed on a jelly-like slime which divided up and poured through your fingers, but in the next moment collected again. But if you really struck one of these fellows so telling a blow that, observed by the audience, he couldn't help but agree, and if you believed that this had taken you at least one step forward, your amazement was great the next day. The Jew had not the slightest recollection of the day before, he rattled off his same old nonsense as though nothing at all had happened, and, if indignantly challenged, affected amazement; he couldn't remember a thing, except that he had proved the correctness of his assertions the previous day. Sometimes I stood there thunderstruck. I didn't know what to be more amazed at: the agility of their tongues or their virtuosity at lying. Gradually I began to hate them.

[@Mrthesmileguy]

That was a brave thing to do. You have one random persons respect.

[@svenkraattz7725]

i know you mostly from the collaboration with hutch. I always thought and still think your are a nice guy, as written above it takes a lot of courage and one can see by your face that you are taking this seriously and regret it.I think the reaction of chess.com is bit harsh. Although it was not true, i was blamed three times using a programm by other users (so i took it as a compliment ;-)) But cheating in online chess is a serious problem so it is good that there is a discussion about that topic.Last but not least i want to apologize for my bad english. Mr. Baron Keep on making good KZbin Videos about our beloved game.

[@mattapplegate]

I feel compelled to comment here. Simply, you're a complete DISGRACE. Not only should you return your winnings, I feel you should be stripped of any titles you have. An open confession is never shrouded in mystery, and never delivered with a smirk. I don't doubt you are a regular cheater, and not only at chess. You have damaged our game and your own reputation irreparably.

[@turtle207]

nobody cares how do you feel.

[@moceasar671]

Keep it coming Mathew. I was an idiot for a sec I sympathised with this cheater. But I truly understand you. You are right. Fuck all cheaters . Including this baron son of a bitch. He doesn't deserve the name tal

[@kapilhanwat2940]

I think you are looser in ur life

[@moceasar671]

kapil hanwat and I think u give head for a living.

[@MElixirDNB]

pff, you are pathetic. Using an engine only to combat a known engine user is nowhere near the same thing as BEING that engine user on a regular basis. Fuck you dude, youre just an asshole

[@mimerafm3794]

Personally I find all of this drama pointless.. This situation is between him, chess.com and people involved in the tournament so I believe it's best to let them handle the situation.

[@MElixirDNB]

stupid internet giving everyone a voice..

[@herzwatithink9289]

"The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do." ~ Captain Jack Sparrow What a man _should do_ isn't so clear, and doesn't generally fit very well into established competitive remits. As George Bernard Shaw put it, "The love of fair play is a spectator's virtue, not a principal's." People can clutch their pearls all they want at such sentiment, but the fact remains that human progress has always been the product of men who have operated from the premise, reveal to me the spirit of the law and I will show you its letter. With the zealot, with the young, the ambitious, there is a tendency for the letter to be trampled. Where the spirit remains obfuscated, the letter becomes little more than annoyance, contrivance, and a la mode question begging. The _real job_ of ethics, then, is to keep arising dispute within reasonable and manageable bounds. Fortunately, Providence has bequeathed to us an ever-regenerative gift in philosophy. For so long as we draw breath, no matter how far we fall, either in our own eyes or in the eyes of others, it is through philosophy that we are able to transcend the world of cold calculation and glimpse the world of sun-blessed knowing which animates it. We are able to hold man to be an end in himself (that is, subject to the universal law) because philosophy, by its nature, is self taught, or self realised, where the divinity in revelation manifests not in the ink and its paper but in the effect they have _within_ the student. In short, we sin when only once we have become estranged from ourselves; it is through foundational philosophy we are able to return to ourselves. Viewers might find the following text useful. www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta

[@robertayersiii3832]

Lots of strange discussions going on in the chat. By definition, GM Baron is a cheater. It is sort of the whole point of the video; so, why are people disputing it? Just because he is a cheater does not mean that he is a bad person; it does not mean you cannot forgive him. Those in the chat seem to have various motivations for not wanting to attach the label "cheater." The motivation that makes the most sense is that it is difficult to get one's good reputation back. This is a good thing. It means that we, as a community, are properly punishing, and hopefully deterring, behavior we don't like, in this case cheating at online chess. If we are ever to eradicate online cheating, something like Scarlet Letter community shaming is going to be required, particularly in the case of titled players, the royal family of the chess community. I like GM Baron. In the past, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I respect him for confessing. But, now I have to attach the label "cheater." As should we all, for it will help GM Baron to improve. It is up to GM Baron now to get his reputation back in the chess community. Certainly, his work on this channel is a large step in the right direction. One of the most interesting statements put forth by GM Baron is that the player in the final round is a cheater. Can anyone confirm that the player was GM Nakamura? If so, that is a fairly serious accusation. I don't know whether this is true or not, but GM Baron did not exactly support this claim. It is the sort of hit and run statement that people were leveling at him.

[@KidNoah2012]

A good first step in rehabing your image would be to show that you donated the $1300 to a reputable chess based charity (chess in schools type of thing) and post a screen shot of the cashed check as proof. Keeping the money is almost as bad as what you did in the tournament.

[@benjamincowen4632]

So you admit to violating the rules, but it's "ethical" not to say?

[@randomthings-ln8wp]

All of us are idiots sometimes. It happens bro.

[@yairweinberger7832]

I am sure it took a lot of courage to come clean. You did the right thing, and I am proud to be your supporter. Keep on the good work, and ignore the haters.

[@yairweinberger7832]

I do not know. I assume he finally found the courage in himself to do so. He made a very bad mistake, and everyone here with the pitchforks and torches, imagine yourselves walking a mile in his shoes. He mentions he apologized personally to everyone involved, and he is doing the right thing also publicly announcing it.

[@gdounito]

@ farsi dude stfu already, if you dont like tal dont bust our balls . you are at every comment asking about him coming clean.

[@gdounito]

he doesnt need to "come" clean becvause he didnt commit a fucking crime. cheating on chess online is an everyday phenomenon whether u guys like it or not. And yes top player CHEAT all the time also, so stop acting like something really bad happened. For me he didnt do anything wrong, it was just a bad moment. No big deal

[@joddle23]

Cheating detection has gotten really good, so I have to disagree that top players cheat "all the time". Regardless, I think the more often cheating comes up in discussions, the more people will accuse others of cheating whether they are right or not... and this hurts the online chess community. I say leave it to the cheating detection system and ban players who cheat, but give them one more chance. The main issue that I have is not that Tal cheated, but that he waited such a long time to admit it. Late is better than never, but as a longtime fan, it's still disappointing to see. That being said it's been quite a long time, and Tal's confession seems sincere, so I am hopeful for him and his channel, and will continue to support his great content.

[@NoNAME-qi9tq]

Top players do not cheat for the most part. Well not the ones who want to take the game seriously. The players who are ranked 800-1900 it is freaking horrible. Cheat detection only catches bots. This is not enough!!