The risk management firm Pinkerton is the Official Anti-Cheating Partner to the FIDE World Chess Championships in London in November. Pinkerton will provide services to combat cheating or player interference, to ensure fair play and the integrity of the event.
The FIDE World Chess Championship Match 2018 is taking place at The College in the City of London. The championship will feature 12 rounds between reigning champion Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian who has held the title since 2013, and American challenger Fabiano Caruana. US-based Pinkerton will carry out metal detector scanning, electronic device sweeping, guarding and surveillance, and background screening checks. The firm can, on demand of organisers or appeal committee, deploy a lie detector (polygraph) test if cheating or outside interference is suspected. Beforehand, Pinkerton authored an assessment on cheating in chess that outlines common cheating strategies, notable incidents of cheating, and the best strategy to combat it.
Organisers said that even though cheating is rare in top-level chess, both players have to be absolutely sure no cheating or outside help is possible. All of the anti-cheating measures are geared towards preventing any suspicion of possible interference, and having ways to detect it in case there are concerns.
CEO of World Chess Ilya Merenzon said: “Thanks to Pinkerton, the name that is synonymous with security for decades, the Championship 2018 is the most protected chess event in history, both in regular security and advanced anti-cheating and fair play measures. Pinkerton employs the most advanced technology, but it’s very much warranted given the interest this Match is generating, and increased betting and overall profile of the event.
Rory Lamrock, Pinkerton’s United Kingdom Director, said: “The World Chess Championships is an extremely high-profile event that has a genuinely global following. Any cheating or other related activity could severely damage the brand’s integrity and cause worldwide concern through the competitive chess community. It is our job to ensure that does not happen and I am confident our team is up to the task.”
