New Delhi: The year was 2015. Senior Grandmaster (GM) Pravin Thipsay, 55, has not won any chess tournament in four years. He arrived at the inaugural Dr Hagduwa Open in Delhi hoping to break the curse, but by the fifth round he found himself in a nightmare.Across from him sits Dhruv Kakar, a 19-year-old engineering student with an on-paper rating of 1575. But as the game unfolded, Tipsey watched in disbelief as his pieces were replaced with cool, engine-like precision.After 87 grueling moves, the teenager finally won, while the general manager sitting on the other side of the board looked in disbelief.
“The quality of the action did not match his assessment,” Tipsay told TOI, recalling the incident. “Whether the move was obvious or not, the amount of time he spent was consistent.”Suspicion was immediate. A scene that resembled a thriller, and then the boy was taken to a private room. Authorities then searched Kakkar and found he had several cellphones strapped to his body and was wearing a pair of earphones so small they had to be removed with a magnet.The veteran ended up winning the game for the first time in four years, but the victory was tainted by the realization that the soul of the game could just as easily be sold on a digital signal.Fast forward to 2026, and the shadows of 2015 have become the focus of global attention. The ongoing FIDE Candidates Tournament is the pinnacle of the sport, and the atmosphere here is less like a quiet library and more like a high-security black place.It was this tension that prompted world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura to launch a sarcastic verbal strategy that has since gone viral.“They scan us before the game. They scan us after the game. They have metal detectors and all kinds of other scanners,” Nakamura teased on his YouTube channel. “I mean, who are we? Are we Mossad agents in Iran or something? Come on, we are chess players! Let’s face it.”For Nakamura, these measures are “complete nonsense” and a dramatic overreaction to a threat he sees as being managed through sheer hardware saturation. However, FIDE remains steadfast.FIDE fair play officer Andy Howie argued the agreements were necessary safeguards for World Championship qualifiers. “We have to make sure the players are in a safe environment,” he said in a video on FIDE’s YouTube channel.The controversy has divided the chess world into two factions. Is FIDE protecting the integrity of the game, or is it turning a battle of wits into a TSA checkpoint?indian perspectiveJust after Nakaumra’s rant, India’s legendary female general manager Koneru Humpy was one of the first Indian general managers to express support for the stringent requirements on X (formerly Twitter).“In today’s age of rapid technological advancement, strong anti-cheating measures are critical,” she noted. “They may feel it’s very demanding, but they make sure the game is decided by technology. There are times during the game when there are questions, but the existing rules make it difficult to speak openly.”Humpy’s sentiments were echoed by general manager Shyam Sundar M, although he acknowledged the friction Nakamura described.“It (appropriate security measures) is absolutely necessary because there is so much technology emerging right now,” Schaam told SciDev.Net. “I know how annoying it is. Before a game, players usually focus only on the board. Waiting in line for ten minutes or more can be frustrating. ““What annoys players more than the wait time is when someone cheats and never gets caught,” Shyam added. “So, for the sake of the game, I think, uh, it’s necessary. Just like in an airport, the security check is for our own safety. Once that’s done, we know whether we’re playing a human player or a ‘metahuman’.”Is broadcasting the real problem?While Nakamura expresses dissatisfaction with scanners, Pravin Thipsay offers a radical alternative that could make metal detectors obsolete. Kill the live feed.“Cheating is a major threat. Any Tom, Dick and Harry with the help of an engine can beat the world champion,” explains Tipsey.“I don’t think live chess is a necessity. If the game is postponed by an hour, it won’t affect the popularity of chess. It’s not like a cricket match where people want to watch the match live. People will watch these games at their convenience. “
Praveen Tipsee
Tipsey believes FIDE is “wrong” that popularity depends on real-time data.He pointed to the logistical nightmare that current rules create for travel professionals.“When we go abroad, we don’t know where to put our phones. You need your phone to get to the venue, but you can’t leave it with the organizer or take it to the lobby. This is a serious inconvenience,” he further added.So his solution was to delay the show by 30 to 60 minutes. “In this case, the chance of cheating is almost zero. Even with a 100-year-old game, players are happy to see it. The priority is that no one has the right to show the game while it is in progress.”The price for the greater good?For young general managers like Abhimanyu Pratnik, the Mossad treatment is just the cost of doing business at the top.“Anti-cheating measures are crucial these days,” Pratnik, who just turned 26, told TimesofIndia.com. “While nothing fishy obviously happens at events like Candidates, these events set an example for the quality of anti-cheating that tournaments around the world should aspire to.”
Planik thinks the process can be cumbersome, but he also feels: “It’s a small price to pay for the greater good of the game.”Nakamura may feel like a spy in a foreign land, but for many Indian gamers, the memory of “average players” pulling off godlike moves is a ghost they’re not ready to stop hunting.For now, the scanner isn’t going anywhere yet. As long as this threat exists, the Masters must continue to act like secret agents.
 Pravin Thipsay hadn't won any chess tournament in four years. He arrived at the inaugura.){kind=link}