When American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura voiced his dissatisfaction with what he called FIDE’s excessive anti-cheating measures at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, the chess world split into opposing camps. Nakamura’s remarks targeted protocols introduced by FIDE, the sport’s world governing body. Yet officials argue that such measures are necessary to preserve the integrity of the game. In recent years, numerous cheating allegations, including some levelled by top players themselves, have surfaced, alongside confirmed cases of individuals caught red-handed during over‑the‑board (OTB) tournaments. These incidents leave little room for lax security for FIDE. While the process may sound invasive, with scanners at multiple stages and constant monitoring of the players, but in practice, it’s actually straightforward, no more intrusive than airport boarding security. A player’s entry into the playing venue typically involves a walk‑through scanner followed by a manual check. For the Candidates Tournament, in addition to the walk‑through scanner and a non‑linear junction detector used during the manual check to detect phones or chips, FIDE also introduced additional advanced screening steps. According to the organisation, …