There are times when everyone cheats and it’s not that bad since no one really suffers. And then there are times when cheating is bad, and above all much more controlled. Like in sports competitions or game shows. Yet, despite the checks, some particularly daring cheaters have tried their luck. And, it must be admitted, they did it with panache.
1. Hans Niemann, the chess player suspected of using anal beads to defeat a champion
During the Sinquefield Cup, a big chess tournament held every year in Missouri, the world number 1 Magnus Carlsen was beaten by Hans Niemann, a player much lower ranked than him. According to experts, Niemann could never have beaten Carlsen under normal conditions. The world number 1 has also abandoned the tournament by posting an enigmatic message, a way of accusing his opponent of cheating. But the thing is, no one knows how Niemann could have cheated. Some believe that he would have used a vibrating sex toy, inserted into the anus, and that an accomplice sent vibrations to indicate the movements to be made, which would have been calculated by an artificial intelligence. Others think more of a vibrating sole system, but we must admit that the vibrating plug in the ass is a little more fun.
2. Charles Ingram, who nearly fooled everyone at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
In 2001, Charles Ingram took part in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?the English version of our good old Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? And he won. One million pounds. Not bad. Except he had cheated. Ingram had two accomplices in the audience: his wife, and an academic. When Charles thought aloud and listed the answers, his accomplices coughed as the correct answer was uttered. The candidate then only had to validate this correct answer. A relatively well thought out cheat. Yes, relatively, because the production had doubts, analyzed the video and noticed the little game of Charles and his accomplices. As a result, the guy was found guilty of fraud; he had to return his winnings, received an 18-month suspended sentence, and a £30,000 fine. He didn’t end up a millionaire, but it was daring.
3. The mysterious poker player who installed a camera in a pro’s house to spy on his game
This anecdote was told by Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons: he claims that a famous professional poker player (whose name he did not reveal) lost more than 4 million dollars because of a cheater . The guy kept losing his games while he was playing online when he realized that a webcam had been installed in his house, in his ceiling, oriented towards his computer. Someone had broken into his house to set up this cheat. It’s very strong, but also very creepy.
4. Boris Onishchenko and his self-scoring sword at the Olympic Games
In 1976, Ukrainian athlete Boris Onishchenko took part in the Olympic Games for the third time and already had a good track record in modern pentathlon, an event involving 5 disciplines, including fencing. In short, the guy was recognized and respected. However, during the team fencing event, and when he was considered the favorite, Onishchenko cheated. Using a fake sword, the sportsman could press a button to send a signal announcing that he had touched his opponent (when not). We quickly sniffed it out, so we confiscated his sword for analysis, and the cheating was unmasked. End of the Olympics for Onishchenko, now banned for life.
5. The fake mentally handicapped Spanish Paralympic basketball team
At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Paralympic basketball team (reserved for the mentally handicapped) won the final of the competition. The problem ? Of the 12 players on the team, 10 were not mentally handicapped. They had lied about their IQ, which had not been checked by the organizers, and were able to compete without problems. It was one of the players, a journalist infiltrating the team for 2 years, who finally returned his medal and denounced the collective cheating. The journalist also revealed publicly that other Spanish Paralympic athletes, including at least 2 swimmers and a table tennis player, had used the same technique. Cheating is never pretty, but this one was really ugly.
6. Fred Lorz, the marathon runner who priced the cab
During the 1904 Olympic Marathon in Saint-Louis, marathon runner Frederick Lorz stood on the starting line facing a few professionals, but also many amateurs. It must be said that the edition was very little followed because at the same time, in the same place, the Universal Exhibition was held. In short, the organization was rotten and the race poorly supervised, so when Lorz stopped after 15 kilometers due to cramps, he took the opportunity to get into the car of a spectator who advanced him to 10 kilometers from the finish, giving him an easy victory. But it was without counting on certain spectators who had seen Lorz get out of the car and who denounced him to the organizers. While he was about to receive his trophy, the runner was disqualified and then banned for life from competitions. But, after a public apology, Lorz was finally able to run competitively again and win the Boston Marathon a year later. Without car, this time.
7. Rosie Ruiz, the marathon runner who took the subway
After Fred Lorz and his car, Rosie Ruiz cheated by taking the subway. It happened in 1979 at the New York Marathon. Exhausted after 30 minutes of racing, Rosie Ruiz decided to take the metro which brought her to the finish line. Shortly before the end of the race, she joined the peloton to finish 11th and qualify for the Boston Marathon.
During this second race, in 1980, Rosie tried an even more abusive tactic: she hid herself in the crowd 700m from the finish line and, when the runners arrived, she doused herself with water – to simulate sweat – before starting to gallop. What’s stupid is that she started too early, found herself in front of the other participants, and broke a women’s record for this race. It was very quickly unmasked and disqualified. Ashamed, Rosie changed her name and moved to Florida. We understand it.
8. Spyrídon Belókas and his carriage marathon
Come on, another marathon runner, and yet another different cheating technique. This time, it was Spyrídon Belókas, who, at the first marathon of the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, covered part of the course in a cart before finishing third in the race. Unfortunately for him – and fortunately for the sport – he will be unmasked and disqualified. Nevertheless, we must salute the audacity of the type. In a cart, what.
9. Roberto Madrazo, another lover of shortcuts
Roberto Madrazo, a Mexican politician who had been largely defeated in the 2006 presidential election, tried to rebuild his good name a year later at the Berlin Marathon by taking first place in the “over 55” category. with record time. Only, the guy had taken a shortcut. He was caught very quickly since he had jumped 2 checkpoints and had only taken 21 minutes to reach 2 points separated by more than 14 kilometers away, which is humanly impossible. Quit cheating, just do it right.