ZURICH — The International Chess Federation made official Tuesday what participants have long understood: professional chess is now a competition to see which human can most effectively use computer assistance without getting caught, so restrictions will be lifted entirely.

The decision follows years of cheating scandals in which players used increasingly creative methods to receive AI-generated move suggestions—from vibrating devices to elaborate signaling systems to simply memorizing engine recommendations during bathroom breaks.

"We're tired of pretending," said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. "Every top player consults engines in preparation. Many consult them during games. The era of purely human chess ended a decade ago. It's time we acknowledged reality."

Under the new rules, players may openly use chess engines during tournament games, transforming competition into a test of who can most efficiently input positions and implement the AI's preferred moves. Several grandmasters welcomed the change.

"At least now we can stop pretending we came up with these ideas ourselves," said former world championship contender Hikaru Nakamura. "Everyone knew the optimal move was Qh6. The engine told us all Qh6. Why waste energy claiming we calculated it?"

Purists objected that AI-assisted chess removes the human element entirely, reducing players to mechanical intermediaries executing algorithmic instructions. FIDE responded that this has been the reality of elite chess since approximately 2015 and that official rules should reflect actual practice.

The federation noted that audiences seem indifferent to whether they're watching human creativity or humans implementing computer suggestions, provided the games conclude in a reasonable timeframe.

Several sponsors expressed relief at the clarification. "We were paying to advertise during what we thought was a thinking competition," explained one executive. "Turns out it was a typing competition. At least now everyone's honest about it."

FIDE announced that future world championships will include a mandatory laptop at each board, with commentary focusing on which player enters moves more quickly after the AI calculates them.