Why is there such a disparity in the way players play at the 800 - 1100 level?

My guess is that there is cheating going on like crazy just like every other online app. I wish there was a chess club I could go to. But then again, players cheat like crazy even then. Such is life.

I don't think much cheating goes on at chess clubs.

Oh, wait...Chicago...Maybe you're right after all.

There's cheating in tournaments. There's cheating at coffee houses (my friend sets up a camera when he plays), and there is tons of cheating online. Such is life. The best games are always, and always have been, with good friends.

I dont suspect cheating alot. But I do notice 1100s that I kick of the board easily and 1100s that seem to catch every tactical shot Im thinking of.

What engines do the 800's use?

It really doesn't matter what engines are used and how often they are used. They can simply be used at critical junctures. I just played a guy who ripped off 10 consecutive perfect knight moves without any calculation time. I've watched experts and masters play blitz and such perfection is simply impossible without computer assistance. In any case, I am trying out ICC, the theory being that a paid site will attract less cheaters. Not sure about this theory, but so far the play is totally different, (it feels like human moves and not computer moves) and it doesn't seem like they are sitting there with a book of openings and chess traps. I'll see how it goes.

Most guys in 800-1100 are not even aware of chess engines, forget that they would even use them. These are just amateur players like me who play with instinct and result always depends on their luck rather than any particular cheating. People below 1100 would be least into cheating in my opinion otherwise they wouldn't often make the blunders if you go through their game archives, they are just amateur players who have their good days and bad days coming randomly their way.

I don't think most players below 1100 even have any interest in rating stuff. I am one of them and I am only amateur player and don't have slightest of interest in 2000 rating for myself though I enjoy watching live games between high ranked players in live chess format of chess.com

It is just not main part of life, I am somewhat spending a lot of time on chess.com because I have nothing else to do at the moment. When I will be busy I doubt I will be playing online chess that frequently.

Part of having a lower rating is inconsistent play.  I struggle with this in a big way.  Some games I play really well, some like a beginner.  There is also the issue of distraction.  Some players concentrate as hard as they can one game and the next they move with one hand while they are on the phone with the other and their 2 year old is crawling all over them (I know this from experience, too).

This is weird. What does he do with the camera?

He video tapes all of the games because long time players are very adept at cheating. Of the 15 or so regular players, only two don't cheat on a regular basis. Based upon my own online experiences, maybe 1 out of 3 games are without cheating of one sort or another and I am being very generous in my assessment, making the whole point of playing rather pointless.

But to be fair, cheating is rampant on online games of any sort. The cheaters drive out non-cheaters, making online games self selecting. Honest players don't hang around for long. Why do players cheat at games? Because that is how they get their kicks in life. My best friends use to cheat me at Monopoly at all-star baseball when I was young. They were probably very successful in their careers. ☺

I guess they cheat with Chess Titans

Seriously though, I don't think they cheat

Isn't the starting rating you're given like 1000... so that pretty much explains it right tthere

Acctually I think it is 1200

So how do these coffehouse players cheat? Hand signals, going to the john, Borislov Ivanov type stuff, or what? Are you guys playing for money?

Maybe we're just in different worlds...None of the guys I play OTB skittles with cheat.

I don't know how ratings on this site are calculated, but some of those lower ratings may be provisional ratings while others are actual ratings. Provisional ratings can change quite a lot early on.