False identity

A false identity is used when someone competes or is recorded as though they were another person. The central issue is not an informal screen name. It is the misleading attribution of competitive performance to an identity that does not match the real player.

This can affect eligibility, pairings, meaning the assignment of opponents, prizes, titles, and rating, the numerical estimate of competitive strength. Examples include deliberately playing through another person's official profile, concealing who is actually making the moves, or using an invented identity to evade restrictions. FIDE's supervised online rules require players to use their real names.

False identity can overlap with account sharing, but the concepts are not identical. Sharing credentials can be a separate violation under the applicable rules even without attributing a performance to another person, and false registration can occur without a shared password. When used for advantage, it can form part of cheating, competition manipulation, or rating fraud.