Players shall take no action that will bring the game of chess into disrepute (Art. 11.1); The arbiter's duties expressly include ensuring fair play (Art. 12.2.1); Agreeing a result in advance, or deliberately losing, is contrary to Art. 11.1
Why people argue about this
People often assume that agreeing a result in advance is only cheating if it happens after the game ends, forgetting that deliberately losing with the intention of securing an easy win during play itself violates Art. 11.1's spirit of fair play. The confusion arises because they overlook the rule’s broader interpretation that includes premeditated dishonesty throughout the match.
