Is there a way to decline rating points when an opponent times out? I feel guilty taking them, given that often my opponents may being playing in countries where Internet service is unreliable. Additionally, receiving rating points every time this happens artificially inflates ratings. Players who can afford higher levels of membership have the advanatage, since they can protect themselves with vacation time.

Regards...

Unset Auto-Win on Time:  (Automatically claim victory when time runs out! Tournament games always win on time automatically)

The setting Artfizz has mentioned is here

http://www.chess.com/home/echess_settings.html

Thanks! I assume match games also win on time?

My guess would be no: that Team Matches are treated like individual games and NOT like tournament games.

My guess is that Team Matches would be treated like tournament games and NOT like individual games.

My reasoning is that other people are interested in the outcome of the game, so we don't let the players involved just leave the game indefinitely.

You are a generous man, baddbishop

At one time unsetting the Auto-Win on Time simulated a decline as the game would stay on your list of ongoing games and the the site's list of ongoing games forever. Now you should have 60 days to resign before you are awarded the win. This is no longer visible with the 100 page limit.

There is another issue now. If you resign, some who simply accept the ratings points will accuse you of sandbagging. Just accept the points like everybody else and it will be the same as if nobody accepted the points.

Thank you, Cindy. It may be my only good quality.