Question - would it be possible to list the challenges so that when one was accepted or created, it didn't result in the entire list shifting up or down? It's fierce difficult to click on the seek one actually wants sometimes...

I agree. We are talking about live chess right?

I can't see how this could be possible Fintan. Accepted seeks need to disappear to avoid confusion and there are always new seeks added. The way it works now is the only logical way I can see. Correct me if I am wrong someone.

they disappear and reappear in batches every 3 seconds. we can't leave them there forever :)

They could go in a rotating fashion.  Each new seek would occupy the next available slot, but then it wouldn't move.  As soon as the seek is accepted, is disapears, then another one will fill that slot. (edit:  That is a horrible explanation, just read the example)

example:

0 seconds

seek 1

seek 2

seek 3

5 seconds: seek 2 accepted.  New seek created (named seek 4)

seek 1

seek 4

seek 3

10 seconds: seek 1 accepted, no new seeks

(empty slot)

seek 4

seek 3

15 seconds, someone makes a new seek (seek 5)

seek 5

seek 4 

seek 3

and so forth.  It may look a little botchy towards the end of the list from time to time,  but seeks wouldn't move (and thus, they would be readable and acceptable)

Even though I have very little experience programming, I can't imagine it would be that difficult...

How about combining the seeks and games tabs so that once a game is started the accept link becomes an observe link?  At least that way you'd have more sort options that could be used to mitigate the jumping around, and half the number of tabs to maintain.

there would also be a manhunt for games to accept.

I second this.

And at what point do you delete them..... I can't see this working well either. Really, the way it is set up now is the least confusing way...Just gotta  be a bit more snappier with your selecting....it's fun trying to grab the one you want!

Not if you sorted appropriately.

true...but you would pretty much have the same problem.  Once games are accepted, they change positions

As Erik has pointed out, you have to deal with the change in the status of seeks at some point -- my feeling is that combining the tabs would give the flexibility to either group all of the open seeks together, or to keep accepted seeks from jumping around -- at least until a game is completed.  I don't think there's any solution that lets you have it both ways.

Perhaps I can suggest another option:  I think it would help to only list those seeks that a user is able to accept -- this would mitigate a lot of the changes as many seeks are irrelevant to each user due to rating limit settings etc. and don't even need to be shown in the first place.

That would be a GREAT idea TheGrobe, list only the seeks that each user is able to.... Though it seems pretty complicated to write, but I am sure the geniuses here, Piotr and the like, will master it... I guess it is similar to Open Seeks and how they work. This would take the edge of the jumping around too. 

I don't actually think it should be that hard to do at all provided it's handled on the client side.

seek filters are coming in November :)

"seek filters are coming in November :)"

Thank GOD!

Well there you have it -- as usual, the chess.com staff is one step ahead of the masses.  I know I've said it before but it bears repeating:  You guys do great work.

I notice that the seek filters are in place and players can now filter their seeks by Game Time range, Rating Range (presumably the seek creator's rating?) and "Premium Only".  This is a great new feature that should help with this issue, but it seems to me that there the most relevant filter is missing: 

"Show only those games that I'm eligible to accept"

Isn't this the view that most players would be interested in seeing?  The seeks I can't accept are of no value to me, so showing them just adds unnecessary clutter.

excellent point!