Admin 101

What Admins do at chess.com

Team matches

1. Set up team matches by challenging other teams. On the other group's home page, click on "challenge" and then fill out the challenge form and submit. Two good places to find a team to challenge are (a) the list of chess.com groups that can be found under the Share menu and (b) admin groups such as Admin's Corner. First join this group and then use the group Notes to seek a match.

2. Set up team matches by accepting challenges. As an admin, you will be alerted to every challenge your group receives and you may choose to accept the challenge or to decline.

3. Lock your team to get a team match started. From time to time, click on "Matches" on your group's home page to see the current state of pending matches that are open for registration. If you feel that your team has a sufficient number of players and that the pairing shown is acceptable, you may choose to click on "lock your team" to initiate the process of starting the match.

4. Promote matches to your group members. If a pending match does not have enough players from your side, you may use Notes or Forums to encourage your group members to join that match.

5. Cancel a team match. If a pending team match is dying on the vine for lack of players willing to play the match or if you feel the pairing is unfair for any reason or if you feel for any reason that the match is not in the best interest of your group, you may choose to cancel the match by clicking on " Cancel".

Membership management

1. As an admin, you will be alerted when someone wants to join your group. You may then choose to accept or deny the application.

2.  On your group's home page, click on "manage members" and you will see a list of all members. You may make changes to each member's status by clicking on the appropriate circle and then clicking on "Update" at the bottom of the list. These changes will determine whether the member is an admin, a super admin, or neither and whether the member stays in group or is ejected from it. Please use your good judgment when making these changes.

3. Help your group to increase membership by promoting the group and by inviting friends and friendly opponents who you feel will make a good addition to the group.

Leadership

1. Be active in the group's Notes, News, Forums, and ContactAdmin to stay in touch with your member and fellow admins, to welcome new members, and to discuss and implement policy changes. Get to know your members.

2. Look at your group's profile page and make changes that you feel need to be made.

3. Stay in communication with your fellow admins to set group policy, goals, and vision.

4. Feel a sense of ownership of the group to manage and shape it the way you feel it should be. Each admin contributes his unique views and personality to the group's unique identification and role at chess.com.