Incredible toxicity in the chess community

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deadlockdev

I haven't seen this posted much anywhere else but I think it needs to be noted:

I've been playing chess for about a year and a half. Starting at like a 700 rating and I'd say I'm around 1250 now and still climbing happy.png (this account is new, so its around 1175) 

However, this entire time over all my accounts, every time I attempt to jump into the forums and start some fun chess discussion with others I am immediately shown why chess gatekeeping is such a meme.

The amount of sheer toxicity in these forums rivals any other game I've ever played online. People use their rating like some kind of social credit system, interjecting every opportunity they get to flaunt it.

Beginners and intermediates can barely ask questions without being attacked for their skill or mistakes. As far as I'm concerned this is the absolute worst community I've ever seen and I wish it wasn't because I love chess.

Benedictine

Yes, the problem is with any medium is seems, is that the higher the number of people involved the more toxic something is. (Have you seen Twitter or YouTube comments?) Chess.com is the most popular chess site so it's naturally more toxic than elsewhere.

 

sndeww

Lots of toxicity in the internet... I try to balance toxicity and niceness here. A bit of both is healthy

Khannate1

you do right to mention this , im a firm believer that regardless of grade we are all capable of insights into chess , 

when another cannot refute you by logic and resorts instead to denigration  then to me they are deaf to new views , let them stagnate if thats their thing  you and the game can and will move on 

ecafkcoc101

I feel that people boasting about their online rating is one of the greatest parts of the forums. its hilarious to me how serious people can get when it comes to playing a game on a computer. It speaks volumes of one's character when they need to rely on the fact that they have a better chess.com rating in comparison to someone else in order to make them feel better about themselves and get themselves through their day. i guess all i can say is dont take it so seriously and just enjoy the show, and most importantly, the game

Lion_kingkiller
Nylonsock wrote:
Some of these toxic dudes have nothing else in their lives but their ratings, and that’s what makes them so boring.......take away their ratings, and they are just empty shells

Very true. And people who boast about ratings probably cheat. Most high players are humble,

PowerChess52
What are you talking about?
chessbeijing

I love chess.

FizzyBand

"People use their rating like some kind of social credit system"

Yeah that is basically how the chess world works like it or not, The higher rating you have the more respect you get

FizzyBand

The only thing that supersedes rating in chess is having a title, and titles have a lot to do with rating so...

Roaming_Rooster
Everyone is speaking facts
Roaming_Rooster
I see people say things which makes the community more toxic
Roaming_Rooster
Let’s say someone says I want to burn blah then some1 here’s this they think if he can say it I can
Roaming_Rooster
It is good to have some but this is to much
Roaming_Rooster
If nobody was toxic we wouldn’t think anyone was nice cuz being nice 👍 is normal but this is to much toxicity
wgnoyes
Nothing new. Chess was just as Abusive forty years ago over ratings as it apparently still is now.
tofudriftingboi
FizzyBand wrote:

"People use their rating like some kind of social credit system"

Yeah that is basically how the chess world works like it or not, The higher rating you have the more respect you get

Exactly

eric0022
SNUDOO wrote:

Lots of toxicity in the internet... I try to balance toxicity and niceness here. A bit of both is healthy

 

+1

sndeww
ecafkcoc101 wrote:

I feel that people boasting about their online rating is one of the greatest parts of the forums. its hilarious to me how serious people can get when it comes to playing a game on a computer. It speaks volumes of one's character when they need to rely on the fact that they have a better chess.com rating in comparison to someone else in order to make them feel better about themselves and get themselves through their day. i guess all i can say is dont take it so seriously and just enjoy the show, and most importantly, the game

Lol, I saw this 2200 post a blitz game in the Marshall Gambit, and then @thrillerfan said something, resulting in him/her getting blasted with a “why should I care about a 1900 nobody” LOL

Lion_kingkiller

Probably sh,t like that... make people cheat as well. Some smelly little geek with a high rating. Insulting what could be a doctor or soldier... who only plays an hour a day. Disgusting.