"Good Game" or GG is not a compliment.

No but it's a good bump. 

I agree with you that the most polite reply is simply to return the "good game" or "gg." 

Presumably most people who write "thank you" are trying to be polite, though (and in any case it's superior to silence). I did an experiment for a while in which I wrote "good game" after every loss. About 1% of the people I played responded at all, and of those who did respond "hahahahah" was one of the most common replies. So from that perspective, "thank you" is really pretty good.

Chess.com does almost nothing to encourage good sportsmanship (as distinct from discouraging bad sportsmanship), so this is basically to be expected (and anyway, all the other main chess websites have the same problem). I have chat turned off by default now for that reason.

"When someone says "gg" it is rather rude to say "thx" back. The polite reply is to return the "gg.""

Complete nonsense! Thx is fine. What person in their right mind gets upset by "thx"

This is just one of the reason i dont play online chess.  This whole "good game and "gg" being considered rude and or poor sportsmanship?  Please...Grow up people and take it for what it is.  A gesture of sportsmanship.  Put the e-thug thing away and act like a normal human being.   Being anonymous doesn't make you brave.  

I've never really come across any advice on etiquette on chess.com, so this discussion is welcome. As an oversensitive Brit beginner, I find the whole area fraught with potential for misunderstanding. If I say "Good Game" to someone who's just beaten me easily, am I being presumptuous? If I say "Good Game" to someone whom I've just beaten easily (a less frequent occurrence), am I being patronizing? If I try to friend someone who's better than me, am I imposing on their time? If I try to friend someone at a lower level than me, will they think I'm trying to torment them?

The above is a bit overstated, but I've often wondered about the automatic "Good Game" and "Was X a good sport?" comment functions. If I don't click the latter, does my opponent get a black mark? On the other hand, if I do click it, does that imply that s/he has done something especially magnaminous? 

In the case of a response to "Good Game", you have to remember that the majority of chess.com players disappear immediately at the end of a game without any communication. Of the ones who stick around to say "Good Game", many disappear without waiting for a response. In any case, if I say "thanks", it's usually to thank someone for playing a game with me, and possibly also for their courtesy in saying "Good Game".

ggs

The only time I receive a gg is when the opponent is applauding himself. Was wondering what gg meant. Thought maybe LOL???/

necropost

Its not what you say its how you say it, since the internet is using words it basically neutral all you need is to lose inorder to call good game an insult. 

• I click the good game button every game unless the opponent walks away. I have nor seen a reply or be challenged for a rematch or chatted... not that I  actually want any of this... I have my settings all open and am curious. I have played 80 games

I always say gg after a game - and "thanks" or "gg" back is great, but frankly any response at all is unusual on this site. I'd estimate about 1/20 respond at all even to a compliment like "well played" or "bon attaque".

I guess a lot of people ignore chat, or English isn't their first language, although I've tried in other languages (unfortunately flags aren't a reliable indicator of languages spoken).

I think the "Good Game" button gets auto-translated, but I don't think that's the issue here. Most people just aren't chatty I guess, which is fine. More meat for the ratings grinder ;-)

Oooh...a resurrected very old thread. My 2 cents - social convention is a strange beast that people get far too concerned about when people don't follow their expectations and take things literally. GG is actually a compliment for the reasons given in the first post (the compliment is for being part of an enjoyable game and being sportsman-like). It seems to me that returning the compliment or saying thanks is equally polite.

I've seen several of these GG threads lately. The easiest solution is for us all to just change the social convention. I have therefore unilaterally and with absolutely no authority whatsoever (other than moral authority) decided that there will be no more "good game". After a game players will express their level of appreciation for their opponent by typing the name of a cheese. This is less subject to confusion and also allows for levels of appreciation as the better the cheese, the better the appreciation. For example, if your opponent played a mediocre game and had a couple of minor tantrums you would type "Cheddar". If it was a pretty terrible game and they were rude you can type "Edam". If they were amazing you would type Mozzarella (as it is the best of all cheeses on pizza). This, I feel, is a much more understandable convention for everybody. OTB players can keep little miniature cheeses like Babybel and present them to each other after the completion of the game. This would also almost certainly raise the likelihood that I and many others will one day play an over the board game. "You played like a Mozzarella, but I only have babybels on me, here, have two babybels". Problem solved.

People who get upset and insulted by people saying "gg" and "thx" will never amount to anything as chess players. There's something fundamentally wrong with them

I do "gg" at the end of every game, win or lose.

I don't know it the other players see it, or reply or even said gg before I did; as I am already gone to review my game.

think this might be the most viable solution. Perhaps chess.com could raise the prices a little for the non-premium memberships and distribute cheeses to every new member. You'd have to avoid being too free with the compliments so that you wouldn't run out. To encourage learning, reaching certain milestones in puzzles and lessons would trigger further release of cheeses.

hmmm

Saying good game or thanks is proper if the opponent played well.