How much help can you have before it beomes cheating?

Obviously using an engine to give you the best moves is cheating.

But what about more subtle things? Eg if you refer to a checklist when you're playing (look far hanging, castle early etc). Or notes on the best lines for specific openings?

In my case, I've been working on the Ponziani opening. Using a YouTube video as a guide, I've set up a custom board, shown the moves with arrows and taken screenshots and turned it into a flow diagram. Is referring to that while I learn it considered cheating?

The following rules apply to ANY GAME CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS:

· For Chess.com “Live” games (e.g., similar to ‘over-the-board’ [OTB] games) it is ILLEGAL to consult or employ ANY external aid or resource, including human assistance.

· For Chess.com “Daily” games (e.g., similar to correspondence or postal chess) it is LEGAL to consult passive resources such as books, articles, videos, online databases, opening explorers, etc. However, it is ILLEGAL to use computers/chess engines to calculate moves, or to consult with another human about a game in progress.

When you're playing and you don't know how to continue, then take that as an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of finding the answer on your own without any form of assistance. It's much more enjoyable when you find the answer on you're own. So what if you don't know the answer, you can review later and then play another game.