About Chess Etiquette

I love this game, or "the sport for the mind" as B. Fischer once said. I really enjoy it even when I find my self mad about losing a game because of a stupid blunder, or when a slightly wrong move collapses a whole game I was dominating just because I am down on time.

I have to admit I curse often, but only to my self... always.

Even when I stumble with those players who don't like to accept their losses and they keep offering a draw over and over, or just abandon the game for you to wait on it for the reminder of the time.

Even when in my mind sometimes I say "you s.o.b. yes you beat me only because of a small mistake but I was clearly a better player"... well when I come to my senses, I realize and can accept that taking advantage of a small mistake from your oponent in order to come out victorious it really deserves credit (unless you're cheating of course).

"A good winner knows how to accept his losses."

Nevertheless, I do not understand why some players find it so hard to practice good etiquette and sportsmanship.

I know some players like to thrash talk during the game as a low-life strategy to get you emotional and distract you... but AFTER the game?? why?? last night I played with a Romanian guy who would not stop insulting me because I won.

Even minutes after the game ended and also he left me a note with guess what? yes, another insult. I got a good laugh about it afterwords because I really don't know why I was playing at 2 am and when I was just getting home drunk

But this morning that I saw the offending note, then I realize this guy really had some kind of anger issue.

So I just wanted to exhort all players that are prone to have bad manners, please practice chess etiquette. You don't have to memorice any thing it's just common sense, and even still if you find it hard to be polite, then just keep quite and move on with your next oponent. If you don't have to say anything nice about an oponent or a game, than don't say nothing. Just try to have fun above all!

Here is a link I found useful for chess etiquette:
http://www.il-chess.org/index.php/sportsmanship-and-etiquette

Cheers!

You'd be just as effective and cognizant of the context if you made an impassioned plea to the Mafia or drug cartels to take up knitting and wear skirts.

Huh? What's that got to do with anything and why are you waving your dirty underwear around in public? No one wants or needs to know that stuff and it's irrelevant to the thread. Sorry if I hurt your feelings by blocking you but you aren't my type.

Here? Huh? Ettiquette? First of all it's not a prime example either of bad manners when playing CHESS (this is a forum), or an example of bad ettiqutte in forums. If anything it's perfect ettiqutte. I don't like you/your style, you don't like mine, so we politely disagree and avoid each other. I find that reasonable. A lot better than bickering or bringing it up like some kind of tattletale or something. Why can't you just be a man about it and get over it and move on?

I was not aware that this topic was a dead in this site. I guess I'll try to focus on playing, ignoring thrash talk and restrain from interacting with jerk players then.

Internet and reality have the same roots but different outcome. The same with etiquette here and there.

It's just how it is on the Internet. Anonymity breeds people being jerks for no reason.

I don't mind a little trash talking, even the crap that is clearly beyond the pale so long as it doesn't interfere with my play. Not long back, I made a weak move and the guy typed, "Ach! 1500 (rating at the time) you are a shame to your rating." I typed a few words back and if anything, my concentration was enhanced and I ended up waxing him off the board. But there is a line that can be crossed--gratuitous insults, ad  hominem attacks, endless cursing... that kind of stuff is worth the mods attention.

Knightly news today: you are all blocked.

Nevermind what we sportsmanship conducted players like to be, I just hope this Chess.com community doesn't go through a phase where it loses a vast number of members (and money) just because agressive environment can go out of control at some point if no code of conduct is encouraged.

It has happened before to other gaming sites, and one big one was leagueoflegends.com around 2012.

You can block them. That's what I do. In the *chat* area next to the game right click their username and select block. You won't have to play them or chat again.  Fortunately it's pretty rare. I play a lot of speed chess and seldom have problems with rude players. More disconnectors but recent changes at chess.com have even reduced the frequency and impact of that, so it's generally pretty good. Don't know what happens if you dip below 1100 or 1000 ELO though, where the riff-raff hang out :-)

Thanks Knightly! I'll be aware of that feature next time.

":-)" 

waltman73, thanks for starting this thread. I've newly arrived from fics, mostly due to chronic disconnection issues. My ISP has never been able to explain why a low traffic terminal session can't stay connected. But I digress. Just now I was kind of horrified to receive a chat message "Why didn't you accept my rematch, you [active] [anatomical orifice]?" Thankfully I was able to trounce the cad, but I truly wonder whether a prerequisite for internet gaming is to be raised by wolves in a pool of leeches. Anyway, it's gratifying to know that others believe in courtesy and are willing to express that publicly. The truth is, I play on my phone a lot and I can barely see the board, let alone the tiny little messages. My failure to respond is not rudeness, it's a desire to save my remaining vision. Cheers!

Rude behvior is not acceptable and it is never pleasant to experience; but by way of perspective: I have played almost 4000 games here and only in about 1 or 2 percent of those have I encoutered inappropriate chat messages.

To be blunt there is a reason there is a disable chat button.Feel free to use it at any time.

I completely agree with sirrichardburton!