Are others having a hard time finding people to play with a one hour time control?

I have been playing for almost two years, and I play using a one hour time control, the maximum time setting. I prefer this slower format for learning, since I can think through moves much better than in fast controls. I've never had an issue getting games. I used to get them immediately, and recently it has been taking 1-5 minutes to get a game. But this week, suddenly, I have not been able to get a game at all! I waited 15 minutes one day and 25 minutes today, and no one got matched with me. That seems really strange. Surely someone some place in the world wants to play with an hour time control. I don't see anything different in the way the system is working: I see the rotating pictures of people as I wait for a match ... but nothing. Is anyone else experiencing this problem? Any idea what could be happening? 

Do you have the Rating Range turned on? If so you may want to look at the range you have established and widen it. Also I think it depends on the time of day you play. I also only play 60 min games but in the afternoon’s and usually get a game from someone in Europe. Times I have tried to play in the evening it has taken much longer. I think the US is used to or wants to play faster time controls.

Hello Magyar. We have played together! I have my rating range set to +200/-200 and I mostly play in mid mornings in the US Eastern Time Zone. I've been playing for two years like this and I have always gotten a game within 5 minutes max. But starting last weekend I can't get a match at all. I stopped trying after 25 minutes yesterday waiting! Today, even right now, I have been waiting 45 minutes just to see if I EVER get a game. I can't believe that someone somewhere in the world is not wanting to play a one hour game. There has been a clear change suddenly. I tried deleting the Chess.com app and reuploading it in case some glitch had occured in the app (I play on my iPad). But this did not help. I can play bots, do puzzles, etc. But when I try to play a game, the searching never stops for a match. It is really frustrating and I don't know what else to do. I'm hoping Martin can help out on this.

1 hour time control is not used often compared to often time controls, not many people play it, that's why you are having issues to find an opponent.

Maybe try playing a more regular time control like 15 | 10? It's not the same as 1 hour but I don't think there's anything you can do, unfortunely.

But my point has been that for two years I have had no issue whatsoever getting a game within 5 minutes. Only since this past weekend have I suddenly not been able to get a game at all. I understand that a one hour time control is the least common, but plenty of people use it. I have played with people in over 200 countries over the past two years! Something has suddenly changed that I can't figure out.

Dude. At least read the post before you respond!

@Tempetown, I did read the post. I don't get what is your point here.

It might be due to less people playing 1 hour time control compared to before, which is unlikely but I don't think there is a bug like that epecially affecting only one time control.

Maybe try again, but probally it wouldn't help.

Anyway, I wanted to help by giving a different idea. I don't really know as I don't play rapid games too often, hope you get this problem fixed shortly!

There are MANY people on this site who are adamant in their accusation that chess.com uses bots to fill in gaps on live games when there aren't enough suitable opponents. (For my part, I have no idea whether this is the case or not.) But if they were doing that and stopped, the result might be exactly as you described. My recommendation is to find another site with a more suitable user base exists. I use lichess and have no problem getting a game with longer time controls there.

I usually play 30 minutes, and it can take a minute or two to find an opponent.

Thanks Tempetown for your suggestion about Lichess. I might have to move to that app, especially as I am paying for the extra options on Chess.com, which is pointless if I can't any longer get a game there. My understanding is that ten million people play on Chess.com, and if that is the case, it seems almost impossible that someone wanting to play an hour time control can't find a game. Has anyone else ever had to wait 20+ minutes to get a one hour game? I waited 45 minutes today before giving up! That's crazy, when I have had no issues getting a game for almost two years until just this week.

This is one of the reasons why I've recently let my Premium membership lapse. It feels more and more that Chess.com doesn't want to take 'serious' chess seriously. All it seems interested in is bots and blitz (and upselling tiers and merchandise). It's like a sugar hit, not a properly balanced diet.

If I want a 'serious' game at a long time control like 60min or 45/45, it's Lichess for me every time now.

Yes. I like to play rapid and slower. I sometimes find it challenging to find a game. I'm also old-school enough to want a 'post-mortem' after a long rapid or classical game; this is even harder to find in this day and age.

I'd like to play a classical tournament time control games once in a while but I guess it's impossible to find anyone to play a game that long. I guess I would then just play against a strong bot here on chess.com even if it's not the same as against a real person

You could try and submit a ticket to see if your account is tied into the Realtime Chess Network. Maybe there are some bugs that need to be worked out for players seeking longer time controls.

The Realtime Chess Network

I am glad to be able to report that after a weird week of not being able to get any games with a one hour time control, I have since been able to get a game pretty fast on every occasion except once. When I can't get a game, I play a bot for practice, as Checkmateshunting above suggests. I did try Li Chess but found their system of getting matches in a kind of auction setting to be confusing. but I didn't spend much time on that. I can try Li Chess too. Hopefully I will continue to be able to get matches in Chess.com for one-hour controls most of the time. When I can't get a match, it appears this is just due to no one being available.

Here is another thought I've had that makes me wonder if some sort of glitch is happening. I either get a game match right away within seconds or a minute, OR I don't get a match at all even when I wait a long time like 10-45 minutes. If the problem, as Chess.com has indicated, is that there's just not a lot of players using a one hour time control, I would expect much more of a range of times it takes me to get a match: sometimes right away, sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 8 minutes, sometimes 12 minutes, etc. There should be some sort of time distribution. But for me it is either immediately or not at all. That would not seem to make sense if the problem is attributed only to a small player pool.

WilsonGrail - Here is a suggestion contact user fhunfi on Chess.com. He has been running longer time control tournaments on the site for several years now. All of the tournaments are Swiss, he pairs you each round, you contact your opponent and set up a day & time to play. He currently has the following three tournaments going on...

Season 12 - 90min+30sec inc. There are six rounds with a game every two weeks

Season 6 - 45min+45sec inc. Again, six round with a game every two weeks

Season 1 - 60min+30sec inc. This is a year long tournament with a game every month.

Also contact sylvainCourtemanche on Chess.com. He is just starting up a 45min+45sec league.

I have been playing in fhunfi's leagues for over a year now and they are GREAT. I've even managed to win a couple of games.

Hope this helps.

Oh, thanks so much Magyar. Great to know this. I'll have to join these. You and I have played before quite a long time ago. maybe we will get matched.