they are golden members, you can buy suscription for silver, golden, etc.
http://www.chess.com/membership.html
What are the yellow stars
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iy means you are a member and then you cant lose on time etc.
Every once in awhile you can see a yellow star in front of someone's name - what does this mean? Also, on the top players page, you can see some people who have a queen in front of their name - what does that mean? And, where on the site could I find this information?