Option to block countries

> To all those who ask "why:" having the freedom to choose with whom you play with should be the basic premise of any civilized game.

That's not an answer. Do you want to block players from certain countries? Which countries and why? I'm not judging, I'm being curious.

If you don't want to play a certain player, you don't have to. Go ahead and don't play. Abort the game and get on with your life. Yes, you might get penalized for mass aborting, but it's not like you want so many countries that your abortions will become a massive issue (and if you do, that's a "you" problem), aborting a game in a couple dozen doesn't inflict penalties. So all in all, there's no reason to implement anything to begin with.

> why does it bother you?

Because it's moronic, among other things I've already mentioned.

Come to think of it, "bother" is the wrong word. This is just what I think on the subject, it doesn't bother or upset me. Just allergic to bs, can't keep my mouth shut sometimes, my bad.

When this thread was created, I looked at OP's game history, there were like a dozen games, the third of them being against players from Vietnam (probably due to the proximity/equality of time zones). I'd assume that's what annoyed him, and if so, he was not taking a great moral stand for freedom of choice, he was just being a jerk.

Now let me ask you: Do you keep note of every move in every online chess game you played? The truth is, not all OTB rules should and can be implemented to online chess, specifically in this site. 

And as some users here said, you can change the flag you want. What's the point on banning a country, say Vietnam (no offence towards the country and/or its people), if you don't even know which is the "real" nationality of the people choosing the "fake" Vietnam flag? It's useless. It's just like saying that because a person can't recognize you, he's not your friend. Racist.

"Equal rights for everyone" does not mean that everybody has the right to play with me, and if I refuse (e.g. trying to solve the issue by aborting games) I would be penalized.

I do not know if you are really German or just bear the flag, but you most certainly reminded me of a quote from a movie (Labyrinth of Lies): "You were all Nazis. In the Eastern sector, now you are all communists. Jesus, you Germans! If little green men from Mars landed tomorrow, you would all become green."

Still waiting for a response to the question which countries in particular the OP wishes to block and why...

Meaning?

Other filters also skew ratings. If you only play people rated over or under a certain rating, if you only play a certain color, etc. 

The discussion is about options. The freedom and ability to choose whom you play against. There seems to be a lot of concern about the reasons, or the "why". When it comes to personal and private preferences, it's not really up to me (or anyone else) to judge someone on their why. 

I would say the single most important reason, above all others, is no reason at all. 

No, I don't keep note of every online game I play. I don't even keep note of any of them. I don't play much online. I do like to play in person though. And when I do, I am very choosy about who I play with. I exclude almost everyone, for personal reasons. I only like to play against people I like or who are referred. That's my right. 

The point of blocking any certain country? That's not for me to judge or decide. What's the point of a country (or athlete) boycotting an event like the Olympics? Who knows. It's not for me to judge or decide. But they should of course retain that right. The option to exclude any certain country could be for very personal and intimate reasons that only the player has to recognize and understand. Since it doesn't affect anyone else, it's not for anyone else to judge. 

It is everyone's privilege to boycott a country. But should a chess server really assist in doing so?

Yes. It's an added option (freedom) that presently does not exist. Nobody would be obligated to exercise it. Use it, ignore it, doesn't matter. But at least the option would exist. 

Of course as a private business they can choose to do whatever they want. They do not have to provide any extra options if they choose not to. And the player is free to play chess somewhere else if they like. 

I agree, I'll just block players from Russia and I'll finally stop losing rating! Brilliant!

Well said. I refuse to play against men with moustaches from Nebraska who are taller than 6'2. They are the worst!

I cannot believe that people are twisting this to make it seem like 'just another option' and a 'personal freedom' We do not need to support xenophobia and racism through an online chess website. Exclusion should not be the goal of chess; we should promote inclusivity and unite people through the game of chess. It frustrates me so much that people are even suggesting this type of racist addition to chess.com.

I think you might benefit from the use of a dictionary. Nobody is suggesting anything "racist". 

When you say "we" whom exactly do you speak for? The ability to choose an opponent should be up to the player, not you, me, or anyone else. If someone wants to play an opponent based on their location, what difference does it make to you? It doesn't affect you in any way whatsoever. So your frustration might be misplaced. 

How would such an option be any different than an athlete choosing not to participate in the Olympics (or any other event) based on the location of the event and/or participants? If a competitor chose not to participate because of that, how does it affect you (or anyone else) in any way?

The OP closed his account a couple days ago. Maybe he had too many pairings against his most-hated countries?

This would be a tool for bigotry and legitimize people judging others based on their flag. White nationalists blocking Israel and all of Africa, post-industrial bigots telling people from developing countries "that's why I don't play with people from countries like yours", etc. A feature that makes this a safe place for bigots is undesirable. I haven't heard any legitimate reason to exclude others based on their nationality. Not "liking" people from a given country as a reason is absurd and bigoted. If you only want to play with people you like, you can connect with people, e.g. in the forums or in a club and challenge each other. 

Your analogy is incorrect. It is more like going to the Olympic Games, but submitting a list of countries that an athlete doesn't want to encounter beforehand...

really, what we need is a chess.com mod/staff to come and voice the official opinion

I don't recall the OP suggesting that. I don't think he said he wanted any list of any sort. I think he wanted the ability to choose opponents and/or not be penalized for aborting games where the opponent was someone he didn't prefer. 

I think the whole reason for boycotts is because a participant doesn't approve of something that refers to where the person or competition is located. The location of the participant is what bothers the other participant. Not the person themselves. Which is why the term "racist" is just a knee jerk reaction that has nothing to do with anything being discussed here. 

At any rate, if someone wishes to choose opponents based on things like location, what difference or impact does it have on you?

Protesting a government or a state is very different from protesting the population itself. Radjabov and Aronian may have big disagreements and may not have talked to each other when they played a while ago, but they certainly still played and didn't say "I don't play with anyone from Azerbaijan/Armenia."