Some prominent bugs in chess.com

This can indeed be frustrating, especially if you’re deeply immersed in a game when the server restarts. Unfortunately, server maintenance or restarts are typically necessary for platforms like Chess.com to maintain performance and reliability. However, there are a few things you can do or consider to minimize disruption:

1. Scheduled Maintenance Notifications

While Chess.com does announce planned maintenance on its website or forums, these notifications may not always be prominently displayed in the Android app. One solution could be to check Chess.com’s News or Announcements section periodically for updates about scheduled downtime. Alternatively, consider enabling email notifications from Chess.com if they include alerts about maintenance.

2. Improving In-App Notifications

It would be great if Chess.com implemented an in-app notification system for server restarts, especially in the mobile app. You might want to submit feedback directly to Chess.com through the app or their support page. They’re usually receptive to suggestions, and improving communication around server restarts could benefit all users.

3. Playing Around Known Downtime

If you notice recurring patterns in downtime (e.g., specific times of day), you can try to schedule your games around those times. If no such pattern exists, shorter time controls might be a safer choice when you suspect a restart could be imminent.

4. Reconnection Handling

If the game is aborted due to a restart, Chess.com’s system typically doesn’t penalize players for it. That said, you can keep your games safe by ensuring they are saved in your Game History, even if incomplete, so you can analyze or review them later.

5. Community Feedback

You're not alone in experiencing this issue, and raising it in forums like this helps Chess.com understand how players are impacted. The more users who bring it up, the more likely it is that Chess.com will prioritize a solution, such as real-time restart alerts in the app.

In the meantime, try to work around this limitation by staying informed about maintenance updates or scheduling your games during times when the server is less likely to restart. Hopefully, Chess.com will address this concern in a future app update!