Our goal is to create a fun, safe, and fair place for all chess fans to enjoy the game.
We expect all members to treat others respectfully and to follow the specific guidelines below. Players and community members who are unable to follow these rules will be subject to warnings, restricted privileges, separated playing pools, or even having their accounts closed. We reserve the right to change the Community Policy at any time. Compliance with the Community Policy does not constitute guaranteed future access to Chess.com or use of the Service.
This Community Policy supplements our general User Agreement, which also applies to your use of Chess.com. Both policies establish the rules of conduct on our platform.
Community Conduct
- Be kind, helpful, and forgiving
- We will not tolerate racism, sexism, bigotry, or violent threats
- Do not abuse, attack, threaten, discriminate, harass, or mistreat other members in any way
- Do not hijack threads, troll, or post distracting or meaningless content
- Do not post spam, advertisements, or copy/paste comments and messages
- Do not excessively promote your club
- Do not publicly debate religious or political topics
- Do not post obscene or pornographic content
- Do not engage in or discuss illegal activities
- Do not accuse your opponents of cheating (you should instead report them)
- Do not abuse the reporting system by filing reports without cause or merit.
Sportsmanship
- Do not abort games frequently
- Do not make your opponents wait unnecessarily
- Do not disconnect or quit without resigning when lost
- Do not engage in any deliberate actions intended to artificially modify your rating, including sandbagging (intentionally losing games to lower your rating) or manipulating match outcomes
- Do not insult or taunt your opponent
- Follow the rules of our Fair Play Policy
Reporting a User
Users that encounter a violation of any of our policies may report this behavior to us by clicking on the "Report" icon next to the reported content or by contacting Support. EU users can report illegal content under the EU Digital Services Act.
Reports will be processed based on urgency, priority, volume of reports, and available resources. So the time it takes us to review each report may vary.
We encourage users to provide as much information and evidence as possible to support their report.
Do Not Abuse Our Reporting System
Only report content that clearly violates the law or is against our policies.
Do not make false or malicious reports, send multiple reports about the same issue, or ask a group of users to report the same content or issue. If a user violates these guidelines we may flag their account, penalize the user, or simply ignore future reports.
Community Events Rules
To ensure a safe, fair, and competitive environment, all tournaments, matches, and leagues organized by members on Chess.com must comply with the rules outlined below.
These rules apply when you organize, run, or participate in tournaments, matches, leagues, or other chess competitions hosted on our platform by members, not by Chess.com. We call these "Community Events."
Anyone who creates one of these events is an "Organizer." These rules are binding on all members, but specific duties regarding administration and compliance apply specifically to Organizers.
Event Classifications
Chess.com allows members to organize Community Events freely, provided they comply with our operational rules. We classify events into two categories: Unaffiliated Events (the standard for most community tournaments) and Sanctioned Events (reserved for high-level, official partnerships).
1. Unaffiliated Events Organizers do not need our permission to run these events, as long as they comply with the "Requirements for Unaffiliated Events" below.
2. Sanctioned Events Sanctioning is a premium status reserved for significant events that require direct Chess.com involvement. This status is granted only through a formal application and discussion process. Sanctioned Events are subject to stricter fair play and operational requirements and involve operational fees.
Requirements for Unaffiliated Events
If you are an Organizer of an Unaffiliated Event, you must still follow these standards:
- Organizers must clearly display this exact disclaimer on all event pages, registration forms, and promotional materials: "This event is not affiliated with or sponsored by Chess.com."
- Organizers must not imply or suggest that we endorse, monitor, verify, or sanction your event.
- Organizers acknowledge that Unaffiliated Events rely solely on Chess.com's standard, automated fair play detection. Chess.com does not provide manual analyst support, live monitoring, or specialized dispute resolution for these events.
- The responsibility for a smooth, fair, and enjoyable event rests with the Organizer. Participants join these events understanding that they are managed independently of Chess.com staff.
Fair Play Support Options
We offer different levels of Fair Play support to help Organizers ensure the integrity of their games
- Standard Protection (Default): All games on Chess.com are checked by our standard automated detection systems. No action is required by the Organizer.
- Accelerated Automated Review (Upon Request): Organizers may write to us at events@chess.com to request an expedited automated review. This ensures our algorithms prioritize your event's games. This is a complimentary service offered to the community.
- Manual Analyst Review (Fee-Based): If an Organizer of an Unaffiliated Event desires human review by Chess.com Fair Play staff, they may request this service by writing to us at events@chess.com. This is subject to availability and will incur a service fee (based on the number of players/games) to cover the cost of the manual review team.
Requirements for Sanctioned Events
Organizers wishing to elevate their event to an official "Sanctioned" status must submit a formal inquiry to Chess.com. Sanctioning is not automatic and is intended for events seeking a formal partnership with the platform. Chess.com decides whether to approve events at its sole discretion. Chess.com will review the application and contact Organizers to coordinate any applicable fees based on the characteristics (e.g., size, format, prize) of the events.
We will require the use of Proctor (Chess.com's fair play software), and the Event will be fully supported by our fair play and operation teams.
- Organizers must submit details regarding the format, prize distribution, expected reach, and operational plan using the following form.
- Sanctioned events must adhere to our strictest Fair Play protocols and operational standards.
- Request approval is subject to fees covering licensing software, manual Fair Play monitoring, and dedicated event operations support.
If Chess.com grants Sanctioned status, Organizers must display this disclaimer: “This event is formally sanctioned by, but not affiliated with or sponsored by, Chess.com”
General Operational Rules
Every Community Event, regardless of its classification, must follow these rules:
- Do not use event names, logos, or branding that copy or derive from Chess.com's intellectual property (e.g., do not use "Chess.com" or names like "Titled Tuesday," "Speed Chess Championship," or "PogChamps").
- Do not use Chess.com's trademarks in a way that confuses people about who runs or sponsors the event.
- As an Organizer, decisions regarding disqualification must not violate Chess.com's Community Policy (e.g., Organizers cannot disqualify someone for discriminatory reasons).
Rules and Administration
- If the event awards prizes, Organizers must publish clear written rules for participants before registration opens.
- Organizers are solely responsible for enforcing their event rules and resolving disputes between participants.
- Organizers are solely responsible for obtaining and distributing all prizes. Chess.com assumes no liability for prize disputes or failures to pay prizes.
Restricted Sponsorships
Organizers cannot accept sponsorship from, or advertise for, entities or products related to:
- Illegal drugs or controlled substances;
- Gambling or betting services prohibited in your jurisdiction or that of the event's participants;
- Pornography or sexually explicit content; or
- Political organizations or hate speech.
Disclaimer
Chess.com is not the organizer, host, or administrator of Community Events. Organizers and members acknowledge that they organize or participate in a Community Event at their sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Organizers and players agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Chess.com (including our officers, directors, employees, and agents) from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or connected with: (a) the Organizer's breach of this Policy; (b) the Organizer's organization or management of a Community Event; or (c) any dispute regarding prizes or event administration.
Chess.com reserves the right, at their sole discretion and without notice, to:
- Remove any Community Event from Chess.com's Services;
- Revoke the sanctioned status of any event; and
- Suspend or terminate the account of any Organizer found in violation of this Policy.