Rules and terms of use of GChess Last updated: 27 August 2026 Welcome to GChess. GChess is a place to learn, practice, play online, analyze, study, and experience chess. Our aim is a professional, safe, fair, and respectful environment for people who love chess at every level. Using the website, creating an account, joining online games, tournaments, courses, memberships, and other GChess services means you have read and accepted the rules and terms below. 1. Accepting the rules By using GChess services, the user agrees to: Follow the GChess rules. Use the site legally and responsibly. Respect the rights of other users, coaches, content creators, and members of the GChess community. Not use the site to cheat, cause harm, or abuse the service. If a user does not agree with these rules, they should not use services that require acceptance of them. GChess may update the rules and terms when needed. The new version applies from the time it is published on the site. 2. GChess services GChess may offer services including: Online chess; Games with other users; Games with different time controls; Online tournaments; Chess teaching; Courses; Educational videos; Articles and learning material; A chess library and resources; Puzzles and exercises; Game analysis; Saving and viewing games; Membership services; A blog and news or educational content; Other services added to GChess in the future. Some services may be free for everyone. Others may be available only to members or subscribers. 3. Accounts Some GChess features can be used only with an account. The user is responsible for the accuracy of the information given at registration. Each user is responsible for keeping the following secure: Password; Sign-in details; Devices connected to the account; Any activity carried out through their account. A user must not: Give their password to anyone else; Let someone else use the account in their place; Use another person’s account without permission; Give misleading identity information to deceive users or the system; Use the account for illegal activity or to break the rules. If unusual or suspicious activity is seen, GChess may temporarily review or limit access in order to protect the user and the community. 4. Fair play The most important rule of online games on GChess is this: Every move must be the player’s own real and independent decision. In games that are competitive, rated, or part of a tournament, any outside help that unrealistically improves the quality of the player’s decisions is forbidden. This rule exists so that skill, practice, and effort keep their real value. 5. Chess engines and assisting tools During competitive or rated games, tools that help a player choose a move are forbidden. That can include: Chess engines; Automatic analyzers; Move-suggestion software; Artificial-intelligence tools; Helper extensions or programs; Scripts or bots; Another person analyzing the position. Using an analysis tool during a competitive game, outside situations GChess has expressly allowed, can be a breach of fair play. 6. Help from other people During competitive games, a player must not take advice from another person about the position or the right move. That includes guidance from: A friend; A coach; Family; A teammate; A spectator; Other users. If a particular section or mode of GChess is designed for teaching, practice, or casual play, it may have different rules, which will be stated in that section. 7. Cheating and manipulating games The following can count as cheating or a breach of fair play: Using an engine or analysis tool when it is not allowed; Receiving help from other people; Using someone else’s account; Creating several accounts to manipulate a rating; Losing on purpose to lower a rating artificially; Arranging wins and losses; Manipulating tournament results; Creating a new account to get around a restriction; Using a bot or automated tool instead of real play; Abusing technical errors to gain an unfair advantage. If unusual patterns are seen, GChess may review the related games and activity. 8. Ratings A rating should, as far as possible, reflect a user’s real playing strength. Any attempt to create an unreal rating is forbidden, including: Losing on purpose; Agreed wins and losses; Coordinated play between several accounts; Using multiple accounts; Artificially transferring points; Abusing the pairing system. Where there are reasonable grounds, GChess may: Review results; Correct scores; Review unreal ratings; Remove some games from the rating. 9. Leaving a game and disconnecting A user should try to finish a game fairly. Leaving games on purpose and repeatedly, delaying on purpose, or abusing a disconnect to escape a result can be a breach. A real internet outage or a technical problem is not always a breach. If a repeated and unusual pattern is seen, GChess may review it. Rules about: Disconnection; Running out of time; Aborting a game; Unfinished games; may differ by the type of game and the time control. 10. Time rules in online play Time is part of the contest. The user is responsible for managing their own clock. In games with a set time control, including blitz, rapid, or other controls, running out of time can affect the result under the rules of that game. Users must not: Waste time on purpose to annoy the opponent; Deliberately abuse a technical fault; Disrupt the natural course of the game by unusual methods. 11. Tournaments Everyone who enters a GChess tournament must follow: The general GChess rules; The fair-play rules; The rules of that specific tournament. Each tournament may have its own rules about: Entry conditions; Schedule; How to register; The tournament system; Elimination or qualification; Appeals; Game time; Prizes; How a prize is received; Anti-cheating rules. If the general rules and a tournament’s own rules differ, the rules announced for that tournament take priority within that tournament. 12. Prizes and prize tournaments In prize tournaments, GChess may, to keep the contest healthy: Review results; Delay payment of a prize until the review is finished; Ask the winner for information needed to confirm that they qualify for the prize; Cancel a prize or a result if cheating is established. The conditions of each prize must be stated on that tournament’s page or in the related notice. 13. How users behave GChess is built on respect. Every user must treat other people respectfully. The following are forbidden: Insults; Abuse; Humiliation; Threats; Harassment; Constant mockery; Discrimination; Hate; Deliberate disturbance; Trying to damage someone else’s reputation; Publishing someone else’s personal information without permission. These rules apply in every communication area of GChess, including, where they exist: Game chat; Messages; Comments; Forums; Usernames; Profiles. 14. Respect in the GChess community Disagreement about chess is natural. Disagreement must not become personal harassment. Users should: Respect their opponent; Respect coaches and content creators; Treat less experienced users properly; Avoid looking down on other people’s playing strength. GChess wants a community where a beginner can take part beside a professional player with respect. 15. Reporting cheating and breaches If a user meets suspicious activity, they should use the GChess report system or support, where that tool exists. Users must not accuse others of cheating in public without grounds. If you see suspicious activity: Report it; Provide the related information; Avoid a direct confrontation; Let the system or the relevant team review it. Filing a report does not by itself prove a breach. Filing deliberate, repeated, and baseless reports against other users can itself be abuse of the system. 16. Reviewing breaches GChess may use information and patterns related to user activity to review breaches. That review may include: Reviewing games; Reviewing results; Reviewing behavior patterns; Reviewing user reports; Reviewing unusual account activity. The purpose is to keep the community and the contest healthy. GChess tries to decide from the information as a whole, and not from a single factor alone. 17. Consequences of breaking the rules Depending on the kind and seriousness of a breach, GChess may take one or more of these steps: Send a warning; Temporarily limit features; Limit chat or communication; Remove content; Cancel suspicious results; Correct a rating; Remove someone from a tournament; Suspend an account temporarily; Block an account. How strong the step is can depend on: The kind of breach; The user’s history; How much harm was caused; Whether the breach is repeated. 18. Membership and subscriptions Some GChess features may be offered as a membership or subscription. Before buying, the user should check the information about: Price; Features; How long it lasts; Renewal terms; Limits of the service. Each plan’s features are those described on that plan’s page. GChess may update the structure of services and plans in the future. Those changes must not unfairly take away a right that was clearly stated at the time of purchase. 19. Payment and paid services The user is responsible for checking the order before paying. After a successful payment, access to the purchased service is activated under the terms of that product or membership. If there is: A payment error; A failed payment; A duplicate payment; A service that does not activate; the user can follow it up through GChess support. Refund or cancellation terms must be published in a separate refund and financial-services policy. 20. Courses GChess courses and educational content are provided for the user’s personal use. Without permission, the user may not: Give their access to someone else; Resell course content; Publish videos without authorization; Copy and distribute exclusive content; Use their account for group or commercial access. If a course has its own terms, those terms will be stated on the course page. 21. Videos, articles, and educational content Exclusive content published on GChess, including where present: Educational videos; Articles; Analyses; Exercises; Puzzles; Library material produced by GChess; belongs to the producer or the holder of the rights in that content. Personal use inside the service is allowed. Unauthorized copying or publishing can be forbidden. 22. Game analysis and educational tools GChess may offer tools for analyzing and learning chess. A user may use those tools in the setting they were designed for. Using an educational or analysis tool to gain an unfair advantage in a competitive game that is still in progress is forbidden. The important difference is this: Analysis for learning is allowed. Using analysis to cheat in a competitive game is forbidden. 23. Library and resources Material in the library or learning sections may include exclusive content or material that belongs to other people and publishers. Users must respect the rights in each piece of content. Uploading, publishing, or distributing other people’s work without the necessary right or permission is forbidden. 24. Content created by users Where GChess lets users publish content, the user is responsible for what they publish. A user must not publish content that: Is illegal; Violates other people’s rights; Is insulting or harassing; Invades someone else’s privacy; Contains people’s personal information without their consent; Is misleading or harmful. GChess may review, limit, or remove content that breaks the rules. 25. Username and profile A username and public profile information must not: Be insulting; Harass other people; Falsely impersonate another person or organization; Contain illegal content. Where necessary, GChess may ask a user to change their username or part of their profile. 26. Advertising and spam Sending repetitive or disruptive content is forbidden, including: Sending the same message over and over; Advertising without permission; Mass messaging; Sending disruptive links; Using public areas for unrelated advertising. Advertising or commercial cooperation must be arranged with GChess. 27. Security and technical abuse Users must not try to gain unauthorized access or to disrupt the site. Forbidden conduct includes: Trying to sign in to other people’s accounts; Unauthorized access to systems; Abusing vulnerabilities; Deliberately disrupting the services; Using bots or harmful automated requests; Trying to bypass security limits. If a user finds a real security problem, they should report it responsibly to GChess and must not abuse it. 28. Privacy To provide and improve the services, GChess may process the information needed for the site and the account to work, in line with its privacy policy. Details about: Information that is collected; How information is used; Information security; Sharing of information; are published on the separate privacy page. 29. Access and continuity of the services GChess tries to keep the services available, but some services may be temporarily unavailable because of: Updates; Maintenance; Technical problems; Infrastructure problems; Security issues. GChess tries to fix disruptions as quickly as it can, but it cannot guarantee that every service will be available without interruption at all times. 30. Changing or developing the services GChess may: Add a new feature; Change the look or structure of the site; Update some services; Add new features to play, learning, or tournaments. Important changes will be announced on the site or through official channels when that is needed. 31. Younger users GChess takes the safety of younger users seriously. Younger users and their parents or guardians should use the services in line with the applicable rules and terms. Extra conditions or limits may apply in sections that require payment or particular information. 32. GChess intellectual property The name, brand, design, interface, software, exclusive content, and other assets that belong to GChess are protected under the relevant law. Unauthorized use of GChess’s exclusive assets for: Copying; Republishing; Sale; Impersonation; Commercial use without permission; is not allowed. 33. Contacting support For matters about: The account; Technical problems; Payment; Reporting a breach; Tournaments; Appeals; Security; the user can use the official support and contact paths announced on GChess. Sending a request to support does not mean the request is accepted automatically, but it will be reviewed on the basis of the information and the relevant rules. 34. Appealing a decision Where an appeal is available, the user can ask for a review through the official path that has been announced. An appeal should be respectful and based on relevant information. Sending an appeal does not automatically cancel the earlier decision. 35. Cutting off access Where there are reasonable grounds, including: Cheating; A serious breach of the rules; Creating a risk for users; Abuse of the services; Illegal activity; Harm to the system; GChess may temporarily or permanently limit a user’s access to part or all of the services. 36. The final principle of the GChess community We want GChess to be a place where: Winning is valuable, because it was earned fairly. Losing is respectful, because it is part of learning. And progress is the result of practice, teaching, and real effort. 37. Which rules take priority Where there are specific rules for: Tournaments; Courses; Memberships; Paid services; Events; those specific rules apply within their own scope, together with the general GChess rules.