ChessWorld - General FAQs

Email

After your opponent makes a move, you will receive an Email notification showing the latest board position, and a link to go back into the game.

You should be aware that this Email is posted to the address that you have recorded on our database via the My Stuff ... My Email page. If you subsequently change your Email address you should ensure that you also update your details, otherwise you will no longer be able to receive notifications from us.

ChessWorld sends out Move notification Emails as soon as your opponent makes a move. However, there are several reasons why your Email may not appear promptly in your mailbox.

It is possible that you have not configured your Email client to check for mail at appropriate intervals.

Make sure that your firewall and any Email filters you may have are configured to accept Emails from chessworld@gmail.com. You may also need to enable Email from the following Server IP Address: 209.200.85.219

It is possible that your ISP has arbitrarily blocked Emails, in an attempt to control excessive 'spam'. It is known that some ISP's occasionally block mail sent from 'Yahoo!' and 'Hotmail' addresses, among others. We are not aware of any problems with 'Gmail', or 'Googlemail'.

There are times when, due to Internet traffic, or technical problems with your ISP, Emails may be held in a queue before being forwarded to your mailbox. Often this may be only a matter of a few hours, or less, but, occasionally, ISP's may delay forwarding Email by several days.

If you are in any doubt as to when moves are being played, we suggest that you make regular checks on the site by using the Play ... Current Games option. Always make prudent use of the time limits.

ChessWorld has no responsibility for the quality of service of any ISP's. If you suspect that there may be a specific problem with your provider then you should contact your ISP for further information.

When you changed your Email address did you check carefully that you entered it correctly?  
  Did you check the spelling?  
  Did you enter, or omit, any spaces or punctuation marks?  
  Did you remember to press the  Submit  button after you made the change?

It is possible that your ISP has imposed a block on our Emails and you may not be aware of this.

To check if this is the case, and to bypass your ISP, you might wish to use a free WebMail, (Email), Provider, for example, Yahoo! or Hotmail. Mails to these Web-based providers are not filtered or blocked by your ISP and you should have no difficulty in receiving them.

If you find that you can receive Emails from us in your alternative Email box, you may wish to check with your ISP and enquire if they have blocked mail from the 'Gmail' domain. You may also wish to take further action to resolve that issue with your ISP.

ChessWorld is unable to provide specific guidance in such cases and has no responsibility for the quality of service of any ISP's.

We are aware that a number of ISP's, as an integral part of their spam filtering processes, either arbitrarily reject Emails from certain sources, or, where the mail is suspected spam, they may choose to pass all such mail from specific sources through a filter.

In the first instance a clear indication that your ISP is taking aggressive action is that you would see no Emails from us. We are unaware of any instances of this happening.

In the second instance a typical indication is that Emails from ChessWorld may arrive much later than the original post time. Such delays tend to be inconsistent but can vary from as little as a few minutes up to periods in excess of twenty-four hours or more.

A suggested workaround which allows you to retain your existing, ISP provided, Email details unchanged is to proceed as follows.

Obtain a free Email address from Google. Depending upon your location this Email address will be in the form of either [your name]@gmail.com, or [your name]@googlemail.com. Both forms of address function identically and the different name, (applied only in certain markets), is recognised automatically by Google.

Change your current Email address, as currently registered with ChessWorld, to your new 'Gmail' / 'Googlemail' account.

At that stage, all Email dispatched by our server, which uses a 'Gmail' address, will arrive in your new Inbox instantly.

You may be happy to continue to use your new 'Gmail' / 'Googlemail' account as a destination for all Emails from ChessWorld, or you may prefer the convenience of using your current, ISP provided, Email address. This is easy to accomplish and, by following these instructions, you will receive our Emails directly, and instantly, in your usual, ISP provided, Inbox.

If you prefer to use the latter process, then open your 'Gmail' / 'Googlemail' account and click on Settings. This will offer you several options. The relevant ones are Filters and Forwarding and POP. Depending upon which one that you choose, slightly different information is needed, but the end result will place ChessWorld Emails in your ISP provided Inbox.

Method 1 Filters. This allows you to forward only ChessWorld Email. In the From box enter ChessWorld.net, then click Next. On the subsequent screen you will see number of options but the most relevant is the Forward to: box. You should enter your own, ISP provided, Email address. Once you have done that, check the box on the left hand side of the line and then press Create Filter. At this point all ChessWorld Emails will be forwarded, (copied), to your original Inbox.

Method 2 Forwarding and POP. This allows you to forward all Email. In the Forwarding section check Forward a copy of incoming mail to, and then enter your own, ISP provided, Email address in the box provided. By default, a copy of your Email is retained in the Google Inbox, but there are several alternative options from which to choose.

By following these instructions you should be able to receive all of your ChessWorld Email as soon as it is transmitted and you may choose to read it either in your 'Gmail' / 'Googlemail' Inbox or your own, ISP provided, Inbox.

This information is provided solely as a guide to resolving specific issues regarding ChessWorld Emails and is not, nor does it purport to be, an endorsement of, nor a definitive guide to, the use of 'Gmail' / 'Googlemail'.      Users of 'Gmail' / 'Googlemail' who require further advice and guidance are advised to make full use of the extensive Help pages provided by Google. You should also be aware that other Email providers may offer similar services, which you may prefer to use; however, we are unable to offer any guidance for such services.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

The direct link to the game is only available when you are logged in via www.letsplaychess.com and not www.chessworld.net or one of our other portals.

The email message offers the direct link as: Play your return move by visiting the playing server at chessworld.net

The links given below also connect to the site but they do not link directly to the particular game. If you use an alternate access point you will normally go to the next game awaiting your move, as defined by the configuration that you have chosen on the Play ... Current Games page.

If you feel that this issue detracts from your current ChessWorld experience we suggest that you log out and re-login on the www.letsplaychess.com portal. Be aware that if you have previously configured your access to ChessWorld to use the Auto-login option you will need to reset that.

Yes! ChessWorld never reveals any confidential details to a third party. You should never reveal these details in an open Forum posting. If you have a problem and feel that these details are relevant, you should post to the confidential HelpDesk. Site Admins respect confidentiality at all times.

Go to the My Stuff ... My Email page. You may change the address at any time. You should take care to enter the details carefully, because this is the only address that we use to make contact with you. If you wish to completely remove your address, see the separate FAQ, below.

No. Your Email address is unique to you. As it is only you who can make a change, after you log in with your unique Username and Password, we are ensuring, as far as is possible, that no other person, for whatever reason, can access or change your personal and private information. ChessWorld always respects your privacy.

To remove your Email address go to the My Stuff ... My Email   page and select your Email address. Replace it with an asterisk, * , which is the only character allowed. Finally press the  Submit  button at the bottom of the page.

Please note that if you simply remove your Email address and then press  Submit  the change will not be implemented.

From time to time it is possible that your ISP will incorrectly identify ChessWorld Emails as 'Spam' or 'Junk'. If you are not receiving ChessWorld Emails, or you suspect that there may be a problem with your ISP, we recommend that you check if they provide any filter or configuration options that allow you to specify that you wish to accept ChessWorld Emails.

The precise method of doing this will depend upon the actual facilities that are provided by your ISP.

When you are setting up any filters, or configuring your ISP interface, please make sure that you allow any mail with chessworld@gmail.com in the 'From' line to be directed to your local Inbox.


It is also possible that your Email client may also attempt to incorrectly identify ChessWorld emails as 'Spam' or 'Junk'. Depending upon your choice of Email client the instructions will vary; below we provide brief information for several popular Email clients. The precise instructions may vary depending upon which version of the software you are using;   make sure that you click the  OK  button if one is provided. If in doubt, always refer to the Help pages that are provided within your Email client.

If ChessWorld Email does not appear in your Inbox please check the contents of the 'Spam' or 'Junk' folder.

Gmail
- Open the Email.
- Click the down arrow beside the Reply link.
- Click Filter messages like this.
- On the Create a Filter page follow the instructions provided.

Hotmail
- Open the Email.
- Click Add to contacts.

Yahoo!
- Open the Email.
- Click on the Add sender to Contacts icon that appears to the right of the senders address.

Outlook Express
- Open the Email.
- Right-click the From address.
- Click Add to Outlook Contacts.

Outlook
- Open the Email.
- Right-click the From address.
- Click Add to Outlook Contacts.
- Click Save and Close .
- You may also see a banner message inviting you to add the message to your Safe Senders list; click to accept the option.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

Use the Opponents ... Invite your Friends option when you wish to invite a friend who is not a Member of ChessWorld.

Simply enter the name of your friend(s) and add their email address(es). You can choose the time limit and your initial opening move playing White. The default values are set at 10 days per move and 1.e4 respectively. If you wish, you may also add a personal message or greeting. When you are satisfied that you have entered all of the correct details and information click the  Invitations!  button.

A reminder of the invitations made during the current session will appear near the top of the page, or you may prefer to click the Review your existing invitations link at the top of the page. This will take you to your My Stuff ... My Invitations page where you can then click on Email invitations page.

The Email will be despatched from our servers immediately. If you find that your invitation does not reach your friend(s) we suggest that you advise them to make sure that their local Email client will accept incoming mail from chessworld@gmail.com. There are times when some ISP's will arbitrarily designate certain emails as 'spam' and your intended recipient may not therefore see your message. This is something over which we have no control, but if you would like further guidance on potential Email issues please refer to the relevant topics in this section.

You cannot resend an invitation to the same friend, (using the same email address), until five days have elapsed, to reduce the possibility of potential Members being 'spammed'.

You can remove any of your Email invitations at any time by visiting My Stuff ... My Invitations.

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Holidays

All Members of ChessWorld, both Full and Guest, are allowed to reserve up to 35 days holiday in any one calendar year. It is not possible for any unused days to be 'carried forward' into the next calendar year.

You need to go the My Stuff ... My Holidays page.  page. When you first open this page it shows, by default, no information in the Event Name box, and I'm on holiday .. in the Event Type box. There is no need to change these defaults. When the page is opened it also shows, in the Date From box, the current date and time.

To book your holiday, click in the Date From to show the ChessWorld date picker. Select the appropriate month and click on the appropriate day. Repeat the procedure for the Date To box. You may, if you wish, enter the dates manually ensuring that you use the YYYY-MM-DD format. You cannot set dates in the past and the Date To entry must be later than the Date From entry.

You are advised, on-screen, to add one or two days to the duration of your intended holiday to avoid losing games on time. By default, the Holiday Booking page automatically adds one day to your chosen time, but this can be changed to any suitable value that you may prefer.

Check the dates that you have entered!       When you are satisfied that they are correct, press  Submit .

You can check your holiday booking by visiting My Stuff ... My Holidays - check it again to make sure it is correct. If you wish to change the entry, click on the Remove link.

Holiday time starts at 00:00 Server Time on the Date From and finishes at 23:59 Server Time on the Date To. Please be aware that, as a UK based site, the ChessWorld clock is always set to UK time.

When you book a holiday, your Opponent(s) cannot claim a win against you but the game clock does not stop!

If you look at your homepage you will see details of any holiday period that you have booked. As soon as the holiday period is reached, your Opponents will see an Opponent on holiday message on their game page(s) and the  Claim Win  button will not available to them. You should be aware that you do not see any indication of your holiday on your own game pages!

When you book a holiday, your Opponent(s) cannot claim a win against you but the game clock does not stop!

Yes. All Members are allowed to book a maximum of 35 days holiday in any calendar year. During that time it is not possible to claim a win against them, although they may still play moves occasionally. Remember that some players may remain at home, or may be travelling where they have access to a computer from time to time.

Whilst ChessWorld provides the Holiday booking feature as a service to Members, we do not have any responsibility for how any individual Member may make use of the time booked. At times it may appear that an Opponent is using the holiday booking to avoid finishing a game or to gain extra 'thinking' time. This is possible, but you should remember that, however the holiday booking is used, the maximum is 35 days per calendar year and under no circumstances is this allowance extended. It will be clear that, however deviously you suspect an Opponent is behaving, their holiday allowance will be used up eventually!

Your Opponent(s) may be booked on holiday but the game clock does not stop!

Yes, you can. Before you do this you may prefer to make sure that all of your games are up-to-date, because, as soon as you 'finish' your holiday, your opponents are free to make any time-related claims against you.

If you wish to end your holiday go to the My Stuff ... My Holidays page and click on the End Today link.

Yes. When a player books a holiday they are 'protecting' their games only. Opponents games are not protected!    Remember that even during 'holidays' the game clock does not stop!

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Game Board

The 'Abort' button allows you to finish certain games without affecting your rating. It is not available in Welcomer, Team or Tournament games in any format.

Friendly games can be aborted by either player until 5 half moves, (half moves are sometimes referred to as 'plies'), have been made. After White has made the third move the button will no longer appear on the game page. If your opponent does not make a move for approximately 20 days the  Abort  button will become available once more.

This button functions in several different ways: however you use this option the validity of your action is checked automatically.

If you are playing a game and waiting for your opponent to move, when you click the  Draw  button it will change to show  Offer Draw . If you click on this button you will be taken to the Offer Draw page. At that point you may either confirm your offer, or return to the game board. Returning to the game board removes the draw offer.

If you are playing a game and it is your turn to move, when you click on the  Draw  button it will change to display three options. There will be a check box which should be completed if you wish to claim a draw with your move, and there will two buttons,  Claim Draw  and  Offer Draw . The  Offer Draw  button functions in the manner as described above.

You can claim a draw if the same position, that is, the placing of the pieces is identical, has been reached three times. Typically this will be when the same move sequence has been played three times in succession, but the 'Repetition' rule makes clear that 'If exactly the same position occurs three times in a game then a player may claim a draw'.    In other words, the same position may occur over a period of time with various other positions occurring in the meantime. Before you make your next move, you should click the  Draw  button, tick the Claim draw with move box and then submit your move.

You can claim a draw if you can, for example, force stalemate or maintain a perpetual check.

It is also possible to claim a draw under the '50 move' rule. This rule may be invoked when the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture.

In endgames where a solitary King is matched against King, King + Bishop, King + Knight or King + 2 Knights, the player whose turn it is should click the  Draw  button and then click the  Claim Draw  button. With these combinations it is impossible to achieve mate.

If you are unsure of the rules regarding mandatory draws and draw offers please refer to this extract from the rules of Chess.

You may offer a draw as many times as you like although you should note that our Terms and Conditions regard Repeated draw offers ... [as] ... unsporting and unfriendly.

Remember the general rules: You can offer a draw at any time but you can only claim the draw when it is your turn to move.
   When it is your turn,
   either
          click the  Draw  button and then the  Claim Draw  button,
   or
          click the  Draw  button and then tick the Claim Draw with Move box,
   and, finally, make your move.
Provided that the appropriate conditions in the game have been met, you will be awarded the draw automatically.

For detailed and authoritative information check the   FIDE Official Rules  ChessWorld implements these Rules insofar as they are applicable to online Chess.

By default the game that has been waiting for the longest time is always selected. This is intentional: it may be considered to be a courteous gesture to respond to the player who has been waiting longest for your reply. Waiting times are reduced as far as possible and you gain access to the next game with a single mouse click.

Remember that your opponent has no means of knowing your game and time commitments - but they are aware of your response time!

If you visit the My Stuff ... My Moves page you can, if you prefer, select the Your turn and least time left option. This will present the games on your Current Games page and on your game board in that order.

If you wish to respond to your opponents using your own priorities, refer to Q. How can I manage my game load in the Playing section of the Chess FAQ's. Failure to make a move within the time limit may give your opponent(s) the chance to claim the game(s).

The  Skip  button will only appear on the Game Board before you make a move. The action of this button cannot be changed: like the  Next  button it examines games in 'age' order, from oldest to newest.

If the Game Board displays a game that you wish to defer, click the  Skip  button. This will place that game back to the end of the queue.

Consider the following example, using a queue of 5 games. The oldest game, #1, will be at the start of the queue and the newest game, #5, at the end of the queue. The queue is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

You decide to play games #1 and #5 and leave the other games for further study. You play Game #1, so that the queue then becomes 2, 3, 4, 5.
Game #2 is displayed, press  Skip , the queue becomes as 3, 4, 5, 2.
Game #3 is displayed, press  Skip  again, the queue becomes 4, 5, 2, 3.
Game #4 is displayed, press  Skip  once more, the queue becomes 5, 2, 3, 4.
Game #5 is displayed and the queue becomes 2, 3, 4.
After you make your move in Game #5 you log off. When you next log in Game #2 will be displayed.

The effect is to make a 'skipped' game appear 'older' than the time stamp would suggest, although, to avoid confusion, the time stamps displayed on-screen are not changed.

When you press the  Skip  button the relevant game is placed at the end of the queue. However, if more than one game is skipped then the skipped games are placed in the 'least time left' order.

When you click on the  Resign  button you are indicating that you wish to finish the current game. Because this is a critical decision for you a secondary page will appear on screen and offer you the choice to either confirm your decision to resign or return back to the game board.

The  Position Search  button is available when the game in question has been in progress for more than 5 and less than 42 half-moves.

The  Endgame Search  button is available after the game in question has been in progress for more than 42 half-moves and there are fewer than 20 pieces, (including pawns), in play.

If you prefer not to see these links, go to My Stuff ... My Details and, next to the entry Put a convenient link on the Play area when there is a live relay of a major chess event change the selection to No and then press  Submit  at the bottom of the page..

By selecting No you will remove all links except:

          There are 'n' friends online now
          There are 'nn' messages on your homepage
          There is a game invitation waiting for you

which will always appear when they are relevant to you.

The most likely reason is that your computer is not configured to fetch the latest version of the game every time you visit the site. In such cases we advise you to 'refresh' the screen or to clean up your Temporary Internet Files. Refer to the Computer section below for further information.

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Computer

Information about your Browser and display.

This can happen if you are playing in a Thematic Opening Tournament. In these Tournaments the board has already been set up in a position chosen by the Tournament organiser. Any pieces that may have been 'taken' in the preliminary moves will not appear at the side of your board. All pieces that are taken by either player during the game will be shown at the side of the board as usual.

Many ChessWorld graphics are stored on a separate server: normally this should cause no problems. However, if some, or all, of the expected components of the display do not appear, you should, as a first step, carry out a  Refresh  operation on your browser.

If the issue is not resolved you should then clear your Temporary Internet files. These steps should resolve the issue, but if you still experience problems make sure that any Firewall that you may be using allows access to both www.chessworldgraphics.com and www.chessworldgraphics2.com.

If you are using FireFox, it is possible that you have disabled ChessWorld graphics. To check if this is the case, place the cursor over the position of an expected graphic and right-click to view the context menu.   You may see that the entry Block Images from chessworldgraphics... has been checked.  If this is so, click on the entry to remove the check mark, and the graphics should be restored.

If the problem still exists after following all of these steps please contact the HelpDesk with any relevant details.

Simply display the appropriate board on your screen and then select the print option for your browser. If you find that the background colours, (the board squares, for example), do not print properly you may need to adjust the settings on your browser.

Internet Explorer:
    Go to Tools ... Internet Options. Select the Advanced tab. On that page scroll down until you see the Printing sub-section. Make sure that you place a check against the option Print background colors and images.
FireFox:
    Go to File ... Page Setup. Select the Format& Options tab. In the Options section make sure that you place a check against the option Print Background (colors&images).
Opera:
    Go to File ... Print Options. Select Print page background.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!


For the menus to be visible, make sure that you have JavaScript and pop-ups enabled. You should then close and re-open your browser, and then refresh your screen.

To enable JavaScript, please refer to Q. Why can't I see either the board or the pieces after I log in? and to refresh your screen see Q. How can I refresh my screen? below.

In certain versions of Symantec, (Norton), software you may need to turn off Ad-blocking. The Option for turning this off is reached by double-clicking on the Symantec icon in your system tray (bottom right), and then clicking to turn off Ad-blocking. Once Ad-blocking has been turned off, you need to press  CTRL  +  Refresh , to refresh the ChessWorld page: the menus should then re-appear. This should work for the majority of cases.

If turning off Ad-blocking and pressing  CTRL  +  Refresh  do not work, you may need to adjust the settings as follows: go into the relevant menu and click on Firewall. You then need to add your own advanced rule. Click to add a rule, and choose the options to allow all traffic in and out for IP address  209.200.82.187  - this is the ChessWorld server. Then delete your Temporary Internet files, close and then re-open your browser. The menus should then appear.

If you have ZoneAlarm, go to the Privacy tab, Turn off Cookie control, and turn off Privacy.

Otherwise if you do not have ZoneAlarm or Symantec, check if you have any other anti-popup software, and check that JavaScript is enabled in your browser.

Make sure that you have configured your browser to enable JavaScript.

Internet Explorer:
    Go to Tools ... Internet Options. Select the Security tab and then select the Internet zone. Next, click on  Custom Level . On the resulting screen scroll down until you find the Scripting section. Under the entry for Active scripting, select Enable. You may have to restart your browser for the change to take effect.
FireFox:
    Go to Tools ... Options. Select the Content tab. On that page check the JavaScript box.
Opera:
    Go to Tools ... Preferences. Select the Advanced tab and then select Content in the left hand column, and then check the JavaScript box.
Chrome:
JavaScript should be enabled by default in Chrome. However, if you experience problems, try the following.
Right-click on the shortcut icon for Chrome and select Properties. Then, in the Target box, scroll all the way to the right and add [ space ]-enable-javascript The resulting string should look something like
C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe -enable-javascript
Note that there must be a space after the original string as indicated above. If the original string is enclosed in double quotes, ( " " ), do not remove or reposition them.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

*    Please note that if you are experiencing similar issues with the Play the Computer feature the resolution of the problem is different to that described above. Please refer to Q. Why can't I see either the board or the pieces on the Play the Computer feature? below.

Many minor problems are easily resolved simply by 'refreshing' the screen or by clearing the 'Temporary Internet Files'.

Your browser stores copies of the pages that you view when visiting various sites on the Internet so that future visits appear to be faster. This is particularly suitable for pages that do not change often. However, pages such as those provided by ChessWorld contain data that can change frequently. If your browser stores these pages it is possible that you may, occasionally, see an 'old' version displayed causing you some confusion. This is a function of your computer and its configuration and, as such, is beyond the control of ChessWorld.

Refreshing your screen is a process that, in general, makes sure that your computer is displaying the latest, current, information. How you do this may vary with different browsers.

Internet Explorer:
    Click on the  Refresh  icon at the top of the screen or press  F5 .
FireFox:
    Click on the  Reload Current Page  icon, or press  CTRL  +  R .
Opera:
    Click on the  Reload  icon, or press  CTRL  +  R .
Chrome:
    Click on the  Reload this page  icon, or press  CTRL  +  R .

Alternatively, for all browsers, to force a complete, (hard), refresh, press  CTRL  +  F5 . This is recommended if you wish to be certain that you are viewing the latest version of the page

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

To make sure that you reduce the risk of seeing out-of-date pages it is often helpful to clear the Temporary Internet Files, (cache), from your system. How you do this may vary with different browsers. If you have configured your browser to clear Temporary Internet Files on closedown, the following procedures may still be helpful in some cases.

Internet Explorer:
    Go to Tools ... Delete Browsing History. In the Temporary Internet Files section, click on the  Delete files  button.
FireFox:
    Go to Tools ... Clear Recent History.. Choose the appropriate Time range to clear. Make sure that you have checked the Cache option, and decide if you wish to clear any other areas, as shown by the check boxes. Once you have made your decision, simply press the  Clear Now  button.
Opera:
    Go to Tools ... Preferences. Select the Advanced tab and then select History in the left hand column, and then click the  Empty now  button.
Chrome:
    Go to the Tools icon, and select the Under the Hood option. In the Privacy section select Clear Browsing Data. Make sure that you have checked the Empty the Cache option, and decide if you wish to clear any other areas, as shown by the check boxes. Finally, choose the appropriate Time range to clear and then press the  Clear Browsing Data  button.

Removing these temporary files will cause no harm to your computer.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

If you are using Internet Explorer and there are errors, omissions or inconsistencies in your display, and the other suggestions, (Refresh, Clear Temporary Internet Files), do not work there may be a more subtle issue with the local settings on your browser.

Select Tools ... Internet Options, and, on the General tab, click the  Settings  button, which appears in the Temporary Internet Files section. You will be presented with a choice of four options to Check for newer versions of stored pages.

The two options Every time you start Internet Explorer and Never are not normally regarded as being relevant when making regular visits to a Web site and should not be checked. The two remaining options Every visit to the page and Automatically appear to have similar functionality although the local Help pop-up is lacking in clarity. If you choose Every visit to the page you should (reasonably!) expect a proper refresh every time you visit the page, but, although this is generally the case, this can, in certain circumstances, and on certain pages, give rise to minor, irritating, errors when the page is redrawn.

If you select the Automatically option the page refresh appears to function satisfactorily and any minor visual irritations that may been observed with the other option are no longer apparent. If this option is selected the drag and drop option provided in the ChessWorld Analysis feature will work smoothly. If the other, alternative, option is elected the movement of pieces may, at times, appear erratic.

Users of AOL should note the following steps which are offered as guidance. Select Settings on the AOL Home page toolbar; then select Internet (web browser) settings on the Preferences page. Next, select Internet Explorer settings on the Browser Settings page and then the  Delete Files  button on the Internet Options General page. Finally, select the  Settings  button on the Internet Options General Page; and examine the Check for newer versions of stored pages display.

The idiosyncratic behaviour of this setting is a feature of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

Internet Explorer uses sophisticated security processes that were not used in earlier versions of the browser. To combat the threat known as 'phishing' the default settings may prevent you from being able to see all of the information that is sent from our servers.

To check that this is the problem, use the following procedure:
v7: Go to Tools. .. Internet Options. Select the Advanced tab and then click Disable Phishing Filter. To confirm your action, click on  Apply  and then  OK . It will be necessary to close the browser and then re-open it for the change to be applied.
v8: click on the  Safety button  and then select SmartScreen Filter to turn off the protection.

If you still experience problems you should check the configuration of your firewall.

Yes. To improve your browsing experience ChessWorld places a cookie on your computer so that you may take advantage of the 'Auto-login' and 'Keep' features on the login page. The use of these options is, of course, a matter for your personal choice. The cookie contains no harmful information: we do not gather any personal information or monitor your browsing habits. You may remove the cookie, if you wish, without, in any way, affecting your enjoyment of ChessWorld.

You should be aware that some of our competitor sites do place third-party 'tracking cookies' on your computer, a procedure which, you may feel, could threaten your privacy.

You can do this by using the options available within your browser.

Internet Explorer:
    Go to Tools ... Internet Options and then go to the Browsing History section and click the  Settings  button. On the Settings screen, click on  View Files  to show a full list of all cookies currently on your computer. Locate and select the chessworld.net or the letsplaychess.com cookie; right-click and choose the  Delete  option.
FireFox:
    Go to Tools ... Clear Recent History.. Choose the appropriate Time range to clear. Make sure that you have checked the Cookie option, and decide if you wish to clear any other areas, as shown by the check boxes. Once you have made your decision, simply press the  Clear Now  button.
Opera:
    Go to Tools ... Preferences. Select the Advanced tab and then select Cookies in the left hand column, and then click on  Manage cookies . Locate the chessworld.net or the letsplaychess.com cookie. Then click on the  'Delete  button.
Chrome:
    Go to the Tools icon, and select the Under the Hood option. In the Privacy section select Clear Browsing Data. Make sure that you have checked the Delete cookies and other site data option, and decide if you wish to clear any other areas, as shown by the check boxes. Finally, choose the appropriate Time range to clear and then press the  Clear Browsing Data  button.

* Cookies are harmless files that many websites use to help improve your browsing experience. In the majority of cases cookies are particularly useful and may even be a functional component of a specific program. We strongly advise you that you should never remove all cookies from your computer unless you clearly understand the issues involved!

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

If two different players wish to use your computer to access ChessWorld this is possible provided that they each use different URL's to log in. We suggest that one player uses www.chessworld.net and the other uses www.letsplaychess.com

An alternative approach is to remove the current ChessWorld related cookies from your computer. See the separate FAQ, above, for further information on this topic.

If more than two Members wish to use your computer please contact the HelpDesk for further guidance.

Yes, you can do this very easily. If you are using Internet Explorer or FireFox you will see a small icon that appears at the start of the Address line at the top of your browser. If you click on that and drag it to your Desktop you will have a convenient shortcut to the ChessWorld site. This icon is sometimes known as a favicon.

You should ensure that you copy the icon that appears on the ChessWorld login page, as this will then link to that page in future. If you copy the link from any other page you will be creating a direct link to that specific page only which will not provide a convenient way to our login page.

If you find that the icon changes from the ChessWorld icon to the default icon, please contact the HelpDesk for further guidance.

Certain ChessWorld pages offer a specially configured Print option. Where this appears we advise that you use that for your own convenience. In other cases, you may feel it necessary to copy one or more pages, where such an option is not provided, for your own research.

The easiest method to make printed copies of such pages is to use the Print ... option available in your browser. However, we do advise that is always helpful to first use the Print Preview option before committing to print as there may be extra pages, or extra material, that you may not wish to copy. By using the Print Preview option you can, to some extent, reduce the amount of paper need when copying multiple pages.

You should be aware that any pages printed direct from the screen tend, in general, to reflect the format and spacing of the content as displayed on screen and this may result in a less satisfactory presentation on the printed page. However, a more convenient procedure, which we recommend, is to use the basic 'Copy and Paste' procedures common to all browsers.

There are some restrictions on copying material from ChessWorld. Please refer to Q. As the content of ChessWorld is copyright, how does that affect me? in the Miscellaneous section below.

The Copy and Paste technique is common to all computers and is easy to use, even for Members who may have some reservations when using such procedures

Regardless of the content the procedure is identical and merely requires that you place the cursor at the start of the material to be copied, and then, holding the left key depressed, roll the mouse over the text until it has all been selected, as indicated by the highlighting which will appear on-screen. Once that has been achieved, simply hover the cursor over the highlighted area and then right-click. In the context menu that appears, simply click on the Copy option.

Using any suitable text editor, (we recommend Notepad for convenience although the choice is immaterial), simply place the cursor over the text area and after right-clicking, select Paste on the context menu. Job done!

If you feel confident using keyboard commands then you may prefer to use  CTRL  +  C  to make the initial 'copy', and  CTRL  +  V  to make the final 'paste'.

You may wish to tidy up the resulting display, or format it to your own requirements, before printing. You should be aware that this basic procedure does not copy any graphical images and if you wish to copy, for example, a game board, then you should use the browser  Print  command.

There are some restrictions on copying material from ChessWorld. Please refer to Q. As the content of ChessWorld is copyright, how does that affect me? in the Miscellaneous section below.

ChessWorld Members can change many settings from the My Stuff ... pages by selecting the appropriate menu option and then, after making changes, submit them by pressing the  Submit  button at the bottom of the page.

There is a known problem for users of earlier versions of FireFox browser, which may not be fully compatible with certain menu options. In such cases, the action of the  Submit  button may not be confirmed; however, in some instances, the change has actually taken place, but this is not consistent behaviour. To resolve any such problems ChessWorld recommends that you temporarily change your browser to Internet Explorer, make and submit any changes, and then return to FireFox. The preferred solution to this issue is to update your FireFox browser and, in additon, make sure that you are using one of the Full browser coverage... menu options.

The problem arises due to an internal inconsistency within the FireFox browser: ChessWorld is aware of this and, whilst not responsible, is working to resolve the issue, insofar as it affects ChessWorld.

No! ChessWorld will offer, in good faith, general advice where it is clear that it may help you in particular situations. However, the way that you manage and configure your computer is your responsibility.

ChessWorld cannot influence your choice of browser, as your particular hardware, or circumstances, are not our responsibility. However, ChessWorld makes every effort to be as compatible as possible across a wide range of platforms and we welcome any reports of inconsistencies or problems so that we may work to provide a satisfactory resolution of any issues. All ChessWorld features are fully compatible with Internet Explorer, and work extremely well with all current versions of Chrome, FireFox and Opera. In general, it is extremely unlikely that there will be a problem with other browsers, or legacy software.

In the interests of maximum effectiveness, and software security, ChessWorld always recommends that Members make every effort to use current versions of their browsers. In many cases, the more obscure problems are quickly and simply resolved by installing the latest version of your browser. This not only ensures a high quality performance when you use ChessWorld but is of singular importance for our Members so that they can maintain full and effective protection against web-transmitted viruses and potential security leaks on their own computer.

If you do not have Java installed, or if your Java applets are not functioning correctly, then you will not be able to see the playing area. If you are using Windows, a quick and simple check via the Control Panel will show if the Java Control panel is installed; however, this does not confirm that the Java applets are working correctly. For a more definitive check go to this Java page.

If you see a button labelled  Verify Java Version  near the middle of the screen then you have a functional version of the Java Runtime Environment, (JRE). If you still cannot see the board please refer to the relevant choices elsewhere in this section.

If you do not see this button, follow the on-screen instructions to download the current version of the JRE. Depending upon your local security settings you may need to allow your browser to accept some plugins or scripts, as advised on screen, to enable the installation to continue. As you proceed through the installation, which should only take a few minutes, check each screen carefully before proceeding. Be aware that you may see an offer to install the Yahoo Toolbar; if you do not wish to install this make sure that you uncheck the option before continuing. This toolbar is not needed for the JRE installation and you may already be satisfied with your current browser toolbar.

Once you have completed the installation, check the Play the Computer feature - the board should now be visible and you should now be able to play - and perhaps win!

*  Java is often pre-installed by computer manufacturers and is used by many sites to provide greater functionality: it is perfectly safe to install and use. If you experience any problems with the implementation of Java on your computer, please refer to the Java Help Center.   ChessWorld will offer, in good faith, basic general advice about Java issues; however, the way that you manage and configure your computer is your responsibility.

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Subscriptions

If you have paid your subscription by UK cheque or International Money Order, (IMO), you will have to wait for the payment to pass through the postal system, which may take several days. Once we receive your payment we will process it as soon as possible. You can check if your current status has changed by logging out and then logging in again - as soon as we have processed your payment your Membership status will change.

If you have paid your subscription using PayPal or RBS WorldPay the transaction is confirmed to us electronically with little delay. Once you receive acknowledgement, in the form of an electronic receipt, that your payment has been processed by our Service Agents, just log out and then log in again. Your Membership status will change accordingly.

No. ChessWorld does not make any charges to your account without your explicit permission. We do not have access to, or keep any record of, your specific method of payment - such details as Credit or Debit Card numbers, security codes and payments are handled confidentially by our Service Agents, (PayPal or RBS WorldPay), on your behalf.

However, we will Email you, at your last recorded Email address, shortly before your current subscription expires. You may, at that time, choose to extend your subscription, but that will be solely your decision.

If you want to receive this automatic reminder please ensure that you record your current Email address on the My Stuff ... My Email page.

To cancel your account, please go to the My Stuff ... My Email page and remove your Email address. If you are not sure of the procedure, refer to Q. How can I remove my Email address? in the Email section above.

Press the  Submit  button. ChessWorld will not contact you again and your account will, in effect, be closed. You should be aware that details of previous games, and any associated information, form part of our database and are linked to the records of other Members who you may have played, or have been linked to, during the period of your Membership and cannot be removed.

It is still possible for you to access the site, using your chosen password, which remains on our database. However, you may be assured that no other Member can access this personal information. If you are concerned that someone else may have had unauthorised access to your password, we suggest that you change it before you finally leave the site.

If you choose to retain your password, you will be able to revisit ChessWorld at any time in the future if you should so wish.

ChessWorld has only one standard subscription rate, payable in US Dollars.

As a courtesy to our Members we also offer the opportunity to pay their subscription in either £ sterling, (GBP), or in Euros, (€), where this is convenient and appropriate. However, as these equivalent rates are based upon the standard subscription rate they are subject to variations in the International currency market, (Exchange Rate).

Although the Exchange Rate changes on a daily basis we try to avoid constant adjustments. Our equivalent rates are based upon average values over longer periods and, as such, may vary from time to time.

You can check the current subscription rate by visiting My Stuff ... My Subscriptions.

Our standard rate is charged in US Dollars but we do offer Members the opportunity to pay the equivalent rate in either £ sterling, (GBP), or in Euros, (€).

No. Because of the processing costs involved it is not practicable for us to refund any monies due.

Your playing record and past games are stored on the ChessWorld database and are never removed. If your subscription lapses you may continue to play in all of your current games. Your rating may change as each game is completed.

If your current gameload exceeds the Guest limits then you will be unable to start any new games. However, once your gameload has been reduced you may continue to play within the limits that we impose on Guests.

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Miscellaneous

All of the content on ChessWorld, (including our associated sites), is the Intellectual property of ChessWorld, or has been licensed for use on this site by the original owners. This includes layout, presentation, pages and all of the underlying code used therein. The design, content and implementation of all features is based upon concepts as developed by ChessWorld.

Members are permitted to make copies of any content that they intend to use for their own personal research or information.

No pages, content or presentation may be copied for any other purpose. The posting of any such pages, content or presentation to other websites is expressly forbidden and such action would be in clear contravention of the Terms and Conditions to which all Members agree at the point of Registration. Breaches of our Terms and Conditions will be dealt with at our discretion and may result in action, up to and including, exclusion from the site. We may also, at our discretion, take further action, as noted in our Terms and Conditions.

If you receive a message, either on the game board or to your homepage, that you consider to be abusive or offensive you should contact the HelpDesk immediately!

Mark your message Abusive Post in the subject line. In the body of the message include the game number, (where appropriate), the name of the poster and details of the offending message. You can use the 'copy' and 'paste' process on your computer to provide a verbatim copy.

ChessWorld will take immediate action to resolve the situation. Offenders will always be warned as to their future conduct and, in appropriate cases, will be suspended or banned from the site.

Messages containing racial, religious or political abuse and / or the use of offensive language, either explicit or implicit, are unacceptable and are in clear breach of our Terms and Conditions.

In common with competitor sites we carry out random checks from time to time, based upon various factors, including playing record, rating level and activity. As a part of this process, and as a courtesy to all such Members, we always make reference to the MEMBER ASSISTANCE AND FAIR PLAY section of our Terms and Conditions and ask that the Member confirms that they are aware of, and are observing, the conditions stated therein.

We may also invoke such checks when a Member contacts us alleging that their Opponent is making use of illegal assistance, typically, but not exclusively, computer engines.

In the event that we find incontrovertible evidence of such abuse we would, at our absolute discretion, take appropriate action. Details of any alleged offenders and details of any sanctions that may be imposed remain confidential between ChessWorld and the Member.

ChessWorld allows Members to include limited HTML code on their homepage. Such code is used, for example, to change the color or appearance of any fonts used in their personal information. It can also be used to insert links to external sources to display various graphic images, play video extracts or other interactive material.

The inclusion of the more advanced features on a Homepage allows a Player to express their individuality, within reasonable bounds. However, many Members find that such enhancements have a degrading effect on download times, especially where they are using dial up or slow broadband links. It is possible to turn off this feature by visiting the My Stuff ... My Interface page and selecting the appropriate option in the Allow HTML and other interactive resources when viewing Homepage section. By checking the Don't process ... option you will no longer see any such material published on other Members home pages. You will, however, still be able to include, and view, such material on your own homepage, allowing you to design and style your homepage as you wish. Always bear in mind that other Members may never see the results of your efforts if they have selected the Don't process ... option!

You may, if you wish, allow an enhanced Homepage to be displayed on your screen by clicking on the View HTML content link which appears the bottom of the Homepage. After viewing the page you can then, by clicking on the link once more, turn off the feature.

There is a practical limit on the length of any individual posting, either as a message to a fellow Member or to a Forum. This is ChessWorld policy to avoid undue load on our servers and, therefore, to reduce any delay or risk of time-outs when Members access your posts.

The realistic maximum is 1500 words, (approximately 7900 characters). If your posting exceeds the limit you will see an error message and the post will need to be edited before it can successfully be re-posted. Bear in mind that, when posting to a Forum, if a playable game using a PGN listing is included, that will also count towards the overall total.

We suggest that if you intend to make a lengthy post you first compose it using any conventional text editor, such as Notepad, and then copy and paste your text into the ChessWorld message box. If you find that you have exceeded the length restriction, the posting may be lost: by composing locally you will be able to check and edit your work before re-posting.

If you are using one of our current menu systems, (Menu system 4 or Menu system 5 as selected on the My Stuff ... My Interface page), go to My Stuff ... My Messages ... My Outbox

Alternatively, for those Members who may be still using of our legacy menu systems, go to My Stuff ... My Messages and click on the link in the Messages for other players section.

You will then see copies of your most recent messages, provided that the recipient has not deleted their copy after reading it. You should be aware that any older messages that remain may have been archived and, as such, are not easily retrievable.

No. ChessWorld does not allow bulk postings in order to prevent possible abuse by Members attempting to generate 'spam' messages.

If you are in a Tournament and wish to contact other players it is possible to set up, or use an existing, Tournament forum. This feature can be invoked by Tournament Organisers.

Go to My Stuff ... My Details and check, or uncheck, the I am willing to receive 'goodies' on my player homepage ... option.

On your homepage, click the Goodie preferences link. On the next screen you can choose to block, or unblock, any or all of the available goodies. If you choose to block one or more goodies your Opponent will be aware of this when they attempt to post a goodie and their choice will limited to those that you have expressly permitted.

Assuming that your Opponent(s) are actually sending you a goodie then you should check the I am willing to receive 'goodies' on my player homepage from other members option on the My Stuff ... My Details page To ensure that you will receive any Goodies in future make sure that you select Yes as your preference. See also Q. How can I block, or unblock, goodies? above.

All of these can be specified on the My Stuff ... My Email page. Please refer to Q. How can I configure My Email? in the Preferences FAQ's for full details.

Go to the My Stuff ... My Details page and click on the Upload your photo link, which appears just below your Country flag.

When you follow this link you will be presented with a further page giving detailed instructions. Any image submitted must be less than 50 k in size, not exceed 300px in width and be in either .jpg or .gif format. No exceptions to these conditions are permitted. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that any image submitted is free from copyright.

After a picture has been submitted it will be checked and approved by ChessWorld before it is loaded on to your homepage: this process may take several days.

Yes. Visit your homepage and click on the See game collection link. On the next page you will see four clickable links: View all member game collections | Add a game bookmark | Delete a game bookmark | Edit a game bookmark.

On those links 'game bookmark' refers to the entries in your game collection(s). Choose the appropriate option and follow the instructions that appear on the next page.

Yes!   However, if you are a Guest Member you are only able to invite someone who is not yet registered with ChessWorld.

As a Full Member you are able to invite any other player, who may be a Full Member, Guest Member or not even a Member of ChessWorld.

You can remove any entry from the list on the My Friends page by first checking the box to the left of the name, and then clicking on the  Delete Ticked  button.

You may also see a list of player names, on top of your Friends list, who have noted you on their own Friends list. It is not possible to remove those directly. If they are not already on your own list, (Reciprocated Friends), you will see a '+' at the end of the name; if you click on that you will automatically add them to your list.

Go to My Stuff ... My Homepage and click on Opponent Statistics. On the Opponents Statistics page click on the Group by Country option. If you have played over 20 different countries this will activate the icon on the play page. When you mouseover the icon you will see a note showing your current Country statistics; you may also check the current record of your Opponent if the icon appears next to their name.

To remove an existing entry you should replace it with either a space, or a period (.) and then  press the  Submit  button at the bottom of the page.

Please note that if you simply remove your website address and then press  Submit  the change will not be implemented.

If the new game status page is loading very slowly, it may help to turn off JavaScript. To do this, go to your Edit User Profile page (using the link on the left-hand menu in the Account section), and uncheck the box next to the 'Enable JavaScript' option. The page should then load much faster, but still look the same.

ChessWorld offers this advice in good faith and can take no responsibility for any errors or mistakes that you may make!

Full Members can customise their pages by visiting the My Stuff … My Interface page. It is possible to select various board and colour options and to change various other features. In particular the page background and Menu background and text colours can be changed to provide optimum visibility.

Guest Members cannot customise their pages.

ChessWorld has no control over the quality of your Internet service. Be aware of the possibility of a failure to gain access to the Internet and make prudent use of the time limits. Failure to make a move within the time limit may give your opponent(s) the chance to claim the game(s).

It is highly unlikely that the ChessWorld server will go offline. We make considerable efforts to maintain at least 99.9% reliability, (less than 8 hours offline in any single year), and a high quality of service.

Occasionally, there may be a brief break in service for necessary maintenance. In such cases we make every effort to provide adequate advance warning.

If, for reasons beyond our control, we are offline for an extended period, we will, at our discretion, reconfigure our timers so that Members will not be penalised. You need take no action, other than to make prudent use of the time limits.

For further details regarding our service please refer to the section Quality of Service in our Terms and Conditions.

No! ChessWorld always makes every effort to be fair and reasonable in dealing with Members. We believe that our Terms and Conditions, and our FAQ's, provide advice and guidance for all reasonably foreseeable situations. As such they form the basis for our decisions.

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