Top 10 Online Chess FAQs – Common Issues & Solutions

These are the most frequent questions ChessWorld.net players ask about online chess. If you are facing problems with moves, ratings, notifications, or tournaments, the answers below should help.

♟️ Why can't I move or see the board properly?

• ✔️ When it’s your turn, you’ll see White to move or Black to move under your name.
• ✔️ If you can’t move or the board looks wrong, refresh the page or clear your browser cache.
• ✔️ See the Computer FAQ for browser-specific fixes.

🕰️ What should I do if my opponent doesn’t move?

• ✔️ If your opponent exceeds the time limit, a Claim Win button appears next to the board.
• ✔️ This button won’t appear if your opponent is on holiday.
• ✔️ See Time Limits FAQ for more detail.

🏆 Why did my Tournament games time out (T-T)?

• ✔️ A game marked T-T is abandoned and doesn’t affect ratings.
• ✔️ Timeout occurs if no move or claim is made within (2 × time limit) + 1 days.
• ✔️ Admin may restore games in rare cases if both players agree.

📊 Why is my Rating prediction behaving strangely?

• ✔️ Rating predictions are influenced by provisional players and the K-factor.
• ✔️ These effects apply equally to everyone.
• ✔️ See the Ratings FAQ for a full explanation.

📧 Why don’t I receive Email move notifications anymore?

• ✔️ Check your settings under My Stuff → My Email.
• ✔️ Spam filters, mail rules, or workplace restrictions may block messages.
• ✔️ See the Email FAQ for more advice.

♻️ Why does a finished game show up every time I log in?

• ✔️ Log in using only the base URL chessworld.net.
• ✔️ This prevents old finished games from re-appearing.
• ✔️ See Old Game FAQ for more.

📋 Why isn’t the Analysis board working?

• ✔️ Older board versions may not run in modern browsers.
• ✔️ Select a compatible version via My Stuff → My Interface.

🥇 I recently won a Tournament. Why haven’t I got my Norm/Trophy yet?

• ✔️ Completed tournaments are reviewed weekly.
• ✔️ Norms and trophies are awarded during this review.

👉 For other topics, visit the full Online Chess FAQ page or contact the HelpDesk. Please include all relevant details (game number, tournament number, OS, browser type) so we can help you quickly.