Cheating (or any kind of computer or human-assisted play) is illegal on FIDE Online Arena, and fair-play policy is strictly observed. Fair play integrity is supported by advanced anti-cheating protocols.
💡 When you use FIDE Online Arena, you agree to all the rules on this page. In all circumstances, FIDE Online Arena reserves the right to ban or close an account for any reason without warning, and without having to provide evidence that Fair Play and Community Guidelines have been breached. However, FIDE Online Arena strives to take any action only to ensure that the platform is cheating-free, and it will make efforts to communicate with all members of the Arena when possible.
What is not allowed during the game?
The use of software assistance of any kind while a game is in progress. No chess programs or engines (e.g. Chessmaster, Fritz, Komodo, Houdini, Stockfish, Chessbase with any active UCI engine, etc.) can be used to analyze positions in ongoing games at any time;
Get information from any external sources including but not limited to: books, notes, websites, etc.
Consulting other people while playing a game (or being consulted);
Share the account with other players. Each person must have and use their own account (no account sharing is permitted);
Playing with two or more accounts — your opponents need to know who they are playing;
Any other actions to subvert the online ratings, online titles, or reputation of the FIDE Online Arena.
The anti-cheating team reserves the right not to make public indications of the analytical tools that lead to clear evidence or strong suspicion of any of the above practices.
What to do if you suspect cheating?
All games, including the FOA-rated games, are checked automatically by the platform’s anti-cheating software, the NightWatch. If you have a suspicion that your opponent might be cheating, you can flag the game. After that, this game will undergo additional analysis. To report the game, click on three dots icon to the left of the board. Click 'Report'.
Please do not publicly accuse anyone; instead, report them to us and we'll check the case.
What are the penalties for cheating?
The penalties have been developed by FIDE, the chess governing body. They can include but not limited to the following:
Ban from event
A strict reprimand
Disqualification from a prize tournament or official FIDE competition
Suspension of FOA account for 24 hours
Suspension of FOA account for 15 days
Suspension of FOA account for 30 days
Suspension of FOA account for 6 months
Suspension of FOA account for 1 year
Penalties are applied immediately upon the decision of the Anti-cheating team. The offender is notified by email or system message.
👮🏻 Subscription fees are not refunded for the period of account suspension. All suspensions will be reported to the Player's Federation.
Appeals
According to FIDE regulations, decisions and penalties against offenders of the Anti-cheating policy are not subject to any appeal or discussion, with two exceptions:
Official FIDE competitions according to the published regulations
Suspension of FOA account for 6 months or more.
In this case, an appeal can be submitted to the Online Commission, accompanied by a deposit of 100 euros to the Arena account, which shall be refundable if the appeal is granted. Please note that at this time the automatic appeal system is being developed. Until it’s released, please contact support@chessarena.com if you’d like to appeal a decision.
Anti-cheating Technology
The Night Watch anti-cheating system is central to FIDE online arena's player protection. It offers an unprecedented level of protection and security. It has been approved by national chess federations and FIDE. Furthermore, the system is rigorously checked and tested over an extended period of time and has a proven track record of success.
The work done by the anti-cheating system is complemented by FIDE's procedures and a team of experts, making it particularly difficult for anyone to cheat for an extended period of time. All Pro-members of FIDE Online Arena can be identified by means of their FIDE ID numbers. FIDE is 100% committed to maintaining the high reputation chess enjoys and anyone found to be cheating faces strict sanctions not limited to online chess, further reducing the likelihood of cheating.
