F A Q

20/10/2018 ChessGames.com F.A.Q.
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Chessgames.com:
Frequently Asked Questions
For help with premium membership features, please consult the
Chessgames Premium Membership FAQ.
1. What is Chessgames.com?
2. Is Chessgames.com free?
3. Who is Chessgames.com?
4. How do I find a chess game?
5. What are the rules of chess?
6. What does this strange code like "17.Rac1 Rxc1+" mean?
7. Why do games end even though nobody is checkmated?
8. What is PGN?
9. What is kibitzing?
10. How do I register, so I can kibitz?
11. How do I put colors, links, and chess symbols in my messages?
12. How do I put a little graphic (avatar) next to my messages?
13. How do I ignore a user?
14. I forgot my password.
15. What is annotation?
16. What's an "ECO code"?
17. What is the "Tournament Index"?
18. What are "Notable Games"?
19. What are "Notable Tournaments"?
20. How do I search for a tournament?
21. What is a "Chessgames Biography"?
22. What are "WCC History Pages"?
23. What does "Find Similar Games" do?
24. What are "Game Collections"?
25. Where do you get your games?
26. Help! I can't see the games!
27. Is there software that will help me use this site?
28. What are the differences between the Java viewers?
29. How can I flip the board, so that Black is on the bottom?
30. Can I download the games in one big PGN file?
31. I found a mistake in your database that requires correction.
32. What is the ChessBookie Game?
33. What is Child-Friendly Mode (Quiet Mode)?
34. How can I learn to play stronger chess?
35. I have a question not on this page.
What is Chessgames.com?
Chessgames.com is an online database of chess games.

Our easy interface allows you to search a vast library of
historic chess games for educational and entertainment
purposes. It is an excellent tool for intermediate and
advanced players, and even the novice will find much
value in seeing how the world's best players play the
game.
If you came here to play live chess, please see our list of
free chess sites where you can play. If you want to
improve your chess by studying the games of the great
masters, and discussing them with other participants,
you will feel right at home at Chessgames.com. Enjoy!
Is Chessgames.com free?
Yes, it is 100% free to register an account with

Chessgames. A free Chessgames account will allow you
to kibitz, create game collections, participate in special
events like the Chessgames Challenge, and much more.
You also have the option to support Chessgames

financially by purchasing a Premium Membership that
gives you all of the normal features plus some extremely
powerful extras, for only $29/year. For more information
on the benefits of premium membership, please see the
Chessgames Tour.
If you are not interested in becoming a premium member

at this time, we accept tips of as small as $1US through
our "tip jar" below.
http://www.chessgames.com/chesshelp.html#notable 1/12
Every little bit helps us continue to provide our service to

the worldwide internet chess community. We appreciate
your support.
Who is Chessgames.com?
Chessgames.com is the kibitzers. Without them, we'd

just be an online chess database.
The software and conceptual design that makes this

possible is a combined effort among several south Florida
chessplayers, including Daniel Freeman, Alberto
Artidiello, and the talented staff at 20/20 Technologies.
To contact Chessgames, please email

chess@chessgames.com.
How do I find a chess game?
The best way is to fill out the Advanced Search form on

the homepage, and push the button labeled Find Chess
Games. You don't have to fill out every field; in fact,
most people only fill out one or two.
For example, suppose you are looking for all Fischer-

Spassky games in 1972. First type "1972" into the year
slot. Then fill out one player as "Fischer" (either use the
pulldown, or type 'Fischer') and the other player as
"Spassky." Press Find Chess Games and you will get the
list.
There are many kinds of searches that produce

interesting results. Would you like to learn the Taimanov
variation of the Sicilian? Take a lesson from Taimanov
himself: type "Taimanov" as the first player (or find his
name in the pulldown list), then select "Sicilian,
Taimanov" as the opening.
Some find it enjoyable to review games with a small

number of moves. First pick your favorite Grandmaster
or opening, and in the "Number of moves" line, set it to
"no more than 20." Voila, miniatures! Or perhaps you
want to review some endings? Try setting it to "at least
60."
We could go one providing examples forever. In short,

just tell us what you do know about the games you want
to see listed, and the parts you don't know about (or
don't care about) should be left blank.
HOT TIP: The search line at the very top of the homepage is called
the EZ Search. It is ideal for very simple queries. If you want to find a
game between Capablanca and Reti from 1922, simply type
"Capablanca-Reti 22" and the search engine will return the game you
asked for. For more information, see our EZ Search Help Page.
HOT TIP: If you're not particular about what chess game you want to
see, try clicking on the random game link found on the home page.
You'll be whisked away to a game between (usually) world-class
players, selected randomly from our database.
Chess looks fun. How do you play?
If you don't know how to play at all, or if you're shaky on

some of the rules, here are some sites that will be much
more instructive for you than Chessgames.com:
1. Teaching Chess to Kids from ChessKid.com
2. So You Wanna Learn How to Play Chess? from SoYouWanna.com
What does this strange notation like "17.Rac1 Rxc1+"

mean?
That is chess notation: a method of describing moves

played on the chessboard. Of the several forms of chess
notation popular in the world today, we use what's
known as the English Algebraic notation. Understanding
how to read this will greatly enhance your ability to read
and understand chess analysis. If you do not know how
to read chess notation, here are some resources to help
you:
1. Understanding Chess Algebraic Chess Notation from about.com
2. Keeping Score - by the US Chess Federation (Adobe Acrobat required)
Why do games end even though nobody is checkmated?
Newcomers to chess sometimes assume that games are

played until one player is in checkmate, or stalemate.
While this occasionally happens during grandmaster
games, it is usually not the case. Among strong players,
the game usually ends when one player realizes the
hopelessness of the situation, at which point he or she
will resign. This is indicated on the score sheet as 1-0
(Black resigns) or 0-1 (White resigns).
When you play in person, a resignation is usually is

indicated by tipping your king on its side, and/or by
extending your arm for a handshake.
What is PGN?
PGN stands for Portable Game Notation. It is a method

for storing chess games in simple text format which can
then be imported into various software. Because
Chessgames does all of its PGN processing automatically
"behind the scenes", you don't need to understand
anything about PGN to enjoy Chessgames. However, if
you use software that can import from PGN,
Chessgames.com offers several ways to download this
data to your computer. Please see How do I download
PGN files? from the Chessgames Premium Membership
FAQ for more information.
External links:
1. PGN from Wikipedia

2. PGN Specification and Implementation Guide (technical)
What is "kibitzing?"
Kibitzing is a Yiddish expression, popular among

chessplayers, that means "to overlook somebody's work
while offering unwanted or meddlesome advice." At
Chessgames.com, however, kibitzers are very much
wanted, for they are our most valuable resource. Each
game on this site contains a "Kibitzer's Corner" where
users of this site can exchange comments. Games in our
database with kibitzing are denoted with this symbol:
We have discussion forums on all major chess topics: the

players, the tournaments, the openings, and of course,
the games. If you have a question, or advice, or anything
to say about matters related to chess, the procedure is
simply to locate the appropriate page then scroll down to
the Kibitzer's Corner where you can engage other
chessgames users in discussion. This approach of
community-learning allows everybody to be both a
student and a teacher in the wonderfully rich world of
chess.
There are also kibitzer corners Posting Policy

for chess players and Please observe our guidelines.
openings. Users are
1. No obscene, racist,
encouraged to post sexist, or profane
commentary, ask questions, language.
and share URLs to other sites 2. No spamming,
that may be of interest. advertising, or
duplicating posts.
The homepage will always list 3. No personal attacks
against other users.
the most recent kibitzes, so 4. Nothing in violation of
that you can see the topics United States law.
that have been recently
discussed. Our Recent Chessgames.com reserves the right to
delete messages that are deemed
inappropriate, distasteful, or off-topic.
Kibitzing page gives you an even more detailed view of

recent discussions.
If you see a post that violates Chessgames.com policy,

you may report it by clicking on the "Blow the Whistle!"
link found at the bottom of the kibitzing area.
What not to use the kibitzing areas for:
Do not write about subjects not related to the page's intended topic. We offer
over one million discussion forums, so if you post something to the wrong
page you will bury your message where its intended readers will never find it,
and dilute the intended content of the page. If you want to write on subjects
not specifically covered in the database, you can always use the Kibitzer's
Café.
Do not play correspondence chess in the kibitzing areas, except in

Chessforums. Such posts are instrinsically off-topic on any player page, game
page, tournament page, etc. In Chessforums such games are not only
allowed but encouraged, provided that the owner of the Chessforum permits
it.
Do not ask for general help with the site on the discussion areas to games,
players, tournaments, etc. For example, the post "Can somebody tell me how
to post links to games in the database?" would best belong on the
Chessgames.com Chessforum or the Kibitzer's Café.
Do not make casual conversation with other users outside of designated

areas such as the Kibitzer's Café. E.g., to post "Hi there Fred, how have you
been? Did you get my email?" serves no purpose on the page of a game,
tournament, or player.
Do not alert the administrators to possible corrections in the kibitzing area. It

will be confusing to those who read it after the correction is made, and will
probably not be read by the administrators anyhow. The proper method of
submitting a correction is explained below in the corrections procedure
section.
Do not discuss administrative actions, or report violations of posting

guidelines, outside of the designated areas. For example, to post "Hey
<chessgames.com> why did you delete my post?" is an off-topic comment
which dilutes the actual purpose of the page, and probably won't be read by
an administrator anyhow. The appropriate venue for such discussion is to
email us (chess@chessgames.com) or the Chessgames.com Chessforum. In
the case of a violation of posting guidelines, use the "Blow the Whistle" link to
report the offending post.
Do not use the kibitzing area as a storage area for your personal notes. For
example, to post "Went over this game on 12/15/2006" is a selfish use of a
public resource.
Do not play games with the kibitzing area. For example, it is not productive
to post "First!" (announcing that you are the first person to post to a thread)
or to decorate a thread by posting <<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>.
If everybody follows these guidelines then the kibitzing areas of Chessgames will be
the most powerful and useful feature of our site. Thank you!
HOT TIP: Visit your profile page to see where you have posted, and a
star will appear by some of your posts. These are the posts that
somebody has replied to.
HOT TIP: Visit your preferences page and check Display newest
kibitzes on top. That will list the posts in reverse-chronological order.
That way, you'll see the new messages at the top of the page.
HOT TIP: If you cut-and-paste a URL (web address) into your

message, the system will automatically create a link. What's more, if
you supply an URL to a page on chessgames.com it will sometimes
change the hyperlink to a text description of the page. For example, if
you provide a link to a game page, the link will appear with the names
of the players.
HOT TIP: If you enclose text between < and > symbols, it will change
color. You can use this to set apart quotations of other users, or
subvariations in the lines you discuss.
LEARN MORE: There are other special features that the advanced
kibitzers use as well; you can read about them at our Kibitzing Tricks
page.
How do I register, so that I can kibitz?
First you have to go to the preferences page and choose

a "Username" (that's what other people will see you as)
and a password (to make sure nobody else posts under
your name.)
When choosing a username, please obey the following

rules:
1. It does not have to be your real name, but it can be if you want.
2. Use only characters A-Z and 0-9, the period, and the space.
Names cannot begin with periods.
3. Do not name yourself after a famous living chessplayer (unless
you are really him or her!) Likewise, please do not put "GM" or
any other chess title in your handle unless you have actually
achieved that title.
4. Accounts with insulting, offensive or obscene usernames will be
deleted.
5. Account names that imitate another chessgames user, especially
with intent to mock or confuse, will be deleted.
Once you've done all that, you will receive an email

which contains a link that takes you to our Activation
Page. This is our way of validating your email address as
being legitimate. Unless you change your email address,
it should only be necessary to activate your account one
time.
NOTE: Please note that we collect your email address only for
purposes of validation; we are strongly opposed to spam and would
never reveal your email address to any other users, or sell our email
list to any third party. More information on these policies can be found
at our Privacy Notice.
MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS: While the use of multiple accounts is not

prohibited, it is strongly discouraged. You should not establish
alternate accounts for trivial reasons, such as: to maintain multiple
personas ("sockpuppets"), for humorous effect, to bypass ignore lists,
or to cheat in any game or contest. Innocent and useful reasons to
create multiple accounts include: providing a public service on your
profile, opening a chessforum on a specific subject, or deciding to
change your username.
How do I put colors, links, and chess symbols in my

messages?
With a little practice, you can embed links to web sites,

highlighted colors, and chess symbols in your kibitzes.
Please see our special page on Kibitzing Tricks to learn
how. While you are kibitzing, a link to this help area will
appear during the preview phase.
How do I put a little graphic (avatar) next to my messages?
This feature is reserved for Premium Chessgames

Members. There is a detailed discussion of this feature on
our Premium Membership Help Page.
How do I ignore a user?
If a certain member of our community annoys you, you

have the power to filter out their kibitzes entirely so that
you never need to read their messages again. To do this,
simply click on their name and visit their profile, then
follow the "thumbs down" graphic at the bottom of the
page. They will then be added to your ignore-list. If you
ever change your mind, you may get back to your
ignore-list from your profile page.
I forgot my password.
If you supplied your email address when you registered,

you can have your password and username mailed to
you from our Password Recovery Page.
What is "annotation?"
Annotation is commentary provided on a game.

Sometimes this is simply analysis of moves which were
not played; other times it seeks to explain the strategies
and motives that lie behind the moves. Games in our
database with annotation are marked with this symbol:
To find annotated games, you may click the checkbox

next to "with annotation" on the homepage search. For
example, a simple search would reveal annotated Lasker-
Capablanca games.
You can also use the "E-Z Search" at the top of the
homepage to find annotated games. For example, to find
annotated French Defense games, you can search for
"annotated French Defense" and you'll receive a list of all
French Defense games that contain annotation.
What's an ECO code?
The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, or "ECO" for short,

is a famous chess publication that attempts to chronicle
all major chess opening variations into five volumes (A-
E) providing readers with a comprehensive collection of
modern opening theory. Contributors to the publication
include the very strongest players from around the
world, including some world champions.
Chessgames.com uses the ECO codes as a method of
categorizing the games into the various openings.
We also provide a pulldown menu with some of the most

popular openings. This way, you do not need to know
ECO codes; you can just select the opening by name.
HOT TIP: Type "000" into the ECO slot to find all odds games, and
other chess variants such as Fischer Random, etc.
HOT TIP: You can select a range of ECO codes in the search form. For
example, to find all Slav Defense games, you can type "D10-D19" or
simply "D10-19."
What is the Tournament Index?
Our Tournament Index (TI) is a powerful tool that lets

you "flip through the pages of chess history." It presents
our chess events in an informative and chronological
manner. The handy search bar lets you find games in
certain places, with certain players, etc.
All pages in the TI have either a leaderboard or roster, as

appropriate. They all allow for members to kibitz. Most
have some kind of introductory text, the finest ones
containing detailed research, crosstables, and more. All
pages from our WCC History Project are part of the TI.
Our New Tournaments page displays the newest

tournaments, added by the Chessgames staff. All new
tournaments are automatically inserted into the
Tournament Index.
The job of creating pages for historical tournaments is an

ongoing endeaver, which takes place chiefly at the
Biographer's Bistro. If you have penchant for chess
history and would like to contribute to the project, feel
free to introduce yourself at the Bistro, and/or contact
chess@chessgames.com for more details.
What are 'Notable Games'?
On some player pages, tournament pages, and opening

pages, there is a list of Notable Games. In the case of
player pages, this list highlights some important games
that the player has won or drawn. On opening pages,
you can see some milestone games in its history. If you
want to see some interesting games by a player, or of a
certain opening, this is usually a good place to start.
The lists of notable games are calculated by finding the

games which most frequently appear in our users' game
collections.
Notable games are chosen using a proprietary algorithm

sensitive to the behavior of Chessgames members. Its
results do not necessarily represent the opinions of the
Chessgames.com staff.
If you want to "vote" for a game, simply put it in one of

your game collections.
What are 'Notable Tournaments'?
On some player pages, there is a list of Notable

Tournaments. This is a short list of tournaments and
matches, which may be high-points of the player's chess
career. In general, their best performances are at the
top. This feature excludes world championships, which
are covered in a different section.
NOTE: Only tournaments in our Tournament Index are

eligble for this purpose.
How do I search for a tournament?
If you are looking for a very recent event, simply check

out the "New Games" column on our homepage. To
access our entire searchable archive of all tournaments,
both current and historic, see our Tournament Index.
If you are interested in a specific World Championship

match, you may prefer to reference our History of the
World Chess Championship feature.
What is a "Chessgames Biography"?
Some player pages have a section near the top called the
Chessgames Biography. This area usually includes
information such as the date of birth, the date of death
for deceased players, the nationality, and a short
biography of the player ranging from a single sentence to
several paragraphs.
This information is supplied by Chessgames members

who have volunteered for the job of supplying
biographical data. Much of the historical research takes
place on the public forum designated for this purpose:
The Biographer Bistro.
DISCLAIMER: The Chessgames.com staff does not author the
biographies, nor are we responsible for their content. Although the
biographies are generally of high quality, we can make no guarantees
to their accuracy.
NOTE: If you have any suggestions to improve the biographies, or a

specific biography, you will want to give your suggestions to one of
the volunteer editors. One way to make your request heard is to post
it to Biographer's Bistro.
NOTE: If you would like to volunteer for the job of writing

biographies, contact chess@chessgames.com. Applicants must be
skilled in English writing, and be able to accurately research chess
history.
What are "WCC History Pages"?
WCC stands for World Chess

Championship, and Chessgames has many
pages devoted to this topic. The matches
and tournaments that were involved in
World Championships are in our database
with all of the other tournaments, but the
World Championship pages have several An online historical
guide presented by
special features: Chessgames.com
An informative historical article about the match, the players,

and the circumstances surrounding it.
Photographs and illustrations.
Citations and links to articles and other online resources.
A navigation system which allows you to scan the matches
chronologically or by jumping directly from any WCC event to
any other.
A scoreboard which shows the final score of the match, allows
you to see the score develop on a game by game basis, and
provides links so you can jump directly to any game.
A Notable Games section for the match to show you which
games our members find most interesting.
A discussion forum to discuss the match or analyze the games.
A navigation bar appears at the top of these pages

allowing you to easily scan through the World Chess
Championships, either in chronological order with the
"next" and "previous" links, or by using the pulldown
navigation to jump directly to any match you like.
This is an excellent way to learn the history of the World

Chess Championship and the great players who held or
challenged the title.
If you want to enjoy this feature, a good place to start is

the introduction page: The History of the World Chess
Championship.
HOT TIP: Another good way to enjoy this feature is by stepping
through the world championships in chronological order starting with
Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886, which is recognized by most chess
historians as being the first official World Chess Championship match.
What does "Find Similar Games" do?
On every game page, you will find a link called 'Find

Similar Games.' If you click it, you will be presented with
all games that contain similar opening moves. The games
that are the closest matches to the game you clicked on
(the "stem game") are at the top; and near the bottom
you will find games which deviated earlier. This way, you
can search for specific opening variations with more
precision that you can do with the ECO codes.
This page will also compute the novelty of the game,

which is the first move that distinguishes the game from
all others in the database. (Note that often the so-called
"novelty" is actually a blunder!)
Please note: This feature is only somewhat savvy to transpositions,
especially those that occur during the first 6 moves. Unlike the
Opening Explorer, complicated transpositions are not recognized here.
What are "Game Collections"?
Chessgames enables members to bookmark their

favorite games to review later, or to share with others.
This is accomplished
through Game
Collections, which are
lists of games that
users assemble
themselves. For
example, you might
have "Favorite
Capablanca
Endgames" as one
collection, and "Ruy
Lopez Opening Traps"
as another. It's
entirely up to you to
decide which games
go into these
collections.
Creating Collections -
Registered users will see
on the bottom of game
pages a button that says
"Add Game to Collection."
Next to this button is a
pulldown menu that
contains all of the
collections you maintain,
plus a choice called "New
Collection." If you want to
create a new game
collection into which the
game will be added, select
"New Collection." If you
want to add the game to a
collection you already
own, you pick that
collection from the list.
When you add a game to "New Collection," you will be asked to name
your new collection, and optionally to provide a short
introduction/description for the games. In this way, you can pick the
games that you like and add them to your collections. Whatever you
enter at this point can be changed later.
Editing Collections - When you visit your profile, you will see a
special link that allows you to edit your game collections. That takes
you to the "Game Collection Administration Page" where you can
remove games, change the titles/descriptions, and even change the
order that the games appear.
Sharing Your Collections With Others - Suppose you have a

number of collections with games in them, now what? For starters,
when you visit your profile page you can see links to your collections.
Other users who see your profile can see these links, also. In that
way, you can share your compilations with other members.
If you make a really good collection, you might want to visit the
Kibitzer's Café and tell others about it. When others read your
message, they can click on your name and then see the collections
you've created. In the future, we will make more features to help
users enjoy the game collections of others.
Searching Game Collections - You can find game collections on

virtually any subject using our powerful Game Collection Search Page.
We hope that you find this feature an excellent way to

organize your chess research, while sharing your findings
with others.
PLEASE NOTE: Free accounts are limited to a total of 8 game
collections, and no collection may have more than 101 games. These
limits are greatly expanded for premium Chessgames members.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: If you volunteer to use the Game Collections feature, you do so
entirely at your own risk. Chessgames.com shall not be held responsible for lost
information, labor, or other damages arising from the use of this product, and reserves the
right to alter or discontinue this service without prior notice. In creating a Game Collection
at our site, you forfeit any claims to copyright on the selection of games, the game
notes/titles, and the introduction to the collection. Game Collections are not confidential
and can be viewed by the public.
Where do you get your games?
The database has been constructed over a period of

many years from PGN files obtained from free, public
domain sources. Primary among these sources are:
University of Pittsburgh FTP - one of the oldest and most
complete archives of chessgames online.
La Regence - archive of recent chess games, organized by ECO
code.
Britbase - archive of British chess games from the 1920's to
present.
Rusbase - the Russian cousin to Britbase.
The Week in Chess (TWIC) - Mark Crowther's world famous
source for brand new chess games.
Lars Balzer's Homepage - A very well maintained list of places
on the internet where you can download chess games.
The very newest games are usually obtained from the

official websites of the chess events.
We also accept PGN submitted from our users, pending

review by administrators. Please see our PGN Upload
Page for more information.
Can I download search results in one big PGN file?
Yes, but this feature requires a Chessgames Premium

Membership. See our Premium Member FAQ for more
information.
Help! I can't see the games!
If you can't see the games, here are some possible

reasons.
1. To use some of the more advanced chess viewers,

Chessgames.com requires Java which may not be
present on your computer. You can download Java
for free from here.
2. Java technology, unfortunately, tends to be unstable
for some users. To solve this, we provide more than
one Java viewer: if one doesn't work, try another.
(You can change your Java viewer setting on the
preferences page or on any game page.)
3. Perhaps your browser's configuration has Java
turned off? Check your browser preferences for any
Java-related options and make sure they are set
properly.
We have a Troubleshooting Page for these kinds of issues

and more.
Note that it is possible to configure your browser to view

PGN files from the web in a PGN viewing application;
once you do this, the "download PGN" link found on the
game pages should display the game using your own
software.
Some users report that the applet usually works but

occasionally misbehaves. If this is your situation, simply
reloading the page often corrects the problem. Failing
that, closing your browser and restarting it often does
the trick. Failing that, try rebooting!
If you try all of this, and you still have problems, please
tell us about it, including the specific computer platform
you are using (operating system, browser, and anything
else you think might be important.) Report technical
problems to chess@Chessgames.com. Thank you.
How can I flip the board, so that Black is on the bottom?
This depends on which Java viewer you use. In the case

of the default viewer (Chess Viewer Deluxe) the method
is to press the two triangles symbol in the lower left
corner of the board. You can learn more about the
default viewer at our Chess Viewer Deluxe Quickstart
Guide.
Is there software that will help me use Chessgames.com?
If your internet browser has Java, you can use our site
without any special software. However, there are
programs that you may prefer to use over the Java-
viewers. If your browser is configured properly, you can
click on "download PGN" to see the game displayed with
your software. Users who do this often choose "none" as
a Java viewer.
Here are some free PGN viewers that you can use for this
purpose:
1. Chess Filemate (Windows, shareware)

2. PGN Mentor (Windows, free demo available)
3. Mini-PGN (Windows, free)
4. Pgn Reader 1.52 (Windows, free)
What are the differences between the viewers?
We currently offer five choices for your chess viewer. You

can change your setting at the preferences page, as well
as on any page where you are viewing a game. The
default viewer (Chess Viewer Deluxe) works fine for most
people, but some users prefer other options found on
other chess-viewing packages. Here are the current
choices:
1. Chess Viewer Deluxe - A powerful and easy to use java viewer
that contains many powerful features, such as allowing you to
analyze the board position by moving pieces, move through the
game with your arrow keys, and play games automatically. As
such, it is our default viewer. Please see Chess Viewer Deluxe
Quickstart Guide for more information on this application.
2. MyChess - A happy medium between features and reliability.
Chess Viewer Deluxe is an improved version of MyChess.
3. pgn4web - This is currently the only non-java viewer that we
offer, and it's a very good one. It is the ideal choice for cell
phones and tables such as the iPad. One of its strengths is that
it has a very simple crisp appearance that can be rendered very
large. However, it does not let you manipulate the pieces.
4. ChessTutor - The fanciest java chess viewer; contains many
features such as resizing the board, automatic move
progression, and more. It is the least stable; some users report
not getting it to work.
5. MistyBeach - The least-fancy java chess viewer; very simple and
plain, but it gets the job done. It does not support odds games,
nor does it support games that use RAV (recursive annotated
variations). Very few users have reported problems with it,
although there are a few games in the database (with
annotation) that cannot be viewed with it.
6. Sjkbase - Its operation seems a little odd at times, but the
board looks great and it has a very powerful feature: it lets you
actually move the pieces on the board so that you can analyze
positions. It is a relatively old piece of software, and no longer
supported, so use it at your own risk.
7. None (Display Moves Only) - This option simply displays the

moves of the game in a little box. However, the "Download
PGN" link found on each page will activate a PGN viewer on your
PC if your browser is configured properly. Use this option if none
of the above choices work for you, or if you simply prefer to use
your own PGN viewer.
I found a mistake in your database that requires correction.

What should I do?
The Chessgames.com database is a compilation of PGN

files obtained from various sources. As a result, there is
inconsistency with the data, and some games are
incorrect. Our admins process corrections regularly in
order to fix errors in our data.
The most common mistakes include:

Game with misattributed players.
Games with wrong moves, or wrong move order.
The year, tournament, or location of the game is wrong, or
missing.
You can help the correction process by clicking the

"suggest correction" link on every game, player,
and tournament page. This will be forwarded to our
database administrators.
If you see an important chess game that we are missing,

you may submit the game (in PGN format) to us, by
using our PGN Upload Utility.
Do not post corrections in the "Kibitzer's Corner." The

admins do not necessarily read that area and are unlikely
to take action until a correction slip is submitted.
Do not email us with corrections. We made the "suggest

correction" link so we could avoid that. Thanks.
Do fill out the correction slip form. Your correction will be

vetted by an admin and tended to promptly.
What is the ChessBookie Game?
The ChessBookie Game is a free game available to

everybody. It is a gambling simulation (no real money
involved) where players make wagers on chess games,
tournaments, and more. It costs nothing to play, and you
can win cool prizes if you win. For more information see
our ChessBookie Introduction.
What is Child-Friendly Mode (Quiet Mode)?
While the member discussion ("kibitzing") is one of

Chessgames' most dynamic and interesting features,
there may be times when you'd like to suppress it. For
example, you may be supervising a young child using
Chessgames, or perhaps you use Chessgames from your
mobile phone and want to save bandwidth.
Whatever the reason, Child-Friendly mode, also known

as Quiet Mode, is a setting that makes the kibitzing
vanish. You'll find it on your preference page labeled
"Child-safe mode." When you activate this feature,
several changes take place to your account:
1. You are unable to see or participate in any posting

on any kibitzing area--games pages, player pages,
chessforums, etc, with the singular exception of the
Chessgames User Support Forum.
2. If you have an active chessforum, it will be disabled
while you are in Quiet Mode.
3. It will announce that you are in Quiet Mode on your
profile page: "Quiet mode enabled (This user cannot
see kibitzing.)"
4. You will be blocked from the New Kibitzing Page, the
Kibitzer's Café, Search Kibitzing, and a few other
pages.
5. To prevent children from accidentally disabling this
feature, the logout button is temporarily disabled
while in Quiet Mode. (To properly logout, you must
first visit your preference page, disable Quiet Mode,
then visit the logout page as normal.)
NOTE: This feature is not intended to be a substitute for

diligent adult supervision.
How can I learn to play stronger chess?
There are many things you can do, but here are some of
the best suggestions:
1. Play often, and play against opponents who are

good enough to beat you at least half of the time.
You can do this at a local chess club, or on the
internet.
2. Review games of great players. That's where
Chessgames.com can help! When reviewing a game,
before you look at the next move, try to guess what
the GM played.
3. Read books. The greatest chessplayers of all time
have written clear and precise guides for playing
strong chess.
4. Study endings. "The endgame is to chess what
putting is to golf."
5. After every game you review or play, try to
determine the specific move where the loser went
wrong.
6. Attend local chess tournaments. There is something
about the atmosphere of a tournament, when prizes
and glory are on the line, that brings out the best in
players of all levels.
I have a question not on this page.
Many more features are described on the Chessgames

Premium Membership Help Page. If you still cannot find
the answer on our site, we'd be happy to help you.
Please send your question to chess@Chessgames.com.
home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | new kibitzing |
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20/10/2018 ChessGames.com F.A.Q.

Chessgames.com is an online database of chess games.

Yes, it is 100% free to register an account with

You also have the option to support Chessgames

If you are not interested in becoming a premium member

Every little bit helps us continue to provide our service to

Chessgames.com is the kibitzers. Without them, we'd

The software and conceptual design that makes this

To contact Chessgames, please email

How do I find a chess game?

The best way is to fill out the Advanced Search form on

For example, suppose you are looking for all Fischer-

There are many kinds of searches that produce

Some find it enjoyable to review games with a small

We could go one providing examples forever. In short,

Chess looks fun. How do you play?

If you don't know how to play at all, or if you're shaky on

What does this strange notation like "17.Rac1 Rxc1+"

That is chess notation: a method of describing moves

Why do games end even though nobody is checkmated?

Newcomers to chess sometimes assume that games are

When you play in person, a resignation is usually is

PGN stands for Portable Game Notation. It is a method

1. PGN from Wikipedia

Kibitzing is a Yiddish expression, popular among

We have discussion forums on all major chess topics: the

There are also kibitzer corners Posting Policy

Kibitzing page gives you an even more detailed view of

If you see a post that violates Chessgames.com policy,

What not to use the kibitzing areas for:

Do not play correspondence chess in the kibitzing areas, except in

Do not make casual conversation with other users outside of designated

Do not alert the administrators to possible corrections in the kibitzing area. It

Do not discuss administrative actions, or report violations of posting

HOT TIP: If you cut-and-paste a URL (web address) into your

How do I register, so that I can kibitz?

First you have to go to the preferences page and choose

When choosing a username, please obey the following

Once you've done all that, you will receive an email

MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS: While the use of multiple accounts is not

How do I put colors, links, and chess symbols in my

With a little practice, you can embed links to web sites,

How do I put a little graphic (avatar) next to my messages?

This feature is reserved for Premium Chessgames

How do I ignore a user?

If a certain member of our community annoys you, you

If you supplied your email address when you registered,

Annotation is commentary provided on a game.

To find annotated games, you may click the checkbox

What's an ECO code?

The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, or "ECO" for short,

We also provide a pulldown menu with some of the most

What is the Tournament Index?

Our Tournament Index (TI) is a powerful tool that lets

All pages in the TI have either a leaderboard or roster, as

Our New Tournaments page displays the newest

The job of creating pages for historical tournaments is an

What are 'Notable Games'?

On some player pages, tournament pages, and opening

The lists of notable games are calculated by finding the

Notable games are chosen using a proprietary algorithm

If you want to "vote" for a game, simply put it in one of

What are 'Notable Tournaments'?