Playchess

RULES



Compulsory Server Rules

Dear Chess Friends,



chess on a chess server is a great thing. You can meet like-minded people and compare your skills in nice games. However, for a fair and friendly competition some rules are necessary. They follow an easy principle: those who treat others badly or break a rule will be banned from the server – notwithstanding further consequences.



If you have any questions you are welcome to ask a system operator or a ChessBase employee in the chat – you recognize them by the entry „ChessBase" or by the entry „Sysop" under their status in the player list. Or just send a mail to these adress.



Your ChessBase company





Server – Rules

As of 25. February 2005





Preliminary remarks



The following rules serve to guarantee a harmonious togetherness of the chess players. When using the server please remember that this is a family-oriented server and that there are children and juniors who here enjoy their hobby chess. This server is not for discussing political, ideological or religious questions. Fairness should be the first consideration when dealing and playing with each other. The following rules are compulsory rules for using the server. But to presume that everything not explicitly forbidden here is permitted, is, however, wrong.



§ 1 Creating a user-name





1.

The following rules apply when creating a new account:



Using handles which insult others is not permitted.

Using handles which are likely to offend ethical, ideological or religious feelings of others is not permitted.

Using proper names for handles is only permitted if you use your own name.

Using handles which contain or present a link to a website is not permitted. Inserting links into the personal profile is only permitted if

a. this is a link to your own website or

b. the linked website is directly related to chess

2.

To give false information in the personal profile is not permitted. It is not permitted to use language or pictures of any kind which contain attacks on other persons or sexual or pornographic depictions. It is neither permitted to use language or pictures of any kind which are likely to offend the ethical, ideological or religious feelings of others.



Access accounts which are not given clearance by a serial number can be deleted, unless they are recognizable as a recent test account of a new player who wants to get to know software and server. If in doubt, please be quick to enter your serial number.



3.

In principle it is not allowed to sell an existing account with a rating (server-ELO9 or to give it to an other player in any other way.



4.

Failure to comply to the compulsory rules under 1. to 3. may lead to an immediate deletion of the account. In case of recurrence access to the server may be closed for all accounts of the user. Moreover, failure to comply also allows the ChessBase GmbH to pass on stored data for further legal action either under criminal or civil law.





§ 2 Using software



Using the server is only permitted with a properly registered software confirmed by a serial number. A failure to enter the serial number after being asked to do so – even if asked by the program – leads to a deletion of the account unless it is software especially provided by the ChessBase GmbH for a certain user for a certain amount of time (test- or special-clients).





§ 3 Behavior in the chat



1.

The chat helps players to communicate. The same rules as for creating an account (§ 1 item 1 and 2) apply.



Chatting on a chess server has the same legal status as any verbal or written communication between individuals, and above all it is public. Insults have legal consequences, and severe insults and sedition in particular may lead to criminal prosecution. For this, every player can be unambiguously identified through his IP-address confidentially stored by the server.



2.

It is not allowed to post web-addresses or URLs in the chat. This does not apply if these are web-addresses or URLs, which are mainly chess-related and do not only serve commercial interests.



3.

Contravening these rules, and insulting in the chat in particular, may lead to de-ranking or a temporary or complete closure of the account or the power to chat.





§ 4 Using chess programs



1.

Using chess programs outside of the machine-rooms to play or to support play is forbidden. The server and software programs monitor whether players use chess programs.



2.

Violating these rules will lead to a closure of the account, even if the account is released through a serial-number. In case of recurrence the player may even be banned from playing on the server.





§ 5 Manipulating the rating



1.

Any kind of rating manipulation is strictly forbidden, like i.e. increasing an ELO-rating (padding or boosting) by losing intentionally or losing intentionally (dumping), and it does not matter if this manipulation is achieved through losing against one's own accounts, friends or acquaintances.



2.

It is not to permitted to play rated games under the name of a different player. Violating this rule may be punished with de-ranking or closure of both accounts. We would like to explicitly draw attention to the fact that every player is responsible for taking care that no other player uses his/her handle to play. The player has to take care that his/her password is known to nobody else.





§ 6 Technical manipulation



It is not permitted to interfere with the technical processes of the server or the game. Above all, it is not permitted to slow down play by manipulating your own system. Violating these rules will lead to a deletion of the account, and in case of recurrence it will lead to close access to the server.





§ 7 Pirating software



1.

It is explicitly forbidden to play on the server with illegal software copies. Moreover, it is also explicitly forbidden to use the server as platform for distributing illegal software or data collections. It is forbidden to use the server as platform to initiate contacts which aim to exchange, to trade or to pass on illegal software, no matter whether for money or for free. Excluded from this are freeware or shareware programs as well as the Nalimov tablebases and other software not subject to any copyright.



2.

Breaching these rules may lead to an immediate closure of access to the server. Moreover, the operator of the server, the ChessBase GmbH, in these cases has the right to use stored data for pursuing copyright claims, either under criminal or civil law.





§ 8 Tournament



1.

For official tournaments the respective tournament rules apply.



2.

In the private tournament rooms everybody with the rank of bishop or better may organize tournaments. But to promise prizes, no matter of what kind, is not possible in private tournaments. In particular, it is not permitted to promise money-prizes. Violating this rule will at least lead to a de-ranking to the rank of knight.



3.

Clubs or net-communities with a virtual tournament room of their own, may promise prizes for tournaments. However, they may only do so if the tournament and the prizes which can be won, are announced on the homepage of the club, which is linked to the server. Violating this rule will lead to closing the tournament room.



§ 9 Ducats



1.

Ducats are the internal currency on the playchess.com server. Within certain limits they can be used as stakes in games or in tournaments or they can be transferred between players as payment for services or they can be used for buying products in the ChessBase shop.



2.

To win ducats in tournaments the rank of Pawn is sufficient. In addition to that the Fritz 8 program or a more recent program is required.



3.

To play for ducats the rank of Bishop or better is required.



4.

Transferring ducats also requires the rank of Bishop or better.



5.

Receiving ducats at least requires the rank of Queen.



6.

In principle, ducats can only be exchanged for articles of the ChessBase GmbH. Here, they can be used for payments with an exchange-rate of 10 ducats for € 1,00.



7.

Titleholders and coaches may offer services (playing, training, simultaneous displays, etc.) on the server, and ask the participants for ducats for making use of these services. Renumerating these services later in EUR through the ChessBase GmbH is only possible through an individual contractual agreement. If interested, please send an email to info@chessbase.com.



§ 10 Law to be used



For all disputes about the application of these rules and its resulting sanctions German law is to be used.