Our Commitment to Fair Play

At ChessNova, the integrity of the game is our highest priority. Victory should only be achieved through skill, strategy, and sportsmanship.

Our Philosophy

Chess is a game of intellect. Its beauty lies in the pure competition between two minds. We have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of cheating that undermines this principle. Our platform is built to reward genuine skill, and we are dedicated to protecting our community of fair players.

Prohibited Actions

The following actions are strictly forbidden on ChessNova and will result in immediate penalties:

  • Use of Chess Engines: Using any external software, tool, or engine (like Stockfish, Komodo, etc.) to analyze your ongoing games is the most serious offense. Our systems actively monitor for engine-like play.
  • Account Sharing: Allowing another, stronger player to use your account to inflate your rating or win prizes is prohibited.
  • Sandbagging: Intentionally lowering your rating by losing games on purpose to enter lower-tiered tournaments is considered unsportsmanlike and is not allowed.
  • Abuse and Harassment: While we don't have an open chat, any form of harassment through player names or other platform features will not be tolerated.

How We Detect Cheating

We employ a sophisticated, multi-layered system to ensure fair play:

  1. Move Analysis Algorithm: Our proprietary algorithm compares player moves against the optimal moves suggested by various chess engines. Consistent, superhuman accuracy is a major red flag.
  2. Player Statistics Monitoring: We track sudden, unnatural spikes in player rating and performance, which can indicate cheating.
  3. Community Reports: We take player reports very seriously. Every report is investigated by our dedicated Fair Play team.

Consequences of Violations

Players found to be in violation of our Fair Play Policy will face strict penalties, including but not limited to:

  • A public mark on the user's profile indicating a policy violation.
  • Temporary or permanent suspension from all tournament play.
  • Forfeiture of any prizes or virtual currency won through cheating.
  • Permanent account closure in severe or repeated cases.

How to Report a Player

If you suspect a player is violating our Fair Play Policy, please do not confront them. Instead, finish your game and send a report to our team. Include the game link/ID, your opponent's username, and a brief description of your suspicion.

Email our Fair Play team at: [email protected]

We thank you for helping us maintain a clean and fair environment for all chess lovers.