Moderation & Appeals Policy
How reports, chat filtering, sanctions, appeals, and moderator authority work.
Version 1.3 · Effective 2026-10-02
Profile pictures
Players can report a current profile picture. The report records the picture revision as evidence. Authorized moderators can dismiss a report or remove a matching current picture; removal restores the default avatar and is audited. A picture changed after reporting is not silently removed as though it were the reported revision.
Tournament reports
Players may report abusive tournament content. Community hosts cannot adjudicate chess results or gain moderation powers. Authorized staff can cancel events, resolve reports, and correct tournament standings with a recorded reason and audit trail. Rating corrections use the separate fair-play process.
Chat safety and reports
Automated checks allow ordinary messages and block certain high-confidence prohibited messages. Some severe blocked messages create a moderation report. Players can report an opponent or a specific game-chat message. The server captures the reported message and limited nearby context; users cannot supply replacement evidence. Reports do not automatically punish a player. Reporter identity and internal moderator notes are restricted from the reported player.
Review and authority
USER accounts cannot access moderation tools. MODERATOR, ADMIN, and OWNER roles have server-enforced authority, with OWNER protected from ordinary administrator demotion. Staff can observe active human games and investigate linked fair-play cases. Engine review of completed games, recorded move times, game history, and account patterns can support a finding; suspicious accuracy by itself is not proof of cheating. Only ADMIN or OWNER can confirm a case and adjudicate a game or rating. Deliberately false reporting may itself be reviewed. No particular report outcome is guaranteed.
Actions and game handling
Available actions include warnings, chat mutes, temporary suspensions, permanent bans, and authorized reversal of active sanctions. Severe conduct can lead to immediate action. A confirmed fair-play case can lead to a live-game forfeit, an unrated termination, or an administrative rating correction for selected affected games. A voided game stops counting toward provisional placement. Original results and exact adjustment records are retained; an approved appeal can reverse an adjustment. Historical games without pre-game rating snapshots are corrected only from their recorded rating deltas when safe. Suspensions and bans end normal sessions and authenticated WebSocket access; affected active human games are resolved under the game rules. Actions, reversals, role changes, and appeal decisions are recorded in audit trails.
Appeals
A muted, suspended, or banned player can submit an appeal with account credentials. Tickets may be OPEN, UNDER_REVIEW, APPROVED, DENIED, or CLOSED. Authorized staff can approve and lift an appealed sanction or deny it with a reason. The original action and audit history remain. A decision is not guaranteed to favor the appellant. Contact [email protected] for help.
Evidence retention
Ordinary game chat is scheduled for cleanup after completed games. Reports preserve limited authoritative evidence and context separately, potentially for longer moderation, security, or legal needs. Access to moderation records is role restricted.
Questions?
Contact [email protected].