Learn How to Enable Chat in Chess.com – Step by Step Guide

Chess.com is not just a platform for playing chess but also for connecting with fellow players from around the world.

We will explore how to create an account on Chess.com, the features it offers such as live chess and tournaments, and most importantly, how to enable chat on the platform.

By enabling chat, you can communicate with opponents, learn from other players, and even make new friends. It is essential to follow the rules and guidelines for chatting on Chess.com to ensure a positive experience for everyone.

What is Chess.com?

Chess.com is a website that enables players of all skill levels to learn, train, play live games, and watch games and competitive events. Chess.com also offers Puzzles, Articles, interactive Courses, and Mentorship in addition to tools for players looking to organize clubs and tournaments.

Established in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, California Chess.com claims to have tens of millions of members from over 195 countries, including some of the top chess players in the world. It offers features such as solving puzzles and playing against the AI to help players develop their chess skills, as well as mentor-request systems and analysis tools. Along with computer bots, it has a large user base to find opponents. It offers a Pro version for even more benefits in the form of puzzles, and players can use a cloud interface, solve puzzles, manage their ability goals and more.

How to Create an Account on Chess.com?

To create an account on Chess.com, navigate to Chess.com and click Login / Sign Up. We have successfully used the service for this purpose via the mobile application and the desktop website. When you click Sign Up Free, you will be taken to a webpage where you can use Google, Facebook, or an email to sign up. When you sign up via email, the registration process requires you to provide your email, birthdate, desired username, and a password. After successful registration, to chat with other users you will need to navigate to the desired game screen.

Search for and click on your desired opponent username. Then either play with them directly by clicking one of the play buttons, challenge them by using the chatbox on the left, or ask if they are interested in chatting. Chatting on the desktop website requires installation of the Adobe Flash Player.

What Are the Features of Chess.com?

The features of Chess.com are a premium membership that provides unrivaled access to in-depth chess training.

Some free features of Chess.com are as follows:

1. Live Chess Games
2. Play vs. Computer
3. Tactical Puzzles
4. Endgame Trainer
5. 2000+ Free Video Lesson Library
6. Articles and Blog posts
7. Pairings and Results
8. Glossary of Chess Terms
9. Game/Analysis Boards
10. International Teams

Paid Elite membership provides the same features as free membership but adds the full library of video lessons and access to Chess960 (a multiply patented variant of chess invented by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer in 1996).Features include mobile apps, computer analysis of games, and video lessons. Some premium features include daily lessons, computer analysis of games, game annotation, and game examination.

Play Live Chess

The simplest way to enable chatting in Chess.com is to play Live Chess. Here is how to do it.

1. Log in to your account
2. Click on Play from the top menu dropdown
3. Select Live Chess
4. Select the time control you want
5. Click on who wants to play against and select Anyone with GameSeek enabled
6. Start Game

The Chat window with your opponent showing as an active chat window on the right side of the board. Compose and send messages here. Chatting with your opponent before a game is a great time to cause new users to activate and engage with the system as they wait for someone to give them a connection. At the height of evening, over 7000 people worldwide are evaluating against each other and activating their own game of livestreaming chess. You can send messages to streamers using chess.com chat in the same way you would communicate in the chatroom. The best way to create a sustainable chat atmosphere is to spark energy by making engaging comments or jokes. There is no guarantee, but positive feedback in-game chat could indirectly lead to a better performance. Many chess fans prefer to observe video commentary during a match where streamers are negotiating online.

Join Tournaments

Tournaments are introduced during their Chess.com Discord events and have included things that you don’t typically see in regular tournament schedule such as open ladders or Round Robin formats. They do not cost anything to enter, and those dr eam prize pools are actually given away (though never processed) in Shane’s Social Sleepers tournaments if you are ever fortunate enough to compete in one.

Chess.com tournaments have even popped up in some of their most popular tourney days such as Titled Tuesday, Daily Warzone, and many other high-stakes events. If you’re just getting warmed up in the communities, these servers don’t just aggressively play chess. There is never a lack of technically orchestrated debates, Q&A’s, sharing highlights from streaming or online games on. Remember Discord server etiquette when you consider contributing to gaming tournaments within the community, such as providing the game servers you are in with some heat when they ask for it.

Play Against the Computer

Choose AI from the same drop-down box that Quick Play appears. Here you can select from any of the bots on the site to send the friend match link to. For those Chess.com members who see the need to engage in a chat and need to be able to see the entire chess board and then maneuver pieces while the chat is open, this is the best way to get the same experience. The only difference is that chess moves are generally entered via the chat function itself when you log moves from board to board.

How to Enable Chat on Chess.com?

Chat settings were under Game Display options, but it seems to have been hidden in the latest Chess.com 3.8 iOS and Android app updates. Under the User Display Options, there are only options to hide emojis, replays, and resizable chat in games. Chat preferences (e.g. friends only) and the chat mute option have moved into the global settings.

To enable chat on Chess.com on a mobile device, click on Settings on the right-hand side of the homescreen. This will open the global settings. Click on Account in the settings dropdown, then in the Account options, click on Chat at the very bottom. Besides standard preferences such as who can chat with you, you can enable chat/whispers in puzzles and different challenges, and set the default board mode.

If you still don’t find the chat option, either the instructions are outdated or Chess.com removed that functionality. If both of the above are true, one way to enable chat is to use the web version of Chess.com. This is opened on all major web browsers, where the global settings and the preferences are very similar to the version for tablet devices.

Desktop Version

To enable chat in Chess.com while on the desktop version app, follow these three steps:

1. With the Chess.com client open, click the NOTATION ICON seen near new game notifications, message, and play online on the lower right side of the screen. You can also do this by right-clicking the name of your current opponent in the Web App.
2. Here, you will have access to a list of your chatrooms, private chats, and recent opponents. Click Play or Follow game to open notes/chat window.
3. The notes sub-tab will be opened. Click Chat to enter the chatroom. The conversation has now begun! Alternatively, you can open chats directly with any of your recent opponents or through search in the chatroom sub-menu. MPs and diamonds will have access to the diamond lounge, while Club members will have access to unique club chatrooms.

As well chat with Chess.com in a new tab without playing, just use this link to the web version of chat: https://www.chess.com/chat where you can start chatting and typing your message to whomever you choose immediately.

Mobile App

Chess.com’s app is available on both Android and iOS devices. To enable chat in the app, tap the person icon in the center of the bottom menu. This brings you to a page with various sub-menus where you can open Live Chess, Daily Chess, or the analysis board and chat towards the top of the screen. Clicking on Play will enable chat if you are not currently in one of the playing modes. If you do not have friends yet in your friends list, click on the chat tab in the center of the bottom menu. This is an interface for both chats in chess and for messaging your friends, not a separate type of chat. Click on friends whose chat you wish to enter, then click returning to chats on the upper left to open the chat interface.

What Are the Benefits of Enabling Chat on Chess.com?

There are several benefits to enabling chat on Chess.com including the following

1. Discussion of Game Progress: where the players can discuss the game without it interfering with playing. In some cases, this may enable both players to operate out of their daily life schedule, pairing players who are able to play but are not always in touch via chat. Occasionally, this will be deemed a non-benefit if one player is simply avoiding the match.
2. Technical Chat: where a player can command an opponent to not abandon the game, or the players can chat to discuss if there was an unfair disconnection or technical issue that caused a loss.
3. Staying Focused: Allowing an easy opportunity for a player to tell an opponent that they will tune out discussion in order to stay focused, thus alerting the opponent that they need to be more careful in managing the clock.

Communicate with Opponents

Chat is enabled in Chess.com when logged in on the computer and by default. Users can see a chat window in the bottom right corner of the game display which offers a way to talk with an opponent to play in real-time. Users who have turned off chat can enable it by right-clicking the opponent’s username and selecting Enable chat from the drop-down menu or under Profile click the chat button to go to the chat settings. Chat can be enabled there, and muted players can be added to a block-list.

Chat was disabled in Chess.com’s mobile applications in 2020. It is not possible to enable it currently, only a mute is available. This decision was made due to the prevalence of people cheating in turn-based (correspondence) games by getting computer assistance and using chat applications to communicate, according to the company’s developers.

Learn from Other Players

1. Browse for videos, or watch recordings of previous games, to learn more about different tactics and strategies other players use.
2. Use a digital chess platform with an integrated chat feature that allows messages in real-time. You can use this avenue to learn from other players directly. One such platform is www.chess.com, which has chat features for all games and articles about general chess strategies and tips, as well as forums and clubs.
3. Attend one or more of the online classes taught weekly by the founder and grandmaster Levon Aronian to be able to ask him questions. Classes are given at different times and dates every week and are available with a Premium Features subscription.

Make New Friends

After chatting in Play Brightly (the communication medium in Chess.com) in the chat bulletin board and during games, players can make and communicate with others as friends. Friends and people instant messaged through Play Brightly in Chess.com can be accessed, along with their communications.

Play Brightly was designed to promote private chats, and as a safe and social way there appears to be no risk of chatting with strangers. Friends is another tab to click on similar to Friends Favorites, The Chat System, The Inbox, and Outgoing messages.

Take a look at these two examples of the Friends timeline.

Once friends are made, after a brief Shield protection period, all functionality of the Chess.com chat system becomes available. Here are some of the interesting features of starting to make friends: In the Home Tab of other’s profiles, chat, and challenge buttons appear. If chat is selected, three new tabs within the chat become available: History, Media, and Games. History lists past chats with the user, and chat in any form is available. Media in Home shows chess.com photos and videos receive and shared by both users in the current chat. Games tab in Home allows chatting about a shared ongoing game. If games are selected, all features of Chess.com organized play are accessible.

What Are the Rules and Guidelines for Chatting on Chess.com?

The following rules and guidelines must be abided by for chatting on chess.com:

1. Keep it clean
2. Keep it light
3. Keep it relevant
4. Keep it brief
5. Keep your personal information to yourself

1. No bullying allowed
2. No bad language
3. No advertising
4. No soliciting members
5. No violating someone’s privacy

Members caught violating these rules may be muted, silenced or banned.

Respect Others

Do respect others. Stay respectful when chatting during a game. A good rule of thumb is to not say anything which would be an infraction in over-the-board play. Never use chat for insults, trash talk, or gamesmanship.

Gloating and taunting messages can make opponents feel worse about a loss. Keep in mind that such messages can potentially end a game with your account being banned. Also realize there are potential repercussions away from the game environment. In a limited survey by the Pew Research Center, 53% of teens have blocked, unfriended, or hidden someone because that person was annoying or pestering them.

No Use of Profanity

The chess.com Help Center responds to the question What are the community guidelines? with No profanity. Open profanity is never okay. Just don’t do it. If you don’t know the meaning of the words, then look them up. Keep in mind that depending on the broader regional, cultural, or linguistic context, what seems innocent in one language or region might come across quite differently in another.

Beyond direct profanity, there is a range of colloquial, euphemistic, or even veiled ways to convey profane or highly negative messages. These qualify just as well as direct profanity and should be avoided just as directly. The help center does not provide a no profanity in chat statistic, but removing profanity from the list of possibilities at least slightly increases the chance that your automated chat feature will give the user you are sharing the chess board with a positive playing experience.

No Bullying or Harassment

Bullying or Harassment are two serious problems that can occur in chat. Bullying refers to a pattern of cruel behavior intended to hurt or isolate someone less powerful, while harassment refers to the use of intentionally offensive language or conduct with the intent or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Each chat platform on the internet, such as Chess.com, has different applications and laws regarding the blocking, reporting, or silencing of other users engaging in harassment or bullying. Most have a variety of tools that allow users to block or silence individuals making them feel more comfortable. Chess.com makes it clear in its Fair Play and Safety in Online Chess policy that it does not tolerate bullying, discrimination, or cheating.

Bullying and harassment occur frequently in online workplaces and platforms as people fequently chat across country lines and companies providing anonymity. When playing chess on Chess.com one has a similar level of anonymity, which means that one can easily mute or leave a chat conversation if another user starts to bully or harass in chat.

No Cheating

Numerous studies have shown that PGN engines or Strong AI Assistants can outperform human grandmasters. Since chess is largely a competition against another person and not just against the rules of the game, using PGN engines or Strong AI Assistants is considered cheating by engaging in competition by other means.

If you enable chat in live chess, the natural back and forth with your opponent can make inaccurate moves by PGN engines more likely, as this could indicate that the player is sharing information with the opponent based on a computer evaluation that the player is not supposed to know.

If you enable chat in live chess, do not consult PGN engines or Strong AI Assistants and report your opponent if you suspect that they do.

How to Report Inappropriate Chat on Chess.com?

To report inappropriate chat on Chess.com, open a chat window by clicking on the name of the person you wish to report. Directly above where the conversation began, click the flag icon to the left of the ‘Hide transcript’ option. In the menu that appears, add any notes you feel must be included such as the date and time you began the conversation so that it is easier for Chess.com administrators to locate the issue.

If what you are reporting occurred during a game, merely click into the chat box at the bottom, where those lines are prefilled, and click the flag on the right ballooning out of the chat box. You should receive an email in your registered email where you can track the progress of your report. Repeat the process with more events if necessary, and always ensure that you carefully observe the offending conversation as opposed to reporting what someone else may have told you.

According to the Chess.com Fair Play Guidelines, repeated instances of using abusive language or hateful speech may result in a chat mute or account ban, so use the report feature if someone is behaving inappropriately.

What to Do If Chat is Not Working on Chess.com?

If users are experiencing issues chatting in Chess.com, there could be several reasons why it is not working, along with some possible solutions.

Permissions issues – The chat feature may not work because of permissions settings in Chess.com or on one’s device that need to be adjusted. Ensure that your settings allow you to chat.

No premium account – Chat is not enabled on free accounts. For see, message, or chat with other users via Chess.com, users need to be using a paid account.

Third-party plugin interference – Some users who have installed third-party software on their browsing tools have reported this could disable their chess.com chat. Users should disable or uninstall third-party plug-ins to see if this solves the issue.

System issue – Clear cache and cookies. Close the browser and reopen, then log in to the chess.com account, as these steps may solve a chat issue. If it still doesn’t work, contact customer support.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I enable chat in Chess.com?
To enable chat on Chess.com, go to your settings and select the “play” tab. Under “play preferences,” make sure the “chat” option is checked.

2. Can I chat with my opponent during a game on Chess.com?
Yes, you can chat with your opponent during a game on Chess.com. However, both players must have chat enabled in their settings in order to do so.

3. What should I do if I am being harassed or receiving inappropriate messages through the chat on Chess.com?
If you are experiencing any type of harassment or inappropriate messages through the chat on Chess.com, you can report the user to the site’s moderators. You can also block the user from sending you further messages.

4. Why is my chat disabled on Chess.com?
Your chat may be disabled on Chess.com if you have violated the site’s terms of service or code of conduct. You can contact Chess.com support for more information on why your chat has been disabled.

5. Is there a way to filter out profanity and inappropriate language in the chat on Chess.com?
Yes, you can choose to filter out profanity and inappropriate language in the chat on Chess.com by going to your settings and selecting the “content” tab. Under “chat options,” you can select the option to filter out certain words.

6. Can I still use the chat feature on Chess.com if I am a minor?
Yes, minors can use the chat feature on Chess.com. However, parents or guardians should monitor their child’s online interactions and report any inappropriate behavior to the site’s moderators.