Learn How to Unblock Someone in Chess.com – Step-by-Step Guide

Chess.com is a popular platform for chess enthusiasts to play, learn, and connect with others. A common feature on the site is the ability to block other users.

But why do people block others on Chess.com, and how can you unblock someone if you change your mind?

We will explore the steps to unblocking someone on Chess.com, what happens after you unblock them, and alternatives to blocking.

If you’ve ever wondered about the ins and outs of blocking and unblocking on Chess.com, keep reading to find out more.

What is Chess.com?

Chess.com is the world’s largest chess site, according to its own website. It is most known for its online chess features and over 65 million registered users worldwide, although it also has forums, articles, news, other games, and a training program. Chess.com operates out of Palo Alto, California.

Chess player Robert Hess and his programmer friend Jay Goss founded Chess.com’s predecessor, The Internet Chess Club (ICC), in 1995. In 2005 ICC ran into trouble and had a huge number of cancellations. The company was forced to lay off most of its staff. While the ICC platform was much loved by its users, it was outdated and the company did not have the resources to update it.

On losing his job, salvage was in the group of chess enthusiasts like Robert Hess. Moreover, in 2009, Carlson demobbed Google. Allowing himself to use all of his time with his friend Hess, who quit his job as an investment banker. Eventually, this work turned Chess.com into one of the leading websites for playing chess.

Why Do People Block Others on Chess.com?

People block others on Chess.com when they feel they have been harassed or otherwise mistreated by the other user, and most tend to delete the offending player from their friends list too. Harassment in particular is a common complaint on chess forums which offer advice regarding various methods to block someone on Chess.com.

As chess is a one-to-one game in which focus is required for thinking and strategizing, many users get put off by players who taunt or berate them instead of focusing on the game. A poll held on the Chess.com forums spoke with 22 users (the number of respondents as of the time the forum was seen) regarding the reasons they blocked someone, with many citing trollers or taunters for their decision, and only a slightly smaller number citing overly competitive players.

Users that want to unblock someone should revisit the place where they blocked the person in question and choose the Unblock option instead of Block. If this option cannot be located, the alternative approach is to visit the Privacy or Security Settings section in their account and search for the user in their block list.

If there is finding blocked users, selecting Unblock will be the final step in the process. Messages exchanged with the person during the time when they were blocked will likely arrive in the user’s inbox if the person is unblocked.

How to Unblock Someone on Chess.com?

• To unblock someone on Chess.com’s desktop site, click on the gear icon in the chat pane, click block, and if the person is blocked, the unblock option will appear. Click unblock.
• For the Chess.com mobile app, in the chat pane, click the three dots in the upper right corner to open chat settings, click block, and if the person is blocked, the unblock option will appear. Click unblock.
• If you blocked someone on the browser version, when you go to their profile, it will inform you that they are blocked and give you an unblock button.

There is no job panel that lists blocked people, so a profile has to be navigated to in order to unblock someone. To unblock the player on mobile, it will show in the chat.

The person you block will not be notified on Chess.com. If the person contacts you while blocked, the messages will go to blocked requests according to the Chess.com support page, which means it doesn’t clog up your notifications.

Step 1: Go to the Blocked List

From your profile page, click Settings . A pop-up will appear. Click Preferences and scroll down to Manage Privacy Settings and click the Blocked List link .

You can go directly to the Blocked List management page without going through the Profile page by using this direct URL: https://www.chess.com/settings/privacy/blocked

Your Blocked List page will show a list of users minus one person who you have already unblocked. It allows you to block more people by adding their names in an edit box but does not link to a member search facility.

If you have no blocked users, chess.com will not provide an “Unblock” button but will provide a “Blocking users protects you” link. Clicking this link opens a new page explaining what the block feature does. If you just need to add someone to your blocked list, this message includes the link you need. Simply click the new link at the bottom and a prompt to enter a username will appear. Press Enter or click the “+” symbol to add this user to your blocked list.

There is no unblock user feature on the mobile apps, users must do this on the website. If you accidentally block a user from a mobile device and need to remove them from your block list without accessing from the website, you can access any user’s profile and send them a friend request in order to unblock.

Step 2: Find the Person You Want to Unblock

To unblock someone on Chess.com, find that person via their username/email on the friends list. If you had a six-digit player number that the person shared with you, it will work as well.

Step 3: Click on the Unblock Button

On the pop-up that shows the player has been unblocked (Step 2), click on the link labeled Unblock user that should have been created. This link should now show that the user has been unblocked by playing his part, and is now clickable.

When this link is clicked, another pop-up will say that the user has been unblocked and the link is clickable to make going to their profile easier. You have now unblocked someone on the chess.com website.

PRO TIP: Be careful unblocking some people. Some people that you may have blocked may have requested the block to be added but it was denied and not visible. This can be a flag to proceed with caution as there was likely a valid reason they were blocked in the first place.

What Happens After You Unblock Someone?

After you have unblocked someone in Chess.com, they reappear in your list of chat friends or opponents, and once again you are able to challenge them to chess games, chat, or even send them some jokes with the “Joke of the Day” function. They will be added to your friends’ list if they do not have a pending friend request or have already accepted a friend request from you.

Will You Be Able to Play Against Them Again?

If you unblock someone on Chess.com, you will be able to play against them again as the block simply removes any restrictions preventing them from interacting with you or your content. Once unblocked, you will see their profile in any of your game history and can choose to invite them to play another game if you so desire.

If a user is interacting with you in a way you do not like, it is recommended to unblock the user and instead report the behavior or user to Chess.com staff directly. Blocking users is, in most cases where you have an issue with a specific user, unnecessary as Chess.com support staff can work with existing user data to investigate reports of misconduct.

Will They Be Notified That You Unblocked Them?

If you unblock someone in Chess.com, they will not receive a notification and will not know unless they attempt to communicate with you or play a game with you. This is because the blocking tool functions as a permanent ghosting functionality in Chess.com, meaning that they can continue to utilize all features in the system but their messages will be blocked. Neither CHess.com nor anybody else watching your account will be able to see that you unblocked someone because when you block a user in chess.com you remove them from your contacts, and the system merely labels users currently in your contacts as such. Unblocking a person automatically changes that setting so they see your profile just like every other user.

What If You Change Your Mind and Want to Block Them Again?

If you unblock someone and change your mind and would like to block them again, you may block them again. You cannot re-block someone who is already on your blocked list. To re-block someone you have unblocked, follow the procedures outlined in step two above and all steps thereafter.

Please note that after you re-block them, should you change your mind and decide to play, message, or follow them again, you will need to unblock them, as while they remain on your block list you are not permitted to interact with them in any way on the site. Unblocking them reverts their permissions to the defaults for users you are not connected with, which allows all login features but restricts message and game functionalities to enable the previous effective block.

Can You Unblock Multiple People at Once?

You cannot unblock multiple people simultaneously in chess.com. You have to unblock each contact individually by following the steps listed for unblocking one contact. Reacess the Advanced Privacy Options to get back to the list of blocked users each time you unblock a person. Your list will then update every time you unblock a person to show the new list that is blocked.

Is There a Limit to How Many Times You Can Block and Unblock Someone?

There is no user limit to how many times you can block and unblock someone in Chess.com, and you can block and unblock users as many times as you wish. Every time you block and unblock someone, their chat, move commentary, and challenges are affected and the respective privacy settings revert to defaults. However, the person is notified when you remove them from your block list.

What Are Some Alternatives to Blocking Someone on Chess.com?

Some alternatives to blocking someone on Chess.com include not responding to their messages or invitations, using the automatic filtering feature to move their messages into the “filtered” folder. You can also try talking to the user in order to resolve whatever issues triggered you to consider blocking them, or reporting them to the chess com support team. Blocking is always an option, but it should typically be used only after at least one or two alternative solutions have been attempted.

Muting Them

To unblock someone in chess.com, you must first find their profile in the app or chess.com, then click on their username and select Unmute. You don’t have to mute them before unblocking them. Step 1 is more like unlocking the user and then you manage the mute and block features separately. Muting is handy to control notifications without blocking or if you want to prevent a user from chatting to you for a while.

Reporting Them

The only other practical method for unblocking someone in Chess.com is through a specific interface provided for reporting spammers in the user who has been blocked from another user’s profile. In the phone application or web app, click the user’s profile you wish to unblock. This reveals the option Report or Block, which provides different indicators you can tap if you suspect the user was a scam or spammer to keep them unblocked or not to allow problems.

Ignoring Them

Ignoring someone is a similar alternative to blocking them. Ignoring a user mutes them. You cannot see their chat, game, or moves, and they will not receive your chat or game invites.

To Ignore a user, follow the same first two steps explained in the `

Unblocking Someone in Chess.com

` process. In (3), Find them in your chat, tap the gear icon at the top of the chat screen, and select Ignore User. The app will show the profile name of the user being ignored and return back to the chat screen where the user’s messages can no longer be seen. The profile of the user being ignored will appear in the `Ignored players` section in your settings.

If someone has not pestered you beyond what they consider thoughtful pestering but want to force you to adjust rather than block you completely, then you probably belong in their Ignored section. Ignoring them allows you to step in whenever you’d like but avoids particularly aggressive advertisements or negative comments where blocking would limit what you can appropriately keep tabs on during your gaming time.

Remember that your chess.com account is associated with a registered email address so for any change in account status even if it is just someone you have ignored, the website will send an email to your registered email address.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Unblock Someone in Chess.com?

1. How can I unblock someone in Chess.com?

To unblock someone in Chess.com, follow these simple steps:
1. Log into your Chess.com account.
2. Click on the “Settings” button on the top right corner of the page.
3. Select “Privacy Settings” from the drop-down menu.
4. Scroll down to the “Blocked Users” section.
5. Click on the “Unblock” button next to the user you want to unblock.

2. Can I unblock multiple users at once in Chess.com?

Yes, you can unblock multiple users at once in Chess.com. Simply click on the checkboxes next to the users you want to unblock and then click on the “Unblock Selected Users” button.

3. I accidentally unblocked someone in Chess.com. Can I block them again?

Yes, you can block someone again after unblocking them in Chess.com. Simply follow the same steps as blocking a user, and they will be added back to your blocked list.

4. Will unblocking someone restore our previously played games in Chess.com?

No, unblocking someone will not restore any previously played games in Chess.com. Any games or messages from the unblocked user will still be deleted.

5. How can I prevent someone from re-blocking me in Chess.com?

To prevent someone from re-blocking you in Chess.com, it is best to have a respectful and civil interaction with them. If they continue to block you, you can report their behavior to Chess.com support.

6. What happens if I unblock someone by mistake in Chess.com?

If you unblock someone by mistake in Chess.com, you can always block them again following the steps mentioned earlier. The unblocking process does not have any irreversible consequences.