Unleash Your Chess Skills: Learn How to Verify Account on Chess.com

Are you an avid chess player looking to enhance your experience on Chess.com? One essential step to unlock all the features and benefits of the platform is verifying your account. We will delve into the significance of account verification on Chess.com, the step-by-step process to verify your account, the various verification methods available, and the information required for each method. Let’s get started on maximizing your Chess.com experience!

What is Chess.com?

Chess.com is the most popular and most visited online chess playing platform in the world, featuring the chance to play thousands of chess games, learn and study the game, solve puzzles and tactics problems, watch video lessons, and have access to the chess community. Thousands of international chess tournaments are live-streamed on the site, as well as from the hundreds of top grandmaster players in the world. You can play, watch and learn live 24/7. Chess.com was founded in 1995 by WCF Senior Master Armand Bent Web and Co-Founder Jay D Bruce. However, Chess.com did not launch their online chess site until 2007. Chris Laddwitz aka the chess expert IM Daniel Rensch, Founder Armand Bent, and Co-Founder Jay Bruce developed the idea for the site while playing chess against each other as high schoolers. The world had never before seen such an inclusive chess platform. Chess.com represents a revolutionary idea – that the highest level athletic and intellectual activity in the world, master-level and grandmaster chess, has no physical or mental limitations and is a human right, open to all for free. Chess.com focuses on Fair Play and uses Fraud detection software to ensure that one people can play the game with absolute trust.

Why Verify Your Account in Chess.com?

You verify your account in Chess.com to show your opponents your inherited identity is the one people are the ones referring to online. This is as it is the only way to ever reach the top % of players which is a proposal of the top players from 50 – 2400 both earned and verified. The benefits of verifying an account in Chess.com profits the user by allowing access to all features without restriction such as live chess, stats, profiles, clubs and analysis. According to their tracking, verified accounts are used by more advanced players and have better stats. Chess.com’s Fair Play team is responsible for bookings and recommendations on new hybrid systems such as new player tracks and player track adjustments in association with the Volunteer Mod team. They also give special recognition badges beyond tournament seatings. Along with seeking to prevent unfair play through sign-up abuse and cheating software, verification also assists in determining if fair play is going on during a game, if a player is suspected of using an engine to assist them during a game.

How to Verify Your Account in Chess.com?

Your Chess.com account is verified automatically when you use a valid email address to sign up and click the confirmation link Chess.com then sends you by email. If you did not receive the email, you can request that it be resent, or updated to a different email address during registration. Your account is further verified when the email address is confirmed and you can play in any of the chess leagues or tournaments on the platform. Chess.com uses verified/proven user accounts to protect members against abuse by players who are or want to be anonymous. If you are interested in removing this feature or finding more about account verification, look for verified symbols in profiles or the Chess.com Community Standards and Fair Play Policy on their platform.

Step 1: Log in to Your Chess.com Account

Go to the Official website of www.chess.com. Once there, either create an account with an email, Facebook, or Google, or you can log in to your existing account, and proceed from there.

Step 2: Go to Your Account Settings

After logging in you have to go to your account settings in Chess.com in order to verify your account. Do this by clicking the small Akita inu dog icon displayed at the top left of the screen as seen in the image below. You can set your chess profile picture as this if you wish. There are a plethora of dogs to choose from. Then go to the Account settings and there you will see the Verify option, and after choosing between a phone or an ID card, you will be asked to enter your country and phone number.

Step 3: Click on the ‘Verify Your Account’ Option

After successfully logging in and receiving the question from Isaac, users must click on the Help menu at the top right of the screen. This action will bring up a set of options that includes the Verify Your Account link which helps users prove the authenticity of your account to prove the authenticity of users’ accounts. Once you have clicked on the Help option in the navigation panel, a new screen will appear with several additional help options. Further down the screen, you will see the Verify Your Account link. Click on this link to bring up dedicated instructions for carrying out this task. Note that mobile, tablet, laptop, and desktop versions of www.chess.com are currently different, and the affordances may be arranged differently. When using a mobile or tablet device, there are two options to expand the help menu once the application is opened. Users can click on the “? or they can slide the settings menu up and down until they find the option. The screen will change once the help option is clicked from this point forward. Steps are the same, but the layout is slightly different.

Step 4: Choose Your Preferred Verification Method

Choose your preferred verification method. Chess.com offers a range of options for players to choose from, but which one is right for you to verify account in Chess.com depends on which aspects of verification matter most to you. Each level has its own challenges, levels of difficulty, benefits and downsides. As of an update in July 2021, players from 25 countries can even have an Automatic number account verification. This level of instant verification is something that is likely to expand to more locales in the future, so keep an eye out on their website for updates.

Step 5: Follow the Instructions for the Chosen Method

Once you have chosen to verify through a passport both face and signature verification or a driver’s license photograph, follow these methods below on how to verify a chess.com account.

1. Passport verification: Follow the steps outlined in the Verify Your Account section of the chess.com Customer Support article entitled Changing your Payment Information.
2. Driver’s license verification: Click on the Driver’s License button under the Verify Your Account Settings section shown. Chess.com recommends styling your submission like a separate government-issued ID card, although the expanded Help Article mentioned doesn’t specify whether “liking” does or does not mean to photograph your ID the same as your selfie.

Following the above steps, go to chess.com and then the verify account page of settings to select a method and complete your account verification.

What Are the Different Verification Methods Available?

The following are the different verification methods available on Chess.com. It does need to be pointed out that the first and last are meant to provide a free trial of premium features and are not the same and worth mentioning within any discussion of verification.

1. Deposit $5 (to be refunded)
2. Have a Premium Membership Account
3. Sponsored Membership from someone who purchases it for you
4. Attend and promote Offline and Online Chess.com Events, although this method does not strictly verify your account on its own

Phone Verification

Phone verification is a two-step process used primarily for mobile game account registration. Chess.com account verifications are primarily done using phone verification as an account protection service, following SSL account signups, email and Apple verification, social login, and around 30 other account security mechanisms which Chess.com has in place to identify advanced security threats. Chess.com has phone verification enabled, because it adds another element to help prove you are who you say you are.

Credit Card Verification

The most preferential and often-considered quickest way to submit a request for account verification on Chess.com is via credit card. Keyboardist and queen2music3 advocate John Taylor detailed his experience with Chess.com credit card verification process on his Queen2music3 YouTube channel. John had initially reached out to Chess.com support to start the process. After sending in his Credit card statement in response to their inquiry, the process was more or less hands-off. The support team went ahead and analyzed the statement and had then verified the account in a couple of hours. Mr. Taylor’s experience was much quicker than the 3-7 days credit card verification timeline that Chess.com support team has given as the principal expectation. Currently, the process is to log in to your Chess.com account, navigate to the Account Settings tab under the profile icon in the upper-right hand corner, scroll down to Get Verified, enter the required information as instructed and click Submit. If you have already done this and are awaiting verification or there is a problem, you can communicate by using their Help Assistant or by contacting Chess.com support team via Twitter @chesscomsupport or email on [email protected].

PayPal Verification

Chess.com does not provide a method to link a PayPal account to verify their account. PayPal is an accepted payment method for Chess.com Premium Membership, so users can try to see if their PayPal account could be used for Chess.com account verification that way. However, that is unclear based on what is stated on the website. PayPal account verification at chess.com happens when a user adds a billing source to an account after they have already upgraded. For protect other members from multiple fake accounts, members may only add and verify a billing source for one account. This is called Device Verification and is an added security measure on Chess.com. Until you add a billing source to your account, they will not consider it verified, so the link between the billing source and the password and e-mail address is the official verification.

Bank Transfer Verification

Bank Transfer Verification is a fast way of verifying your chess.com account. When making a deposit, follow the wiring instructions to wire money to the bank account at the level `Corporate`. Five transactions totaling $1,000 or more to the bank account and the user’s account will be verified. This takes 1-2 weeks to complete. Instructions for executing a Bank Transfer are presented when requesting a bank wire in a member’s Chess.com Bank Wire page. Please notice that the Deposit via Bank Wire page must be accessed from a web browser of a computer or tablet to follow guidelines and selections necessary to complete a deposit via a bank wire. There are no guidelines available for completing VIA when completed through the mobile web browser or Chess mobile applications (iOS/Android) for solving the PA or to view the purpose of a payment or bank wire fees for the bank wire service. Payment instructions for the bank to send the transfer are displayed on the completed wire request page, as well as in the email confirmation when a wire request is submitted. Instructions include Chess.com’s bank account number at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Note that each region where a bank wire can be initiated for a deposit has a different intermediary bank partner that works with SVB. The names and ABA numbers of intermediary banks are required as payment notes for SWIFT (international wires) in some regions. Contact your bank if you do not know your local bank partner’s information, and ensure that the notes section of the wire transfer you send to Chess.com is filled with the agent’s name and ABA number. The name of the recipient account and their Chess.com username is also required. After the transfer has been made, it can take a minimum of 1 – 2 business days, sometimes more depending on weekends and holidays, before funds arrive in your Chess.com account. Reach the Chess.com support page and file the low-cost payment challenger if you face payment issues. It is recommended to work with Chess.com support because their bank can misinterpret why they received the money from you and the customer service team can contact the bank directly to inquire about your wire transfer instead of emailing them directly to [email protected]. Most of the above information is summarized from the official Chess.com KB article titled Bank Wire Transfer Deposit Instructions.

What Information Do You Need to Provide for Verification?

Two account options require different information to provide for verification namely, Free accounts and Premium membership accounts.

1. Free Membership Account: Users do not need to provide any private information for verification in Chess.com.
2. Premium Membership Account: Before you upgrade for verification purposes, Chess.com will request a phone number and address that matches account cards along with a scan of legal identification (Passport, driver’s license, etc.). To ensure all of this information matches, Adaptive risk-based account review will source third-party reference data and network data.

Phone Number

Chess.com has stopped requiring users to add a phone number for verification. Chess.com’s Mike Klein announced the effective end of all phone number requirements for their services on June 2, 2021. Phone numbers were used at one point for things like account recovery should one forget their password, but virtually every user had set one up according to Klein, and they were not needed frequently. Your Chess.com account is now verified via the e-mail address you provide. The e-mail address must be unique in the system and the verify e-mail link will be sent there to finish registration. You need a unique e-mail account with access to verify Chess.com accounts.

Credit Card Details

Credit cards are one of the ways to pay for the account, but they may not always be used for verification. When verifying via credit card, according to the chess.com premium account purchase FAQ, credit card transaction records should match exactly the membership payment amount that chess.com withdraws monthly. Before they are considered authorized and used for Magnitsky Act and other sanctions compliance checks. Chess.com in order to get a sense of whether people are trying to scam them uses credit card details and copies of ID cards including passports and driving licenses. Chess.com reserves the right to temporarily discontinue an account if the billing address on the credit card does not match the account owner’s residential address. If you switch up address or information there is some potential of account verification according to the company.

PayPal Account Information

If you cannot use a reliable credit card, a PayPal account is the next best option to account verification according to Chess.com. PayPal holds the same requirements for address verification as standard banks do and their system recognizes official identifications just like banks do. Operating in 202 markets worldwide, PayPal provides online users the ability to send payments electronically. The user registers on the PayPal website and connects their bank account or credit card. After establishing the account, the identity remains protected as customers payment information is encrypted and transactions are monitored, auto-blocked, and filtered against fraudulent activities. Chess.com understands that not everyone has a credit card but is able to link an official identification to their address. The personal information on a PayPal account must match the guidance for address verification in the same manner a customer requires to link their card to PayPal. Verify a PayPal account by connecting to an official identification. This ID is normally a driver’s license or passport, which links the name of the user to an accredited home address.

Bank Account Details

The fourth verification option is having bank account details associated with your Chess.com account. Including your bank details and then having them verified are steps you should take if you want to buy anything in the store, deposit money, or buy an item requiring the background check. Here are the steps for top players in the Olympics, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and streamer Alexandra Botez, for this purpose.

1. Login to your Chess.com account.
2. Click on your username on the right side of the homepage to head to Account Settings.
3. Click on ‘Verify Information’.
4. Click on the ‘Bank Account’ entry field and enter your bank account number and Bank SWIFT/BIC code.
5. Click continue and wait a few seconds. If everything is correct, you will see a green checkmark signifying your account is verified. If not, a red X with an error message of what is required will show.

If the requirements of your verification method selection are incomplete or incorrect, Chess.com will show a red X next to it with an error message for how to fix it. There is no way to proceed further until you update the information correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Verify Account in Chess.com?

What is the purpose of verifying my account in Chess.com? Verifying your account in Chess.com is important for security purposes and to gain access to certain features on the platform.

How to Verify Account in Chess.com?

How do I verify my account in Chess.com? To verify your account, go to your account settings and click on the “Verify Account” option. Follow the prompts and provide the necessary information to complete the verification process.

How to Verify Account in Chess.com?

What information do I need to provide for account verification? Chess.com may ask for personal information, such as your name, date of birth, and address, as well as a form of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.

How to Verify Account in Chess.com?

Why do I need to verify my age for my Chess.com account? Age verification is required for some features on Chess.com, such as participating in certain tournaments or purchasing premium memberships.

How to Verify Account in Chess.com?

Can I skip the account verification process? Account verification is necessary for security purposes and to access certain features on Chess.com. Skipping the process may result in limited access to the platform.

How to Verify Account in Chess.com?

How long does it take to verify my account on Chess.com? The verification process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, depending on the volume of requests and the accuracy of the information provided.