Fair Play Agreement

Fair Play during Fort McMurray Chess Club tournaments

Players at all times shall exhibit a basic level of sportsmanlike conduct and respect to their fellow players and the tournament organizer. Behaviours that will not be tolerated may include, but is not limited to, bullying, harassment, cheating, or other unsportsmanlike conduct.

What are the rules?

All participants are expected to be familiar with the rules of chess used on the lichess.org/chess.com servers.
All players participating in a CFC rated online tournament must show their faces through live video in an online meeting application (Zoom) that is designated by the tournament directors. Failing to do so will cause all their games in the tournament forfeit, unless a valid reason is provided to and accepted by the tournament directors prior to the tournament.
No chess programs or engines (e.g. Chess-master, Fritz, Komodo, Houdini, Stockfish, Chess-base with any active UCI engine, etc.) can be used to analyze positions in ongoing games at any time.
In live online chess, no outside assistance OF ANY KIND is permitted.
Fixing game results by arranging games or losing intentionally is also against the rules.
Do not let anyone else play on your account! This is strictly against the rules!
A good rule to remember for online chess is to only use your own brain!

The tournament director / committee designated by FMCC has the sole authority of make the decisions about penalties and potential banishment of an offending player. The Fort McMurray Chess Club has the right to monitor any cheating activity and further agree to indemnify, defend and hold the lichess.org/chess.com and FMCC harmless from and against any and all liabilities, claims, causes of action or damages (including attorney's fees) arising from the exercise of its rights herein.

Limitation of Liability

Neither lichess.org/chess.com nor The Fort McMurray Chess Club can be held responsible for things that can happen with internet play. Examples of this can be: slips or dropped pieces; returning a piece back to its original place and accidentally setting it on the wrong square; game boards disappearing; etc. This list is not all-inclusive, as there may be other issues that we cannot control as well.

How do I report someone for breaking the Fair Play rules?

If you have reason to believe someone is referencing the illegal assistance of engine analysis, please report it directly to the TD. Then we will conduct a thorough investigation, gathering statistics and reports on said user, keeping all findings confidential, taking appropriate action against the reported user if/when a concrete assessment has been made.
Please do not make public accusations on a user’s wall or in their notes!
Please do not make public accusations of any username in public chat in online Chess (while observing a game or playing a game)!
Any of the above-described accusations / actions against a member may lead to your own account being restricted, regardless of what is found against the accused.
We appreciate you reporting your suspicions, but ultimately FMCC, Lichess/ Chess.com will decide and bear all responsibilities of members and their play on site.

How do we detect foul play?

Part of our analysis involves comparing human moves to computer moves and looking at the statistical significance of said moves.
To remain effective, other aspects of our detection methods are confidential.
We work hard to keep FMCC forums a safe and positive community for chess players.

What should I do if my opponent accuses me of Fair Play violations?

Assuming that you are NOT actually breaking the rules, our advice is to simply disable chat and continue your game.
Your opponent may be frustrated, bewildered by your superior skills, or just trying to rattle you!