What happens when someone is caught cheating?

If someone is caught cheating, it means we detected them doing anything under the 'not allowed' sections of this list. 

When someone is caught cheating, their account is closed, and they are blocked from creating new accounts.

Additionally, rating points will be refunded to the members who lost to them in games that they cheated in. 

If someone you lost to was closed for cheating, you'll be notified by an email from Chess.com, which will look something like this: 

You will also be able to see if someone has been closed for cheating by the icon next to their name in your archives. If you hover over the icon, it will say why they were closed:

If someone you played against was closed for a Fair Play violation, it can take up to 7 days before you are reimbursed for the points lost. If you still haven't received an email like the one above after 7 days, please write to support and we'll look into it. 

If you suspect someone you played against was cheating, please report them! Do not write on their wall or otherwise publicly accuse them, simply report them to us and we'll take care of the rest.

If the information in this article is out of date, incorrect, or unclear, please let us know!