Rules and Regulations
1. Please follow the rules set by Chess.com:
https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/rules-reporting
2. Please do not use chat during league games; you may say greetings like “gl hf (good luck and have fun)”, but please save anything you have to say for the end of the game.
3. Everyone is at different levels – so please give constructive feedback, instead of insulting others.
4. FFA Rules: Do not reveal your color, reveal another player’s color, or impersonate another player. We also ask that you do not post insinuations and sarcasm.
5. Rematches - Every League game must be rematched with the original 4 players. If someone is unable to rematch, your rematch can be played at a later date.
6. Show Sportsmanship in chat. Say “gg (good game)” after a game, whether or not you played others played well.
7. Do not chat or discuss anything during games. Repeat offenders will be given Warnings and Game Suspensions. The only time you're allowed to chat during a game is if your game is set up incorrectly and needs to be restarted.
Penalties
This system will help us ensure that all players adhere to the established League rules and game schedules. If you break any League rules or fail to show up for your scheduled game, you will receive a warning. It is crucial to communicate any changes in availability at least 24 hours in advance in your game rooms.
When you get 3 warnings, a penalty of -3 points will be applied to your score.
In essence, each warning is -1 point, but the deduction only comes into effect when you've accumulated 3 warnings. Our aim with this system is not to punish but to encourage adherence to the rules, respect for the schedules and other players time.
Game Substitutions
The primary objective of this system is to make games happen, when players are unable to participate. We understand that things come up, and to account for this, we encourage all players to communicate any changes at least 24 hours in advance in your game room. The goal of the sub system isn't to surge ahead in games; each extra game played essentially deprives other players of their games, which they may never have the chance to recoup.
If your games are up-to-date on the Leaderboard, 2 games per week will count towards your standing. Any additional games will only count if you're behind on games. This is to ensure fairness and provide equal playing opportunities for everyone. Please bear in mind, if you play ahead of schedule and reach 64 games, you'll have pending games on the schedule, which could complicate matters for other players.
All scheduled games can be played at any time. We understand it's difficult with players in different time zones, but you can arrange these games in the dedicated game rooms. We've had success lately with players taking initiative during the week by making games happen on their own.
When substituting into a game, it's crucial that you tag and inform the player for whom you're substituting for in your Original game room. Tag @Officer as well so the title of the room can be updated.
Discord Chat Rules
1a.- Please post your comments in the appropriate channel. You may be asked to move your comment or have your comment deleted if it is in the wrong place.
1b.- You are allowed to post off-topic things in #general, however, please also consider DMing (direct/private messaging) the people you are talking to.
2.- Please do not use Discord as an alternative place to Chess.com to vent (as discussed in Chat Rule 3 and 5)
3a.- Please do not needlessly ping @Officer or @4PC Admin.
3b.- If it’s an issue with a ban from chess.com/variants, email 4pc@chess.com for admin support, or DM a Chess.com admin.
3c.- If it’s an issue with a ban from the site, go to https://www.support.chess.com. If you would like help writing a complaint to support regarding an unjustified ban, you can DM @ChessMasterGS or @Matttin and they can try to help you.
3d.- If it’s an issue with an Officer, DM @Radon and explain the situation.
4.- Please do not spread misinformation about the league. (If you think you know something, double-check.)
Etiquette Rules
1a.- Please do not resign at the start of the game because of your color or who you think your opposite is.
1b.- FFA Game Rules - 1 point queen, Old Setup, Anonymous. You are encouraged to abort the game if you see an incorrect ruleset, and you will not be penalized.
1c.- Teams Rule - The gamerules should be: QRBN, Old Setup, "Non-Anonymous". Likewise, you are encouraged to abort the game if you see an incorrect ruleset. Your team will not be penalized for this unless more than 2 moves have occurred.
2.- Do not stall. Waiting 5 minutes before flagging or claiming win benefits nobody and does not make you look cool either.
3.- Teams Rule - If you will miss a game, please reschedule with the opposite team and your partner, or have your substitute play in your place.
4.- FFA Rule - If you will need to miss a game, please announce your forfeiture of the round 48 hours before the day of the league game.
5a.- Please do not spam the takeback button.
5b.- Do not refresh your page multiple times to make the messages “[player color] disconnected” and “[player color] reconnected” spam the chat.
6.- You are allowed to spam arrows and use them appropriately as you please to help you play, but please do not spell out inappropriate words or symbols using arrows.
7.- Please state in chat if you will need a break (up to 5 minutes max ideally) in-between Game 1 and Game 2 in a round. Do not keep everyone waiting or go offline.
8.- Please do not enable blindfold to taunt your opponents or to reveal your identity.
Twitch Rules
1a.- Streamer Rule - During a game, change your chat type to emote-only, or instruct your chat moderators to delete any messages that suggest moves.
1b.- Enabling a stream delay to counter stream sniping for the duration of the games would be encouraged.
2.- Streamer / Player Rule - During a game, please do not join calls or talk in direct messages with anybody discussing moves. This is blatant cheating, frowned upon, and will lead to your removal from the League. Even if you are muted or have others on the call muted/are not discussing your game. Do not interact with any 3rd parties during your game.
3.- Viewer Rule - In the case that a player streaming 4PCL does not have their chat restricted to emote-only, do NOT under any circumstance suggest moves. In other words, don’t kibitz.
4.- Player / Viewer Rule - Do not attempt to gain an advantage by viewing a player’s stream during your game. In other words, don’t stream snipe.