Player Help-Vote Chess Basics and Guidelines
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What is Vote Chess?Vote Chess is a team-based chess game in which each player casts a vote to determine their team's next move.In special circumstances, a Vote Chess game might pit a team of Chess.com members against a single opponent - usually a grandmaster.How do I play Vote Chess?To play Vote Chess simply go to the game you want to play while you are logged in and you will automatically be assigned to a team! You can join a game at any point during the game. Once you are assigned a team you can then make your move and submit it to the voting. Once time is up moves are tallied up and the move is made. You can discuss the entire game in the PUBLIC forum, or discuss strategies in the TEAM forums.Additionally, in some games the other votes will be shown BEFORE you make a move, and in other games you will not see the other votes until AFTER you have moved.How do the different comments sections work?There are three different comments sections for every Vote Chess game:PUBLIC can be seen by everyone and anyone. You can go there to meet face to face with the competition!TEAM comments are only seen by your teammates. Huddle & strategize!TheARCHIVE allows you to go back and review the comments from previous moves.Can I use computers or outside help in my Vote Chess game?You may use book and opening databases as with any turn-based chess game.However, computers are not allowed unless the Vote Chess game is a special event that allows engine use. (This would be clearly indicated in the game description.)Can I change my move?Think carefully... because once you submit your move you cannot change your vote!What happens when there is a tie vote for moves?If two candidate moves have an equal number of votes when it's time to move, the system will pick the move that was voted for first.Why can't I play in every game?Most Vote Chess games are open to everyone, but some are only open to Premium Chess.com Members.How do I review the whole game?You can review the moves of the game by clicking on the "Moves" tab to the right of the board.If you want to review the comments as well, you can use the "Archive" tab (in the Comments area) to step back to a past game state and see comments made at the time.How do I suggest we resign or offer a draw?If you feel that the game is over and would like to resign or offer the other team a draw, then you can cast your vote using one of the buttons to the right of the chessboard.If more than 60% of voters agree with you, then the game will be over (resigned) or a draw will be offered.* Note there is a glitch in the VC system when it comes to Draws , I will locate and post the info when i can locate it in another forum.How do I offer a draw?You can offer a draw in addition to your move. It will not be counted as your move. The draw offer will only be submitted if more than 50% of the voters include the draw offer. Then the other team will have the option of accepting the draw with more than 50% of votes.
* Note there is a glitch in the VC system when it comes to Draws , I will locate and post the info when i can locate it in another forum.
Apparently, it seems to be more of a new site design thing than a "Glitch",
But it can be bad if not aware of it. here is what I found-
"reported this in the New Site Design Feedback thread in the main forums. Apparently, one team in the Speed Vote Chess League had been offered a draw in one of their games. One player voted to accept the draw, and 5 players just played a move ignoring the offer. When the turn finished, the game was declared a draw to the surprise of the 5 players. If you want to play on, it seems that you now have to click VOTE TO REJECT DRAW in case someone on your team has voted to accept"
here is link to forum topic
Only one player needed to accept draw
General Guidelines for our Vote Chess games
originally concieved by Hrieger & Elizabeth0Here is a set of guidelines that we should all try to play by. I think that if we all follow these, our group will be greatly improved.
1. Participate:
Be involved. Look at the conversation your team mates are having about the move before voting. Help discuss the move. Please don’t just look at the board, vote, and leave. Vote chess is a team game. So let’s play it as a team, and we’ll all learn from each other in the process!
2. Make suggestions:
Don’t feel shy to give your opinion. Everyone has good ideas. So if you see a move you think would be good, or think a move someone else suggested wouldn’t be good, please tell us. We love having good friendly debates about moves. Also when you suggest or refute a move, please give your reasons or post a line that supports your move. Doing this will make others more likely to consider your move and will help us all think through the move more thoroughly.
3. Make the voting situation known:
When you vote and find that others have also voted, please let us know the vote tally. I don’t mean you should post the tally every time someone votes, but if there’s a significant amount of votes already made we need to know. Recently, we have had times where we come to an agreement on which move is best and then find that there are already several votes for another move. Although surprises are fun sometimes, this is not the kind of surprise we like. So please let us know if something like that is going on.
4. Be aware of the time:
Since we play timed games in this group it is important to be aware of the time we have for a move. If we have 1 day per move, you don't need to vote in the first few hours. Let the move be discussed before you vote so that we can make sure we find the best move. If it is a 72 hour or longer game, make your suggestion and, if possible, give it untill the last 24hrs for a rebuttal before you vote. In a faster 1 day game, you may need to vote and leave, but if you do, please tell us why you voted for the move you did so that we can also consider it.
5. Join the games:
Join the vote chess games! That’s what we’re here for! We understand that you won’t be able to vote on every move, but it is intimidating for the other team to see we have 20-30-40 players signed up. You only need to play when you have the time, and when you do, join the discussion and have fun!
6. Openings:
Please don’t suggest wild opening moves because it can cost us the game. We play book openings fairly deep. We are serious about the openings and follow lines in the book that favor us. We use the Game Explorer extensively as well as databases from other websites. We frequently post multiple lines so that players can choose which path we take, but we avoid the lines that are historically bad for our side. We have played many different openings and variations, so if you have an opening you want to try, feel free suggest it.
And finally…
Have fun, be passionate, and improve both your own chess skills and your team’s games. The debate is one of the best parts of vote chess, but it needs input from everyone. Don’t be afraid to stand up for your opinion in a game. All our active members know I will fight for a move I think is right until it is proved wrong or I run out of time. I will also argue against a move I think is not best. I’m not attacking anyone, I’m just being passionate about the game. I credit playing a lot of vote chess with 2000+ players as being the biggest reason I improved from 1500 to 1700 in rating. And remember, if there are two parties with opposing views, only one will get its way. So if the move you think is best is not the one that wins, be a good sport and let it pass by. None of us get our way all the time.
To our top players: Keep doing what you do. We have great leaders here. You explain your moves well and understand that it is a democracy. The move the highest rated player suggests does not always win the vote.
To our middle players: You are the backbone of this group. Most players fall into this range. Think for yourselves and don’t follow the pack blindly, you might see something a higher rated player doesn’t. Treat each move as if it were your own game and suggest your ideas.
To our lower rated players: Don’t be afraid to participate. Suggest your ideas because you will learn whatever the outcome is. Many times a player makes the right move for the wrong reason. Suggest your move with your reasoning, and you will learn a lot from the discussion.
To everyone: Let's all unite together and improve this team and move up in the Vote Chess Leaderboard. Keep up the good work, and fill up the discussion every turn!! See you at the games!
