What is it with all of these disconnections?

Hi all,

In general, I am really enjoying Chess.com and am considering a full membership. However, constant disconnections by my opponents during games are more than a minor source of annoyance.

This is what I have observed:

 1) I never disconnect.

 2) My opponents never disconnect when they are in a winning position.

 3) My opponents disconnect an inordinate amount of times when they are in a losing position. Sometimes they come back and sometimes they do not. 

A simple solution is that opponents forfeit on disconnection as they do on freechess.org. Chess.com can detect strong connections and provide the opponent some leeway if the the connection is weak. Otherwise, just force a forfeit and end all of these fake disconnections. It totally ruins the experience of playing on an otherwise excellent chess site.

I would appreciate any comments that may make be better understand the situations that I am experiencing. Thanks. 

Thanks for the comments and for confirmation. It is strange that this practice is allowed to continue when there are some very fair solutions that that will end the practice. I wouldn't complain except that it happens so often. If a disconnection = a forfeit, I am sure the practice would abate very quickly. 

It happens absolutely every day to me. At least 3 or 5 times (and I´m playing around 15-20 blitz games per day).

Same here with me. I am not sure what is happening when they are disconnected and then reconnecting, but it is so odd. What is even odder is that seeing how often it happens, Chess.com just doesn't end the practice. Disconnections are forfeits and that is that - especially if the connection was a strong connection. A very simple solution to a very annoying occurence. It is the single reason that I am not becoming a subscriber. I am not sure how long I will be able to tolerate it. 

I've been playing primarily with the computers (who never disconnect for some reason ). Today, I decided to play some blitz and once again, as soon as the opponent was in a tough position, there was a disconnect and came back with  dazzling combination play! It was amazing what a two minute rest (disconnection) can do for a person's mind! In any case, the playing experience is sufficiently frustrating and silly that I have decided not to become a member. Does anyone no of a site other than freechess.org (also rampant with all kinds of funny players) that penalizes disconnections with an automatic forfeiture (the obvious way to handle this situation)? Thanks for the feedback!

It must be everyone's experience. This site badly, badly, badly needs a forfeit on disconnect setting.

HI everyone. I'm new to the site. I played my first game yesterday and as soon as I seemed to be taking to long for my opponent he hit me with a bunch of question marks. I apoligized and told him it was my first game on the site and that I was a little slow. As soon as I did that there were 3 or 4 disconnections on his end. I didn't understand what was happening. Eventually a message popped up saying that I won the game and that my oppenent violated the fair play policy. Not sure what that means. I'm still loving the site and learning alot although a little intimidated to play anyone now. 

It is such an obvious solution. I have no idea why it is not implemented. Disconnections totally undermine the playing experience. I'm just sitting there for two minutes while my opponent is doing ... what? Should I also be doing ... "what" while they are doing "what"?? At least the computers don't cheat! 

You didn't do anything wrong though your opponent was clearly unhappy that your moves were taking a while to make. It seems like he decided to disconnect and reconnect a few times in order to upset your play. Eventually the server forced a forfeit. But why does Chess.com allow even one disconnect and connect? This is why I started this thread. 

This doesn't really happen to me, but i guess it is because I play the 1 min game, there is no use for my opponent to disconnect in a 1 min game

I think it is so strange that although the player who disconnects technically loses the match, their rating rarely reflects the loss and the other players rating improves maybe one point. I understand if someone disconnects and then reconnects due to a bad connection but when it's used to avoid a hit to you rating, that's bullshit.

Unfortunately, a player who disconnects does not lose the match. The player has 2 minutes (or more) to reconnect and then carry on with whatever "plan" he/she has come up with. I think I had two or three disconnects/reconnects today. I immediately block the member from further play, but it seems that there is a never ending supply of players who cherish the ability to disconnect and then reconnect. Even if they are banned it is possible for them to come back under another alias. 

And the disconnections keep coming whenever a player is in a bad position and needs some "offline time" to work it out. Why doesn't Chess.com at least offer the player that is left hanging an option to abort the game rather than sit back and wait to see what happens. 

Today I was playing a 3-0 blitz with littlegirl1984, who is 300 points higher than me, and conveniently disconnected when found herself in a losing position.

I have lost to players much lower than I am but never disconnected. I have resigned but never disconnected.

chess.com autmatically posted a message stating:

littlegirl1984 may have violated our Fair Play policy - it has been noted and they may have their account restricted.

My question to chess.com: are you really going to take action or is this just a message to please your customers?

Thanks.

I haved received that message also, and when I checked the "offender" profile, I found that he has messages in his wall accusing him of disconnections from 6 or 7 months ago.

Opponents that disconnect and then reconnect, and then disconnect and reconnect again are probably trying to trick you out of your win.  If they reconnect while you are not paying attention (because you assumed they would not return), they might make a move and wait for your time to expire.  When an opponent disconnects from a game with me (which happens often when I'm winning), I remain alert and wait for their time to expire, just as I would in an OTB tournament game.

Yes, in most cases they are up to all kinds of chicanery. Many times, an opponent is so-so comes back playing like a wizard with computer-like moves. I know that once they disconnect, I am going to lose. I just sit there waiting for them to come back with all of this incredible moves, one after another. Usually there is no way even to win on time because the moves are so precise.

The whole playing experience on Chess.com is ruined by these antics. I don't know what Chess.com simply doesn't give a player the option to abort rather than to submit to this type of behavior? BTW, I have never, ever had someone disconnect in a winning position. Odd isn't it?

Here is one reason why: 

Sometimes your move is not registered by server. It appears as if the move is made on your computer, but in fact the server believes you are still thinking. If you just wait, you lose on time.

To check if your move is really made, one can switch between full board and small board. This reconnects to the server, and shows the real position afterward. Doing this will appear as a brief disconnect to the opponent.

Sometimes, but rarely is there a brief disconnect and usually it is at a point of little significance. I think what everyone here is complaining about is when the opponent has a full green connection, is in a losing position, disconnects, and then comes back with a fabulous series of moves. 

The moment an opponent disconnects, I put them on my block list which is getting to be a mile long. It is very frustrating to just have to sit there for two minutes knowing that a winning position is about to go to heck and there is nothing one can do about it. How about a simple option to abort the whole game? What would be unfair about that. The opponent is in a losing position anyway. 

i got disconnected even when i was in winning position. Bad connections? nope, social media such facebook/twitter was fine in my other tab on my browser. so why this dc???