Could you please let me know if there are any plans to permanently ban users who are using chess bots without disclosing it? I’m trying to understand if it’s worth continuing to play on this site. I appreciate your response in advance. If you're unable to address this issue, I’d be happy to assist in identifying and reporting these accounts. However, if this approach isn't viable for business reasons, I completely understand. I’m just finding it frustrating to lose 60-70 points after three games against bots, which doesn’t seem fair..
CHESSBOTS
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Chess
CHESSBOTS
Just to clear things up for anyone unsure, FlyOrDie’s stance on assistance is very clear: "FlyOrDie members have the right to know if they are playing against a computer. Therefore you must declare in your player settings if you are using assistance while playing. Using any kind of assistance without declaration is considered extremely unsportsmanlike with appropriate sanctions. You can have one human account and one program account, and you must use both accordingly. Use of such assistance is only allowed in board games." If someone is using engine help or any external tools without declaration, it breaks the rules, plain and simple. This applies to board games only, and even then, the use of a program must be clearly marked in the player settings. If you suspect foul play, don’t start a public argument, just use the Report Abuse feature here:
https://www.flyordie.com/s/reportAbuse.html?portal=flyordie_com&lang=en
Let moderation handle it. Keeping the platform fair is a team effort.
I'll give it a bit more time to see if anything changes. I've been reporting accounts that clearly seem like they're using bots, but I haven’t really seen any action taken so far. Just wondering — what kind of proof are you actually looking for when someone reports a user? Is the report itself enough, or do you expect us to send the PGN of the game, or even record videos? I can usually tell pretty easily when someone’s using engine help, so it'd be good to know what kind of evidence is most helpful for you guys to actually take action. Also, if a user is caught cheating, would it be possible to ban them and maybe return points lost in those games? By the way, I don’t mean to be a pain or anything — it’s just really frustrating sometimes, especially when you lose points to something that feels so unfair. I really enjoy the site, and I’d just love to see it stay fun and fair for everyone.
Edited by Ivan94
I hear you, and you're right to care about fairness. But let’s set a few things straight. When you report a user for suspected assistance, that report is logged and reviewed. Moderators have access to complete data: move history, response times, and behavioural patterns, they don’t rely on user-submitted PGNs or video recordings. You’re welcome to add context in your report if it helps clarify, but it’s not required. That said, FlyOrDie does not reverse games or refund points, even if cheating is confirmed. The focus is on issuing appropriate sanctions to prevent future abuse, not retroactive compensation. Just because you don’t see immediate action doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Investigations take time, and some users are monitored over several games before action is taken. If you suspect foul play, continue to use the proper channel as previously mentioned. Appreciate your patience, and your part in keeping things clean.