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Logging in: to play chess online and access your games, you need to log in to your account from the front page by entering your user name and password and then clicking "Log in" button. You can also access the front page by clicking on the GameKnot's logo in the left upper corner of each page. Your web browser must support "cookies" and "JavaScript" to play chess online. If you are not sure what they are, don't worry — they are enabled by default in most modern web browsers.

Starting a chess game: to start a new chess game, simply select "start game" from the main menu (at the top of the page, or on the left side, depending on your settings). You have three different options — you can start an open challenge game for anyone to join (within the specified criteria, such as the rating, the number of finished games, etc.), or you can challenge a particular player to a game directly, or you can invite your friends to join GameKnot to play chess online with you. To invite another chess player, all you need is their e-mail address. They won't even need to sign up for an account! To learn how to make moves, please click the "help" link located below the game board.

Joining a chess game: to join an existing chess game, select "join game" from the main menu. You will be given a list of all currently available games. Please make sure you are comfortable with the "time per move" setting before joining a game. Failing to make a move within the specified time will result in losing the game, which will negatively affect your online chess rating. If there are no games available for you to join, please simply start a new game (open challenge) and someone will join it in a few moments!

Playing games online: you can play in several chess games online at the same time. You will be notified via e-mail if it is your turn to move in any of your games (or if someone challenges you to a new game, etc.). You can also use "Auto-refresh" link above the active games list for a real-time online notification when it's your turn to move.

Account Settings / Player Profile: to change your account's settings, or adjust various GameKnot options to your liking, select "settings" in the main menu. You can change your password or e-mail address, or upload an avatar image, for example. You can also change the chess board size, style, colors or the chess set, among many other options.

Chess rating: all players start off with the same chess rating (1200), which gets adjusted based on your completed chess games and the ratings of your opponents. A special formula is used to quickly approximate your chess playing skills in the beginning (during the first 20 rated games), so it won't take long to establish your real rating on GameKnot. After the first 20 rated games, the rating is calculated by Elo formula, which is based on statistical analysis and is commonly used by many chess clubs and associations, including FIDE. Please note that playing chess online is very different from regular chess games, so your online chess rating might not be the same as your OTB chess rating.

Logging out: if you select "keep me logged in" check-box when logging in, you won't need to enter your user name and password every time you visit GameKnot online for the next 30 days. However, it is a good idea to log out each time you leave your computer unattended, if other people can access it. The "log out" link is located on the front page. To access it from any other page, simply click on GameKnot logo in the upper left corner of the page.

Make sure to read the FAQ if you have any questions about how this website works. Have fun!