Fair Play Appeal Guide
Understand your ban. Reflect honestly. Appeal with integrity.
Whether you believe you were wrongly flagged or want to genuinely reform after a mistake, this guide helps you navigate the appeal process for Chess.com and Lichess with honesty and care.
Honest Self-Reflection
Guided questions to help you understand what may have triggered the ban
Appeal Generator
Create a thoughtful, honest appeal letter based on your situation
Parent Resources
Help your child understand fair play and navigate this together
How This Works
A simple, guided process to help you reflect and respond appropriately
Complete Self-Check
Answer honest questions about your gaming setup, habits, and what may have triggered the detection system.
Generate Your Appeal
Based on your answers, we help you craft a sincere, well-structured appeal letter tailored to your situation.
Submit & Wait
Copy your appeal and submit it through official channels. We provide guidance on what to expect next.
Important: This tool is designed to help players who believe they were wrongly flagged or who genuinely want to reform. We do not help users circumvent fair play policies. Honesty is the foundation of a successful appeal.
Self-Check Questionnaire
Answer honestly. Your responses help us generate an appropriate appeal.
Please be honest in your responses
The most effective appeals are honest ones. If you made a mistake, acknowledging it is often more effective than denial.
Parental Guidance
Helping your child navigate a fair play situation can be challenging. This guide provides the context and tools you need.
Fair play in online chess means playing without any external assistance. This includes:
What's NOT allowed:
-Using chess engines (like Stockfish) to analyze positions during a game
-Having another person suggest moves
-Using browser extensions that provide analysis
-Looking at databases for opening moves during play
-Using multiple accounts
Why detection exists:
Chess platforms use sophisticated algorithms that analyze move patterns, timing, accuracy correlation, and other factors to detect potential cheating. These systems are highly accurate but not perfect - which is why appeals exist.
Why it matters:
Fair play protects the integrity of ratings and ensures everyone competes on equal footing. A rating only means something if everyone earned it honestly.
Common Parent Concerns
A Note on Honesty
While we want to support families through this difficult situation, we encourage honesty above all. If your child did cheat, acknowledging it is often the best path forward - many platforms are more lenient with honest first-time offenders than with those who deny wrongdoing. Use this as a teaching moment about integrity and consequences.
Resources & FAQ
Official documentation and answers to common questions
Fair Play Policy
Official fair play rules and guidelines
How to Appeal
Official appeal submission process
Fair Play FAQ
Common questions about fair play
Terms of Service
Community guidelines and rules
Appeal Page
Submit your appeal directly
Fair Play Guidelines
Understanding Lichess fair play
Submit your appeal
Lichess says it tries to reply within this window
Chess.com timelines depend on the case
Send one clear appeal and avoid duplicates
Note: Actual response time depends on queue volume and case complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Response times vary by platform and case complexity. Lichess says it tries to respond within 72 hours. Chess.com does not publish a universal fair play appeal timeline, so check the instructions linked from your closure notice and be patient.
Creating a new account while banned is against both platforms' terms of service and could result in permanent ban of all accounts. Wait for your appeal to be resolved first.
Read the platform's decision carefully and follow any instructions it gives. Do not assume you are allowed to create a new account after a denial. For example, Lichess explicitly says that if your appeal is denied, you are not permitted to open additional accounts.
No. Online platform bans are completely separate from FIDE (World Chess Federation) ratings. Your over-the-board tournament rating and eligibility are not affected.
Platforms can detect suspicious behavior and some platforms explicitly prohibit tools or extensions that assist with play. You should not rely on any browser extension, script, or helper tool while playing rated games.
Only if you have specific games you want reviewed that you believe demonstrate your honest play. Don't include games where you're unsure of your own conduct.