Rematch Button -- suggested features / changes • page 1/1 • Lichess Feedback • lichess.org

PROBLEM
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Bad etiquette of certain players re. rematches. I've encountered many players who either issue endless rematch requests (despite being declined) or who completely ignore a rematch request (i.e. not answering either YES or NO), and just leave the game. In real life, both these behaviors would be considered very bad etiquette. I understand online game is different from OTB, but imho proper sportsmanship should be observed in both.

SOLUTION
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Limit the number of rematch requests to 1 request per side (white/black). Once that is declined, that's it, no more rematch requests possible there.
Players should not be able to exit the game window or start a new game until they answer YES or NO to a previous rematch request. (Of course, accepting or declining is their choice, but they should be forced to answer one or the other.)

Would be very glad to hear what others have to say about this. Thanks!

PROBLEM ========= Bad etiquette of certain players re. rematches. I've encountered many players who either issue endless rematch requests (despite being declined) or who completely ignore a rematch request (i.e. not answering either YES or NO), and just leave the game. In real life, both these behaviors would be considered very bad etiquette. I understand online game is different from OTB, but imho proper sportsmanship should be observed in both. SOLUTION ========= 1. Limit the number of rematch requests to 1 request per side (white/black). Once that is declined, that's it, no more rematch requests possible there. 2. Players should not be able to exit the game window or start a new game until they answer YES or NO to a previous rematch request. (Of course, accepting or declining is their choice, but they should be forced to answer one or the other.) Would be very glad to hear what others have to say about this. Thanks!

Doofenshmirtz edited

#2

A website which stops me from navigating away because a user wants me to answer a question has a bug which needs correcting. I'd work around that by simply clicking on my lichess bookmark but I'd find having to do that moderately annoying. Very needy.

A compromise might be for a rematch offer to appear like a normal challenge and make the two swords icon go red. You could then accept or decline at your convenience. Just once. And maybe make it easy to block a player's challenges if they struggle to let it go.

A website which stops me from navigating away because a user wants me to answer a question has a bug which needs correcting. I'd work around that by simply clicking on my lichess bookmark but I'd find having to do that moderately annoying. Very needy. A compromise might be for a rematch offer to appear like a normal challenge and make the two swords icon go red. You could then accept or decline at your convenience. Just once. And maybe make it easy to block a player's challenges if they struggle to let it go.

Pashut

#3

@Doofenshmirtz -- Personally, I don't see this as a bug. I see it as a way to force proper chess etiquette. I agree that it might be annoying, but this is not very different to the already implementing feature of not allowing more than 1 game at a time (except correspondence games).

And yes, I completely second limiting a player's challenges / rematch requests. Perhaps have an option to specify how many you would be comfortable with. (I know I'd set that to only 1 in a blink.)

@Doofenshmirtz -- Personally, I don't see this as a bug. I see it as a way to force proper chess etiquette. I agree that it might be annoying, but this is not very different to the already implementing feature of not allowing more than 1 game at a time (except correspondence games). And yes, I completely second limiting a player's challenges / rematch requests. Perhaps have an option to specify how many you would be comfortable with. (I know I'd set that to only 1 in a blink.)

Doofenshmirtz

#4

@Pashut It's annoying in an entirely different way to limiting the number of games. You're suggesting that if I click back, or indeed anywhere on the page, the page will create a popup and say "No! Needy Nigel doesn't want you leaving this page until you answer him". I just think that's horrible. You back up your suggestion with words like "proper", "sportsmanlike" and "etiquette". I just don't think those words belong on a site which facilitates chess games between strangers. You can already add friends, chat/voice chat with them, create tournaments etc. Plenty of socialising for those who want it. You're suggesting something I find slightly sinister - someone clinging onto my arm as I click the lichess text to look do some puzzles and saying "yes or no? YES OR NO? Answer me or I won't let go". Creepy.

Pashut edited

#5

@Doofenshmirtz -- I respect your opinion, but I respectfully disagree. You are right that this is a website, but it is a CHESS website, where concepts like "proper", "etiquette" and "sportsmanship" should be promoted and observed. Both behaviors I mentioned in my initial post (nagging with rematch request and not answering YES/NO to one request) are very disrespectful imho. They basically say "you, my opponent, are not worth answering, because I'm in a hurry to play another game". Or, alternatively, it facilitates behavior similar to that of 2 year olds, who can't take a simple NO for an answer.

I can't tell you how many times I've been faced with both these behaviors. People who start calling you names ("coward", "scared" etc) if you refuse their endless rematch offers, or those who go play another game... sometimes re-paired again with you. :)

Anyway, I think there should be a balance between the creepiness you mention and remembering that we're not machines or mouse clickers, but PEOPLE who come here to play chess (and yes, socialize a bit, too)

@Doofenshmirtz -- I respect your opinion, but I respectfully disagree. You are right that this is a website, but it is a CHESS website, where concepts like "proper", "etiquette" and "sportsmanship" should be promoted and observed. Both behaviors I mentioned in my initial post (nagging with rematch request and not answering YES/NO to one request) are very disrespectful imho. They basically say "you, my opponent, are not worth answering, because I'm in a hurry to play another game". Or, alternatively, it facilitates behavior similar to that of 2 year olds, who can't take a simple NO for an answer. I can't tell you how many times I've been faced with both these behaviors. People who start calling you names ("coward", "scared" etc) if you refuse their endless rematch offers, or those who go play another game... sometimes re-paired again with you. :) Anyway, I think there should be a balance between the creepiness you mention and remembering that we're not machines or mouse clickers, but PEOPLE who come here to play chess (and yes, socialize a bit, too)

Pashut

#6

And one more thing: the stop-from-navigating-away feature I'm suggesting would only be activated if the opponent asks for a rematch while you are still in the game window. If you navigate away beforehand, nothing happens: the Rematch button turns off like now, and that's that. But if you stay in the game window and the opponent asks for a rematch, imho the least you could do is pay them the courtesy of a click: YES or NO before going on your merry way.