Multi-Account Guidelines
Multi-accounting, is a big no, no and is a serious violation of our community guidelines.
Multi-accounting, the practice of a single user operating multiple accounts to gain an unfair advantage within Checkmate Live, is a serious violation of our community guidelines. This includes but is not limited to, creating multiple accounts to obtain additional rewards, participating multiple times in events, or manipulating game mechanics.
Identity Concealment and Deception
Prohibition on Concealment: Users are strictly prohibited from concealing their identities using multiple accounts, false information, or any form of deception. Each user can only have one account, representing their true identity. Any attempt to circumvent this rule is strictly forbidden.
Methods of Concealment: The following are considered deliberate attempts to conceal identity and violate our guidelines:
Creating multiple accounts with different identifying information
Using false personal details during registration
Manipulating IP addresses or using VPNs to hide your location
Using device masking technologies to prevent detection
Creating accounts with deliberately misleading usernames
Using different email addresses to create multiple accounts
Providing false information during KYC verification
Claiming FIDE IDs that don’t belong to you
Using proxy services, Tor networks, or similar technologies to mask identity
Creating accounts at specific intervals to avoid detection patterns
Using social engineering to manipulate support staff
Attempting to resurrect previously banned accounts through support channels
Creating tournament-specific accounts intended for single-use
Consequences of Concealment: Deliberate identity concealment is considered a serious violation that demonstrates premeditated intent to violate our policies. Such actions may result in:
Immediate permanent banning of all associated accounts
Forfeiture of all winnings, assets, and rewards
Reporting to relevant authorities and chess federations
Possible legal action for fraud or unauthorised access
Pattern Recognition: Checkmate Live employs pattern recognition systems to identify concealment attempts. These systems analyse user behavior, play patterns, device information, and other technical markers to detect concealed identities.
Cross-Platform Reporting and Information Sharing
As per its Terms and Conditions, Checkmate Live has the right to share information about serious violations with other platforms, Federations, law enforcement agencies, and integrity bodies to protect its platform and competitive play. This includes:
Tournament Integrity Violations: Entering more than one account in a tournament is considered a serious violation and may be reported to relevant authorities.
Identity Fraud: Using false identities, impersonating titled players, or claiming FIDE IDs that don’t belong to you may be reported to FIDE, national federations, and other chess platforms.
Coordinated Multi-Account Networks: Evidence of systematic multi-accounting operations may be shared with other gaming platforms and integrity bodies to prevent cross-platform abuse.
Legal Violations: Cases involving fraud, identity theft, or other potential legal violations may be reported to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Information Sharing Framework: Checkmate Live may participate in information sharing frameworks with other chess platforms, esports integrity organisations, and chess federations to maintain the integrity of online chess globally.
By using Checkmate Live, you acknowledge and consent to this information sharing when serious violations are detected, to the extent permitted by applicable privacy laws.
Account Termination and Unauthorised Access Notice
In such cases, one or more of the following actions may be taken:
Termination of New Accounts: Any new accounts created after termination will be immediately closed without notice. All assets, achievements, and participation history on these accounts will be forfeited.
Cease and Desist Notice: Checkmate Live may issue a formal cease and desist notice requiring the immediate cessation of all attempts to access the platform.
Unauthorised Access Notice: We may issue an unauthorised access notice formally documenting that the user’s access to the platform has been revoked.
Civil Action or Reporting: In cases of persistent violations or particularly egregious conduct, Checkmate Live reserves the right to:
Initiate civil legal proceedings for damages and injunctive relief
Report the unauthorised access to relevant integrity bodies including ESIC, FIDE, and national federations
File reports with appropriate law enforcement agencies under applicable computer crime laws
Share information about the violation with other gaming platforms to protect the broader gaming ecosystem
No Right to Platform Access: Users should understand that access to the Checkmate Live platform is granted at our discretion and can be revoked permanently. Once an account has been permanently terminated, the user has no right to continued access to the platform in any form.
Associated Accounts and Collective Responsibility
Linked Account Bans: If cheating, fraud, or other violations are detected on one account, and this account is linked to other accounts (through shared devices, IP addresses, household connections, or other technical or behavioural patterns), all associated accounts may be banned simultaneously.
Acting on Behalf of Banned Players: Creating, providing, or managing an account for a player who has been suspended or banned is strictly prohibited. Parties appropriating or registering accounts for other parties who have been suspended or banned are deemed to be acting on their behalf, and this constitutes collusion under our Terms of Service.
Collusion Definition: For clarity, collusion includes but is not limited to:
Creating an account for a banned player
Allowing a banned player to use your account
Participating in tournaments on behalf of a banned player
Sharing access credentials with banned players
Facilitating a banned player’s continued participation on the platform in any way
Joint Liability: Checkmate Live reserves the right to hold either or both parties responsible for breaches of Terms of Service involving collusion or account sharing. Both the banned player and the person assisting them may face permanent platform bans and forfeiture of any prizes or rewards.
Household and Shared Device Usage
Household Monitoring: Multiple accounts detected from the same household or physical location may be subject to enhanced monitoring. While we recognise that legitimate family members may play from the same location, suspicious patterns of activity across these accounts may trigger verification requirements or restrictions.
Family Member Accounts: Each individual family member must maintain their own account with accurate information. Parents or guardians creating accounts for minors must ensure they only have access to features as per our age requirement and that:
Use accurate information
Maintain separate accounts for each player
Ensure each account is used only by the designated player
Comply with our age restrictions and children’s privacy policies
Shared Device Guidelines: When multiple legitimate users share a device (such as a family computer):
Each user must log out completely after their session
Browser profiles should be separated if possible
Suspicious patterns of account switching may trigger verification requirements
Accounts from shared devices may be subject to additional monitoring
Prohibited Sharing Scenarios: The following scenarios are explicitly prohibited:
Multiple family members using a single account
Creating accounts for family members who do not actually play
Taking turns playing on different family member accounts to circumvent restrictions
Using family member accounts after your own account has been restricted
Wallet Transactions and NFT Interactions
Wallet Address Monitoring: Wallet addresses associated with accounts are monitored for suspicious patterns. Using multiple accounts with the same wallet address may be considered evidence of multi-accounting.
Same Wallet Address Interactions: Transactions between multiple accounts linked to the same wallet address are prohibited and may lead to suspension.
Repetitive Connections: If a user is found making repetitive connections between accounts (for example, trading or transferring assets consistently between accounts), they may face suspension.
Legitimate vs. Illegitimate Transactions: Interactions involving NFTs and tokens between independent users might be permitted when these interactions are legitimate and follow our guidelines. However, any illegitimate transactions, particularly those involving affiliated parties or shared wallets, are strictly prohibited and may lead to sanctions.
Transaction Monitoring: All platform transactions are monitored for patterns consistent with multi-accounting, collusion, or other violations of our Terms of Service.
Cryptocurrency Integration: When cryptocurrency wallet integration is implemented (Phase 2), additional verification measures may be required to ensure wallet ownership aligns with account identity.
Cheating Detection and Platform Integrity Information
Proprietary Detection Systems: Information related to our cheating and fraud detection systems is considered proprietary platform information.
No Right to Detection Data: In instances of cheating or fraud detection, users have no right to request the specific technical details, algorithms, or thresholds used to make determinations.
Decision-Making Authority: Checkmate Live maintains the sole right to decide the thresholds, criteria, and standards of its decision-making processes regarding cheating and fraud detection. These thresholds are regularly reviewed and adjusted to maintain platform integrity.
Automated Account Creation and Device Masking
Automated Account Creation: The use of scripts, bots, or other automated methods to create accounts is a serious violation and considered unauthorised access under our Terms of Service. This may also constitute a violation of applicable computer crime laws and will be treated as such.
Device Masking and Fingerprinting Evasion: Using methods to obscure or mask devices, browser fingerprints, or other identifying technical characteristics is considered deliberate fraudulent behaviour. This includes but is not limited to:
Using device spoofing software
Employing browser extensions designed to mask fingerprints
Manipulating device identifiers
Using virtual machines specifically to evade detection
Systematically clearing cookies and local storage to prevent tracking
Consequences for Technical Evasion: These sophisticated evasion techniques demonstrate premeditated intent to violate our policies and will result in immediate permanent banning of all associated accounts, forfeiture of all winnings and rewards, and potential legal action.
Impossible Travel and Location Verification
If your user account was detected to be accessed in one location and then in another location where it would be physically impossible for you to travel in the time between accesses, this may trigger an investigation. The use of VPN services to mask your location, particularly to enter geo-restricted tournaments, is strictly prohibited and may trigger location verification procedures.
FIDE ID and Country Registration Requirements
FIDE ID Integrity: Users must only claim FIDE IDs that legitimately belong to them. Falsifying FIDE IDs, claiming titles not earned, or impersonating other players constitutes a severe violation of our guidelines.
Country Registration Requirement: Players must register their account with the country that appears on their government-issued ID. Misrepresentation of your country will prevent successful FIDE ID synchronisation and may result in account restrictions.
FIDE ID Activation: A FIDE ID entered on your profile is not activated until you complete KYC verification. This verification process ensures that only legitimate FIDE ID owners can use their IDs on our platform.
Consequences of FIDE ID Fraud: Even if a fraudulent FIDE ID has not been activated through KYC, claiming another person’s FIDE ID is still considered a breach of our Terms of Service and may result in account restriction or permanent ban, reporting to the legitimate FIDE ID owner, notification to FIDE and relevant chess federations, and potential referral to authorities.
Tournament-Specific Evasion
Single-Use Tournament Accounts: Creating accounts specifically for certain tournaments with the intention of abandoning them afterward is prohibited. All accounts are expected to represent ongoing player identities.
Tournament Manipulation: Using multiple accounts to manipulate tournament outcomes, including but not limited to:
Entering the same tournament with multiple accounts
Manipulating pairings or standings
Intentionally losing to benefit another account
Creating accounts to artificially inflate participant numbers
Qualification Manipulation: Creating accounts to participate in qualification tournaments with the intent to withdraw or lose intentionally to benefit specific players is strictly prohibited.
Tournament Integrity Monitoring: Checkmate Live employs specialized monitoring for high-stakes tournaments to ensure the integrity of competition. This may include additional verification requirements, real-time monitoring, and post-tournament analysis.
Key Preventive Guidelines
No concealment of identity using multiple accounts
One account per person; family, corporate or partnership accounts are not allowed
Register with your correct country of residence
Only claim FIDE IDs that legitimately belong to you
Do not share your account with anyone
Do not create a new account if your previous account was suspended or banned
Do not use multiple accounts to manipulate any platform value or game mechanics
Penalties
Violation of any part of these guidelines will, at Checkmate Live’s discretion, result in sanctions that may include:
Warning
Reprimand
Forfeiture of matches
Loss of awards
Disqualification from tournaments
Temporary or permanent account suspension
Ban from the platform
Checkmate Live also reserves the right to publicly announce any penalties levied on players. Players who have been penalised by Checkmate Live waive any right of legal action against Checkmate Live, its partners, or any of its affiliates.
Proper Communication Channels
Official Reporting Channel: All reports, appeals, and communications regarding multi-accounting or other violations must be submitted exclusively through the in-platform chat system. Reports made through social media, Discord, email, or other external channels will not be considered official and may not be investigated.
No Public Discussion: Account actions, investigations, and enforcement decisions should not be discussed publicly. Sharing screenshots or details of communications with Checkmate Live staff regarding account actions on social media or other public forums is prohibited and may complicate resolution of your case.
Support Staff Interactions: Attempting to manipulate support staff through social engineering, misrepresentation, or harassment to gain advantages or circumvent restrictions is strictly prohibited and may result in additional penalties.
Appeal Process: Appeals of enforcement actions must be submitted through the designated in-platform appeal system. Appeals should include relevant information and any mitigating circumstances. Decisions on appeals are final and at the sole discretion of the Checkmate Live Integrity Team.
Data Subject Rights
In accordance with applicable privacy laws, including the Australian Privacy Principles and GDPR (where applicable), you have certain rights regarding your personal information. To exercise these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer at [privacy@checkmate.live].
Limitations on Data Rights: Please note that in cases involving platform integrity, fraud detection, or ongoing investigations, certain data subject rights may be limited as permitted by applicable privacy laws. This is necessary to protect the integrity of our detection systems and ongoing investigations.
Final Authority and Discretion
Checkmate Live maintains final authority and discretion in all matters related to account verification, multi-accounting detection, and enforcement actions. The interpretation and application of these guidelines is at the sole discretion of Checkmate Live and its authorised representatives.
Tournament organisers, including Checkmate Live and partnered chess federations, maintain absolute discretion regarding entry requirements, verification procedures, and enforcement actions for their respective events. These requirements may be modified at any time to ensure the integrity of competitions.
No representation or statement by any individual staff member, support agent, or third party can override these guidelines or the decisions made by Checkmate Live’s Integrity Team. Official communications regarding enforcement actions will be issued only through authorised channels.
PLAYER ACKNOWLEDGMENT
By creating or maintaining an account on Checkmate Live, you explicitly acknowledge that:
You have read and understood these Multi-Accounting Guidelines in their entirety
You agree to comply with all provisions contained herein
You understand that violations may result in penalties up to and including permanent account termination
You accept that ignorance of these guidelines will not be considered a valid defence for violations
You consent to the monitoring of your account for compliance purposes
You understand that Checkmate Live maintains sole discretion in determining violations and appropriate penalties
CERTIFICATION
These Multi-Accounting Guidelines have been reviewed for clarity, fairness, and enforceability, and assessed for compliance with applicable privacy laws including the Australian Privacy Principles and GDPR.
Date: 19 April 2025 Version: 2.0
PUBLIC DOCUMENT
Last updated