Fair Play

• Using an engine, app, tablebase, book or another person during a rated, tournament, friend or correspondence game.
• Using our own analysis board, AI coach or Coach Verbal Review on a game that is still being played.
• Deliberately losing (sandbagging) or arranging results to raise or lower a rating.
• Sharing an account, or letting someone else play for you.
• Creating extra accounts to get around a ban, farm referral rewards or manipulate ratings.

• Analysing any game with the engine after it has finished.
• Asking the AI assistant or a coach for advice on your own finished games.
• Studying openings, puzzles and lessons between games as much as you like.

We record the time taken for every move on our servers and compare moves with engine choices after the game. Unusual patterns — for example very high engine agreement combined with fast, steady move times — raise an automatic flag.

During live games your browser also notes when the game tab loses focus, when you copy or paste, and how quickly you start each move. Switching tabs isn't cheating on its own; these signals only add context when a game is already being reviewed.

A flag is never a ban. Every flagged account is reviewed by a person on our moderation team, who looks at many games before deciding anything.

Depending on how serious it is, we may:

• void the affected results and restore opponents' rating points;
• remove the player from tournaments and withhold prizes;
• restrict rated play, or close the account.

If you think an opponent cheated, use the report option on their profile or game. Reports go to the same review queue. Please don't accuse players publicly in chat or forums.

If you believe we got it wrong, email support@hamduk.com.ng with your username. A different moderator will look at your case.