| What is high stakes chess? |
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High stakes chess is a common form of underground chess where players put their money where their mouths are.
PawnShark.com has patent pending chess variations that were invented by an institutional worker as a method of
promoting offensive and defensive strategy. Hold'em is a method of play that strengthens defensive play, Ransom
strengthens offensive play, and Outlaw is a concept that allows beginners the freedom to learn from their mistakes,
and masters the opportunity to take strategy to a whole new level. After extensive negotiations with the sole owner
of these exciting new game patents, PawnShark.com is proud to present them to the world. |
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| What is community chess? |
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"Community chess" is the tournament method in which PawnShark offers games to you the user.
The way it works is that users play their friends, and they play their friends, and so on,
six degrees of separation creating a "community watch" of sorts. "Community chess" forces
players to be accountable to each other, and in turn generates trust amongst players, If a
user shows up and has little history, no friends, no picture, no information, he may not be
a desirable opponent. Chess has a heritage of groups and clubs meeting in all manner of locations
to hold tournaments and friendly games, PawnShark offers that same security, in the form of "community chess." |
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Asterisk
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Users flagged as sandbaggers or found to have playing habits deemed questionable
have asterisks next to their names. The administration, in conjunction with the
algorithm monitoring system, may lift or extend asterisk assignment to offenders
as necessary.
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1st offense=seven days.
2nd offense=thirty days.
3rd offense=ninety days or termination pending investigation.
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| Do you accept credit cards. |
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Yes, PawnShark accepts all forms of credit card through our secure PayPal payment gateway.
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| How to I post a game for my friends to see? |
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You post a game by setting up your game limits. To set your game choose cash or points and then enter your games value, choose your color, set your time and click post game. Your game will appear in the lounge that you are currently in. So, if you are in the Outlaw lounge you will post a game in the Outlaw lounge. If you are in the Outlaw lounge and you wish to post a game in the Ransom lounge then simply select the Ransom tab before posting your game. |
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| How do I select my friends posted game? |
| To select a posted game simply click the game and view any history you feel may be relevant and then click "accept game" at the lower left hand side of your lounge. A prompt will appear to your opponent giving them the option of viewing your history and to accept or decline you offer |
| Why does my screen cut of the lower parts of a page? |
| PawnShark was designed with maximum graphic clarity in mind, your screen size resolution must be set to 1152 x 864 or higher. You can change your screen settings in the display properties of your computer by either right clicking on your desktop and selecting properties and then the display properties tab, or you can go through your control panel and into display properties. You can still play with lower screen resolution but portions of the game and lounge pages may be cropped. No security or game play will be compromised be playing at a lower resolution. |
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| How do I use Outlaw bid functions? |
| In order to negotiate for lost pieces or illegal moves you must select the allow bidding button and then select the allow bidding function. The reason the system works in this manner is to prevent your opponent from overloading you with bids and to not delay the game by setting pieces on squares accidently. This option allows you to simply turn the function off or on at your discretion |
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Are there downloads?
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No, downloads are more easily hacked via a users computer.
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How do I play for points or cash?
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Click on start an account and follow the directions. It's easy. You just sign up
and play. Points are given to each new player to invest against opponents in any
of the exclusive chess variations you like. To play cash games all you need to do
is open an account with PayPal and transfer currency, and yes, it's all legal.
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How do I play for points?
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All players and guests will receive 1000 points to keep, lose, or increase at will.
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Can guests keep their points?
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Yes, guests must register before leaving the website in order to keep their points.
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VABMS Vs. Elo
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The Elo system is a rating system based on assumption. The goal of chess players
since the inception of the Elo was to gain the highest score possible. Simply put,
the Elo will not work in currency or point based chess games. The Elo system would
allow good players to take advantage of poorer players by sandbagging or dropping
ratings in order to maximize point or currency accumulation. The Elo also allows
for rampant cheating in the online world with the use of electronic based chess
systems. The VABMS (Variable algorithmic bracket monitoring system) however, puts
an end to fraudulent chess practices by eliminating what is referred to as the Elo
"bounce effect" and monitoring cheating. The Elo bounce effect pits players against
each other that have no business in a game together by inflating and deflating scores
based on sometimes single games. A hodge podge of players bounce between higher
and lower scores trying to find a niche, as good players dominate and lesser players
are subjected to loss after loss while trying to get a grasp of the game. The details
of VABMS are held in secret. Any explanation wouldn't do it justice because the
algorithm is constantly learning, evolving with individuals and their playing habits.
The complexity of the system equates to the fairest chess play online and the ratings
measure players according to consistent performance and allows for protection of
beginners by allowing them to actually drop below the average chess skill level
and find refuge from superior players. VABMS also eliminates sandbagging by taking
away its incentives. You would have to lose so much money to sandbag it wouldn't
be profitable. |
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What about cheating?
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Cheating seems to be everywhere these days. It's an incredible problem, but PawnShark
has solutions. Long gone are the days of honor and self-respect, even poker has
statistical programs called poker bots that count virtual cards or hacks that let
you view your opponents hand. The poker industry has done a superb job of covering
up the enormity and commonness of this truth. The VABMS monitoring system eliminates
cheating using an advanced analysis system that makes it nearly impossible to accumulate
currency, points, or rank without playing fair.
If you feel that you’ve been a victim of a cheater, then go to the feedback section
and click cheating. All allegations of cheating will be reviewed on a complaint
volume basis.
Cheaters have no business in the chess world. It is our duty as chess connoisseurs
to eliminate frauds. PawnShark is the safest chess site on the net by leaps and
bounds. No other chess site has ever been as committed or used as much technology
to end cheating. |
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How to spot a cheater.
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PawnShark not only makes cheating nearly impossible, it makes it profitless. The
first rule to remember is that chess programs will not work with chess variations.
Even in standard chess, in most cases, you will have just been the lesser player
or made one or two critical errors. Without the Elo the incentive to cheat is to
accrue currency. But with VABMS, cheaters leave behind a clear pattern and are terminated.
However, if you find you are still certain you have been cheated, ask yourself some
questions, read below, and if you are still convinced go to the feedback section.
1. If you’ve made a critical error on any game and your opponent didn’t pick up
on it, he or she is not cheating
2. Chess engines always play defense, that is until you make a mistake. That's not
to say that many chess players don’t play in the same manner. As a general rule,
the feel of the engine based opponent or "cheater" is artificial in the way it methodically
dissolves your pieces after an offensive mistake, as if it's looking ten moves ahead.
3. In Outlaw cheaters are easy to spot, they simply don’t allow negotiations. Why
play Outlaw if you're not going to negotiate, right? Once a move or two is negotiated
it would throw a chess program off, the cheater would need to reset the program
and re-position the pieces in order to make his next move.
4. In Ransom a cheater would look like a complete idiot. The point to the game is
to capture as many pieces as possible, So why are you getting put in check when
there is still so much money on the board? Look for an opponent who appears to have
no interest in gathering your pieces before he goes in for the kill.
5. Hold'em is on par with Ransom. It’s a variation. Chess programs and the cheaters
that wield them simply stand out as clear as day. Hold'em is about pawn promotion.
The more queens a player has accumulated when they win, the more money in their
pocket. Look for the guy who seems to think that pawns are valueless and gives up
pieces for an attempt at a quick mate. All chess programs are designed the same,
to win. They don’t care about holding as many pieces as possible or accumulating
eight queens before the kill. They are designed to win.
6. Blitz is the name of the game. Look for a cheater that doesn't take advantage
of clear mistakes on your part, and has methodical time management. i.e. The guy's
not doing things immediately because he or she may be entering moves into a chess
program.
7. So you're playing Classic and your opponent is taking some heavy losses. Then,
after a long pause your opponent starts pulling out some big moves, playing a perfect
strategy, not to mention his or her time management has gone from zero to hero.
The guys all over the place, then next thing you know, you're in mate. He might
have switched on a chess program and cheated you. Turn him in. We'll get him.
8. There's a player jumping up the ranks at lightning speed. No offense, but we
noticed before you did. If you find a player takes you out no problem, and his or
her tag isn’t in green, chances are he's just moving up the ladder, Sorry, it’s
the name of the game. And besides, you probably got over on a handful of players
yourself.
The things to keep in mind when spotting a cheater is that there is always someone
better, no one plays perfect chess, and the vast majority enjoy playing for real.
So, if an opponent takes a long pause and his mistakes cease, he might be cheating,
or he might have been on the phone during the first half of the game. Ask him if
he or she is cheating, they may give up and run away. If your unchecked paranoia
still isn’t calmed, then make some friends and just play them. That's how PawnShark
is set up to work, money between buddies. Chess is a community and if some weird
no name, no picture player pops up and wants to play and your senses tell you he's
a cheat, don’t play him. It's called community monitoring. EBay uses it. Craigslist
uses it, YouTube uses it, and now PawnShark uses it. Just remember to be reasonable
and to congratulate those who win and those who lose. Chess is civilized.
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How are the pieces valued?
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The exact piece and over all game values are determined by the posting user. However,
the pieces have an assumed significance from lowest to highest. That is to say that
pawns are of the least significance, the king is the most. See example below.
Total- 100 points
Pawn- 2 point x8
Knight- 6 points x2
Bishop- 6 points x2
Castle- 10 points x2
Queen- 15 points x1
King or Checkmate- 25 points x1
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What is the "Spread"?
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The spread is the difference in the value of the pawns at the beginning of the game
versus the potential game value if all the pawns were to become queens before the
end of the game.
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What happens if I run out of time?
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You lose.
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What happens in a draw?
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Draws are considered an inability to win the game or loss by both parties. In the
event of a draw, be it an agreement between users, or outcome of a game, half the
amount of the overall game value will go to PawnShark from each player.
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Is playing for cash legal?
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Current laws are vague at best regarding playing games of chance for money. Pawnshark.com
however, does not offer games of chance. Chess is an ironclad game of skill and
does not fall under any federal gaming laws. In addition, the concept of playing
online chess for cash tournaments has never been fully realized before PawnShark.com.
Playing skill games and tournaments for money varies from state to state and country
to country, so it is the individual player's responsibility to make themselves aware
of local, state, and national laws before engaging in activities that may not be
legal in their area. Below is a list of states that have laws that govern some types
of skill games. Feel free to contact the legislature and voice your opinion.
Arizona
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/
602-542-4221
Arkansas
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/
501-682-6107
Connecticut
http://www.cga.ct.gov/
860-240-0400
Delaware
http://www.legis.state.de.us/
302-744-4114
Florida
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/
Legislative Information Division
850-488-4271
Illinois
http://www.ilga.gov/
217-782-3944
Iowa
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/
515-281-5129
Louisiana
http://www.legis.state.la.us/
House 225-342-6945
Senate 225-342-2040
Maryland
http://www.mlis.state.md.us/
410-946-5400
Montana
http://leg.mt.gov/css.default.asp
406-444-3064
South Carolina
http://www.sc.gov/
866.340.7105
South Dakota
www.legis.state.sd.us/
605-773-3251
Tennessee
http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/
615-741-1552
Vermont
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/
802-828-2247
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How do I cash out or cash in?
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Click the cashier button in your lounge and follow the steps. The entire process
is done via PayPal.
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PayPal transactions?
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PayPal does charge a fee for all user transactions to and from their site, Because
these fees are determined by PayPal, it is the responsibility of the user to make
themselves aware of any fees from PayPal.
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What is the scrape?
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The scrape is the amount that PawnShark charges to use its services. PawnShark's scrape is ten percent (10%) of each transaction |
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How much money goes to charity?
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One percent (1%) of every cash transaction goes to charity.
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Are there refunds?
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Like all tournament play PawnShark offers its services under "play at will" conditions
and all transactions between users are of the users free will, and are binding and
finale. Under no circumstance regardless of the event, be it act of god or an incident
that could be construed as preventable by PawnShark will a refund be given in any
capacity to any user.
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Why is there advertising?
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Believe it or not, market research has shown online chess players like to have something
to look at during game play. PawnShark made it a priority to implement "none disruptive
advertising" while allowing the impatient user something to look at or click on.
No ads on PawnShark will impede game play or the speed at which users go about their
activities on the site.
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Why are the games freezing. |
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As part of your PawnShark terms and conditions you agreed that internet connection and freezing is the users responsibility and that no refunds will be issued for connection issues. If you are experiencing game freezing or site hanging you should contact your internet provider and have them check your connection speed. Any splits in you high speed connection to other sources will significantly impede your connection speed. Because Pawnshark games are timed these bad connection issues will mostly effect blitz games
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What happens if my opponent gets disconnected?
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PawnShark encourages all users of this website to use a high speed internet connection
and any disconnection to PawnShark's services be they the will of the user, an act
of god, preventable by PawnShark, internet, server, or code error will be considered
a forfeiture of game and all currency or points that were owed up to the point of
disconnect will be paid in full.
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