Frequently Asked Questions

Chess.biz is a marketplace where chess players can charge others to play games with them. Whether you're a titled player offering premium games or someone who wants to play against stronger opponents, Chess.biz connects you.

Chess.biz lets you play against specific players you choose, including titled players and strong amateurs. It's a way to get guaranteed games with players you want to learn from, while allowing skilled players to monetize their expertise.

Sellers can offer any time control they want. Common options include bullet (1+0, 2+1), blitz (3+0, 3+2, 5+0, 5+3), rapid (10+0, 15+10), and classical (30+0).

Yes! We donate 1% of our profits to Lichess. Lichess is a free, open-source chess platform that makes our service possible. We believe in giving back to the community.

Grayed out listings indicate the player is currently offline. You can only purchase games from players who are online and ready to play.

After payment, you'll be taken to a waiting room. The seller will receive a notification and create a Lichess challenge. You'll see a link to join the game once it's ready.

No. You're paying for the opportunity to play, not for a specific outcome. Refunds are only available if the seller fails to create the game or abandons it.

If a seller doesn't create the game challenge within a reasonable time (typically 24 hours), contact support@introvert.com to request a refund.

Yes. You need a Lichess account to log in and play games. Creating a Lichess account is free at lichess.org.

Chess.biz charges a 15% platform fee on all transactions. If you list a game for $20, you'll receive $17 after the fee. Stripe also charges standard payment processing fees (approximately 2.9% + 30¢) which are deducted from the buyer's payment.

Giving back: 1% of our profits are donated to Lichess to support the free chess community.

You receive your payout after the game is completed on Lichess. The payment is transferred to your connected Stripe account, then paid out to your bank according to your Stripe payout schedule (usually 2-7 business days for new accounts).

You should only be online when you're ready to play. If an emergency arises, contact the buyer through Lichess and reach out to support@introvert.com to arrange a refund.

Yes! You can create multiple listings with different time controls and prices. For example, you might charge $10 for blitz but $25 for classical games.

Stripe handles all payment processing securely. By connecting a Stripe account, you can receive payments directly to your bank account. Your listings won't appear on the marketplace until Stripe is connected.

Yes. Income from Chess.biz is taxable. You're responsible for reporting your earnings and paying any applicable taxes. Stripe may send you tax forms (like 1099-K in the US) if you exceed certain thresholds.

Yes. We use OAuth 2.0 with PKCE, the same secure authentication method used by major platforms. We never see your Lichess password. We only request permission to create game challenges on your behalf.

We store your Lichess username, user ID, rating, and title. For sellers, we also store your Stripe account ID. We store transaction records for payment processing. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Yes. Contact support@introvert.com to request account deletion. Note that we may retain transaction records for legal and accounting purposes.

If Lichess is unavailable, games cannot be played. In rare cases where payment was made but Lichess becomes unavailable, contact support for assistance.