Each mode has its own rating under the hood — your Bullet form doesn't drag down your Rapid matchmaking.
Stakes & Payouts
Minimum stake: $1 (USD value), in any supported coin. Your verification level sets the ceiling — see Verification levels.
Both players stake the same USD value. Stakes move into escrow the moment a game is created or joined — they can't be spent or withdrawn mid-game.
The platform fee is 10% of each player's stake (less at higher loyalty tiers). The winner receives the whole pot minus the fees — a $10 vs $10 game pays the winner $18.
Draws: each player gets their stake back minus their own fee. Threefold repetition, stalemate, insufficient material and the 50-move rule are detected automatically; you can also offer and accept draws.
Winnings are released once our fair-play system clears the game — usually shortly after it ends.
One Game at a Time
You can play one staked game at a time. An open challenge you create expires after 10 minutes if nobody joins, with your stake released.
No-Shows
If the first move isn't made in time, the game is cancelled and both stakes are refunded. The window scales with the clock: 15 seconds in Bullet, 45 in Blitz, 2 minutes in Rapid.
Disconnects
If you lose connection (or switch away from the game tab), a visible countdown starts for your opponent to see:
Reconnect within the window and play continues. If the countdown runs out, the connected player wins.
Keep the game tab focused and in the foreground — switching tabs mid-game starts the disconnect countdown. The clock itself is enforced by the server, so a frozen screen never gives extra time.
Resigning & Timeouts
You can resign at any point. Flagging (running out of time) loses the game — clocks are server-authoritative.
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