Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is my password?
To have your Arena password emailed to you, enter the email address you registered with
in the box below and hit the "Send me my password" button.
2. Instead of a board display, I get the message
"Sorry, you need a Java enabled browser to view the ... Player!". How do I enable Java?
Either Java is disabled in your browser's preferences or you're using one of Microsoft's
latest operating systems like Windows XP, which don't include a Java Virtual Machine anymore.
First check your preferences. If there's no way to enable Java, you can download the Java Virtual Machine from Sun.
Go to Sun's Java page and click the big "Get It Now" button (top-right on the page). Follow the instructions to download and install the JVM. If all goes well your browser will be "Java enabled" (again).
3. Why does the system say "wrong password" when I'm sure it is correct?
First verify it's actually your turn in the game. If it's not, the system expects the
password of your opponent.If it is your turn, my guess is you're using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. This browser has a problem with our system: it submits your move twice. Since the move gets accepted the first time, it's your opponents turn the second time around. Hence the confusing error message.
Try one of the following to resolve the issue:
- upgrade to IE 4.01 (worked for me)
- use Netscape Navigator/Communicator (doesn't have this problem)
- clear the browser cache (works temporarily, if at all)
4. I've made a wrong move - can I correct it?
Sure you can. On the page of the game you'd like to correct, choose "Undo last move" from
the pop-up menu. Enter your password and click the "Submit" button. Your last move be
rolled back after which you can enter the correct move in the usual way.
This only works, of course, when it's your opponent's turn. If he has already played, he has to take back her/his last move before you can.
If you work together you can even step back a number of moves (multiple undo).
5. My email address has changed - how to change it in my Arena registration?
You can change your email address, as well as your name, password and games of interest, by
following these steps:
- Go to the MindSports Player's Section page
- enter your (old) email address in the middle of the page
- choose "Preferences" from the pop-up menu
- click the "Go" button
- On the next page you can change all your personal preferences, including your email address.
- After you've saved your preferences - click the button at the bottom of the page and don't forget your password - the new address will be in effect immediately
6. Instead of a Java board, I get a "Load error. Try again later" message - what's up?
Generally, this is the result of an overcrowded or unreliable connection to the internet.
The solution is to access our site during the quiet hours.
More specifically, AOL users seem to suffer from this problem more than others. Although I don't have a clear cut solution, one of our visitors seems to have overcome the problem; I quote:
"Instead of actually going into aol to play my chess games, I just went directly through Internet Explorer? Does that make sense?
Well what I'm trying to say is that there are 2 shortcuts I have. The first, to click on the aol shortcut to play chess... OR ... to click on the Explorer?
It worked before (with aol), but now I have to use explorer. Whatever works for me, I'm happy with it considering the situation at hand."
7. How do I make a move in my games?
For general remarks about the MindSports system you can go to the
About the MindSports Player's Section page.
A link to game specific "Words on notation" is present at the bottom of every game page.
You can also access them from here: choose a game and click the "Words on Notation" button.
8. I don't want to play anymore - how do I unregister?
Unfortunately this is not an automatic process yet. For the moment you'll have to
If these answers don't clarify your concern, please contact .