The IT Factor, Part 3: Managing Your Preferences

One of the most important features of the new membership database is that members will finally have the ability to control much of their own information, as well as set their own preferences for the types of email communications they receive from US Chess.  This blog will show you how to access that part of the system.

In “The IT Factor, Part 2”  we covered how to log in to the new system.  Please take a few minutes to read that first.  You will get a shot of the new Dashboard functionality, and have a better understanding of the layout.

Manage Email Preferences and TLAs

On the Dashboard page, clicking the “Manage Email Preferences and TLAs” button leads to an extensive screen with options for maintaining your own communication preferences.  We’ll look at this screen in three parts.

Personal Information

The first part of the preferences area lets you look at your key demographic information.  Certain information (name, gender, date of birth) may only be changed by the US Chess national office.  Click the “Update Key Information” link on the page to submit a request to change those fields.

The rest of the information shown in this section can be maintained directly by you, the member. 

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Player Details

The information in this section allows you to enter your FIDE ID, school information (if applicable), and user ID information on four different online chess providers (Chess.com, ICC, chess24, and Lichess).  The online chess partners functionality is part of a significant improvement that is already helping both Chess.com and ICC to more efficiently run and host US Chess tournaments on their platforms. 

If you play on any of these servers, linking your user ID on that server to your US Chess account is how the servers will, in the near future, validate that you are a US Chess member, and therefore eligible to participate in their US Chess-rated events. 

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Communication Settings

As another improvement in our membership database, you will be able to tailor what kind of emails you get from US Chess.  You will also be able to pick your preferred privacy settings, and determine what kind of TLAs you receive in the email TLA newsletter.  All of this, of course, is completely editable by you – no phone call or email to the national office required!

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Other features

From the Dashboard, you’ll also be able to:

• Change your password (via the “Change Password” button).
• Review US Chess governance information (via the “Governance Material” option in the right-hand menu).  [UPDATE:  As of July 10, the Governance module is still in development.  The option doesn't appear in the menu yet.  It should be ready within the next 1-2 weeks, and will be visible then.]
• Renew your US Chess membership, or purchase a new membership (via the “US Chess Member Options” option in the right-hand menu.

If you are a TD, or an authorized officer of an affiliate, you will see other options as well. US Chess has the ability now to specify what level of access a member should have, based on their affiliations and status.  This crucial functionality is what has allowed us to rethink and retool how you access the US Chess web experience. 

What’s next?

There will be articles coming very soon regarding, among other things, the new TLA system, the new membership webstore, and the new governance functionality.  We think these are very exciting features, and we hope you enjoy learning about them and using them.