I've checked the FAQ and skimmed through the forum (can't find a search function), so if I've simply missed the answer to this, I apologize.

But for rated games, I'm not seeing a way to accept a pairing for someone waiting on a game like I do in the unrated games section. Is that a privilege that comes with time or points? Or is the site automatically pairing contestants upon registering for a rated game? The FAQ suggests that I should be able to accept a challenge, but so far I can only see a way to register and wait for someone else to accept me.

Is that normal? Am I missing something?

Someone who uses this feature will probably answer soon, but since it's been several hours, i'll tell you what I think I remember. Nobody accepts specific challenges for rated games. Among other reasons, that makes it much harder to use sock puppets to raise your rating without being detected. Instead, you register for how many games you want and how big a rating spread you're OK with and when there are matches the system finds appropriate, it starts a bunch of them together.

Correct, and the games are started once a day (I think at midnight).

So just enter your 'wishes' and wait a day to get paired. Be careful not to do too many, as you might get pairings on requests you already forgot days later when someone else enters.

However generally I would recommend to enter the monthly tournaments, that is faster and more interesting. I basically stopped using the waiting room after I started in some monthly tournaments.

Alternately, you can invite a specific player that you like. Those games are not rated, but they might be more enjoyable, particularly if you'd prefer to play at a faster-than-glacial pace…

The monthly tournaments i've entered have had most games finish quickly, followed by one or two opponents who drag it out for months at the slowest possible pace allowed. In contrast, i can invite RoRoRo the Bot or OneStone_c or one of the many other bots and play in real-time (or whatever pace i'm happy with). And the invitation i accepted from one of the regulars has been a very enjoyable match, with interesting and pleasant conversation.

Thanks, all. Appreciate the responses.

Wow, why isn't this explained in the FAQ? It misleadingly says you can “accept a rated of unrated challenge from someone in the Waiting Room”.

I have been wondering for months, thinking there was some “accept” button that wasn't showing up in my browser, or that you had to be a member for a certain length of time, or something. Finally months later I stumble upon the answer in random forum thread…