If you take enough data (i.e., play enough live games here), you find that there is indeed a percentage of the population that exhibits truly rude behavior. I find that number to be relatively low, but with a registered membership approaching 1/2 million, the sheer numbers of rude folk are large.
I leave game chat on during live chess, simply because I want to exhibit the minimal courteous behavior I am used to when playing OTB chess. I usually wish my opponent good luck (gl) at the start of a game and issue a handshake (handshake) at the end of the game, regardless of outcome.
Inevitably, every 50 games or so, I run into ... well, you know what we'd call 'em if we would get censored for doing so. My most recent example was rather mild: My 'gl' was followed by 'You're gonna need it." Just a bit of youthful bravado perhaps, but rude nonetheless between folk who do NOT know each other. So, I simply resigned. Sure, it'd been better if I had just aborted. Perhaps even better yet had I played on and beat my opponent. I chose to give him the very hollowest of victories, hoping that the ludicrousness of it would sink it.
Still, it's relatively infrequent here, although it runs in streaks from time to time, I suppose. Charging for all memberships and then enforcing behavior through loss of membership fees would work but is probably not in the business model of the owners.
Pick your ways to deal with the idiots: a) disable chat, b) blocking those who offend, c) reporting the more serious offenses, or d) any other means you find effective to deal with those who haven't grown up yet or who have grown up rather poorly from a character point of view.
Good luck, and handshake.
But this is the first I've heard of going to a fight and a chess game broke out.
lmao