Can anybody give me suggestions on how to get into playing electronic corrospondance chess?
-Or a server that does moves on a day to day basis.
I was thinking about trying that out. Although I like to play quick chess on FICS, usually 10minute games or so. But I don’t really get a chance to ponder the board.
I don’t generally have the time to play a G/60 or longer time controls.
(If I could even find an opponent for that leisurly time control on FICS).
Also, what is the ettiquete for corrospondence play?
From what I understand, you can pretty much do all the research you want… as long as you don’t use a chess engine (or another player) to assist in choosing your actual moves.
I thought it might be a good way for me to break into trying different openings. It would be more interesting to apply some knowledge of research, rather than just going over a book with endless variations, or forcing Chessmaster (or your favorite chess program) into a certain line of play.
My knowledge is dated by a few years, but ICCF is still around ( iccf.com/content/index.php?o … e&Itemid=1 ), and has since developed a webserver for playing (it was email only last time I was there.) 2-game unrated matches are free there - though navigating around the site is a little complex.
ICC also offers a correspondence-style play system (or at least they did last time I was a paying member there.) And, I guess it still does ( chessclub.com/help/correspondence ) But, of course, then you’ve got to be an ICC member. Don’t know about World Chess Live.
And I’ve assumed that you’ve already perused the CC-resources here? ( main.uschess.org/content/blogcategory/82/397/ ) - seems like one can enter an email correspondence match for $5.
Hope that’s enough resources for you!
ETA: I forgot all about the Internet Electronic Chess Group (IECG) forehead smack ( iecg.org/index.htm )
And it depends on the specific rules of where you’re playing. But generally database consultation is allowed (as are books, magazines, and any other print resources.) Engine analysis and evaluation is absolutely verboten, as is consultation with any human player about a game in progress. But there’s nothing, AFAIK, that prohibits you from feeding the current position into search and retrieving all games matching it in your db. Never seen an exception to that anyplace I’d play at. (And the USCF’s CC rules echo this.)
It seems that the “research” rules for USCF style correspondence chess have some fuzzy boundaries. That is not surprising.
I believe ICCF does allow you to consult your chess engine. You can do any research at all except asking other people. (Someone please correct me if this isn’t right.) So their rules are clear. I like them better too, because I suspect that the urge to bend / break the USCF rules is overwhelming for some people.
