Correspondence chess

Correspondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, usually through a correspondence chess server, through e-mail or by the postal system; less common methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon. It is in contrast to over-the-board (OTB) chess, where the players sit at a chessboard at the same time (or perhaps play at the same time remotely).

Correspondence chess allows people or clubs who are geographically distant to play one another without meeting in person. The length of a game played by correspondence can vary depending on the method used to transmit the moves: a game played via server or by e-mail might last no more than a few days, weeks, or months, but a game played by post between players in different countries might last several years.

Structure of correspondence chess

Correspondence chess differs from over-the-board play in several respects. While in OTB chess only one game is played at a time (the exception being in a simultaneous exhibition), in correspondence chess several games are usually played at once. All games in a tournament are played concurrently, and some players may have more than a hundred games continuing at the same time.

The time limits in correspondence play are usually between 30 and 60 days for every 10 moves. This allows for far deeper calculation, meaning that blunders are very rare. The use of any kind of assistance, including books, chess databases and chess programs, is often allowed, though many hobby players voluntarily do without them.

The new phenomenon of computer assistance has altered the essence of correspondence chess and in addition to profound chess knowledge and analytical discipline, the ability to interpret and guide computer analysis has become important. Given that a player with a computer can use the strongest programs to analyze his/her games, the gap between the beginner and master player has narrowed in recent years since a beginner can partially compensate for his poor chess knowledge with long computer analysis. However the influence of computer assistance is controversial in both official and casual play, and consensus on the issue of whether to allow computer aid is still lacking.

Also at stake is human supremacy over computer chess programs; some argue that a chess program - if left alone - is no match for a top-level correspondence player. An interesting parallel match between correspondence chess grandmaster Arno Nickel and six computer programs on the now defunct Chessfriend server ended +1=3-2. Nickel also played a two-game match against Hydra, currently the strongest chess machine, winning 2-0. In the rematch, the first game was drawn. The second game has been postponed because of the parties' schedules and server problems. Arno Nickel played in the final of the 2nd CSS/PAL Freestyle (see Advanced Chess) on Playchess, being the only player to obtain a winning position against the tournament winner Hydra Syclla, reaffirming his "anti-Hydra" status. He eventually lost the game because of time trouble in the revised shorter time-control.

Types of correspondence chess

There are three main types of correspondence chess, with Server based correspondence chess becoming the most popular form in the world today, with major correspondence servers becoming as large and popular as the online blitz chess servers.

Server based correspondence chess

Correspondence Chess servers are usually database-driven and carry with them a web-based interface for submitting moves to the database. But they do create the possibility of facilitating any method of transmission, as long as the transmitted moves are audited within the Server's database.

Server fees vary. Most casual servers use a yearly charging model, whereby players can play as many tournaments or games as they want all year round. Also more casual servers allow the use of nicknames, and have a real-time rating system which often adjusts a players rating after each rated game. Casual servers also tend to have a wide range of facilities, such as online games databases, etc. More traditionally based correspondence chess servers often charge per tournament and still force the use of real names, which is arguably a very controversial thing to do in the modern world of online hackers, and Microsoft releasing security updates very frequently.

It is not really appropriate to distinguish between levels of "officialdom" in correspondence chess servers because of the use of chess Engines. Making such judgements about "offialdom" makes a mockery of the widely respected FIDE titles which are arguably the only credible titles worth acquiring in the modern world of powerful computers and powerful chess engines. Because even a "postman" who just delivers moves from a modern engine would be able to reach a very high rating if they were dedicated enough and with enough powerful hardware and resources. Indeed there have been some casual servers who have explicitly banned players because of engine-usage and this has become another differentiating factor of the various servers - how engine users are detected and tackled.

It is however more appropriate to distinguish between how the server's rating systems work - the level of credibility and soundness, and also proneness to practical factors such as potential player abuse (where chess engines form a major part of potential abuse). Many casual servers for example do not rate games when less than 10 half moves have been completed. Most casual servers make use of an Elo based rating system, but some others use a more exotic Glicko system. Some casual servers only provide rated games to "full members" and not "guest members" thus helping reduce potential rating abuses from players setting up multiple accounts, etc.

Email based correspondence chess

There are organisations devoted to organising e-mail play. But Email play is gradually declining in popularity due to issues such as Email viruses, the possibility of opponents claimining they have not received moves, etc. There are also sometimes genuine delivery failures, which make Email based correspondence chess less popular and audited than server based chess.

Postal (Snail Mail) correspondence chess

There are organisations who use traditional "snail-mail" to facilitate moves between players. This form of correspondence chess was arguably superceeded by Email-based correspondence chess which offers much cheaper play per game - each move usually delivered free by Email and also instantenously. But Email-based chess itself has arguably been superceeded by Server based correspondence chess where usually the interface to a Chess server is a web-based interface.

But it should be noted that Correspondence Chess Servers can potentially have any interface to submit moves to it - they are like a virtual "bank", and the method of transmission is less important, as long as the move transactions are audted into the "bank". For example, if Carrier Pigeons carried moves to a place where their moves were scanned in, those moves could be entered into the correspondence chess server.

Over the board players who also play correspondence chess

Although nowadays the strongest correspondence players are specialists, a number of notable players in over-the-board (OTB) chess have in the past played postal games during their chess career. Paul Keres, an Estonian sometimes regarded as the strongest player never to become world champion, played many games of correspondence chess, apparently because he had difficulty finding players in his native country anywhere near strong enough to give him a decent game. Yakov Estrin and OTB world champions Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe also played. The modern GM Ulf Andersson also achieved very high ratings in both ICCF and FIDE, remaining in the FIDE Top 100 unto June 2002 and consistently ranked second on ICCF. The two-time British champion George Botterill is now a high rated correspondence chess player.

Also, there has been a recent trend of strong OTB players choosing to play in correspondence chess, either in part or whole. Many players who were in the world-class area in their younger years find that they do not have the time nor inclination due to family or careers to compete in OTB chess but still enjoy playing chess. Ulf Andersson of Sweden is the most notable of these, due to his high OTB rating to have joined the ranks of correspondence chess after an illustrious career in the world-class OTB arena.

ICCF World Champions

Dates given are the period in which the final of the championship took place, as given on the ICCF website.

Men

Cecil John Seddon Purdy (1950-53)
Viacheslav Ragozin (1956-59)
Albéric O'Kelly de Galway (1959-62)
Vladimir Zagorovsky (1962-65)
Hans Berliner (1965-68)
Horst Rittner (1968-71)
Yakov Estrin (1972-76)
Jørn Sloth (1975-80)
Tõnu Õim (1977-83)
Victor Palciauskas (1978-84)
Friedrich Baumbach (1983-89)
Grigory Sanakoev (1984-91)
Mikhail Umansky (1989-98)
Tõnu Õim (1994-2000)
Gert Jan Timmerman (1996-2002)
Tunç Hamarat (1999-2004)
Ivar Bern (2002-)
Joop van Oosterom (2003-)

Women

Olga Rubtsova (1968-72)
Lora Jakovleva (1972-77)
Ljuba Kristol (1978-84)
Liudmila Belavenets (1984-92)
Ljuba Kristol (1993-98)

External links

General

Facts, Games and World Champions of Correspondence Chess by Craig Sadler
CompWebChess - An open source application for building correspondence chess servers
TCCMB - A correspondence chess message board

Correspondence chess servers

Free servers

Yearly flat-fee servers with no limits on the number of current games

Yearly flat-fee servers with limits on the number of current games

Pay per tournament servers

ICCF chess server

Correspondence chess by post or email

ICCF - International Correspondence Chess Federation.
IECG - International Email Chess Group.
IECC - International Email Chess Club.

Chess

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