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Game result (chess) J. Riha, 1953 F. Vasquez, 2073 1/2-1/2 See game 24763 |
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André Diamant wins Brazilian Chess Championship W. Utesch wins the 2nd FICGS candidates final Veselin Topalov wins Pearl Spring in Nanjing Miroshnichenko wins Ukrainian Championship 2008 Vassily Ivanchuk wins Benidorm tournament Armenia wins gold at 38th Chess Olympiad Deep Fritz 11 is available (Chessbase.com) Dominguez-Perez wins World Blitz Championship Hikaru Nakamura wins Cap d'Agde tournament Viswanathan Anand is FIDE world champion 2008 more chess news... |
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Chi-Min Oh 7d wins London open Lee Sedol 9p beats Kang Dongyun in Korean Myeongin Kong Jie & Lee Sedol will play Samsung Cup final Crazy Stone wins Computer Go UEC Cup in Tokyo Fan Hui 2p wins Paris Meijin title more Go news... |
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In the forum... Money games... Moneybookers, Paypal, credit card and bank transfer are available to play money games... Affiliate links... Win E-Points by linking to us as an affiliate, for each new member referred by your link, 1 E-Point will be added to your account... E-Points prizes... Ficgs now offers free games & tournaments with E-Points prizes... Rybka 3, Fritz 12... Rybka 3, Fritz 12, Hiarcs 13, your predictions on forthcoming chess engines... Translators... Translators are needed for chinese, japanese, indian, romanian, polish home pages... Vacation help... Hello all, I've entered a vacation time in error. Is it possible to cancel the vacation ? |
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There are 0 results for Tom Dan in the games.
There are 182 results for Tom in the forum.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-04-16 16:02:22)
Right again
You'll have both options very soon.
In case of crash, the database is automatically & periodically saved out of the server.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-04-17 09:23:44)
Fraudulent ?
I'm not sure.. is really an "automatic player" fraudulent ? Many players are centaurs (human + computer). The decision to let an engine play would be a human one after all.. Anyway, a script player doesn't seem so easy to make. (and for what ?)
Glen D. Shields (2006-04-17 19:01:10)
Thanks for the Comments Guys
Dinesh - since computer use is allowed I have no problem if someone uses a "script" to automate moves. I don't think that would be fradulent. Actually I think it would be clever :) The point I was trying to ask is anyone concerned (besides me) that we created a chess medium (server chess) where it's so easy to make moves that the games move too fast? I dread the start of a new section, particularly large sections with 10+ players. It's impossible to keep one's inbox empty for even a minute. I know I should show more discipline and walk away, but it's almost like an illness "just one more move then I'll stop" and I don't! One practice I've been using lately is to make a move in a notebook and sit on the move for a day or two before sending it. That helps slow things down. I wonder if a delay send option on the server would make any sense? One could make a move and then click a delay send button for 24 or 48 hours. One would be charged time during the delay, but it would automate the slow down and make tournament startups a little less hectic. Maybe I'm the only one who sees this as an issue> If so, then label this just one crazy man's thoughts :)
Thibault de Vassal (2006-04-23 06:12:25)
Not yet
Conditional moves will be probably implemented, but not this week... Many things to do before.
I think it's generally an appreciated feature. Some players don't like to receive "automatic" moves just after they played, but it seems to be a "must" have for CC servers.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-04-23 12:33:40)
Checkmate / Stalemate
Note : Checkmate and stalemate are not automatically converted as a win or draw, your opponent has to resign or accept draw before.. I thought it was a more friendy way, and you have the possibility to send a last message with your move.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-04-26 19:42:16)
Russian, Italian, Chinese, Dutch....
The Babelfish versions of the FICGS home page in other languages are at the bottom of the home page... Quite funny :)
If players from these countries have time to help to translate, feel free to send me an email to info (at) ficgs.com ! Thanks.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-05-12 07:39:04)
Re: Qualifying + Banned players
Hello Jose. You said : "There is still the possibility of the 1st and 2nd place in the round robin to play in the final match."
Actually this is the case, 1st and 2nd qualify for the next stage. How your system works for a 3 stages round-robin tournament cycle ? We can't add 2 extra-stages to designate who qualify from each round-robin tournament...
Hello Trent. There are 3 players who unregistered (not banned), they still appear in the WCH waiting list but they will be automatically removed when building groups.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-05-26 21:19:33)
transpositions...
Hello David. Thanks for your feedback !
That's a big deal. Actually I have a solution to automate transpositions management. But it could bring other problems... In example, a secondary (or totally wrong) line should always transpose to the main line..
Your example (f4 e5 e4) is true, so we should give our opinion about the position (and future moves), not the last move...
About the search function, you're right again, but this point is even more complex ! I'll think about it later, I must care about time processing. Anyway, you can use Chessbase or Chess Assistant to find games sorted by position. So, by now, the search function works for openings, not positions.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-05-31 11:36:44)
Hall of fame
Hello Wayne. That's true... I was thinking about that but no quite good idea yet. We could list all tournament winners at the bottom of 'Hall of fame' page.
It would be difficult to apply a 'ticket' system so that tournament winners can entry a higher class tournament. (and there's no obligation to copy other organizations rules...)
Anyway, finished tournaments will be announced regularly.
If you have another idea...
Thibault de Vassal (2006-05-31 15:34:58)
Including games into webpages
Hello to all.
I've added a small feature : it's an adaptable viewer that enables to include a game into a webpage (ie. with frame).
You can easily change text, board & background color, display pgn or not...
See the Help section (bottom) - http://www.ficgs.com/help.html
Thibault de Vassal (2006-06-01 04:10:56)
Komi, pass, area scoring, ko, seki....
Ok... I'll bring answers and modifications to the rules for all points that remain blurred, today and tomorrow !
The counting method will be Area Scoring (chinese scoring) : When alternate play has ended, each player's score is the number of his stones on the board plus the number of empty intersections surrounded only by his stones.
Now I have a question from a beginner (me) : Is it possible, even with a non entire number komi (ie. 0.5 or 5.5), to have a draw situation ? In other words, what happens if a game can't finish because in example ko rule can't apply ?!
Thanks a lot for your help.
Tom Hodges (2006-06-01 05:46:34)
go server issues
Regarding the Go games: 1. 30 days is way to short. A go game takes about 200-250 moves so at 2/day it needs over 100 days. This is a deal breaker. 2. There should be a link to send and go the next game where you are on turn.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-06-01 06:17:28)
FICGS go rules + quick link
Hello Tom.
You have 30 days + 1 day / move !
About the 'quick link', that's a good idea, I'll think about that.
Michael Aigner (2006-06-01 20:48:46)
FICGS reminder
I have a lot of time left in all off my games and got the following reminser mail.
Did anyone get the same strange mail?
This is a reminder.
You did not connect to FICGS for 13275 days. You may have running games that will be lost on time. If you don't want to receive any reminder, you can turn off the notification options in preferences. There will be no more than 3 consecutive reminders. This email was generated automatically by http://www.ficgs.com/
Thibault de Vassal (2006-06-06 17:39:44)
7.5 komi + Superko
Hello to all.
In accordance with Chinese rules, the last update of the FICGS rules of Go states a 7.5 komi (3.75 by chinese counting)
http://www.britgo.org/rules/compare.html#threeKK
The last ambiguity may concern the superko rule, as now FICGS graphical interface forbids any board repetition (not only previous move). See this page on BRITGO site, at the very bottom : Positional superko (PSK) means a play may not recreate a previous board position from the game, referring to the position just after the play and consequent removals.
However, forbidding any board repetition is the only way to prevent draw games.
Tommie Derz (2006-06-07 00:05:48)
Go applet, ranking list
I am interested how this chess site could develop into a valid site for playing Go. It obviously started by as a server for Chess enthousiasts, which is ok. I suggest a better separation between Go and Chess on this server, resp. a rating list for Go to. It does not make sense to me to have my 'non'-chess-rating of ELO 1400 entered into a list and being silent of the Go rating of e.g. Florescu, Ion (2600?). The chess applet works well, the Go game replayer not.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-06-07 00:38:57)
Go / Chess
Hello Tommie.
I chose not to implement a Go rating system for several reasons, first and main is: a quite true correspondence Go rating may be very (!) long to achieve, maybe even impossible. It seems to me that the challenge could be elsewhere ie. tournament results, to qualify for the FICGS championship tournament.
About the rating list, so far all new players appear in a unique rating list, soon there will be an established rating list, a provisional rating list and a new player rating list.
About this rating for Ion (2600), where did you see it exactly ?
... at last what happens with the Go applet ? You have to click on 'game description'. If it doesn't work, feel free to tell me what game you try to watch and what happens... Thanks in advance :)
Wayne Lowrance (2006-06-17 07:36:58)
rating calc
Welp, I am another innocent victim of starting off at 1400. When I signed on I wanted to start at the beginning, much like daniel. what I really did not pay attention to is the difficulty in climbing the ladder. My chess rating on other sites including CC cite is well over 2200. I started there at the bottom and figured I would do the same here. Not so fast. I have won one tourney here weith 6/6 score tourney allready and am have a perfect scored in a second one with 3 games to go. and yet my expected rating is listed at 1805, cleary I am not a 1800 player. It is not my fault that I was forced to play in a tourney dominated by 1400 players. What you think. Not trying to cause trouble, just venting I guess. and the cite is nice, will continue playing, my best toya Wayne p.s. do you think my playing in a 1400 tourney is fair to those players, hummm?
Thibault de Vassal (2006-06-19 16:19:58)
Go is not a drawn game...
Not for tomorrow, hopefully !
But programs are killing chess little by little for sure... Maybe then we'll play Go, which has the advantage not to be a drawn game (we even don't know the result for sure with a 7.5 komi)... or maybe we'll play big chess :)
Thibault de Vassal (2006-06-30 12:50:53)
Games lost on time
Hello Paul-Iosif.
When a game is lost on time you just have to wait a few hours and the game is adjudicated automatically.
I'll try to make a replacement in the tournament soon. You may have noticed that the game has been rated as a loss for your opponent, but not as a win for you, according to the rules cause less than 10 moves have been played.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-07-04 21:03:47)
Symmetrical games
Understand me, referee has to validate the evidence, nothing more. There can't be any ambiguity in this case (all moves are copied ad tempo, or not). Rules are written in this way : No human factor.
However I can't let the program close an account because of cheating :) .. There are a few players trying to use several accounts, they are automatically detected, but we can discuss (and finally close the facticious one). This site is friendly, we are not in Matrix :>
Thibault de Vassal (2006-07-06 16:38:23)
Out-of-time
Hello Marc.
You just have to wait the robot to adjuge the game (takes a few hours). If your opponent tries to play a move more, the game will be adjudicated automatically.
Glen D. Shields (2006-07-08 21:05:41)
Thibault You Have a Golden Opportunity
Thibault - one of the reasons that FICGS has grown so quickly is that you've welcomed input and implented the things the players have asked for. John is right on this issue. I urge you to listen to him. Take this opportunity and make FICGS the chess server that leads the way in establishing logical time rules.
Here are some suggestions for regular tournaments. You and others can build on these:
- 30 days start +2 days added per move
- 100 days maximum accumulated time
- 30 days maximum limit for one move
- 4 weeks (28 days) annual leave
- no time lost or added during leaves
- no moves made during leaves
- all time calculated by a running clock in hours and minutes
My recommendation for rapid tournaments are:
- 14 days start +1 day added per move
- 30 days maximum accumulated time
- 10 days maximum limit for one move
- 2 weeks (14 days) annual leave
- no time added or lost during leaves
- no moves made during leaves
- all time calculated by a running clock in hours and minutes
I recommend you let the server automatically handle time limit oversteps and make no exceptions. The only exception I would offer is if someone is ill or injured and needs to take an extended medical leave (these things happen). Let there be an option for that player to file an approved leave with you.
Thibault love your server and the hard work you put into it. You and others feel free to critique my suggestions. I strongly urge you to use this opportunity to lead the world in logical time rules. You don't have federations or tempermental world champions to appease. You are the boss. Do it RIGHT. Good luck.
Glen D. Shields (2006-07-10 15:21:09)
Sounds good ....
Thibault - thanks for the feedback and your openess to make changes in the vacation rules.
It's important to get some of these rules right while the player list is still relatively small and the players are still geting use to playing at FICGS. It will be harder to make rule changes in the future.
The 100 day maximum you set on accumulated time establishes FICGS as the trend setter in how to manage modern correspondence chess games. Excellent decision! Much of the problems people talk about in time control are prevented by the addition of this rule.
I'm sure you are aware the IECG has a 30 day maximum per move and the ICCF a 40 day maximum. The IECG limit is firm. You exceed 30 days once you lose. The ICCF's rule is unclear and unevenly managed. You reach 40 days, you need to beg the TD to do something. Sometimes he helps, sometimes he doesn't. Not a good situation.
Whatever limit you set at FICGS, I recommend you keep it firm and automatic like IECG. Personally I prefer 30 days, you prefer 60. IMHO 30 days is plenty of time to make a move is someone is serious about playing. 60 days is too long to wait. My preference is to make the rules enjoyable for those who want to play, not for those who sign up and then get "busy" and rudely make their opponents sit and wait. IMHO you'll attract and keep a better membership base by making the rules player friendly, not player annoying.
Thanks again. My best to you.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-07-18 04:14:50)
New feature : Private notes
Hello to all.
Personal notes and public comments are now available for all of your games (at the bottom of the viewer page or move page step 1).
Public comments may be used to share analysis and feelings about the games... It will be displayed in viewer pages for everyone, as well as in 'Best game' page and homepage.
Please note that you have to submit separately these optional forms and your move.
Glen D. Shields (2006-07-22 19:50:51)
Interesting Discussion Topic
Thibault - this is a interesting discussion topic. Of course, no one knows the future with certainty, but we can all offer an opinion :)
I'm nearing my 40th year of correspondence play. Sometime later this year I will complete my 1000th tournament game. All my games were played by postcard until the mid 90's. E-mail dominated my CC schedule from about 1998 until 2002. Now I only play server chess. I've played on the FICGS, IECG, GameKnot, ChessFriend, Schemingmind and ICCF servers.
Contrary to many people who've played as long as I have, I do NOT see chess engines as a threat to the game. I think they've changed the game, but not hurt the game. I believe they've increasd CC's popularity and game quality. The same is true for opening and ending databases.
Some of the changes that will occur in CC the next ten years:
- Servers will improve functionality and ease of use.
- Due to engine use we will grow to accept 2200 as an "average" rating rather than "Master."
- Tournaments will be re-structured to include fewer players per section and shorter tournament durations. This particularly applies to ICCF where 15 player sections and slow time rules to simulate postal chess are used.
- New server functionality will be added to allow players the option to SLOW down the game. It's too easy to get caught in a mindless "server flurry."
- New chess software will be developed to analyze games. This analysis tool will give proability estimates on what engine one's opponent is using. That information will allow one to counter and plan against one's opponent.
- There will be more anti-computer books written and theories developed. We will use these techniques to beat our opponent and and improve our chess planning skills.
Bottomline ... I am excited by the new technology. I see continued advances in the way we manage our gameload, the way we send moves, the way we play, plan and analyze our moves. The way we play in the future will be different and will still be fun for those who embrace new technology. My disappointment is I am an old man and unlikely to enjoy all the advantages the future brings. I hope those who follow me enjoy what I will miss :)
Glen D. Shields (2006-07-24 17:04:52)
Thanks Thibault
Thanks Thibault for the response.
I definitely concur that today's correspondence chess is different than 40 years ago. The two biggest things I miss about today's CC are the 1) blunders and 2) open tournaments. I remember the excitement of getting a postcard and rushing to check my opponent's move. Blunders weren't common, but they occured. Now they're non-existant. Blunders made for great lore!
Why no more open tournaments? Took me 40 years to get my rating where it's at. I'm not a top player, but what I've earned, I've earned mostly the "old fashioned" way. I avoid open tournaments to avoid losing to low rated players who just learned the moves, but because they have a a high powered muti-processor running Deep Fritz they can knock me down a hundred points. I miss chatting with beginners, teaching them the ins and outs of CC. Oh well :)
You mentioned the top CC players winning and then not sticking with the game because winning is too hard due to chess engines. Is the drop out rate at the WC level any different than it was in the past? Berliner won and dropped out 40 years ago. Palciauskas won 30 years ago and then he dropped out. Chess engines were not a factor when they won. I don't think top players drop out because of engines, but because it is too hard to keep a competitive edge to play at a top level for any length of time. Good results are a combination of talent, hard work and good fortune. Keeping all three together for any length of time is a HUGE endeavor.
Personally I think a bigger threat to CC burn-out is not chess engines, but chess servers. Servers make CC too easy. Today's CC today is like Bill Murray in "Ground Hog Day." You wake up to an inbox full of chess moves. You work all day/night replying. Then you wake up the following day to moves from the same people and do it all again. There are no week long breaks breaks between games like in the postcard days. Server chess is burning out everyone, not just the top players. The progressive server owners will need to address this issue someday.
Sooooo ... what's the bottomline for me? I liked the old days better, but the old days are gone. Chess engines are here to stay. Progress is part of life. I embrace progress and am determined to enjoy it. I get my thrills by learning about chess engines and their weaknesses. That gives me an edge and keeps the game fresh. But then that's me :)
Thibault de Vassal (2006-07-28 02:31:50)
Blogs !
Everyday a new feature, I keep in the rhythm ;)
You may have noticed this link ('see the players blog') at the top of the forum page. A new interface that simply looks like the forum, but built like a blogs website.
You may want to relate your Chess life or Go philosophy, your games or whatever.. you can do it there.
Like in the forum, links are automatically parsed. The html < br > tag to begin a new line. Comments by everyone are also available.
Dinesh De Silva (2006-08-09 07:47:30)
Re: download
Hey, Graham When you click the game number, it takes you to a page where there's a "download" link down at the bottom. When you click it, the game file will download in pgn format. ( Yes, altogether it would be two clicks. If you mistakenly click it for a third time, you'll launch a nuclear bomb! Haha! Just kidding ).
Graham Wyborn (2006-08-09 09:24:23)
Missed the point
When I click the game number the screen appears with the game etc. but no (download) button at the bottom of the screen. I need to click the game number button again, then on the second attempt, the (download) button appears. It seems to me that the (download)button should appear on the screen when I first see the game page. Also have problems entering a move after using the (download) button! Anyone else having the same problem, or is it me and my PC! ........................ Great site, keep up the good work!
Thibault de Vassal (2006-08-10 11:56:01)
Vacances
Bonjour Samy.
Je confirme que le temps des parties ne s'écoule pas (un simple refresh le démontre)... Et je vois qu'il y a "zeitnot" en effet dans certaines parties. La partie perdue au temps l'a été visiblement juste avant que ces vacances soient prises (et sera adjugée automatiquement)... Désolé, la cadence rapide n'est pas si facile à tenir, je le constate moi même.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-08-27 14:49:29)
CheckMate = Not lost yet
Hello Ryaad.
"Reminder : Chess games are not adjudicated automatically if a player is checkmated. You still have to resign (rules)."
Kind regards.
Julien Baudement (2006-08-29 19:44:00)
Go (re ->Thibault de Vassal)
Ou bien il bluffe, ou bien il est très fort car il m'a assez rapidement demandé si je connaissait les règles ! Pourtant, je n'avais pas particulièrement l'impression de jouer mal !! Une petite question technique, comme dans lesègles usuelles, après qu'on ait pass 2x, on décompte les points, c'es fait automatiquement ?
Thibault de Vassal (2006-08-31 01:51:59)
Go (re -> Julien)
Points are not counted automatically in Go games (not possible), even after both players pass... Players may discuss the score by passing more than 2 times, but in all cases one of them has to resign to end the game (or call referee in case of disagreement)...
About your Go games, I saw you use a personal strategy quite far from theory (basically corners, bands, then center)... Original one, but it will be hard, undoublty :)
Dinesh De Silva (2006-09-07 14:11:14)
Re:
Thibault, regarding your question..... I was 3rd in that Candidates Final. I was just 1/2 point short of getting into the top 2 and automatically qualifying for the FINAL. But as the first placed Nigel Robson is also qualified by another cycle, and as my rating is quite high now, I might get a chance to play in the FINAL there.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-09-12 12:55:06)
Scoring function for Go
Hello to all.
I'll add in a few days a scoring function for Go games. Players could retire dead groups, then the program just covers the board (line after line & column after column to compare) and adds empty spaces points to the stones that surround it. The aim is to give an evaluation of the position only, not to decide the result automatically.
Just tell me if you have an idea about a better algorithm, as I realize the difficulty of programming Go.
Thanks in advance ! ;)
Thibault de Vassal (2006-09-18 14:03:51)
Comments at resignation
Hi Nigel.
I mean, using the "Public comment" text area at the bottom of the viewer / move page (the first page when you're to make a move).. There are 2 fields : "Personal notes" and "Public comment". The public comment appears to all and will be emailed to your opponent !
Best regards.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-09-18 14:08:20)
Pass + SGF format
Hello Claude.
Did you really send (confirm) your move ?
About Go SGF format, there's a link (download) at the bottom of the viewer / move page for each game...
Best.
Elmer Valderrama (2006-09-19 19:42:56)
FICGS correspondence chess database
That's a great improvement on the former listing of un/finished games (somehow it took ages to load those pages on my PC).
Now why is it that it will be updated 'at least' every 2 months, not daily as the former pages? (assuming fetching all the PGN scores into a single PGN file is done automatically by a script) Thanks
Claude Brisson (2006-09-20 10:48:16)
Re: Pass + SGF format
> "Did you really send (confirm) your move ?"
Yes. The "pass" appeared after my opponent played.
"About Go SGF format, there's a link (download) at the bottom of the viewer / move page for each game..."
Oh, great! I hadn't seen! Thanks!
Thibault de Vassal (2006-09-29 14:12:14)
Clock - Out of time
Hi Graham.
You just have to wait a few hours, the game will be adjudicated automatically.
Best regards. Thibault
Benjamin Aldag (2006-09-30 15:57:58)
e4-Line !
The e4-Line is the only line, which gives white the possibility of an clear advantage. All other lines are really bad for white. The point of this opening is, to have with the black color good knights versus a bad bishop-pair of white. Roman Dzindzihasvili is the founder of this Defense and i think, "Beefeater" is not the right name. I call it "Dzindzi-Indian-Defense". There are many interesting lines and some of them, transpose the game to other openings (Pirc, Sicilian-Dragon, Kings-Indian etc.). The move 5...f5 was played to prevent black of 6.e4, but 6.e4! is the best move, white can play. I've played last year in Litomysl in a Simultan versus GM Sergey Movsesian this "Dzindzi-Indian-Defense". Sergey played 6.h4?! and after 15 moves, we draw the game. The Dzindzi-Indian-Defense is an easy to learn opening and i've got good results with it in many tourneys. Last time i've saw this Defense at the Chess-Olympic, played by players around 2400-2500. 6.e4! is the best move, but many many players don't know it and the possibility for black, to get a good result in a game is very high. I can say, i know all variations about this opening and this thematic tournament will be my first tourney here, where i will not use computer-assistence. Its funny to see, that an Engine (Rybka,Fritz etc.) dont understand the ideas behind this defense and without an opening-book, engines dont see that 6.e4! is the only way, to get an advantage.
I luv Dzindzi-Indian-Defense
Benny
Thibault de Vassal (2006-10-02 15:11:16)
Kramnik plays under protest
Official statement and protest by V. Kramnik
To FIDE President H.E. Kirsan Iljumshinov
To the WCC Appeals Committee
On 2 October 2006 my manager received the following decision from FIDE:
“Tomorrow, 2 October 2006, at 15.00, the 6th Game of the World Chess Championship Match a Topalov-Kramnik with the score 3:2 in favour of Kramnik, will take place.”
Based on this decision I make the following statement:
I inform that I am ready to proceed playing the match by reserving all my rights. My further participation will be subject to the condition to clarify my rights regarding game five at later stage.
I do not agree with the decision made by FIDE and I formally protest against it. The decisions made on my requests, especially the resignation of the Appeals Committee, opening the toilets to the restrooms again, are chrystal clear admissions of FIDE of having taken a false decision. Logically FIDE admits herewith that it was a mistake to start game five by violating the rules and regulations of the competition and by changing the agreed playing rules and conditions during the match without my approval.
I deeply regret the unsportsmanlike and unequaled behaviour of my opponent whom FIDE donated a victory outside of the board by using dirty tricks.
High level functionaries inside FIDE once again were making the professional part of the chess world a disgraceful playground of their own interests. I strongly believe and hope that the course of these events made it obvious to everyone that drastic changes with regard to the professional management structures inside FIDE are evident.
By deciding just a couple of hours ago I had to assess between my personal interests and the interests of the entire chess world. It is very difficult to play under these circumstances. But I came to the conclusion to proceed under protest because I do not want to disappoint the overwhelming majority of the chess fans which are hoping for the unification since so many years.
I also had in mind the people of Kalmykia which are doing their utmost to organize this match on the highest level possible.
Last but not least I would like to thank very much for all the support I experienced during these days.
Elista, 2 October 2006
Vladimir Kramnik Classical World Chess Champion
Rodrigo Jaroszewski (2006-10-02 15:17:48)
Argh!
"Question to Topalov: Veselin, with what feeling will you come to play tomorrow?
With great enthusiasm. I am tired of rest!"
On the other front: "unfortunately, Vladimir could not appear here – he is not feeling well"
Disgusting! It's a good thing they opened the toilets, because I need one to puke right now! So they give in on everything, except on the 3:2 score, just to get Kramnik less advantage and to wear him out. Argh!
Glen D. Shields (2006-10-05 05:25:52)
Wayne no one ...
Wayne - no one is time trouble because no one is using their time. That's the point! "Correspondence chess" on a server has basically become an OTB match between chess engines. Players in all organizations are complaining about server burnout. Players who swore off postal are re-considering their decision.
What Thibault is trying to find out is how prevalent is the burnout. What I'm proposing any player can do manually, but why should it be done manually when the server can do it for us? Isn't automation the whole purpose of the server?
Help from the server to manage the pace (and one's game load) is a perfectly logical extension of server play. If you want to play fast, play fast. If you want to play slow, slow the pace, use the server to do it for you. Why is that bothersome? No one is suggesting a change from the 40/10 limit. There's no proposal to deviate from the 100 maximum accumulated days (great rule - every server should follow this rule!). What am I missing? I really don't get it :)
Thomas Gilbreath (2006-10-08 02:40:55)
Thibault
12 of my 13 are ready. If my player ritt doesn't register with you within 48 hours, I propose to simply drop him from the match, as I don't have a fair match for Charlie Neil (I do have many higher rated players if he really wants to play). Let me know, and please explain to me the format here on FICGS as you guys only play tournament style - are you going to set up a tourney especially for our match? Get with me tonight or tomorrow, as we hope to start the match Monday:) Thanks - Thomas
Graham Wyborn (2006-10-11 00:13:44)
See Below
You just have to wait a few hours, the game will be adjudicated automatically. Reply given to me in a previous response to a similar question
Graham Wyborn (2006-10-30 10:04:22)
Go games "display"
First allow me to say how much I enjoy playing chess & go on this site. Keep up the very good work!
Would it be possible to mark or display on the board when playin Go the piece that was last moved?
Also on other sites the option to flip the board is present. On this site the board is already fliped when playing white. Is this needed? If you download the .sgf to a viewer it will not show the game the same way round.
We have to press "send" and then "next". Is it possible to have an option included where after pressing "send" you go automatically to the next game?
Thibault de Vassal (2006-10-30 13:16:29)
Update : last move (Go)
Hello Graham, thanks :)
I just updated the display of Go games, the last move is now marked in red.
Boards are fliped because it's more logical at chess (and most games), to be nearer "reality". I prefer all games displayed the same way, sorry :/
At last, about going automatically to the next game, that's quite right but the confirmation page ('Your move has been sent') may avoid some "problems"... I prefer this way, unless many players ask for this change.
Kind regards.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-10-31 09:50:28)
Red mark + Message
Graham, really ? Please note the red mark is only displayed on the 'move' page, when you're to play a move. (not in the viewer page ie.)
Sebastian, that's quite right, messages may be forgotten on the 'move' page... But I thought it would be hard not to see it on the 'move_confirm' (cf. url) page, above the 'send' button... That's a problem to displace the board at the bottom IMO :/ And a popup window wouldn't be appreciated... I have no better idea at this time.
Thanks for feedback.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-10-31 09:58:18)
2nd FICGS chess WCH waiting list is open
Hello Wayne.
I can do this tomorrow. If the issue is about rating, please note that ratings taken in account at the start of the tournaments (TER : Tournament Entry Rating) are current ones at this time - november rating if this cycle starts ie. on december 15) - so ratings will be automatically updated in the waiting list...
Kind regards.
Stefano Ghisi (2006-11-01 19:42:06)
Checkmate
My match 1679 was won by checkmate. Is automatic the adjudication?
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-02 08:31:47)
Partie perdue au temps
Bonjour Daniel.
Exact. Il apparait que le coup a été joué dans l'intervale de quelques heures qui séparent la perte d'une partie au temps de l'adjudication automatique par le robot. Dans ce cas, c'est le joueur lui même qui met fin à la partie... (l'horloge indiquant 'out of time')
Le temps restant pour le dernier coup était de [correction] 127837 secondes, soit 35 heures, 30 minutes et 37 secondes... Votre adversaire a joué le 29/10 à 13h 48 et vous avez répondu le 31/10 à 01h 53, soit 36 heures et 5 minutes après, ce qui explique le message.
Désolé, la cadence 30 jours + 1 jour par coup est difficile à tenir...
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-03 14:55:07)
Only 965 ?!
About the chess rating list, I updated the code a few days ago. It is now "semi-static" (automatically updated every 6 hours at most)
6 hours, that was theory... I just found the small bug, thanks :)
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-11 07:24:59)
temps de réflexion
Such a rule (a player who do not connect to the server during more than 30 or 60 days [+holidays] automatically looses all his games at the same time) could be applied, but would it solve all cases & problems. I don't think so...
About time controls, is 30 days + 1 day / move really too slow ? What else ?
Arthur Alfred Macarsindale (2006-11-14 11:16:06)
Thank you
To all of you who have taken the trouble to read my very very mini auto biography. If I 'pop my socks' tomorrow I can honestly say it was not a boring life!
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-15 21:30:40)
New chessboards
Ok, some new chessboards (default big & giant) are really awful :)
I've just added two sets : "Graphics" is nice and quite big, "Phantom" is... big only !
If you know places on internet where one can download nice free pictures (gif format) for each chess pieces, please send me your links...
Thanks in advance.
Ryaad Aabid (2006-11-16 09:28:27)
Suggestion
All openings became known nowadays. If the opponents ends the openinig step, the clock will automatically be changed from 30 or 40 days to 7 or 10 days. If the player has no time enough to visit the website during 7 or 10 days, he/she should take vacation, otherwise to leave! instead of bothering his/her opponents. Thank you Thibault, Ryaad
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-16 13:27:51)
Please link to FICGS
Dear friends, you may know how it is important for a website to be linked from other places on the internet since Google created his famous ranking system Pagerank...
FICGS has got about 1,000 links so far (not too bad after 7 months) for a Pagerank 5, but the more links, the more players !
Feel free to link to FICGS from your website, blog, in forums and so on...
You may contact me - info (at) ficgs.com - if you have a chess or Go related website, so that I add it in the file that displays random links at the bottom of each game page, ie. http://www.ficgs.com/game_342.html
A link written one of these ways would be very appreciated :
<a href="http://www.ficgs.com " title="Correspondence Chess Server">FICGS</a>
<a href="http://www.ficgs.com " title="Chess Server">FICGS chess server</a>
<a href="http://www.ficgs.com " title="Go Server">FICGS Go server</a>
<a href="http://www.ficgs.com/forum.html " title="Chess forum">FICGS chess forum</a>
<a href="http://www.ficgs.com/wikichess.html " title="Wikichess">Wikichess</a>
Thanks in advance !
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-20 16:20:17)
Wikichess
Wikichess is a chess tree, you can go forward or back just by following the links - moves or 'back', then enter new moves...
When you browse Wikichess in contributor mode (when logged in), your name is automatically added but it will be recorded only if you submit the commentary. It's all explained on the wikichess page ;)
Lionel Vidal (2006-11-20 21:57:03)
Go handicap and rating
Is handicap Go really nonsensical in rated tournaments?
While it seems so in a world championship, where the aim is to determine the stronger player in an absolute sense, why should it be so in a tournament, where the aim is to determine the best player in a relative sense... hum, not a very clean or clear sentence, but I hope you got the idea :-)
In face to face Go, in most amateur tournaments, it is not a problem, and you can win or loose a tournament, win or loose points, playing with an handicap (some tournaments set a limit lower than 9 in the number of handicap stones). I do not know the formulae used to compute the knew ratings, but in practice it works well. (and the same thing works also in Shogi tournaments)
Before WWII, even pros played with handicap (one or two stones at most, more commonly with a fixed color and no komi) and that *for money*!! Nowadays this is not the case anymore: maybe the increase of pro-tournament prizes change the noble way to be the best of two players fighting *their best* at their *respective* level!
Anyway, I think such an idea may be interresting to motivate players: when weaker, I will fight my best because I have a chance to win, and when stronger, I *have* to fight well :-)
We could think of a rating system where you play your first, say, 20 games without handicap to get a starting rating, and then to receive or give handicaps automatically in tournaments. We could then consider a rating as fixed after a bunch of 20 more games...
Or any other system that will always generate tense and dangerous games! That will be, at least for me, a great motivation to play more :-)
(but then I do not care much for my rating :-))
Thibault de Vassal (2006-11-28 23:06:59)
new chat bar
Hello Jason.
Sorry about that. I'll think about a new option in preferences to automatically disable the chat bar. However you can close it already during your session by clicking the arrow just before 'International chat'.
Thanks for feedback.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-12-01 15:26:55)
Blunders
Some nice blunders collected by Johannes Fischer (chess historian).
See at the bottom of this Chessbase article :
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3514
Thibault de Vassal (2006-12-17 01:38:17)
SEO forums
Hello to all.
You may have noticed new FICGS forums, linked from the Home Page (article follows) and from the bottom links...
http://www.ficgs.com/forums.html
The article : "The most famous game nowadays isn't chess or Go anymore, the game most played for several years is called SEO : Search Engines Optimization. The board is internet, rules are dicted by Google and players are the webmasters. Actually anyone who creates his homepage or a blog is interested at one time on how to get more visitors on his website. The stakes ? Glory or whatever, but first of all : Money, of course... FICGS now has his own SEO forums. Feel free to discuss anything about Google, his famous PageRank, Yahoo! search, MSN live, affiliate programs, AdSense, AdWords and so on... Have good-Google games !"
The idea is not to make this site a portal about everything or anything, of course :) .. But there are many good reasons to add such content to this site, even if it's completely separated.
SEO forums start today... first dedicated to webmasters, feel free to discuss anything about your website and search engines optimization. I'll try to give some advices :)
Best wishes.
Miguel Pires (2006-12-26 23:25:01)
Open challenge
Hello, I'm making an open challenge to all players (from the top to the bottom) in this site to play against me in the Portuguese oppening. Soo if someone accept the challenge please tell me. I play always with withe. To Thibault de Vassal If someone accept can you please setup the games in FICGS? Best Regard's Miguel Pires
Graham Wyborn (2006-12-29 14:28:09)
Could this be changed?
Other sites allow you to go on vacation and cancell or return early. Could you make this possible on this site? I would not have booked such a long holiday if I had known I could not cancel it. Now I have withdrawal symtoms as I cannot play on this site until my hoildays ends.
Thibault de Vassal (2006-12-29 14:48:31)
To be continued
It has been discussed already, my conclusion was vacation had to be hard to use enough, in order to reduce influence on time controls, ie. a player shouldn't be able to take days to think more time when having difficulties in some games and cancel his 'holidays' after finding a solution... So it has to be discussed. Anyway, I'll add a message specifying vacation can't be canceled when taking days leave.
Reminder :
http://www.ficgs.com/membership.html#playing
11. 4. Time rules
Any move in any game shall be played in a maximum period of 60 days, otherwise the game will be adjudicated on time. Time accumulated in a game can't exceed 100 days. Please don't call referee since you see your opponent's clock 'Out of time', you just have to wait a few hours a robot automatically adjuges the game.
Please be aware that it's possible sometimes your internet provider or a point between the server and you may block the connection between the server and you. Even it's a rare thing, it's strongly recommended to always have several days left at your clock. No result will be reconsidered or time added due to such a technical problem. No time will be added due to any problem during a period less than 1 day long.
It is possible to take a maximum of 30 days leave per year, called vacation. During this time, clocks are frozen and it is no more possible to play, in order to reduce the effects on time controls.
Please note the time limit per move clock still runs during vacation. Take your days carefully, as it's not possible to take back or displace your leave dates. However you can add days leave.
Dinesh De Silva (2007-01-02 16:36:42)
Re:
Hi, Marc or Elmer I need an English translation for the following message too: " Queria aclararle solamente que yo no había recibido el mail que esta reenviando. Por favor, asegurese que su servidor este funcionando bien. A partir de este momento, de no recibir alguno de vuestros mails, si despues hay un reclamo de parte de alguno de ustedes, deberé tomar como que el mensaje no se envió, cargando el tiempo perdido al jugador en falta. Esta medida la tomaré de ahora en mas a fin de evitar inconvenientes y que la partida finalice de la mejor manera posible. Pasando en limpio, en caso de no tener copias de vuestros envios, deberé decidir a favor del reclamante sin más tramite. Saludos cordiales y Feliz Año Nuevo."
Miguel Pires (2007-01-02 17:22:41)
Re:
I'm going to try to translact this correctly: Queria aclararle solamente que yo no había recibido el mail que esta reenviando. "I wana elucidate you that i've not received the mail that you are recending" Por favor, asegurese que su servidor este funcionando bien. "Please, make sure that your mail server is working properlly." A partir de este momento, de no recibir alguno de vuestros mails, si despues hay un reclamo de parte de alguno de ustedes, deberé tomar como que el mensaje no se envió, cargando el tiempo perdido al jugador en falta. "After this moment, if i don't received some of your mails, and some of you make a complain, i assume that the message was not send, and the time lost is charged to the player that i've not received the message." Esta medida la tomaré de ahora en mas a fin de evitar inconvenientes y que la partida finalice de la mejor manera posible. "I make this to try to avoid any incovinients and to the game finish in the best whay possible" Pasando en limpio, en caso de no tener copias de vuestros envios, deberé decidir a favor del reclamante sin más tramite. "(I think is this the first word's) Making a resume, in any case of i don't have copies of your envoices (mails), i'm going to decide in favor of the player how complain, without any discussion (i think is this) Saludos cordiales y Feliz Año Nuevo. "Best regard's and Happy new year" I hoppe i help you Miguel Pires PS: Sorry the bad english :)
Thibault de Vassal (2007-01-03 01:08:07)
Blitz correspondence chess
Of course not :)
I mean I don't think everyone can play 2 games one 'today' and one 'tomorrow', or even be sure they really could play 'tomorrow'... There would be problems for sure with a "rendez-vous" system.
The advantage of playing White is probably not much greater (maybe not greater at all) than playing Black and to know who's your opponent, particularly with a standard time control, what do you think ?
Anyway everything is possible if no solution is clearly best, but we must avoid the old proposal with White playing ie. the 2 first moves IMO. It may be a funny variant to offer, but this is not real chess game.
Thibault de Vassal (2007-01-08 18:14:32)
Chessbazaar
Good luck with this new chess site, Marc :)
What pictures are you talking about, Charlie ?? .. I may have problems to see it on this computer, I'll look at it on another one tomorrow...
Thibault de Vassal (2007-01-15 12:10:16)
Draw declared
Hello Wayne.
You mean if a draw can happen without offer AND acceptance by both players ? Two cases...
1/ The referee grants a draw (according to rules).
2/ A stalemate position automatically generates a draw offer.
Thibault de Vassal (2007-01-19 11:41:07)
FICGS login & registration problems
Hello to all.
It seems there are some login, password recovery & registration problems for a few players. I'm looking for an explanation...
Some can't register without getting message "please enter the correct number" while they did enter it, so it may be a format problem for numbers. (in this case please write to the email at the bottom of the page)
If you failed to obtain a new password that works with password recovery, just try once more and it will 'most probably' work.
Really strange... I'm inquiring.
An example : "Although I got a new password I was not able to use my account from my PC!-So I decided to log in from my colleague´s one and it worked - I don´t know why."
So some computers could send a format for numbers that the program does not recognize yet. (?!)
Benjamin Aldag (2007-01-19 15:48:39)
new videos
...i will update my page http://www.dzindzi.de.vu tomorrow with new videos ;-)
benny
Thibault de Vassal (2007-01-22 11:26:58)
problems with playback
Hello Michael.
Sorry, so many things to implement yet :)
What do you mean 'Whenever I play back a game' ?
I use Firefox and Explorer and I didn't see that until now ?! (if I understood well)
I'll add a download button for all games, right now you can try to click the printer icon in 'My games', there's a list of your games in PGN format.
You can see who's online at the bottom of the page 'My messages' or go to http://www.ficgs.com/informations.html
My best.
Xavier Pichelin (2007-02-02 21:04:44)
Stage 2
Bonsoir, Une petite question en français je suis désolé je ne comprends pas l'anglais (enfin très peu). Les vainqueurs des groupes du stage 1 doivent t-il s'inscrire pour le tour supérieur ou bien simplement qualifié automatiquement pour le stage 2? Et quand les matchs vont-ils commencer? Je vous remercie. Amicalement Xavier.
Thibault de Vassal (2007-02-05 12:37:22)
Stage 2
Bonjour Xavier.
Les qualifications sont automatiques... Les tournois devraient commencer d'ici une semaine à trois semaines maximum (j'espère)...
Amicalement, Thibault
Elmer Valderrama (2007-02-17 10:59:30)
like a no-smoking zone?
I believe what Aldag want is a place with a sign "computer-free chess" just like those pubs, restaurants, trains, etc use a "no-smoking zone" sign. It will be visible so that it will deter smokers/engine-users to enter that zone.
To make it less attractive to engine assistance, these games should be unrated, with player automatically losing their current ELO (that ELO rating could have been "won" using engines previously anyway) so just their names will suffice, and there should not be no tournaments --so that there is no "winners" as this will trigger the use of engines-- The players will only challenge each other and the winner will not be known to anybody except the players, and the games will not be recorded in the general database and they will not be shown live: all this will for certain deter any need to use an engine i.e. 'winning' means nothing literally and it will look as if it never happened
This way chess without engines will be as if doing something clever when actually it is a loss of time -can't remember who said this about chess 8-)
Tom Hodges (2007-02-17 19:02:17)
Go features
Most servers have a button for Send and Go To Next Game Can this be added here? Also for Go games it is vital to display the # of prisoners taken. A game may go up to 300 moves and the score may be within a few points. Since the server doesnt do a fimal score, we need to see the # of prisoners.
Thibault de Vassal (2007-02-17 20:01:13)
Go features
Hello Tom.
Did you try the 'next' link after you sent a move ?
About the prisoners, as we use Chinese counting, it seems to me the number of prisoners is not really important. What about the Go scorer ? .. - click the 'score' link before to play your move... Thanks for feedback.
Thibault de Vassal (2007-02-21 18:52:58)
Unrelated suggestion
Thanks Marcus. As I said before, it may be quite hard to make it automatic, as rules may differ according to the tournaments. And it will be more true with the new tournaments to come...
Thibault de Vassal (2007-03-06 14:27:21)
RSS feeds
Hello Nicola.
Do you have a RSS reader / News aggregator installed on your computer ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_aggregator
Each game has its own RSS feed, you can find the link by clicking on the XML icon at the bottom of a game page, ie. http://www.ficgs.com/game_1.html
I hope it helps :)
Don Groves (2007-03-13 06:55:09)
Login timeout is sometimes too quick.
Hi Thibault -- I was just typing a long response to a Forum article and when I tried to preview what I had written, I got the dreaded "Try again" message. My login had apparently expired and when I logged in again, all my typing was gone! Is it possible to extend the period of inactivity before we are automatically logged out so this is less likely to happen?
Thibault de Vassal (2007-03-15 13:59:35)
Lightning chess games
Hello to all.
A new update, you may have seen a new category in money tournaments :
Lightning (correspondence) chess games, time control 30 minutes + 1 minute / move
I think it's a quite interesting time control for chess, it should attract more advanced chess players (or simply strong computers).. Really faster than "blitz correspondence chess".
I updated the server so that it is really easier to play fastly in these games. When you send your move, a new option will appear next to (Flip) and (Next). The link (Wait) will redirect you to the viewer page that will be auto-refreshed every 10 seconds. When your opponent play his move, you'll be automatically redirected to the "move" page to play your move and a pop-up window will appear to warn you (if Javascript is activated)...
Read more about in Time rules - http://www.ficgs.com/membership.html#time
Money tournaments will start on April, 2
Elmer Valderrama (2007-03-26 18:15:28)
How Life Imitates Chess
Has it been already published?
To start with, something tells me that the title should have been: How Chess Imitates Life, as it is written by a chess player not a philosopher or politician.
Not just because there is nothing bigger than life, but because we would be in real trouble if we had to make use of chess methodology to find out how to make the right decisions in life.
It can help, true, but no more than it did for Napoleon, for example ;)
(--Wellington would be turning in his grove trying to claim a Master Norm for Waterloo ;)
I have real difficulties trying to grasp the link between chess and politics.
Was Churchill a chess Master? if that is so, then Bush and Blair must be ELO 1200 ;-), and Garry must be declared Russian President ipso facto
Which French presidential candidate from your list plays chess?
Which one is considering learning some chess strategy?
Would they get more votes if they declare this intention? -sort of getting into their rights minds and improving their decision making? Hey, Garry is missing some prospective customers here..8-)
Thibault de Vassal (2007-04-06 05:00:13)
Automatic login
Hello to all.
Everyone probably noticed security improvements these months. To use the SSL left form when you login is recommended for maximum security.
However, you could prefer to login faster, in this case you may bookmark the link below (working only if you use the right form & save your username and password in a cookie) :
http://www.ficgs.com/index_identify.php
https://ficgs.com/index_identify.php