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     |\_                                                                    
    /  .\_         *  I E C G  *  I N F O R M A T I O N  *                  
   | ( ___)         Frequently Asked Questions About the                    
   |    \              International Email Chess Group                      
   |    |         -----------------------------------------                 
   /_____\        Version 4.55   *    Updated: 21 Oct 1997                 
  [_______]       -----------------------------------------                 
====================================================================        
The International Email Chess Group (IECG) is one of the main chess 
organizations in the world. Since 1994 it has provided Internet users 
with the opportunity to play rated email chess games with people all 
over the world for free. As of September 1997 IECG comprises 4600 
players in 75 countries! Welcome to IECG!
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
                     - Table of Contents -                                  
                   1. What IECG is all about                                
                   2. Frequently asked questions                            
                   3. New entries, game reports, claims, etc.
                   4. IECG Contact List
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
1. WHAT IECG IS ALL ABOUT                                                   
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
This section briefly describes some of the key aspects of the IECG,
such as free membership, the types of tournaments and events that        
are offered, rating classes, how to join and information for newcomers 
to email and/or chess.                                            

1.1 Free membership!                                                        
----------------------------------------------------------------------
IECG Membership is open to all. Participation in the IECG
programs and events is free of charge.                                

1.2 IECG offers the following forms of chess competition:                   
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
       * Single-game introduction matches                                   
       * Two-game matches                                                   
       * Quad tournaments                                                   
       * Class tournaments                                                  
       * IECG Cup tournament                                                
       * IECG World Championship Invitational                               

   Standard Rate of play is 10 moves in 30 days for two-game matches,
   10 moves in 40 days for all other multi-player tournaments.
                                             

1.3 Ten rating classes are available:                                       
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
       Senior Master: 2400+           Class C:       1400-1599
                         
       Master:        2200-2399       Class D:       1200-1399
                        
       Expert:        2000-2199       Class E:       1000-1199
                         
       Class A:       1800-1999       Class F:          0- 999
                        
       Class B:       1600-1799       Class G:         unrated
                                      
1.4 Pairings in two-game matches                                            
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
Please note that in mini two-game matches you may be paired above           
or below your category, within a 200-250 point rating differential.
    
 Example: A player rated 2050 may be paired against a player rated 1850.

----------------------------------------------------------------------      
2. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS                                               
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
2.1   What is IECG?                                                         
2.2   What is the purpose of the IECG?                                      
2.3   What are the goals of IECG?                                           
2.4   What relation does IECG have with online chess servers?               
2.5   What is the cooperation between ICCF and IECG?                        
2.6   HOW TO BECOME an IECG member !!
2.7   What algorithm is used to determine player ratings?                   
2.8   What is a good number of games to start?                              
2.9   What are the championship and class tournaments?                      
2.10  What if I wish to play in a Quad Tournament?                          
2.11  Am I going to get flagged if I must temporarily suspend play          
      because of other commitments?                                         
2.12  How do I blow the whistle on someone who won't move?                  
2.13  How do we resolve typographical errors? (touch-move?)                 
2.14  Where can I get IECG information via www, ftp or email?               
2.15  How do I use the automated routines for requesting more action?       
2.16  How do I report a change in email address?                            

2.1 What is IECG?                                                           
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
The International Email Chess Group (IECG) is the largest international 
email chess organization.                                          
In early 1994, about a dozen chessplayers met via email to form the         
International Email Chess Group. Since that time IECG has experienced       
phenomenal growth.                                                          
We currently have over 4600 registered players at all playing levels -      
from grandmaster to novice - in 75 countries, and the number is growing!
The range and sophistication of our tournaments and services has            
expanded along with the membership base. For example, we now offer          
a complete range of tournaments and matches to suit players of all          
strengths.                                                                  
Every player regardless of strength receives an international Elo           
rating based on his performance. These ratings are regularly updated,       
and all players have access to on-line searchable rating lists and 
game databases.
     

IECG documents, such as the Quick Guide and Official Rules and Regulations 
are available via "autoresponders" and can be retrieved from anywhere in 
the world by sending email as follows:

IECG Quick Guide  => iecg@mailback.com
Write a message to:  iecg@cvtci.com.ar
and *Write* in the message body, ONE of  the following sentences :
T-RULES            (for Tournament Rules, last version)
IECGRULES          (for IECG general/matches rules)
ALGEBRA            (for Algebraic Notation supplement)
RATRULES           (for the IECG Rating Rules)
REFTIME            (for the Reflexion Time Made Easy doc)
PGNSAMPLE          (for a doc explaining PGN notation)

There is also a wealth of information on our IECG Web site:
 http://www.eics.com/iecg
In addition, interesting information is published electronically and
submitted to our members through the IECG mailing list.
All of the activities described above have been implemented and maintained
through the efforts of a small team of very dedicated and highly motivated
IECG volunteers.
Again, IECG membership is open to all. There is no membership fee, nor are
       
there any fees to participate in our expanding range of tournaments,        
nor to take advantage of our ever-widening range of special services.       

2.2 What is the purpose of the IECG?                                        
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
To continue to provide chessplayers throughout the world with the           
opportunity to compete and meet new chess friends in the context of an      
organization that does not require fees for membership and the rating       
of games. Players are required to have their own access to Internet,        
or the ability to use the Internet address of a friend.                     

2.3 What are the goals of IECG?                                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
The goals of the IECG are two-fold:                                         
(a) to fully staff IECG with capable volunteers - including trainers        
    for those new to chess via email - so that the chess-via-Internet       
    community can continue to enjoy the benefits of this service; and       
(b) to gain further recognition in the world's chess community so that      
    all members can enjoy that measure of status of belonging to an         
    international chess organization.                                       

2.4 What is the relation between IECG and the online chess servers ?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
None, at this moment.

2.5 What is the cooperation between the IECG and the ICCF?                  
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
The volunteer-based IECG group won praise from the ICCF leadership for      
its work in popularizing international email correspondence chess. The
ICCF Congress 1997, held in Buenos Aires (Argentina) approved by
unanimous voting a proposal of cooperation-integration in benefit of
the IECG players, which is currently under consideration by the IECG
council. Further discussions/improvements/suggestions to this proposal
of our ICCF friends will take place in the next months.

2.6 How to become an IECG Member!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
All prospective members must complete the mandatory IECG training/          
evaluation (T/E) program.This program involves a complete email 2-game match,
played against a selected opponent (typically another prospective member)
under the helpful supervision of an IECG volunteer trainer.

Even stronger players/masters find the T/E program beneficial, as the 
mandatory T/E match provides them with the opportunity to review carefully 
the unique aspects of chess-by-email in an unrated setting.

If a player can document substantial chess-by-email playing experience when
joining IECG, then he/she may ask IECG to by-pass the T/E program towards
their full membership.

Players with officially established ratings with other organizations will 
be able to play rated games after the T/E phase. Those with no established
rating will be asked to play four (4) further rated games against rated
opponents, as this will help to give them a more reliable provisional 
rating. As a much more rapid alternative, though, unrated players
will also be offered the chance to start playing rated competitions right 
away with the initial rating of 800 (this option is optimal for beginners 
and novices).
The unique IECG training/evaluation program is perhaps one of the reasons
for which there are such a few dropouts or 'silent withdrawals' from 
IECG events.            

For further info and to register, please contact our Registration Office
(see below). In order to improve efficiency from now on we will have TWO 
"entry points" instead of one, and we also provide tutors in several 
languages!
If you are writing to register as a new member of IECG, or if you already
were a member of "old IECG" and have lost touch and wish to re-join, 
please visit our web-page at http://www.eics.com/iecg/ and follow the 
link called "Becoming a new member". While you are at it please take 
the time to download and read (you can always do it on-line, of course!)
our information files.

In the unlucky case that you should have no WWW-access, please do as follows:

[1] If your country of citizenship is in Europe, Africa or Asia, 
    send your registration request to:
    Mr. Robert Dournes (FRA)     <dournesr@MicroNet.fr>

[2] If your country of citizenship is in the Americas or in Oceania, 
    send your registration request to:
    Mr. Mario Cocozza (ITA)      <dademar@mdnet.it>
    
In any case we strongly recommend that you read our information files and 
at least have a look at our rules before you register. This may avoid you 
unnecessary headaches and/or disappointments, and of course it will also 
considerably help our staff of volunteers, not to mention the fact that 
you will have a better idea of what kind of chess organization you are
joining.

2.7 What algorithm is used to determine player ratings?                     
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
A new "rating scheme" was approved by the IECG Council. Details are
available through: iecgrat@alvarez.satlink.net (Rating Regulations)
In short:
 1) New Players with a rating from a different organization get an
    initial rating according to the list in the new rating scheme document
    (mainly as is, ICCF members get an established rating).
 2) New Players without a rating start with an initial rating of 800.
 3) If the player thinks his rating should be higher, he can choose to
    play a Rating tournament (four games) only for getting a better (or
    worse!) initial rating. 
    While playing in a Rating Tournament, he/she cannot enter other IECG 
    events such as class or cup tournaments, two-game matches or quads.
 4) The rating calculations are not made "game per game" but in "batch mode",
    taking the results of a player over a period of 2 months (or more). This
    will reduce "fluctuations", and it will give us a statistically stabler
    system, similar to the one used by ICCF.

 http://www.eics.com/iecg/ratinfo.htm  (contains a list of all interesting 
information about rating)
 http://www.eics.com/iecg/ratsearch.htm  (the link to the searchable
rating list)
For questions about your rating, write to the following address:
rating@bonsai.eics.com

2.8 New players frequently ask: "What is a recommended number of games      
    to carry at the beginning?"                                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
The question of how many games to play at one time from the beginning       
is difficult to answer without knowing the amount of available free         
time, the level of other commitments and the threshold of stress of         
the player.                                                                 
One suggestion is to start with one, two, or even three two-game            
matches. After such games completion, you will have a more exact idea
about your needs, and how much time you spent in the email games.

2.9 What are the championship, cup and class tournaments?                   
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
The IECG World Championship Invitational -- runs in a two steps cicle:
IECG WCh Semifinal - invitations are extended winners in Class M of          
Class tournaments and Quads M tournaments to play a 7-player (or 9-, or 11-) 
single round group, and the IECG Wch Final, with players qualified from
IECG WCh Semifinals and first placed in the previous final.

The first IECG World Championship Invitational recently finished with the 
victory of ICCF GM Simon Webb, from England, with better tie-break score
than ICCF GM Juan Sebastian Morgado, who came in second.

The IECG Cup tournament -- available annually -- is a cycle of tournaments,
       
open to all members, consisting of preliminary round(s), and leading        
to the final round in the form of 7-player (or 9-, or 11-) single           
round groups. A cycle typically takes two years to complete.              

The IECG Cup I final recently started, with 9 players qualified from the 
semifinals. A "final-B" started, too, with those players who finished in 
second place in the semifinals.
The IECG Cup II began on early November 1996 with 280 (!) players in 40 
sections. We are now ready to start the IECG Cup II semifinals, and ...
the IECG Cup III preliminaries start on October 15th, 1997!!

Class tournaments -- on a continuing basis, seven-player single round       
tournaments are started as soon as valid groups of seven players are        
formed in their respective tournament classes:                              
                           ---rating---
         
        class M   2200 and higher     class 2   1400 - 1799
                      
        class 1   1800 - 2199         class 3   1000 - 1399
                      
                        class N     up to 999.              
                                                      
Promotions/demotions to adjacent tournament classes are based on ratings    
and tournament results.                                                     

Quad tournaments -- on a continuing basis, 4 players double round       
tournaments are started as soon as valid groups of four players are        
formed in their respective tournament classes:                              
                           ---rating---
         
        class M   2200 and higher     class 2   1400 - 1799
                      
        class 1   1800 - 2199         class 3   1000 - 1399
                      
                        class N     up to 999. 
Promotions/demotions to adjacent tournament classes are based on ratings    
and tournament results.                                                   

2.10 What if I wish to play in a quad tournament?                            
-------------------------------------------------
IECG quads are 4-player *double round robin* mini-tournaments.              
Each player plays two games against each opponent, one as white and         
one as black.                                                               
For further details, please contact Richard Kyllo <rkyllo@mts.net>         

2.11 Am I going to get flagged if I am confronted with other                
     commitments                                                            
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
Players often ask if they are going to get flagged when confronted          
with major events and/or unexpected changes in their lives, such as a       
job-change, a-big-project, an-exam, a-week's-vacation or family-crisis.     
You will not get flagged if you advise your opponents *in advance*,
requesting an adjournment, with a copy of that message sent to your 
Class tournament secretary (TS)
In short, adjourments are permissible IF the TD or TS is notified           
in advance, and the notification is confirmed.                              

2.12 How do I blow the whistle on someone who won't move?                   
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
Please read the IECG Rules of Play or IECG Tournament Rules, depending
what event your are taking part.
In short, prior to making a complaint, you need:
- Repeat your last message to your opponent !
- If no answer or receipt acknowledgement was received after 7 more days,
  please contact *your Tournament Secretary*

To expedite processing of your claim, provide full details, including       
match type, match number, opponent's name and email address, nature of      
claim, agreed pace (if applicable), number of repeat messages sent,         
reflection time documentation, and complete record of moves/times/dates.
            

The following form may be used for your convenience.                        
======================================================================      
                           * IECG claim  *                            
======================================================================      
Match Type            : [ ] Training game                                   
                        [ ] Two-Game match                                  
                        [ ] Quad Tournament                                 
                        [ ] Class Tournament                                
                        [ ] Cup Tournament                                  
Match Number           :                                                    
Opponent's name        :                                                    
Opponent's email       :                                                    
Nature of claim        : [ ] Lack of reply
      
                         [ ] Cancel                                         
                         [ ] Other:                                         
Pace                   : [ ] Standard 40 moves/10 days
                         [ ] 30 moves/10 days
Number of repeats send :                                                    

Please include your game score below, including the names of who is         
playing white and black, and documentation for reflection time used         
by both players.                                                            
======================================================================      

** The previous form *must* be sent to your Tournament Secretary (TS).
If you take a few minutes to fill out the form, your TS will act faster!

2.13 How do we resolve typographical errors?  (touch-move?)                 
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
When playing in a two-game match or in a multi-player tournament
and in case of disagreement, notify your tournament secretary (TS).
Send copies of move transmissions indicating the error.                     

2.14 Where can I get IECG information via www, ftp or email?                
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
Additional IECG information, including the IECG games database in           
portable game notation (PGN) and Chessbase formats, can be obtained         
from these sources:                                                         
  1. Our official web site: http://www.eics.com/iecg
  2. Chess WWW server http://www.ub.uit.no/chess/iecg (historic files)
  3. By e-mail using the "autoresponders" quoted above.
  4. ftp.pitt.edu/group/chess/ORGS/  files named iecg...

2.15 How do I use the automated routines for requesting more action?        
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
Our web site offers an automatic procedure to entry in our events.

2.16 How do I report a change in email address?                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
Please send the following info to:  elvis@giga.com.ar
LAST & FIRST NAME:
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS:
YOUR COUNTRY:
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
3. COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST                                                  
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
3.1 REQUESTS FOR ENTRY INTO NEW QUAD SECTIONS *ONLY FOR IECG MEMBERS*
Through our web site (preferred way!!), or:
Please send all requests for entry into new Quad sections to                
TD for Quads Richard Kyllo  <rkyllo@mts.net>                                 

REQUESTS FOR ENTRY INTO ALL OTHER EVENTS *ONLY FOR IECG MEMBERS*
Through our web site (preferred way!!), or:
Please send requests for entry into 2-game matches or class or other        
tournaments to <elvis@giga.com.ar> using the following form:

BEGIN TOURNAMENT  
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  First & Last name   :
  Email address       :
  Country:
  I wish to join a tournament: (put an X )

  ( ) Class Tournament, 7 players, 6 games
  ( ) Two games matches
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
END TOURNAMENT                      

3.3 REPORTING GAME RESULTS
--------------------------
Send reports *only* to the appropriate Tournament Secretary.
You can see a lot of examples in our newsletters (PGN games)

 IMPORTANT: For registering results, the winner (the player with white 
in case of a draw) needs to report: a) gamescores in PGN format (according 
to the example below), b) results, c) the IECG Tournament or Quad name or 
2-Games-Match-Number", d) email addresses of *both* chessplayers.

 Subject: GAME REPORT
My opponent email address is: <...@...>

[Event "1.017"]        (correct event name and number: this example 
[Site "IECG"]          refers to Class 1 #017)
[Date "1996.11.27"]    date of completion of game: very important!
[Round "1"]            round number: very important for 2 game events!
[White "Alvarez, Roberto"]
[Black "Paetzold, Ortwin"]
[Result "1-2-1/2"]     or 1-0, 0-1

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 1/2-1/2
All reports *not* in this format will give more work to our Tournament
Secretaries, and cause a delay in the rating system.
*****
HINTS
******
Please, help your TS in the following way:
- Send gamescores & results in the right format !
- Send him the email addresses of your opponents!

There are several useful programs *freeware or shareware* you can use
for storing email games, time-keeping and to submit PGN reports:
(free demos availables through ftp.pitt.edu/group/chess)

ECTOOL v.3.00 : A Windows 3.1/Windows 95 program, very nice interface,
stores current/finished email games. Exports to PGN and ICCF notation, sends
messages on-line, Absolutely IECG compliant.Contact: andres@spainmail.com
(he is IECG member) or http://www.telebase.es/ectool
CHESS RECORDER : Windows 3.1 software, Shareware.Demo Available through
                 ftp.pitt.edu/group/chess\UTILS
FILEMATE        : Windows 3.1 or higher. 74401.3055@compuserve.com
DBSCHESS 1.7    : Windows 3.1. 4 language options. For more info:
                http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DBSugden
CLUBMATE        : A windows based, low-cost, database program, which supports
PGN notation. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/clubmate

And some commercial ones,which of course, have many more features!
Rebel 9.0                http://www.xs4all.nl/~rebchess
                         email: rebchess@xs4all.nl
MChess PRO 6.0           email: mchesspro@aol.com 
BOOKUP                   http://www.coil.com/~bookup
                         email: bookup@coil.com
ChessBase                http://www.chessbase.com

3.4 CLAIMS REQUIRING ARBITRATION
All claims requiring arbitration should be sent to your Tournament
Secretary (TS). If you do not agree with your TS decision, you can
write to the Appeal Instance within 10 (ten) days of receiving your
TS decision. The Appeal Instance ruling is *definitive*

3.5 ALL OTHER COMMUNICATION
Please send all other communications to <elvis@giga.com.ar>
This includes specific problems/situations not covered by the above,
or troubles contacting your Tournament Secretary.       
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
4. IECG CONTACT LIST
----------------------------------------------------------------------      
IECG Council:
  Roberto Alvarez          (ARG) elvis@giga.com.ar
  Gert Schoenbuchner       (GER) GertSchoen@t-online.de
  Ian Brooks               (ENG) ianb@wolfram.com
  Klaus Kluge              (GER) klaus.kluge@cww.de
  Bill Brown               (CAN) electric_knight@canadamail.com
  Ton van Bommel           (NED) bommton@euronet.nl
  Christian Kuhn           (GER) chkuh@stud.uni-sb.de
  Sergio Cuniolo           (ITA) sergio@sia.cise.it
  Robert Dournes           (FRA) dournesr@micronet.fr 
  John Head                (USA) wallaby@exis.net
  Richard Kyllo            (CAN) rkyllo@mts.net
  Mats Larsson             (SWE) matsl@axis.se
  Thayne MacLean           (CAN) thayne2@auracom.com
  Mark Huizer              (NED) xaa@stack.nl
  Patrick Mary             (FRA) patrick.mary@a2points.com
  Vania Mascioni           (SUI) vania@uts.cc.utexas.edu
  Juan Morgado             (ARG) juan.morgado@alvarez.satlink.net
  Ortwin Paetzold          (GER) ortwin@bonsai.eics.com 
  Filiberto Pivirotto      (ITA) fpivirot@ouverture.it
  Pedro Taboada            (CHI) ptaboada@cmetnet.cmet.net

 Tutors:
(please write to V. Mascioni if you lost the address of your tutor. 
There is no need to contact them directly in order to enter the Tutorial 
 Program: just REGISTER FIRST - see above on how to do it!)

Alasdair Alexander (ENG),Albrecht Fester (GER),Andreas Kuckel (GER),
Dan Bernardi (CAN),David Galvagni (ITA),Dean H. Mitchell (USA),
Flavio A. B. da Silva (BRA),Graham Davies (ENG),John M. Aarhus (USA),
Jean-Luc Jelen (BEL),Jan Malmstrom (SWE),James B. Krepp (USA),
John R. Weiss (USA),Lee Leavell (USA),Meonolf Beckmann (GER),
Ralph Krumdieck (USA),Sven-Erik Persson (SWE),Paul Thomson (USA)

[IECG Secretary]: Roberto Alvarez (ARG)  <elvis@giga.com.ar>
[IECG World Championship II TS]: Ortwin Paetzold <ortwin@bonsai.eics.com>
[IECG Class M] :TS Filiberto Pivirotto (ITA) <fpivirot@ouverture.it>
[IECG Class 1]: TS Sergio Cuniolo (ITA) <sergio@sia.cise.it>
                TS John A Head (USA)  <wallaby@exis.net> 
[IECG Class 2]:  
"odd" groups (1,15,27)  Robert Dournes (FRA)  <dournesr@micronet.fr>
"even" groups (2,16,28) Christian Kuhn (GER) <chkuh@stud.uni-sb.de>
[IECG Class 3]:
for *odd* Groups (1,3,5,etc): TS Ian Brooks (ENG) <ianb@wolfram.com>
for *even* (2,4,6,etc):TS Ton van Bommel (NED) <bommton@euronet.nl>
[IECG Class N]:
for *odd* Groups (1,3,5,etc): TS Gert Schoenbuchner <gertschoen@t-online.de>
for *even* (2,4,6,etc): TS Pedro Taboada (CHI) <ptaboada@cmetnet.cmet.net>
[IECG Cup Coordinator] :Patrick Mary (FRA) <patrick.mary@a2points.com>
                        
[IECG Quad Tournaments]: TS Richard Kyllo (CAN) <rkyllo@mts.net>
[IECG Two-Game Matches]: TS: Thayne MacLean (CAN) <thayne2@auracom.com>
      Assistant TS: Armando Acevedo(USA) <aacevedo@mex1.uninet.net.mx>
[IECG Matches Entry-process] : Mark Huizer (NED) <xaa@stack.nl>
[IECG Tutorial Program] : Vania Mascioni (SUI) <vania@uts.cc.utexas.edu>
[IECG Rating tournamens for newcommers]: Klaus Kluge (GER) <klaus@cwg.de>
[IECG Appeal Instance] :  Bjoern Gambaeck (SWE) <gamback@ling.helsinki.fi>
[IECG Rating Office]:  Ortwin Paetzold (GER) <ortwin@bonsai.eics.com>
[IECG Archivist]: Bill Browm (CAN) <electric_knight@canadamail.com> 
[IECG Adjudicator]:  Mats Larson (SWE)  <matsl@axis.se>      
[IECG Advisor]: GM Juan Morgado ARG <juan.morgado@alvarez.satlink.net>
    
--------------------------------------------------------------------
                IECG - International Email Chess Group 
====================================================================        
           (c) 1997 International Email Chess Group (IECG) 
----------
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