ICCF Playing Rules Guidelines

Individual games normally played by email.

1a.
The FIDE rules can be found at  http://handbook.fide.com. The most important change during recent years is that there are NO exceptions to the 50 move rule concerning draws.

2b.
Players may use two (or more) different notations eg. ICCF numeric and algebraic, provided they explicitly agree upon it at the start of the game.

2e.
Moves and times for the entire game should be sent in every email.

2g.
The time starts counting when your opponents move is made available to you and ends when you send your reply. In the case of regular mail this is when the card is placed in a mailbox accessible to you. In the case of email this is when your server makes the message available for you to download.   However, it is always permitted to consider the message as having been received the next day (your local time).

2i.
Except in unusual circumstances this will normally be the same dates the previous move was sent and the current one received. That is the email took 0 days to be transmitted.

2j.
The message time stamp is the time that the move was received by the senders server. This time is usually shown in the full headers for the message.

2k.
It is required to include the time used and total accumulated time for both players.

2l.
As stated in the guidelines for 2g it is always permitted to consider the message as having been received the following day (your local time). One aim of this ruling is to avoid players complaining to the TD about moves being sent / received shortly before / after midnight.

3a.
It is necessary to wait 14 days before sending a repeat.   If you know you are going to take more than 14 days over a move, please let your opponent know so that unnecessary repeats can be eliminated.

3b.
Games MAY be scored as lost if 40 days pass without a move being played unless the Tournament Director has been informed of the delay. This does not mean that games are automatically forfeited after 40 days without a move, it is up to the Tournament Director to determine the reason for the delay and rule accordingly. Note that it is possible for the game to be forfeited by a player who is silent for more than 40 days, even if he has enough accumulated time not to have exceeded the time control.

4a.
If different moves are sent when two notations are explicitly agreed upon, the move should be treated as ambiguous and referred back to the sender for clarification.

4e.
As an example, there is no need to indicate check, nor can a move be considered invalid if check is not indicated.

5a.
If it is not possible to keep all of the records on the computer, it will be necessary to keep a copy on a floppy disk or failing that, paper.

5d.
It is reasonable to try to sort out minor disputes without getting the Tournament Director involved. As a general guideline if a single exchange of correspondence does not solve the problem, it is time to notify the Tournament Director. Major disputes must be referred to the Tournament Director immediately.

6a.
This means that no more than 60 days reflection time can be used for the first 10 moves, 120 for the first 20 moves etc. without overstepping the time control.

6e.
In a series of conditional moves, the time (for the recipient of conditionals) is in its entirety considered as belonging to the player REPLYING to the last ACCEPTED move.

As an example, assume that after 9 moves both players have used 58 days time.    White now offers a conditional with his 10th move.   Assume White uses 3 days for this, and Black accepts the conditional and uses 5 days for his reply to White's 11th move.

Then the cumulative times for the moves involved in the conditional shall be recorded like in this example:

Rec.  Sent  Total Move White Black Rec.  Sent  Total
22/09 23/09 01/58  09  4152  6857  23/09 23/09 00/58
24/09 27/09 03/61  10  6141  5878  00000000000000000
00000000000000000  11  3234  4534  28/09 03/10 05/63 

Hence, White did exceed the time limit, since all his time for moves 10-11 is added to move 10, whereas Black did NOT exceed the time limit, since all HIS time for moves 10-11 is added to move 11!  

7a.
It is recommended to claim an etl as soon as it occurs.  The claim should include a complete copy of the game with all received and sent dates for both players.   Even if a player acknowledges they have overstepped the time control in their correspondence it is still necessary to notify the Tournament Director so that the result may be recorded.

7d.
The game should be suspended while the Tournament Director is reviewing the claim and making the decision.

8a.
Dates given for a leave are inclusive. That is if a player's leave is from 7/7 to 13/7 the player has taken 7 days leave. A move received on 6/7 and replied to on 14/7 has a reflection time of 1 day. A move received on 6/7 and replied to on 13/7 is also 1 day, whereas a move received on 7/7 and replied to on 14/7 is 0 days. The player was not on leave on 6/7, so a move not responded to on 6/7 carries at least a 1 day reflection time, however a response on 14/7 is similar to sending your first move on the date the tournament starts, and thus no time used.

Note that reflection time does not stop during an opponents leave.

9.
The tournament organizer may also decide to replace the withdrawing player if the withdrawal happens early in the tournament.

10d.
Analysis does not necessarily mean possible variations. It could also mean general plans where appropriate.

10e.
An adjudication is not subject to appeal if neither player submitted analysis.

12a.
It is not necessary to include the dates in this report.

Please note that BOTH players are required to report the result to the Tournament Director.