ICCF World Correspondence Chess Championship Semifinal Stage played by Webserver

Saturday, March 4, 2006: Requirements for regular groups of the ICCF WS WCCC SF.

The Semifinals of the World Correspondence Chess Championship are regularly started tournament sections where entries are continually accepted. The WCCC SF tournaments fals under the responsibility and organization of the ICCF Title Tournaments Commissioner, Mr. Marco Caressa (marco.caressa@tiscalinet.it), to whom entries are sent by National Federations. Players may also register via Direct Entry.

Games played in these events are rated for the ICCF rating list.

Those players that fulfil some of the following requirements are entitled to start a WCCC SF section:

1.2.0  The following criteria will be used to accept entries to any WCCC stage:

          a)    as from 01.01.2006, all entries according to 2006 rules.

          b)    other entries according to 2005 rules, when these are according to qualifications obtained by winners (or runners up) of tournaments started up to 31.12.2005 (“acquired rights”).

1.2.1  To enter a Semifinal, a player must achieve at least one full qualification or two half qualifications.

1.2.2  The following will reach a full qualification to enter a Semi-Final:

          (a)   the participants in one of the previous or running Finals if they have not earned a higher qualification,

          (b)   the participants in one of the previous or running Candidates' Tournaments (3/4-Finals) who have scored at least 50% of the possible points if they have not earned a higher qualification,

          (c)   the participants in the previous or running Semi-Finals who scored at least 60% of the possible points but did not qualify for the Candidates' Tournament,

          (d)   the top two finishers from a Preliminary section,

          (e)   the participants in a Final of the World Cup Tournament who achieved at least 60% of the possible points (regardless of the category); and/or the top two finishers in a Final of the World Cup Tournament when its Category is 6 or below;

          (f)    the two top finishers from the acknowledged Zonal Championships of the tournament Category IV to VI with 13 or less players (with 14 or more players: top three); the third and fourth placed players from the acknowledged Zonal Championships of tournament Category VII to IX with 13 or less players (with 14 or more players: places fourth and fifth),

          (g)   the holders of the Correspondence Chess International Master title with fixed ratings above 2500,

          (h)   the holders of the Correspondence Chess Senior International Master title with fixed ratings above 2450,

          (i)    the holders of the Grandmaster Title with ratings above 2400,

          (j)    those players, who, at the time of nomination have ratings of 2400 and higher, are entered through their own national organisation (see 1.1.1c).

          (k)   those players who have a fixed rating above 2550. in the most recent rating list prior to the start date of the Semi-Final.