Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This page is updated when enough new iccf-webchess players ask the same question or give the same feedback.  We hope it helps you to learn the system more quickly, so you can enjoy your games without worrying about the technology!

FAQ Categories

FAQ List


    Using the ICCF Webserver - General Help Top of Page

  1. How do I use the server?
    If you have found your way here, you have made a good start!  The best way to begin is to read the online help files.  They are not very long, and they explain how each part of the system works.  Go to the Help Contents page and read from the top down.  When you play your games, you will often see in-context help, for example, if you are on the Game screen and thinking about playing a move, the word Help beside the 'Please enter your move' instruction will take you to the help page for playing moves.

  2. The email addresses are missing from the start list.  How can I send my moves?  
    If it is a webserver event, so you don't need to know your opponent's email address - when you make your move, the server will record it and notify your opponent that it is his/her turn to move.  The webserver has a privacy policy where email addresses are not displayed - you can exchange addresses with anybody you want (you can use the message boxes on the Game screen to do this if you like), but you are not obliged to disclose your address to other players.  You can read more about this in     How to Communicate with Other Players.

  3. How do I contact my opponent for an important notification if we did not exchange email addresses in advance?

For important issues, when notification to the opponent is required by the rules; you may ask help desk to forward your message to your opponent.



Supported browsers and settings Top of Page

Supported browsers and settings    
The following browsers have been tested successfully with the server: Internet Explorer 5.5 or newer, Netscape 7.1 or newer, Firefox 0.8 or newer. There were problems with Opera. Other browsers have not been tested.
Javascript and Cookies should be turned on.
In addition, if you are using Internet Explorer, make sure your cache is set to automatic. You can do this as follows:

  • Select Tools then choose Internet Options. The Internet Options screen appears.
  • Select the General tab.
  • Under Temporary Internet Files, select Settings. The Settings screen appears.
  • Select the Automatically radio button.
  • Click OK. The Internet Options screen appears.
  • Click OK
Login Top of Page

  1. I cannot login, what is wrong?  

    If you cannot login, you may have forgotten your password. In that case, please use the "If you forgot your password, click here" link on the login page. The server will email your password to you.
    If you still don't get the password right, please use copy and paste from your email to enter the password, instead of typing it by hand. You may review the     online help for more details.
    If you get your password wrong three times in a row, the server will block your login attempts for one hour. This is a security feature preventing brute force attacks on your password. Please try to re-login again only after one hour has passed.

Personal Settings Top of Page

  1. Here is my new email address - can you update the system for me please?   
    Players can easily make this change themselves - the webserver allows you to keep your own personal details up to date.  You can change most details by clicking on the 'Personal settings' menu in the main menu list, then typing in your 'Contact info' changes - remember to click the 'Save changes' button to ask the webserver to remember the new settings.  You can read more in     How to Update Your Personal Settings.

  2. I don't get email notifications - why is this?  
    Players can choose whether they receive email notifications or not - for example, if you have many games, you may not want hundreds of emails if you regularly check the server anyway. You do this by clicking the 'Email' menu on the Game screen, and checking 'Notifications' on or off.  (You may have mistakenly set this option to off). You may also turn off notifications for  a single game in an event, by opening the game and removing the check on Email/Notifications.
    Please also make sure that you have your correct email address entered in your personal settings, and that info@iccf-webchess.com is not blocked by your spam filter. You may accomplish the latter by adding the server address to your email program address book.
    You can read more in     How to Update Your Personal Settings.

Playing a Game Top of Page

  1. I cannot see the games list 
    To see the games list, you must be logged in. If you still cannot see the games list after logging in, there may be a refreshing problem. You can verify this by right-clicking on the left hand menu and choosing refresh from your browser's pop-up menu. To avoid refreshing problems, please make sure your browser settings confirm to the settings listed in the FAQ under "Supported browsers and settings".

  2. How do conditionals work?  Why can I not see the conditional from my opponent? 
    Why does the server make a move instantly?  Is this in line with the rules?     
    There is a help page for Conditional Moves which you should read first.  
    There are many different schools of thought on conditional moves.  For example, when we designed the system, one school wanted to get rid of them altogether, on the basis that they were only devised to speed up slow delivery times, particularly in postal games.  Another school wanted to keep them, on the grounds that they were a distinctive part of CC, and we needed to keep our traditions separate from OTB chess servers.   We couldn't get agreement, so we decided to offer a yes/no option for each event, and leave the decision to the organisers who can exercise their choice!
    In the events where conditional moves are allowed, we chose a simple system to keep development time to the minimum.  So, you can propose a sequence of conditional moves of any length as long as it follows only one line; multiple lines are not permitted just now because the branching logic can get very complex. Note that the webserver keeps the proposed moves secret - they are not listed on the screen or in your notification email.  You see them only if you make a reply which is part of the conditional string, and the process works 1 move at a time. 
    Events starting after the 1st of January, 2005 usually do not offer conditional moves, as was agreed on the ICCF congress in Mumbai. 

  3. I want to enter my move with keyboard, but I cannot type in the 'Your move' textbox.  
    The webserver defaults to drag and drop for playing moves.  You have to ask it to change to keyboard entry by  unchecking the 'Use drag and drop to enter moves' item, in the System/Personal settings menu.  You can read more about this in     How to Play Moves.

  4. I want a bigger/smaller chess board and pieces. 
    The webserver allows you to change board and piece sizes by clicking the 'Board' menu on the Game screen, selecting the 'Piece size' option, and checking the number (pixels) of your choice - try a few as an experiment to see what suits you best.  You can read more about this in     How to Play Moves.

  5. How do I flip the board? 
    You can flip the board as desired when viewing a game by selecting 'Board' and 'Turn' in the game menu.

  6. How can I see leave of my opponent?
    The webserver allows you to see your opponent's leave by clicking the 'Event' menu on the Game screen, and then selecting 'Show opponent's leave'.
  7. My opponent exceeded the reflection time but the system did not give him a win.
    The server will stop the game automatically if either player exceeds the reflection time, but will not award the win until you claim the result to the TD, who will then manually enter the result in the system.
  8. My opponent took more than 40 days for his last move, but the system did not give me a win. The server will neither stop the game nor automatically award a win if your opponent takes more than 40 days for a single move. You need to contact your TD and claim the win.
  9. How do pawn promotions work?. If one of your pawns reaches the eighth row, a popup window will appear showing the piece choices. Click on the desired piece and the promotion will occur. You may want to adjust your browser settings to allow popups from the server site (http://www.iccf-webchess.com/) or this process may not function.

 

Ratings Top of Page

  1. How do Provisional Ratings work?  
    Provisional ratings are ratings assigned to new players that have no ICCF rating. When a TO creates a new event, the TO assigns a Provisional Rating (which applies to the whole event). The TO may further assign Provisional Ratings to individual players based, for example, on their FIDE rating if they possess one. Entering individual ratings is at the discretion of the TO and in the case where an event has a Provisional Rating and a player in that event has been assigned an individual Provisional Rating, the maximum of the two will be applied as the individual's official rating for the event.