English Federation for Correspondence Chess

The ICCF National Federation for England

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EFCC Correspondent Magazine - Issue 6

Mickey Blake and The EFCC Executive Committee are delighted to announce the publication of the 'EFCC Correspondent - Issue 6'.

The 6th edition of this very high quality magazine can be viewed and/or downloaded here - Correspondent_006.pdf (18mb)

Want future issues delivered straight to your Inbox ?
Contact Mickey Blake by Email here to place yourself on the mailing list.


Match v Czechia

The previously aborted match has now been reset and we will still have a tough match - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

Francois Riva Memorial Team Tournament SF 3

England B finished a creditable 9th in the section
Beating Netherlands, France and Portugal
Drawing with Wales, Lithuania, Spain and Brazil.

Cross Table (iccf.com)

The team all performed creditably;

Steve Cole scoring 6.5
John Vivante-Sowter scoring 6
Brian Herriot 4.5
Robert Rozinski An excellent 8/12
Peter Cunningham 4.5
Alan Sutton 5.5

Well done everyone.


 

New Title

The title ICCF International Master awarded to player James Toon with ICCF ID 213245 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

New Title

The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert awarded to player Stephen Woodhouse with ICCF ID 212334 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

England Qualify for Final

England have qualified for the final of the Francois Riva Memorial Team Tournament - Cross Table (iccf.com)

The team of Ian Mason, Tim Spanton, Arnold Marchant, James Toon, Steve Hooker and Valerie Craven all scored 50% or more with both James and Valerie scoring 8/12. Congratulations.


 

New Title

The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Master awarded to player Richard Ward with ICCF ID 780026 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

New Title

The title ICCF International Master awarded to player Jim Nierobisz with ICCF ID 211586 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

The President of the EFCC

Ian M. Pheby, announced his retirement as EFCC President at the EFCC AGM held in March 2025. He will be succeeded by the previous Deputy President, Keith Kitson.

Ian has served remarkably, almost 56 years in chess administration.

In recognition of Ian’s entirely volunteered devotion to the role, the EFCC awarded Ian the first EFCC Life Time Award and an engraved Silver Salver to mark the occasion.

The following text details what Ian did during his 56 years of chess administration. This is followed by a list of the awards Ian has accrued over this period of time.

Ian’s earlier chess administration tasks revolved around the Civil Service Chess Association and the London Civil Service Chess League:

1. In August of 1969 Ian took on the role of Vice-Captain in the Civil Service, later holding the Captain’s role.
2. He became a Tournament Organiser (TO) for the London Civil Service League in 1973.
3. Ian became responsible for organising the whole Civil Service League in 1982 which he faithfully continued to organise for some 30 years, until 2012.
4. Ian became Vice-President of the London Civil Service League and the Civil Service Chess Association in 1987.
5. He finally adopted the ultimate role, in 1989, of President of the London Civil Service League and the Civil Service Chess Association, which he held for 23 years until 2012, when he retired from Civil Service Chess.

EFCC Posts
1. Although not his first choice Ian took on the role of EFCC Treasurer when no applications were received following an advertising campaign for the role. Failure to fill this role would have meant the EFCC could not continue without a Treasurer.
2. Ian has also taken on the role, diligently of EFCC Master Points and Titles Co-ordinator. This is considered a crucial role to ensure all English flagged players receive awards when they have earned them by accruing sufficient master points.
3. The maintenance of historical records is another role Ian has adopted.
4. Ian has also acted as Tournament Organiser for the Medals and Mason Events. He will continue to manage the Medals event for another year but is looking to pass on the Mason TO role for 2025.
5. Ian has also designed the first England International Triple Block Open Tournament. Early registrations suggest this is going to be a very successful and lucrative event for the EFCC, well done Ian.
6. Ian has sat on many EFCC sub-committees, which he plans to step down from except the Selection committee and the Disciplinary committee.

ICCF Posts
1. Ian has been Tournament Director (TD) for many tournaments run by the ICCF, including the prestigious World Correspondence Chess Championship.
2. He has also diligently and successfully taken on the role of Mentor for new TDs.

Other Posts
1. Chairman and TO of Grays Chess Club.
2. County Grader for ESSEX
3. Captain of ESSEX
4. Captain of Government Chemists, Grays, Redhill and UNATS

Awards

The significant awards that Ian has accrued over time are listed below:

1. ICCF International Master title in 2002
2. ICCF Senior International Master title in 2003
3. ECF President’s award for services to chess in 2009
4. ICCF International Arbiter in 2009
5. ICCF Bertl Von Massow Silver award in 2015
6. ICCF Bertl Von Massow Gold award in 2021

Future Plans
Ian plans to continue as a member of the EFCC Executive Committee (EC) and will continue as Treasurer. His vast experience will be very useful to those assuming new roles in the EC.

The EFCC EC wish Ian a long and happy retirement.


 

First England International Triple Block Open - Update

First England International Triple Block Open - Update

It is not too late to enter the First England International Triple Block Open. All English flagged players are encouraged to enter this new event! See list below for current entries.

Entry
All entries may be made by Direct Entry (go to ‘New events’ ‘England’) or through a player’s National Federation. Entries are not permitted by email.
Each player may enter a maximum of two groups. Players making a second entry will be placed in the group immediately after their first group where possible.

The closing date for entries is 20th May 2025. Pairings will be issued as soon as possible after that date.
The official start date is 20th June 2025.

Entry fee
The entry fee is 9.00 Euros by Direct Entry for each entry. Each National Federation can specify their own entry fee.

Rules
All ICCF rules shall apply to all games. If needed, adjudicators will be selected by the server.

Organisation
Registered players will be grouped by rating using the ICCF 2025/2 rating list. Players will be placed in groups of 11, 13, or 15 players in rating order so that all group members have as similar a rating as possible.

Time control
The event will be played in one stage on the ICCF server with each group being played using the Triple Block time control with a tournament duration of 350 days. No guaranteed time will be available after move 50.

Rating and Norms
All groups will be rated. Norms for ICCF titles will be available in all groups that meet the criteria required by the ICCF.

Current entries
This list gives details of the English flagged players who have entered this event by 23rd March 2025.

Current First England International Triple Block Open Entrants List
Name   Title   ICCF Number   2025/2 Rating
Baxter Harold   213221 2324
Beckett Phillip J.   210454 1714
Bishop Edward   212790 1229
Broomfield Daniel   213376 2349
Broomfield Daniel   213376 2349
Clark Sean   211742 2179
Courtney Daniel   213386 1817
Cowan Alastair CCM 212819 2354
Craven Valerie CCM 210605 2366
Craven Valerie CCM 210605 2366
Cunningham Peter J.   212326 2117
Cutter Timothy   212666 1323
Graham Oliver CCM 211824 2382
Grobler David J. CCM 210847 2385
Hardwick Martin E.   620648 733
Hardwick Martin E.   620648 733
Ibbitson Anthony   211793 1639
Kitson Keith SIM 210659 2384
Knapton Geoff   212357 2254
Marchant Arnold CCM 210690 2364
Mason Ian J CCM 219137 2438
Nierobisz Jim CCM 211586 2356
Pheby Ian M. SIM 210514 2422
Pheby Ian M. SIM 210514 2422
Roberts Stephen   212579 1427
Roberts Anthony A CCM 211118 2138
Sutton Alan B CCE 210709 2161
Ward Richard CCE 780026 2298
Webster Richard CCM 212803 2414


 

New Title

The title ICCF Senior International Master awarded to player Les Ellis with ICCF ID 211229 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

New Title

The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Master awarded to player Dominique Conterno with ICCF ID 211384 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

World Championship Semi Final Qualifications

We congratulate the following on achieving qualifications for the World Semi Finals;
John G. Brookes, Richard V. M. Hall, Robert Marks, Ian M. Pheby, John Pugh, Edmund Soh, Brian Thompson & Jo A Wharrier.


 

Players in Preliminaries of World Championship

We wish all our players success;

Alan Rawlings in section 3 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Dawn Williamson in section 5 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

John Pugh in section 8 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Richard Webster in section 12 - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

AGM 2025 Agenda

ENGLISH FEDERATION FOR CORRESPONDENCE CHESS

Agenda for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on Saturday 22nd March 2025 in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire

1. Apologies for Absence
2. Minutes of the Last Meeting (16th March 2024)
3. Matters Arising
4. General Secretary’s Report (John)
5. International Secretary’s Report (Phill)
6. Treasurer’s Report (Ian P)
7. President's Message (Ian P)
8. Election of Officers :-
    President
    Deputy President
    General Secretary
    International Secretary
    Treasurer
9. Appointment of Auditor (Ian P, Keith)
10. Any Other Business
11. Date of Next Meeting

John Rhodes 20th February 2025


New Match Against Sweden

We have a new match against our chess friends from Sweden. Follow the match here Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Executive Committee Meeting (EC) of the English Federation for Correspondence Chess will be held in Bedfordshire, on Saturday 22nd March 2025.

If any EFCC Patrons have any questions or comments to raise at our AGM or EC Meetings, please email - contact@efcchess.org.uk by 1st March 2025.

John Rhodes, General Secretary


Friendly v Ukraine

After a few delays our match against our chess friends from Ukraine will start soon.

Progress can be followed here Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

New Title for Matthew W. Bailey

The title ICCF Senior International Master awarded to player Matthew W. Bailey with ICCF ID 213011 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner.

This title was awarded as a result of winning the ICCF70-CTfinal, 70th ICCF Jubilee World Cup (server) final.

So a double congratulation !


 

Announcement for the 2025 EFCC Medals Tournaments

The English Federation of Correspondence Chess (EFCC) is pleased to announce that the 2025 EFCC Medals tournaments will be held which will start in April 2025. All English flagged players are invited to enter this new tournament!

The entry fee is £3 and should be made through the Online Fee Payment facility at the EFCC website. Please use “Medals” as your reference.

There shall be three levels of tournament with all standards of player catered for. The games will be played on the ICCF webserver, and there will be no end date.

The ICCF standard time control of 10 moves in 40 days with duplication after 20 days will be used. 45 days of leave per year are available to each player. Players cannot agree to a draw before move 25. All games are ICCF rated.

Prizes

EFCC Gold Medal tournament: Winner receives an engraved medal and £20 in prize money.

EFCC Silver Medal tournament. Winner receives an engraved medal and £15 in prize money.

EFCC Bronze Medal tournament. Winner receives an engraved medal and £10 in prize money.

The full Rules can be seen under "Medals Tournaments” in the left-hand Menu of the EFCC website or click here : EFCC Medals Tournament Rules

The closing date for entries is 15th March 2025. Pairings will be issued as soon as possible after that date.

All English chess players are heartily invited to enter this tournament, both for the enjoyment of the games and for friendly contact/communication.

Tournament Organiser: Ian M Pheby -


North Sea Team Event

England have a strong team in the North Sea Team event:

In board order;

Les Ellis
Ian Mason
Les Eastoe
Trevor Brotherton
Steve Cole
Tim Spanton

Progress can be followed here Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

EFCC Correspondent Magazine - Issue 5

Mickey Blake and The EFCC Executive Committee are delighted to announce the publication of the 'EFCC Correspondent - Issue 5'.

The 5th edition of this very high quality magazine can be viewed and/or downloaded here - Correspondent_005.pdf (23mb)

Want future issues delivered straight to your Inbox ?
Contact Mickey Blake by Email here to place yourself on the mailing list.


The 5th English CC Championship - Update

The 5th English CC Championship - Update

It is not too late to enter the 5th English CC Championship. The closing date for entries is midnight on 1st February 2025. Pairings will be issued as soon as possible after that date.

The entry fee is £15.00. Entries may be made by PayPal through the 'Online Fee Payment' section on the left hand side of this web page quoting “5th ECCC”. For those players wishing to pay their entry fee by cheque, please contact the Treasurer at

Providing a positive score is obtained, the Champion will receive a cheque for £175 together with an engraved trophy to retain. Monetary prizes will also be available to those finishing in second, third and fourth places of the Championship, and also for the first two places in the semi-final sections.

There shall be a Championship final, semi-finals & preliminary sections with all standards of player catered for. The games will be played on the ICCF webserver, and the tournament duration shall be approximately 22 months of playing time. The time limit shall be 40 days for each 10 moves.

Entries received to date are as follows:

Current 5th English CC Championship Entrants List
Name   Title   ICCF Number   2025/1 Rating
Ackley Peter   211537 2034
Broomfield Daniel   213376 2243
Clarke Sean   211742 2145
Craven Valerie CCM 210605 2361
Cutler Matthew   213218 2327
Hardwick Martin E.   620648 727
Herman Tom CCM 212544 2420
Joslin Kay   212505 1933
Kitson Keith SIM 210569 2383
Marchant Arnold CCM 210690 2360
Mason Ian J CCM 219137 2438
Morton Peter S.   210477 1448
Nierobisz Jim CCM 211586 2356
Plant Kevin D CCM 211509 2336
Roberts Anthony A CCM 211118 2159
Roberts Stephen   212579 1448
Sutton Alan B CCE 210709 2150
Vachtfiedl Petr   211811 2192
Webster Richard CCM 212803 2402

Good luck to everyone

Ian M Pheby
EFCC President


 

Qualifications for WCCC Preliminaries

The EFCC congratulates the following players who have a qualification for the WCCC Preliminaries;

210425 Brookes, John G.
211229 Ellis, Les
212527 Holland, Edward N.
212651 James, Angus
210569 Kitson, Keith
212933 Le-Marechal, Gerard
211431 Pugh, John
210745 Rawlings, Alan J. C.
212803 Webster, Richard
211942 Weldon, David J.
212314 Williamson, Dawn L.

We wish them every success !


 

We have a new GM

The EFCC is proud to announce that Harvey Williamson has met the requirements to be awarded the title of Grandmaster.
GM norms are difficult to obtain and it is 8 years since his first norm.

Runner up in the Germany Grandmasters event - Cross Table (iccf.com)

and he is leading in Memorial M.Avotins Group A - Cross Table (iccf.com)

His title will be formally awarded at Congress next year.


 

First England International Triple Block Open

First England International Triple Block Open

The English Federation for Correspondence Chess (EFCC) is pleased to announce the First England International Triple Block Open. England cordially invites correspondence chess players from all countries to participate in this tournament.

Entry
All entries may be made by Direct Entry (go to ‘New events’ ‘England’) or through a player’s National Federation. Entries are not permitted by email.
Each player may enter a maximum of two groups. Players making a second entry will be placed in the group immediately after their first group where possible.
The closing date for entries is 20th May 2025. Pairings will be issued as soon as possible after that date.
The official start date is 20th June 2025.

Entry fee
The entry fee is 9.00 Euros by Direct Entry for each entry. Each National Federation can specify their own entry fee.

Rules
All ICCF rules shall apply to all games. If needed, adjudicators will be selected by the server.

Organisation
Registered players will be grouped by rating using the ICCF 2025/2 rating list. Players will be placed in groups of 11, 13, or 15 players in rating order so that all group members have as similar a rating as possible.

Time control
The event will be played in one stage on the ICCF server with each group being played using the Triple Block time control with a tournament duration of 350 days. No guaranteed time will be available after move 50.

Rating and Norms
All groups will be rated. Norms for ICCF titles will be available in all groups that meet the criteria required by the ICCF.

Prizes
No prize money is being offered. Certificates for the top three players in each group will be available subject to those players obtaining a positive score. The tiebreaker system for tied players will be: 1. Baumbach; 2. Sonneborn-Berger; 3. the results of the players tied with each other; 4. the lowest rating of the tied players in the group at the start of the tournament.

All chess players are heartily invited to enter this event, both for the enjoyment of games and for friendly contact/communication with players around the world.

Countries are kindly asked to give the event wide publicity to their players, and to forward entries as soon as they receive them. Thank you.

Amici sumus.

SIM Ian M. Pheby, IA
EFCC President and Tournament Organiser

Phillip J. Beckett, IA
England Delegate


 

Announcement for the 5th English CC Championship!

Announcement for the 5th English CC Championship!

The English Federation of Correspondence Chess (EFCC) is pleased to announce that the 5th English Correspondence Chess Championship (ECCC) will be held which will start in March 2025. The 5th ECCC is open only to those players who are registered or able (in the case of new players) to be registered to play under the England flag in the ICCF.

The entry fee is £15.00. Entries may be made by PayPal through the 'Online Fee Payment' section on the left hand side of this web page quoting “5th ECCC”. Alternatively, entries may be sent to the Treasurer, Ian M Pheby (address: Oaklea Cottage, Horsham Road, Capel, Dorking, Surrey RH5 5JH) with a cheque for £15.00 made payable to “EFCC”.

The full Rules, tournament structure, eligibility, prizes, etc. can be seen under "English CC Championship (ECCC) in the left-hand Menu, or by clicking here: https://efcchess.org.uk/eccc.html

Providing a positive score is obtained, the Champion will receive a cheque for £175 together with an engraved trophy to retain. Monetary prizes will also be available to those finishing in second, third and fourth places of the Championship, and also for the first two places in the semi-final sections.

There shall be a Championship final, semi-finals & preliminary sections with all standards of player catered for. The games will be played on the ICCF webserver, and the tournament duration shall be approximately 22 months of playing time. The time limit shall be 40 days for each 10 moves.

The closing date for entries is 1st February 2025. Pairings will be issued as soon as possible after that date.

All players who are registered or able (in the case of new players) to be registered to play under the England flag in the ICCF are heartily invited to enter this tournament, both for the enjoyment of the games and for friendly contact/communication.

Good luck to everyone

Tournament Organiser: SIM Keith Kitson


 

Seasonal Greetings!

As we approach the festive season I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of England’s players and their families for a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year. I hope that 2025 will prove to be a better year for everyone.

I also hope that you enjoy success in your games in 2025 and beyond.

Ian M Pheby
EFCC President


 

England Players in World Final

We wish Nigel Robson and Matthew Bailey every success in the World Final - our President Ian Pheby will be the TD.
Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

Harvey Williamson in Category 11 event

We wish Harvey Williamson every success in this category 11 event in memory of Cenek Teichmann.
With a GM norm score of 7.5/14 it looks like Harvey has a realistic chance of his GM title. Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

Friendly v Japan

Cross Table (iccf.com)

England slipped to defeat against Japan in our friendly match.


 

North Atlantic Team Event

England have two strong teams in the North Atlantic Team Event. There are numerous players with a chance of norms. Good luck to both teams.

Follow the event here - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

Keith Escott Memorial

Cross Table (iccf.com)

This event is in the memory of Keith Escott and starts at the beginning of December.
The quality of the event is a fitting tribute to Keith, lets hope at least one of the participants secures a norm!


 

EFCC Continuous Tournament Update

We had an encouraging start to the new Continuous Tournament with 9 Preliminary groups in progress.

However, entries have significantly slowed.

It is unlikely we will get sufficient entrants in a reasonable amount of time to supply 9 semi-finals before we can run the first Final, and it is unfair to expect waiting entrants to be kept waiting for so long.

The EFCC Executive Committee determined that we have enough preliminary winners from the first 9 groups to feed into a CT Final. When all 9 groups have completed the final can be started.

Consequently, it has been decided to eliminate the semi-final stage and take the first 9 winners from the first 9 prelims straight to a Final round.

With this in mind the entrants for the EFCC CT will be closed off and no further preliminary sections will be run.

An announcement has been made on the EFCC site to launch a new tournament which will group entrants by grading bands (EFCC Rated Groups Tournament). More details can be found HERE.

It is felt this may be more successful at attracting entrants than the previous CT format, which pitched all grades together randomly.

Any CT entrants that are still awaiting the start of their CT preliminary group will be given the opportunity to transfer their entry to the new grading bands tournament.

Keith Kitson (24-10-24)
(EFCC Tournament Controller)


 

Announcement of New EFCC Tournaments

Announcement of New EFCC Tournaments

The EFCC is pleased to announce that tournaments for groups of similarly rated players will be held.

Entry is open to all English flagged players and players who are able (in the case of new players) to be registered to play under the England flag in the ICCF.

The entry fee is £4.00 per group entered. Entry may be made through the ‘Online Fee payment’ facility on this website or by sending a cheque made payable to ‘EFCC’ to the EFCC Treasurer: Mr Ian M. Pheby, Oaklea Cottage, Horsham Road, Capel, Dorking, Surrey RH5 5JH.

Each group will consist of five players who shall play all other players in that group on a double round basis. The games will be played under Triple Lock rules for a tournament of 350 days. There shall be no guaranteed time after move 50.

The prize fund will be subject to a player obtaining a positive score at the end of the tournament.

The full rules can be found in the left hand column of this website (here). All ICCF rules shall apply to all of these tournaments.

Good luck to everyone!

The Tournament Organiser is SIM Keith Kitson -


Steve LeFevre 1951-2024

The following written by John Wheeler (Hampshire Chess Association):

I am sorry to have to report the recent death of Steve LeFevre after a short illness at the age of 72. Steve was a long-time member of Cosham Chess club, and played regularly in the Portsmouth League for many years. He was also a member of the Hamble club, and played in the Southampton League; and was a well-known figure at Hampshire county matches in various events.

His father and brother were also keen chess-players, and between them played in many of the Portsmouth League clubs over a long period of time.

The funeral will be on Monday 19th August at 1.30 pm at St Wilfred’s church, Cowplain.


Qualifiers for World Final

The EFCC congratulate both Nigel Robson and Matthew Bailey who have qualifications for the world final!


EFCC Executive Committee Meeting

Our next Executive Committee meeting will be held on Saturday 12th October, 2024 in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

If any eligible EFCC members have anything that they would like discussed at our meeting, please email me at – Email John Here by 21st September, 2024 at the latest.

John Rhodes, General Secretary


Friendly v Netherlands

We have a 64 board friendly against our friends from the Netherlands - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

New Titles

Congratulations to;

Tim Spanton with ICCF ID 212116 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Master.

Ly Kimlong with ICCF ID 735004 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Master.


 

Good Luck to our Players in World Candidates

We wish all our players good fortune.

Praveen Rallabandi and Richard Hall in section 1 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Gerard Le Marechal in section 2 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Ian Pheby in section 3 - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

ICCF Congress 2024 Closes From Wales

On behalf of the EFCC, Phill Beckett congratulates the Congress organiser Austin Lockwood on a highly successful event.


 

EFCC Correspondent Magazine - Issue 4

Mickey Blake and The EFCC Executive Committee are delighted to announce the publication of the 'EFCC Correspondent - Issue 4'.

The 4th edition of this very high quality magazine can be viewed and/or downloaded here - Correspondent_004.pdf (16mb)

Want future issues delivered straight to your Inbox ? Contact Mickey Blake by Email here to place yourself on the mailing list.


New award – Phillip J. Beckett

I am pleased to report that at the recently held 2024 ICCF Congress held in Wales that Phillip J. Beckett, England’s International Secretary, was presented with the Bertl von Massow Medal in Silver by the ICCF President, Eric Ruch, for ten years of outstanding service to the ICCF.

Phill is the ninth person from England to receive this award. Congratulations Phill. The award is well deserved!

Ian M Pheby
EFCC President


 

New Title

The player Dene Shaw with ICCF ID 213090 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.


 

ICCF Congress 2024 From Wales

The Congress opening ceremony featured a speech from the Lord Mayor and some traditional Welsh dancing.


(Left to Right) Cllr Michael Pearce (Mayor of Llandudno), Eric Ruch (ICCF President), Mrs Lindsay Pearce (Mayoress of Llandudno) and Russell Sherwood (WCCF Official)


Traditional Welsh Dancers from Angelsey


 

European Champions Winning Team from Wales

We congratulate our friends from Wales - European Champions !



 

Ladies World Championship Final 2nd Place Silver Medals

Dawn Williamson [ENG] collects her Ladies World Championship Final 2nd Place Silver Medal at the ICCF Congress in Wales.


And Dawn with fellow runner-up Luz Marina Tinjaca Ramirez [ITA]



 

THE 2024 WILLIAM MASON CHAMPIONSHIP - UPDATE

It is not too late to enter the 2024 Williiam Mason Championship. The closing date for entries is midnight on 1st September 2024.

The entry fee is £5.00 payable through the EFCC website at www.efcchess.org.uk quoting “Mason” in the Online Fee Payment section. For those players wishing to pay their entry fee by cheque, please contact the tournament organiser at

The Championship section has a prize fund of £600 with a first prize of £300. Financial prizes are also available in the Candidates and the Reserves sections.

The tournament is likely to start in September though not before 12th September 2024.

Entries received to date are as follows:

Current 2024 WILLIAM MASON CHAMPIONSHIP Entrants List
Name   Title   ICCF Number   2024/3 Rating
Ackley Peter   211537 2034
Beckett Phillip J   210454 1698
Broomfield Daniel   213376 1800
Brotherton Trevor S CCM 210823 2335
Carey Graeme   212954 2269
Clarke David   213133 2013
Cole Steve CCM 210447 2300
Craven Valerie CCM 210605 2320
Cutler Matthew   213218 2241
Eastlake Phil CCM 211887 2368
Franks Keith CCE 211552 2370
Gardner Allan CCE 211403 2273
Goosey Richard W.   211087 2176
Grayland Stan J. CCM 211452 2396
Grobler David J. CCM 210847 2345
Hardwick Martin E.   620648 761
Hooker Stephen CCM 213068 2372
Hughes Gregory   211095 1813
Kirk Matthew   212069 1881
Kitson Keith SIM 210569 2353
Marchant Arnold CCM 210690 2315
de Maillet Anthony   213277 2164
Mason Ian J CCM 219137 2411
McMahon Frank B.   211460 1964
Morton Peter S.   210477 1543
Nierobisz Jim CCM 211586 2346
Pheby Ian M SIM 210514 2410
Picken R. David   211815 1670
Roberts Anthony A CCM 211118 2081
Roberts Stephen   212579 1490
Różański Robert CCE 421439 2402
Ruffle Alan   212191 1352
Shaw Dene   213090 2202
Smyth Sandy   211569 1712
Sutton Alan B CCE 210709 2144

If you have any questions then please contact the tournament organiser at .Good luck to everyone.

Ian M Pheby
TO, William Mason Championship


 

73rd European Individual Championship, Final

Edmund Soh ended in 13th place in this category 9 event (only losing a single game). Well done. Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

ICCF Veterans World Cup 12 Final Finished - Success For Jo Wharrier

Veterans World Cup 12 Final (VWC12) has finished 10th July 2024: - We have multiple winners!

Congratulations to the following winners:

Equal 1st place (11 players): Khanas, Valeriy; Podvoysky, Evgeny Borisovich; Dmitriev, Vladimir; Straka, Zdeněk; Pirš, Matjaž; Dorer, Manfred; Vieites, Carlos; Wharrier, Jo A.; Boulanger, Michel; Anokhin, Yury; and Köhl, Rudolf.

Each player wins 236.36 Euros.

Detailed results may be seen at - Cross Table (iccf.com)

VWC12 was hosted by England on behalf of the ICCF.


 

New Title

The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert awarded to player Tony Steward Anderson with ICCF ID 213100 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

THE 2024 WILLIAM MASON CHAMPIONSHIP - UPDATE

It is not too late to enter the 2024 Williiam Mason Championship. The closing date for entries is midnight on 1st September 2024.

The entry fee is £5.00 payable through the EFCC website at www.efcchess.org.uk quoting “Mason” in the Online Fee Payment section. For those players wishing to pay their entry fee by cheque, please contact the tournament organiser at

The Championship section has a prize fund of £600 with a first prize of £300. Financial prizes are also available in the Candidates and the Reserves sections.

The tournament is likely to start in September though not before 12th September 2024.

Entries received to date are as follows:

Current 2024 WILLIAM MASON CHAMPIONSHIP Entrants List
Name   Title   ICCF Number   2024/3 Rating
Beckett Phillip J   210454 1698
Broomfield Daniel   213376 1800
Brotherton Trevor S CCM 210823 2335
Carey Graeme   212954 2269
Craven Valerie CCM 210605 2320
Cutler Matthew   213218 2241
Eastlake Phil CCM 211887 2368
Franks Keith CCE 211552 2370
Goosey Richard W.   211087 2176
Hooker Stephen CCM 213068 2372
Kitson Keith SIM 210569 2353
Mason Ian J CCM 219137 2411
Nierobisz Jim CCM 211586 2346
Pheby Ian M SIM 210514 2410
Roberts Anthony A CCM 211118 2081
Roberts Stephen   212579 1490
Różański Robert CCE 421439 2402
Ruffle Alan   212191 1352
Smyth Sandy   211569 1712
Sutton Alan B CCE 210709 2144

If you have any questions then please contact the tournament organiser at .Good luck to everyone.

Ian M Pheby
TO, William Mason Championship


 

Win Against Cuba

England scored a convincing win against Cuba in the recently completed friendly - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

A Second Narrow Defeat For England

England slipped to another narrow defeat in their Team World Cup semifinal losing by a single point to Italy - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

England Lose Close Match

England lost narrowly to Spain in the three way semifinal of the World Team Knockout Cup - Cross Table (iccf.com)

We are still in play against Italy - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE 2024 WILLIAM MASON CHAMPIONSHIP

The EFCC is pleased to announce that entries are now being accepted for the 2024 William Mason Championship.

The rules for this event are on the EFCC website at www.efcchess.org.uk/EFCCWMasonRules.html .However here are some questions and answers for ease of reference:

Who may enter? This event is open to all English flagged players or players who are able (in the case of new players) to be registered to play under the England flag in the ICCF.

What is the entry fee and how do I enter? It is £5.00 payable through the EFCC website at www.efcchess.org.uk quoting “Mason” in the Online Fee Payment section. For those players wishing to pay their entry fee by cheque, please contact the tournament organiser at

What are the time limits? The ICCF standard time control of 10 moves in 35 days with double time counting after 15 days will be used. 45 days of leave per year are available to each player.

What are the prizes? The Championship section has a prize fund of £600 with a first prize of £300. Financial prizes are also available in the Candidates and the Reserves sections. To win a prize a player must have a positive score at the end of the tournament. Players may also win EFCC Master and EFCC Candidate Master points which lead to EFCC titles.

What is the closing date for entries? Midnight on 1st September 2024.

When will the tournament start? The tournament is likely to start in September though not before 12th September 2024.

When will the tournament finish? The tournament will finish on 31st July 2025 after which adjudication will be called if necessary.

If you have any questions then please contact the tournament organiser at .Good luck to everyone.

Ian M Pheby
TO, William Mason Championship


 

New Title

The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Master awarded to player Stephen Hooker with ICCF ID 213068 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

English Players in World Semi Finals

We wish the following players the best of luck in their respective World Semi Finals;

Angus James in Semi Final 1 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Jo Wharrier in Semi Final 3 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Gerard Le-Marechal in Semi Final 4 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Jonathan Curry-Machado in Semi Final 5 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

Les Ellis in Semi Final 6 - Cross Table (iccf.com)

John Pugh in Semi Final 7 - Cross Table (iccf.com)


 

Funeral Arrangements for Keith L. Escott

The funeral arrangements for Keith L. Escott, a past EFCC President, who died earlier this year are as follows:

The funeral of Keith Escott will take place at 3.15pm on Tuesday 11th June at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium, Tamworth Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 6LG. The reception/wake will take place from around 4pm at Castle Vale Residents Association, 321 Yatesbury Avenue, Birmingham B35 6QP.

If you plan or hope to attend either of the above, please email so that there can be an indication of numbers.

Ian M Pheby
EFCC President


Selection for USA Federation Events

The selection committee have met and the USA Federation have confirmed the following entries to their invitational events;

Section A Les Ellis

Section B Leslie Eastoe

Section C Mike Richardt

Section D Jan Suto & Robert Rozinski

We wish them all success in these events which will start on 30th June.


 

DE15A Final has started!

I am pleased to announce that Alan J. C. Rawlings has qualified to play in the Final of DE15A. This is a Category 7 tournament with a total of 950 Euros as prizes for the first three places assuming a positive score is obtained. The cross table may be seen at https://www.iccf.com/event?id=105809

The EFCC wishes Alan every success in his games in this tournament.

Ian M Pheby
EFCC President


 

EFCC President Qualifies for a World Championship Candidates Group

Congratulations must go to our own EFCC President, Ian Pheby, in the WCCC44SF 3.

Despite ranking 12th out of 17 Ian won the group sharing the win with another.

Ian therefore qualifies for the next World Championship Candidates Group.

We wish Ian every success in his future progress in this tournament.


 

EFCC Continuous Tournament Results Update

The first six Preliminary Sections of the EFCC Continuous Tournament are now underway and the following is a summary of the results:

Prelim. Group 1
Click here for table results: https://www.iccf.com/event?id=104563
David Elwood has an early lead with 3 out of 3 wins and 3 games outstanding.

Prelim. Group 2
Click here for table results: https://www.iccf.com/event?id=104566
Phillip Tolhurst has an early lead with 2 wins out of 2 and 4 games remaining.

Prelim. Group 3
Click here for table results: https://www.iccf.com/event?id=104588
Alan Sutton has won Group 3 with 5 ½ out of 6 – Well done Alan.
Only two games are outstanding to complete this group.

Prelim. Group 4
Click here for table results: https://www.iccf.com/event?id=104623
Peter Cunningham leads the Group with 4 ½ out of 6.
J.D.M. Tymms lies in second place with 3 ½ out of 5 with one game still outstanding.

Prelim. Group 5
Click here for table results: https://www.iccf.com/event?id=104687
Alan Gardner leads this group with 4 out of 4 wins and 2 games still outstanding.

Prelim. Group 6
Click here for table results: https://www.iccf.com/event?id=105013
Frank McDermott has an early lead in this group with 3 wins from 3 games and 3 games still outstanding.

We had a good response to entries for the first 6 groups of this Continuous Tournament (CT).

Entries for this tournament have now slowed with one more entrant required to start Preliminary Group 7.

Entries to this tournament are open all year round.

Former BCCA members from 2022-2023 can still take advantage of free entry to the CT from the credit granted to them.

The EFCC EC urge English Flagged players to enter as the Final prize purse is generous and winners gain points towards an English Title.


 

New Title

The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Master awarded to player Steve Cole with ICCF ID 210447 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner. Congratulations.


 

4th English Correspondence Chess Championship (4th ECCC) has finished!

The 4th ECCC has now finished. Congratulations to Danny Dixon for winning this tournament. He won the only game which produced a positive result.

13 players finished equal second having drawn all their games. The cross table may be seen at - Cross Table (iccf.com)

The 5th ECCC is due to start in March 2025.

Ian M Pheby
EFCC President


   
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