Pinned Message.
Announcement for the 3rd English CC Championship!
Tuesday, 3rd November 2020
Stan Grayland
Announcement for the 3rd English CC Championship!
The English Federation of Correspondence Chess (EFCC) is pleased to announce that the third English Correspondence Chess Championship (ECCC) will be held which will start in March 2021. All English players are invited to enter England’s premier tournament!
The entry fee is still £12.00. However, entry is free to all eligible players with an ICCF rating of 2500 or over or who are ICCF Grandmasters!
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: www.efcchess.org.uk/eccc.html
The prize fund for this year! The Champion will receive a cheque for £200 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 may be made by PayPal through the 'Online Fee Payment' section on the left hand side of this web page quoting “3rd ECCC”. Alternatively, entries may be sent to the Tournament Organiser, Stan Grayland (address: 65 Newman Way, Rednal, Birmingham, B45 9LU) with a cheque for £12.00 made payable to “EFCC”.
Free entries by eligible players with an ICCF rating of 2500 or over or who are ICCF Grandmasters should be made by notifying Stan Grayland by email.
The closing date for entries is 1st February 2021. 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: Stan Grayland
(Email Stan Here)
Israeli Championship
Saturday, 16th January 2021
Phill Beckett
Israeli Championship
This year's Israeli Championship is in memory of the sadly departed Aviel Rozenberg.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=90664
SIM Harvey Williamson has accepted the invitation on behalf of the EFCC.
The event is a category 11 event with a multi national mix of competitors of high quality with GM norm of 9.5 / 16.
A GM norm in this event could see Harvey achieving the GM title.
We wish him every success.
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
New Title
Friday, 8th January 2021
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player Steve Cole with ICCF ID 210447 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
Win Against Mexico
Tuesday, 5th January 2021
Phill Beckett
Win Against Mexico
England score win against Mexico 11.5-8.5
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=86740
Congratulations to all players.
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament
Sunday, 3rd January 2021
Phill Beckett
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament
The top three teams in each semi qualify for final.
England 1 in strong position to qualify for final ; https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87053
England 2 need a strong run to qualify ; https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87051
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
European Individual Webserver Championship 2021
Tuesday, 29th December 2020
Phill Beckett
European Individual Webserver Championship 2021
28 December 2020: Announcement
Zone Europe of ICCF is glad to announce the 2021 cycle of the European Webserver Championship!
Open Rounds: for players rated under 2100, starts when filled.
Preliminaries: for players rated between 2100-2299, starts when filled.
Semi-Finals: for players rated between 2300-2499, starts on the 20th of September.
Candidates' Tournament: for players rated 2500 or over, starts on the 20th of March.
Entries via webserver.
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
Heavy defeat for Under 1800 team against Indonesia
Sunday, 27th December 2020
Phill Beckett
Heavy defeat for Under 1800 team against Indonesia
England suffered a heavy defeat in their match against Indonesia
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85291
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
World Championship Preliminaries
Friday, 18th December 2020
Phill Beckett
World Championship Preliminaries
The ICCF has announced the arrangements for the Preliminaries of the World Championships.
The following already have qualifications;
Eldridge, Mark
Herman, Tom
Le-Marechal, Gerard
Maver, Jan
Rallabandi, Praveen Kumar
Soh, Edmund
In addition, the English Federation has three extra nominations for players over 2400. If you would like to put yourself forward for one of these places, please get in touch with me before the end of the year so the selection committee can consider your application.
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
International Update
Wednesday, 16th December 2020
Phill Beckett
International Update
England v France
France have a narrow lead
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88279
England v CCLA Kangaroos (Under 2000)
England have an early lead
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88452
England v USA
USA are clawing their way back after trailing by 15
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=86774
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
Seasonal Greetings!
Wednesday, 16th December 2020
Ian M Pheby
Seasonal Greetings!
2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. As we approach the festive season I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of England’s players for a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year. I hope that 2021 will prove to be a better year for everyone. I also hope that you enjoy success in your games in 2021 and beyond. Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Join the EFCC on Social Media
Monday, 14th December 2020
Mickey Blake
Nol Van't Reit Memorial
Thursday, 10th December 2020
Phill Beckett
Nol Van't Reit Memorial
Alan Rawlings has accepted an invitation to compete in this event held in memory of our departed chessfriend and a tireless worker on behalf of the ICCF.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
EFCC Magazine is Returning
Friday, 4th December 2020
Mickey Blake
EFCC Magazine is Returning
We are intending to resume the publishing of our quarterly magazine and invite suggestions and contributions.
For further information, please contact the editor by email to
Mickey Blake
EFCC Magazine Editor
Ukraine v Rest of World
Monday, 23rd November 2020
Phill Beckett
Ukraine v Rest of World
A couple of English players are featuring for the Rest of the World.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=90054
Good luck.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Titles
Monday, 23rd November 2020
Phill Beckett
New Titles
We congratulate Keith Franks (CCE) and K.J. Owen (CCM) on the new titles they have received.
Well done
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Match v Switzerland Start Date 20/12/20
Monday, 23rd November 2020
Phill Beckett
Match v Switzerland Start Date 20/12/20
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=89984
Follow the games with the normal delay of 5 moves.
Closely matched grades so expect a titanic struggle!
As usual we were oversubscribed so watch out for more matches in the future!
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Outstanding Result for English Player
Friday, 20th November 2020
Phill Beckett
Outstanding Result for English Player
Praveen Kumar Rallabandi one of England's leading players scored an impressive result in the German Masters -
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=79334
Play through the games, they are of the very highest class!
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Chess 960 European Team Final
Friday, 20th November 2020
Phill Beckett
Chess 960 European Team Final
Early results have England in second place following an early win by Kevin Thurlow -
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87912
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Womens World Championship Final
Thursday, 19th November 2020
Phill Beckett
Womens World Championship Final
Follow the progress of Dawn Williamson in the World Final -
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=89629
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Friendly Matches Update
Thursday, 19th November 2020
Phill Beckett
Friendly Matches Update
Webserver Match v Switzerland scheduled to start in December.
Postal Match v Sweden scheduled to start early 2021.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Match v Netherlands
Thursday, 19th November 2020
Phill Beckett
Match v Netherlands
England managed to score a win against The Netherlands. See all the games in the match -
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=79966
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
2nd English Correspondence Chess Championship Has Concluded
Thursday, 19th November 2020
Ian Pheby
2nd English Correspondence Chess Championship Has Concluded
After 21 months of play this closely contested championship has now finished. The new Champion is David Evans who finished with 8 out of 14 (2 wins, 55.5 SB ). David wins £300 and an engraved trophy for his retention. In second place was Brian Thompson who finished with 8 out of 14 (2 wins, 55.25 SB ). Brian wins £150. In third place was Praveen Kumar Rallabandi who finished with 8 out of 14 (2 wins, 55.0 SB ). Praveen wins £100. In fourth place was Richard Williams on 7½ out of 14. Richard wins £50.
Congratulations to all these players on their fine performances. The cross table may be seen at https://www.iccf.com/event?id=77967
Ian M Pheby
EFCC President
North Sea Team tournament IV
Sunday, 8th November 2020
Phill Beckett
North Sea Team tournament IV
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=77210
England finished in 8th position in this event.
Congratulations to the team, Mark Eldridge, Ian Pheby, Marek Soszynski, Richard Ward, Stephen Woodhouse, Ben A Wood, ably captained by Ian Pheby.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Narrow loss to Sweden in 2018 Match
Sunday, 1st November 2020
Phill Beckett
Narrow loss to Sweden in 2018 Match
England slipped to a defeat 28.5 to 31.5
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=75952
I will contact Sweden to challenge them to a return match.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Sunday, 1st November 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player Antony Copsey with ICCF ID 212104 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Master.
Congratulations
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
England U1800 9 v 11 Wales U1800
Saturday, 24th October 2020
Phill Beckett
England U1800 9 v 11 Wales U1800
England suffered a narrow defeat against Wales in the Under 1800 match.
The lead had changed hands several times and with the score poised at 9-9 , Wales clinched the match by winning the last two games to finish.
Well done everyone and hopefully we will get a return match soon!
Play through all the games : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85292
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
WZ-Z1 2020, World Zone - Zone 1 Friendly Match 2020
Saturday, 24th October 2020
Phill Beckett
WZ-Z1 2020, World Zone - Zone 1 Friendly Match 2020
Good luck to all the English players in the 442 board match.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88477
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Saturday, 24th October 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
Congratulations to Richard Ward (ICCF ID 780026) on achieving the CCE title.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Saturday, 10th October 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player N. W. Jefferson with ICCF ID 210845 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Monday, 5th October 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player Brian James Herriot with ICCF ID 211523 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Europe Zone v World Zone (Update)
Saturday, 3rd October 2020
Phill Beckett
Europe Zone v World Zone (Update)
All players on the webserver will have received two emails advertising this event, one from the European zone director and one from myself.
Just for clarity, I have submitted a list of all the players who expressed an interest in matches against France, Australia etc. and were not able to be accommodated.
If you would like to play or be sure that your name was on the list forwarded to the zone director, reply to the email you received from me by Wednesday 7th October.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Saturday, 3rd October 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player Gary Maguire with ICCF ID 212175 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF International Master.
His final norm was in the current British Championship final and if he manages to win his final game he will achieve his first SIM norm.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Ladies World Championship Finals
Tuesday, 29th September 2020
Phill Beckett
Ladies World Championship Finals
In what will probably be the last Ladies Final -
England have two players qualified for the Final -
Toni Halliwell and Dawn Williamson are to be congratulated on this great achievement.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title Award
Tuesday, 29th September 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title Award
Congratulations to Phil Eastlake on the award of the CCM title.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, 29th September 2020
John Rhodes
Executive Committee Meeting
Due to the coronavirus pandemic we have decided to conduct our next Executive Committee Meeting by email instead of physically meeting in Biggleswade on Saturday 24th October 2020.
If any EFCC Members have anything that they would like discussed at our meeting, please email me by 10th October 2020 at the latest.
John Rhodes, General Secretary
(Email John here)
Congratulations on Title Award
Friday, 25th September 2020
Phill Beckett
Congratulations on Title Award
The ICCF have confirmed the award of the International Arbiter's title on Stephen Woodhouse.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
European Zone v World Zone
Wednesday, 23rd September 2020
Phill Beckett
European Zone v World Zone
The European Zone asked for 10 nominations to represent the European Zone v World Zone.
We have nominated ;
Munro P, Marchant A, Cunningham P, Bailey M, Perrin R, Hall TR, Pallett R, Cole S, Dunks PD, Illingworth JB.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Match against CCLA Kangaroos
Tuesday, 22nd September 2020
Phill Beckett
New Match against CCLA Kangaroos
We have just started a match at Under 2000 level against our friends from Australia.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88452
You can follow the games live with the normal five move delay.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Thursday, 17th September 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player Kevin D. Plant with ICCF ID 211509 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Match Against France 2020
Wednesday, 16th September 2020
Phill Beckett
Match Against France 2020
We have just started a match against our friends from across the channel.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88279
You can follow the games live with the normal five move delay.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
British Championship Starts
Tuesday, 15th September 2020
Phill Beckett
British Championship Starts
The strongest British Championship in living memory has just started. (It has GM norms available)
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88182
The Candidates are very strong as well.
Owing to the strength of the entry, the committee took the decision to run two sections.
Section A https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88184
Section B https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88186
There are three Reserve sections.
Section A https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88187
Section B https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88188
Section C https://www.iccf.com/event?id=88189
Of the 80 entries 51 have norm opportunities.
You can follow the games (with a 5 move delay).
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Friday, 4th September 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player K. J. Owen with ICCF ID 210370 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
Follow England's Progress in European 960 Team Final
Tuesday, 1st September 2020
Phill Beckett
Follow England's Progress in European 960 Team Final
Follow, Peter Catt, Stan Grayland, Keith Kitson and Kevin Thurlow as they defend the honour of England in the Final of the European Chess 960 Team Event.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87912
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
British Championship Entry Now Closed
Monday, 31st August 2020
Phill Beckett
British Championship Entry Now Closed
The final entry list is below, if you have entered and your name is not on the list contact me as a matter of urgency !
| Name | Country |
| Ackley P | ENG | Asquith J | ENG | Bailey M | ENG | Barber P | ENG | Beckett PJ | ENG | Brotherton T | ENG |
| Bruce R | ENG | Clark S | ENG | Cole S | ENG | Cowan A | ENG | Craven V | ENG | Donovan T | ENG |
| Elwood D | ENG | Franks K | ENG | Gardner A | ENG | Girling C | ENG | Graham O | ENG | Grayland SJ | ENG |
| Grummitt W | ENG | Hart T | ENG | Herman T | ENG | Holland EN | ENG | Hollands G | ENG | Ibbitson A | ENG |
| Illingworth JB | ENG | James A | ENG | Kitson K | ENG | Law K | ENG | Lockett J | ENG | Lumley W | ENG |
| Maguire G | ENG | Marchant A | ENG | Marks RJ | ENG | McDermott F | ENG | Medis T | ENG | Morton PS | ENG |
| Munro PR | ENG | Norman N | ENG | O'Mahoney M | ENG | Owen C | ENG | Perrin R | ENG | Pope P | ENG |
| Raby EBD | ENG | Rallabandi P | ENG | Rawlings AJC | ENG | Reed AF | ENG | Richardson D | ENG | Roberts A | ENG |
| Roberts S | ENG | Ruffle A | ENG | Squires M | ENG | Sutton A | ENG | Thompson B | ENG | Tibbert PH | ENG |
| Walsh HJ | ENG | Ward R | ENG | Webster R | ENG | Wharam G | ENG | Wood BA | ENG | Beecham CR | SCO |
| Buchan A | SCO | Burridge R | SCO | Clark SL | SCO | Cumming D | SCO | Hardwick ME | SCO | Lloyd G | SCO |
| Whittaker IP | SCO | Bailey S | WLS | Bishop W | WLS | Bullen A | WLS | Jones G | WLS | Jones Ian | WLS |
| Jones R | WLS | Lockwood A | WLS | Scott P | WLS | Sherwood A | WLS | Sherwood H | WLS | Sherwood R | WLS |
| Wakeham MR | WLS | Yeo G | WLS |
Phill Beckett
International Secretary & British Championship TD
Match against Rest of Europe is Finished
Thursday, 27th August 2020
Phill Beckett
Match against Rest of Europe is Finished
This epic match played over 136 boards resulted in a convincing win for the Rest of Europe team by 48 points.
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=76242
All the games in the match can be played through!
We held them over the high boards but the strength in depth told on the lower boards.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Sunday, 23rd August 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player Kenneth Watkins with ICCF ID 212686 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Friday, 21st August 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
Richard Webster with ICCF ID 212803 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of Correspondence Chess Master.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
British Entries received up to 15/8/20 (Final Deadline for entries 31/8/20)
Saturday, 15th August 2020
Phill Beckett
British Entries received up to 15/8/20 (Final Deadline for entries 31/8/20)
If you think you have entered and your name is not on the list, please get in contact urgently !
| Name | Country |
| Asquith J | ENG | Bailey M | ENG | Beckett PJ | ENG | Brotherton T | ENG | Bruce R | ENG | Clark S | ENG |
| Cowan A | ENG | Elwood D | ENG | Franks K | ENG | Gardner A | ENG | Graham O | ENG | Grayland SJ | ENG |
| Griling C | ENG | Grummitt W | ENG | Herman T | ENG | Hollands G | ENG | Illingworth JB | ENG | James A | ENG |
| Kitson K | ENG | Law K | ENG | Lockett J | ENG | Lumley W | ENG | Maguire G | ENG | Marchant A | ENG |
| O'Mahoney M | ENG | Owen C | ENG | Perrin R | ENG | Pope P | ENG | Raby EBD | ENG | Rallabandi P | ENG |
| Rawlings AJC | ENG | Richardson D | ENG | Roberts A | ENG | Roberts S | ENG | Ruffle A | ENG | Squires M | ENG |
| Sutton A | ENG | Tibbert PH | ENG | Walsh HJ | ENG | Ward R | ENG | Webster R | ENG | Wharam G | ENG |
| Wood BA | ENG | Beecham CR | SCO | Buchan A | SCO | Burridge R | SCO | Clark SL | SCO | Cumming D | SCO |
| Hardwick ME | SCO | Lloyd G | SCO | Whittaker IP | SCO | Bailey S | WLS | Bishop W | WLS | Bullen A | WLS |
| Jones G | WLS | Jones Ian | WLS | Jones R | WLS | Scott P | WLS | Sherwood A | WLS | Sherwood H | WLS |
| Sherwood R | WLS | Wakeham MR | WLS |
Phill Beckett
International Secretary & British Championship TD
World Championship Candidate Events
Friday, 14th August 2020
Phill Beckett
World Championship Candidate Events
These are extremely strong events and England has a representative in both sections.
Qualification for the next World Final is by finishing in the first two places.
Follow the English players' progress ;
In Candidates 1 follow
Richard Hall
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87718
In Candidates 1 follow
Praveen Kumar Rallabandi
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87719
The start date is 20/9/20 so do not expect much action before then as the players will be certainly preparing intensely.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Team Match - Wales v England Chess 960
Monday, 10th August 2020
Phill Beckett
New Team Match - Wales v England Chess 960
England and Wales are contesting a Chess 960 International.
Follow the progress : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=87609
We are grateful for our Welsh Friends taking several boards in order to accommodate all the England players who wished to play.
Good luck to both teams.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Monday, 10th August 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The player E. V. Foulds with ICCF ID 211580 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Master.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
2020 ICCF Online Voting Results.
Tuesday, 4th August 2020
Phill Beckett
The results of the voting for each Congress proposal at the 2020 ICCF online voting are listed below.
| 2020-001 | Approve Services Committee Budget for 2021 | 47 0 | Passed |
| 2020-002 | Optional Preferential Voting (OPV) for Election of Officials | 32 12 | Passed (2/3 majority) |
| 2020-003 | Approve the 2019 Minutes | 50 0 | Passed |
| 2020-004 | Approve Financial Reports | 47 1 | Passed |
| 2020-005 | Players' Record Keeping Requirement | 40 9 | Passed |
| 2020-006 | Players' Requirement to Update Personal Address | 48 0 | Passed |
| 2020-007 | Counting FIDE GMs | 41 7 | Superceded by 2020-008 |
| 2020-008 | Eliminate Requirement of "5 GM" Opponents for GM Title | 37 11 | Passed |
| 2020-009 | Making the Triple Block Time Control System an Official Option | 41 7 | Passed |
| 2020-010 | Clarifying a Requirement for a Title Tournament | 41 6 | Passed |
| 2020-011 | Congress Allowances for ICCF Auditor | 26 20 | Passed |
| 2020-012 | Limiting the 10-Move Draw Rule | 39 8 | Passed |
| 2020-013 | Lowering Entry Fees | 50 0 | Passed |
| 2020-014 | 2020 and Onwards - CCE and CCM Medals | 19 27 | Defeated |
| 2020-016 | Add a Second Payment Processor to the Server Entry Process | 46 3 | Passed |
| 2020-017 | Validity of “Half Qualifications” for WCCC | 41 7 | Passed |
| 2020-018 | Assumed Ratings | 42 5 | Passed |
| 2020-019 | New Tournament Format | 42 6 | Passed |
| 2020-020 | Special Provisions for the 70th ICCF Jubilee Events | 31 17 | Passed |
| 2020-023 | Clarifying Rules about Resetting Clocks after Extended Period of Down Server | 48 1 | Passed |
| 2020-024 | Establish “Regional” Tournaments | 31 15 | Passed |
| 2020-025 | Norm Tournaments: Switching of an Entry When the Player's Rating Changes | 49 0 | Passed |
| 2020-027 | Updates to the ICCF Voting Regulations and Electoral Procedures [2/3 VOTE] | 35 10 | Passed (2/3 majority) |
| 2020-028 | Electronic Awards | 20 28 | Defeated |
| 2020-029 | Allowing FIDE GMs to Play Free in ICCF GMN Events | 38 7 | Passed |
| 2020-030 | New Title: International Organizer (IO) and its Scales TO Level 1 and TO Level 2 | 18 27 | Defeated |
| 2020-031 | Allowing TCs to Make TC-initiated Substitutions Directly | 38 10 | Passed |
| 2020-032 | ICCF Congress 2021-Clydebank Glasgow | 47 1 | Passed |
| 2020-033 | Title Norms in Chess 960 | 15 33 | Defeated |
| 2020-034 | Limitations to the Number of Open Tournaments Organised by MFs | 40 6 | Passed |
| 2020-035 | Final "B" in Different Rounds of the Tournament | 18 30 | Defeated |
| 2020-036 | New Tournament: World Team Cup | 39 8 | Passed |
| 2020-037 | Friendly Matches Viewing Rules | 15 29 | Defeated |
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Tuesday, 4th August 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
Michael J. Blake with ICCF ID 210717 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Master.
Congratulations.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New Title
Tuesday, 28th July 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
Antony Copsey has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Well Done.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
England Chess 960 Team
Friday, 24th July 2020
Phill Beckett
England Chess 960 Team
The Selection Committee are looking for players to represent England in the Chess 960 team event (Fischer Random Chess).
If you are interested please contact Phill Beckett before the end of July.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
IM Title
Saturday, 18th July 2020
Phill Beckett
IM Title
The title ICCF International Master awarded to player Les Ellis with ICCF ID 211229 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
CCM Title
Tuesday, 7th July 2020
Phill Beckett
CCM Title
Having recently gained the CCE title Tom Herman has quickly followed it with the CCM title.
Well done.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
ICCF Proposal Consultation
Sunday, 5th July 2020
Phill Beckett
ICCF Proposal Consultation
The EFCC are always interested in English players' opinions.
The ICCF have a number of proposals which are being voted on in the near future.
These can be viewed by clicking on the ICCF congresses tab on the sidebar and then viewing the 2020 proposals - https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1346
If you wish for your opinions to be taken into account please reply to myself.
Replies should be received by 12th July.
Phill Beckett
International Secretary
New title
Saturday, 27th June 2020
Phill Beckett
New title
Congratulations to Philip Revell on achieving a Correspondence Chess Master (CCM) title.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
The British Correspondence Chess Championship (BCCC)
Monday, 22nd June 2020
Phill Beckett (EFCC), Gordon Anderson (Scotland) & Russell Sherwood (Wales)
The British Correspondence Chess Championship (BCCC)
The British Correspondence Chess Championship (BCCC) is the premier tournament on the British CC calendar.
Running continuously since 1921 and open to all British players, the BCCC has carried ICCF title norms since 2016.
The BCCC caters for players of all levels and consists of a final, a candidates section and a number of reserves sections.
The BCCC is organised jointly by the English Federation for Correspondence Chess (EFCC), the Scottish Correspondence Chess Association (ScoCCA) and the Welsh Correspondence Chess Federation (WCCF).
Further details of the tournament, including the full rules and a list of previous winners, are available on the EFCC website: http://efcchess.org.uk/bccc.html
.
Last season’s crosstables can be viewed here:
Championship https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81192
Candidates https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81193
Reserves A https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81194
Reserves B https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81195
Reserves C https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81196
There is a first prize of £100 and a second prize of £50.
Entries close on August 31 and play is due to commence in September 2020.
Entries can be made directly to Tournament Organiser - Phil Beckett or via the National Federation ;
EFCC - https://efcchess.org.uk/index.html (Online Fee Payment (use reference BCCC)),
Scottish - ,
Welsh - https://welshccf.org.uk/content/18.
Entries and the entry fee of £12 should reach Phill Beckett no later than 31st August 2020.
Posted by Gordon Anderson (Scotland), Phill Beckett (England) and Russell Sherwood (Wales).
World Candidates
Sunday, 14th June 2020
Phill Beckett
World Candidates
Richard Hall and Praveen Kumar Rallabandi have both prequalified for the Candidates section of the World Championship just one step away from the World Final.
These events are highly competitive and we wish both players every success.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
New Titles Awarded
Wednesday, 10th June 2020
Phill Beckett
New Titles Awarded
Tom Herman with ICCF ID 212544 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Oliver Graham with ICCF ID 211824 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert.
Alan B. Sutton with ICCF ID 210709 has achieved enough norms to receive the title of ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert..
The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Master is awarded to player Marek J. Soszynski with ICCF ID 211375.
The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Master is awarded to player Robert Marks with ICCF ID 212535.
Congratulations to all.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Richard Hall
Sunday, 7th June 2020
Ian Pheby
Richard Hall
Richard Hall, one of England’s strongest players, has recently finished in first place of two very strong tournaments. These were the Joop van Oosterom Memorial, a Category 16 tournament which can be seen at https://www.iccf.com/event?id=68635 and the Achim Soltau Memorial, a Category 15 tournament which can be seen at https://www.iccf.com/event?id=61736.
Congratulations to Richard on two excellent performances. Richard is currently representing England on board 2 of ICCF Olympiad 21 Final which is category 12 and which can be seen at https://www.iccf.com/event?id=83285.
Ian M Pheby
EFCC President
Match against USA
Wednesday, 3rd June 2020
Phill Beckett
Match against USA
We are now underway. The grades are fairly closely matched so it should be a tight match.
Good luck everyone.
Follow the games with the normal 5 move delay - https://www.iccf.com/event?id=86774
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Friendly Match v Mexico Under 1800
Thursday, 28th May 2020
Phill Beckett
Friendly Match v Mexico Under 1800
We have a new match against Mexico.
Details of the event may be found at : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=86740
As usual you can follow the match delayed by 5 moves.
Good luck to all our players.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
World Championship Semi Final
Saturday, 23rd May 2020
Phill Beckett
World Championship Semi Final
The following players have been nominated or qualified for the world championship semi final round (a little bit of a misnomer as the winners and runners up qualify for the candidates).
IM David Weldon section 2
SIM Ian Pheby section 3
GM John Pugh section 5
SIM Alan Rawlings section 6
The average grade of each section is 2435 and consists of 17 players.
We wish them every success in their sections - it will be tough.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Match v USA
Saturday, 23rd May 2020
Phill Beckett
Match v USA
This match will consist of 105 boards. We have submitted our team list to the USA and so far they have matched reasonably easily 80 boards and are working to match the rest.
We are hoping for a June start, but as you will appreciate it is a huge task.
Thank you for setting the captains a difficult task!
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Title achievements
Tuesday, 19th May 2020
Phill Beckett
Title achievements
Antony D. Cannon has achieved the title of Correspondence Chess Expert. (CCE)
Former British Champion Mark Eldridge has achieved the title of International Master. (IM)
Congratulations to both players.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
ICCF Lockdown Open
Sunday, 10th May 2020
Phill Beckett
ICCF Lockdown Open
Details of the event may be found at : https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1351
Entry fees from this event will be donated to charity.
Players may enter directly via the ICCF system or on this site via the payment section.
If you enter via this site the fee will be £5 and you should use the reference ICCF Lockdown.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament
Sunday, 10th May 2020
Phill Beckett
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament
The teams have been selected as follows :
First team
Samuel Brennan
Barry Sheppard
Tim Spanton
Arthur Reed
Oliver Graham
Dave Grobler
Second Team
Alastair Cowan
Kevin Plant
Arnold Marchant
John Vivante-Sowter
Colin Cheek
Alan Sutton
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Gigantic match against the USA
Sunday, 10th May 2020
Phill Beckett
Gigantic match against the USA
All of you should have received an email informing you of this. 71 players have so far volunteered.
The format will be two games against one closely matched opponent. We are working towards a max grading difference of 20.
If you have not expressed your interest, please do so by 21st May in order to secure your place.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
New Title
Sunday, 10th May 2020
Phill Beckett
New Title
The title ICCF Correspondence Chess Expert awarded to player Gerard Le-Marechal with ICCF ID 212933 has now been confirmed by the ICCF Qualifications Commissioner.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Invitation Events
Sunday, 10th May 2020
Phill Beckett
Invitation Events
Two events have recently been started.
The Peggy Clarke Memorial : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85287
The Brian Jones Celebration : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85329
In both cases play can be followed (with a five move delay).
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
New Friendly matches for Under 1800 players
Sunday, 3rd May 2020
Phill Beckett
New Friendly matches for Under 1800 players
We have recently started friendlies against Scotland, Wales and Indonesia.
Scotland : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85332
Wales : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85292
Indonesia : https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85291
You can follow the progress of the matches live (delayed by 5 moves).
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
New Titles
Wednesday, 22nd April 2020
Phill Beckett
New Titles
Gerard Le-Marechal has just qualified for the title of Correspondence Chess Expert (CCE).
Correspondence Chess Master awarded to player Mike Richardt.
Congratulations!
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament
Tuesday, 21st April 2020
Phill Beckett
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament
For teams of 6 grading below 2300.
Further details : https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1348
Contact Phill Beckett by email (Email Phill here)
73rd European Individual Championship, Final
Sunday, 19th April 2020
Phill Beckett
73rd European Individual Championship, Final
Congratulations and good luck to Edmund Soh who qualified and is now competing in the European Final
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=85073
Phill Beckett, International Secretary
British Championship Entry Fee Increase
Wednesday, 15th April 2020
Phill Beckett
British Championship Entry Fee Increase
Following the introduction of larger sections and the increasing opportunities for title norms, the Tri-Nation committee which administers the championship on behalf of the federations of England, Scotland and Wales has agreed with the federations that the entry fee will rise to £12 in order to cover the increased game fees and section size costs.
Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
ICCF Titles Achieved
Sunday, 12th April 2020
Phill Beckett
ICCF Titles Achieved
Correspondence Chess Expert - Robert Marks
Correspondence Chess Master - Mike Richardt
Congratulations to both players.
Posted by Phill Beckett (International Secretary)
Annual General Meeting - Officer Elections
Saturday, 21st March 2020
Ian Pheby
Annual General Meeting - Officer Elections
At the recent AGM of the EFCC, the following Officers were elected:-
President: Ian M Pheby
General Secretary: John Rhodes
International Secretary: Phillip J Beckett
Treasurer: Ian M Pheby
You can contact any of these Officers directly via this page: https://efcchess.org.uk/efccStaff.html .
Ian M Pheby, President
Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting
Saturday, 14th March 2020
John Rhodes
Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting
Due to the coronavirus pandemic we have decided to conduct our Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting by email instead of physically meeting in Biggleswade on Saturday 21st March 2020.
John Rhodes, General Secretary
Praveen Kumar Rallabandi
Saturday, 14th March 2020
Ian Pheby
Praveen Kumar Rallabandi
I am pleased to report that Praveen Kumar Rallabandi (ENG) has won WCCC42/SF2, a Category 8 tournament, with a score of 8 out of 14. Praveen was unbeaten in this tournament, and he qualifies for a World Championship Candidates group.
Many congratulations Praveen on your excellent performance!
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Sixth British Webserver Team Tournament
Tuesday, 10th March 2020
John Rhodes
Sixth British Webserver Team Tournament
The Welsh Correspondence Chess Federation (WCCF) have announced that entries for the Sixth British Webserver Team Tournament are now open. The tournament will start on 12th April 2020 and the entry fee remains at £20.00 per team. Entries should be sent to and include the team name and the names, board numbers, and ICCF ID numbers of the team captain and each of the four players, at least one of whom must be British registered. The closing date is Friday 10th April 2020. Further details can be found on the WCCF website at https://welshccf.org.uk/content/88 .
John Rhodes, General Secretary
World Correspondence Chess Championship Semi-Finals
Sunday, 8th March 2020
Ian Pheby
World Correspondence Chess Championship Semi-Finals
Entries for the 44th WCCC semi-finals are now being accepted. Details of the tournament and the qualifications to participate may be found at https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1339
English players who wish to be nominated for this tournament and have ratings 2400 or higher on the 2020/2 ICCF rating list and who do not meet the other qualification requirements listed in the announcement are invited to inform Ian M Pheby (Email Ian here) of their wish to be nominated by no later than 25th April 2020.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Paul F. Timson†
Sunday, 16th February 2020
Ian Pheby
Paul F. Timson†
It is with great sadness that I announce that SIM Paul F. Timson has died recently after a long fight against leukaemia.
Paul was an International Master and Senior International Master, titles obtained in 2002 and 2006 respectively. His highest rating was 2585 obtained in 1991. He represented England with distinction in the 6th European team championship where Paul obtained a Grandmaster norm, and also in several Olympiads.
My condolences to his family.
Rest in peace.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Announcement of the English Federation for Correspondence Chess Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting.
Saturday, 15th February 2020
John Rhodes
Announcement of the English Federation for Correspondence Chess Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting.
There will be an Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting of the English Federation for Correspondence Chess on Saturday, 21st March 2020 starting at 12:30pm in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Please contact the General Secretary, John Rhodes for further details. (Email John here)
John Rhodes, EFCC General Secretary
New International Arbiter
Tuesday, 4th February 2020
Ian Pheby
New International Arbiter
England has a new International Arbiter. The ICCF has confirmed that Ben A. Wood has been awarded the ICCF IA title. Many congratulations to Ben on his fine achievement! Ben will be awarded his certificate and medal at the ICCF Congress in Glasgow later this year.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
British Championship 2018/20
Saturday, 25th January 2020
Ian Pheby
British Championship 2018/20
This tournament is now finished. Congratulations to Praveen Kumar Rallabandi (ENG) for winning this Category 6 tournament with an excellent score of 9½ out of 14. Praveen was unbeaten in this tournament. Brian Thompson (ENG) finished second with 7½/14.
Praveen therefore retained his title of British champion having also won the British Championship 2017-9 tournament.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Trevor Thomas†
Sunday, 12th January 2020
Ian Pheby
Trevor Thomas†
It is with great sadness that I announce that SIM Trevor Thomas died recently at the age of 97.
Trevor held a variety of posts within the EFCC and made a significant contribution to English correspondence chess over many years which benefitted so many players. Trevor was an International Master and Senior International Master, titles obtained in 1992 and 1999 respectively, and he was a very strong player in his day. His highest rating was 2525. He represented England on board 4 of the 11th Olympiad final with distinction.
His funeral is on Thursday 16th January 2020 at 2pm and is being held at the Carey Baptist Church in Reading (RG1 7JS). On behalf of the EFCC I have expressed sincere condolences to Trevor’s family.
Rest in peace.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
New International Secretary
Wednesday, 1st January 2020
Ian Pheby
New International Secretary
Andrew Dearnley has decided to stand down as International Secretary with immediate effect. I wish to thank him for his substantial contribution to the EFCC over many years for the benefit of English correspondence chess and England’s players.
The new International Secretary is Ian M Pheby who can be contacted (Email Ian here) on all matters.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Invitations to German Title Tournaments
Friday, 27th December 2019
Ian Pheby
Invitations to German Title Tournaments
EFCC has received three Invitations to German Title tournaments with Title Norms available. There are minimum rating requirements as listed below. The tournaments are likely to consist of 13-17 players and will start in June 2020 (although it is the intention of the German organisers to put the tournaments on the server in early April 2020).
England has an invite for one player for each of the following tournaments:
1. For a player rated 2415+ on the 2020/2 list
2. For a player rated 2385+ on the 2020/2 list
3. For a player rated 2285+ on the 2020/2 list
If the ICCF rating of a nominated player is reduced in the time between the nomination and the start of the tournament it is possible that this player is moved to a tournament with a lower Category.
If you are interested in playing, please contact Ian M Pheby (Email Ian here) before 19th January 2020. If more than one player is interested in a particular section, the EFCC Selection Committee will decide which player to nominate.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
Seasonal Greetings!
Thursday, 19th December 2019
Ian Pheby
Seasonal Greetings!
As we approach the festive season I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of England’s players for a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.
I hope that you enjoy success in your games in 2020 and beyond.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
World Correspondence Chess Championship Preliminaries
Thursday, 19th December 2019
Ian Pheby
World Correspondence Chess Championship Preliminaries
Entries for the 44th WCCC Preliminaries are now being accepted. Details of the tournament and the qualifications to participate may be found at https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1327
English players who wish to be nominated for this tournament and have ratings less than 2400 (fixed or unfixed) on the 2020/1 ICCF rating list and who do not meet the other qualification requirements listed in the announcement are invited to inform Ian M Pheby (Email Ian here) of their wish to be nominated by no later than 19th January 2020.
Ian M Pheby, EFCC President
VACANCY FOR THE POST OF EFCC TREASURER
Thursday, 28th November 2019
Ian Pheby
VACANCY FOR THE POST OF EFCC TREASURER
A vacancy will occur for the post of EFCC Treasurer from 1st January 2020.
The postholder will be a member of the EFCC Executive Committee, and he/she will be supported by members of the EFCC finance sub-committee where required. The post is not too onerous and no formal qualifications are required.
For further details about this important post please contact the EFCC President Ian M Pheby. (Email Ian here)
I take this opportunity to remind everyone that the EFCC is run by volunteers who freely give up their time to help all English players enjoy their correspondence chess. The EFCC is looking for new volunteers to join its Executive Committee. If you feel you can give a little of your time to help English players then please contact Ian at the above email address. He is looking forward to hearing from you.
Ian M Pheby
EFCC President
Announcement of the 2nd English Veterans CC Championship
Tuesday, 5th November 2019
Ian Pheby
Announcement of the 2nd English Veterans CC Championship
The English Federation of Correspondence Chess (EFCC) is pleased to announce that the second English Veterans Correspondence Chess Championship (EVCCC) will be held with a start date on 5th March 2020. All English players aged 60 or over on that date and are registered or able (in the case of new players) to be registered to play under the England flag in the ICCF are invited to enter!
The full Rules, tournament structure, eligibility, prizes etc. can be seen under "English Veterans CC Championship (EVCCC)"
on the EFCC website here ; http://www.efcchess.org.uk/bvccc.html
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 & the tournament duration shall be approximately 21½ months of playing time. The time limit shall be 40 days for each 10 moves.
The entry fee is £8.00. Entries may be made by PayPal through this website quoting “2nd EVCCC”. Alternatively, entries may be sent to the Tournament Organiser, Ian M Pheby (address: Oaklea Cottage, Horsham Road, Capel, Dorking, Surrey RH5 5JH) with a cheque for £8.00 made payable to “EFCC”. The closing date for entries is 1st February 2020. Pairings will be issued as soon as possible after that date.
All veteran English chess players 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 Ian M Pheby, IA
British Championship Now Underway
Saturday, 14th September 2019
Phill Beckett
British Championship Now Underway
The Five sections of the British are now live on the webserver with three of the events having norms available.
The Championship section is a category 6 event with SIM norms available.
Two of the reserve sections are minor category events.
They can all be seen at :
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81192
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81193
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81194
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81195
https://www.iccf.com/event?id=81196
Announcement of the English Federation for Correspondence Chess Executive Committee Meeting.
Monday, 9th September 2019
John Rhodes
Announcement of the English Federation for Correspondence Chess Executive Committee Meeting.
There will be an Executive Committee Meeting on Saturday, 12th October 2019, starting at 12 Noon at the Holiday Inn, Milton Keynes East, London Road, Newport Pagnell, MK16 0JA. All players who play under the flag of England are welcome to attend.
John Rhodes, EFCC General Secretary
GM Richard V M Hall has been awarded a Bertl von Massow medal in Gold
Tuesday, 20th August 2019
Ian Pheby
GM Richard V M Hall has been awarded a Bertl von Massow medal in Gold
At the 2019 ICCF Congress held in Vilnius, Lithuania, GM Richard V M Hall has been awarded a Bertl von Massow medal in Gold for 15 years of faithful service to the ICCF. Richard has been Chairman of the ICCF Arbitration Committee since 2004 and has previously been awarded a Bertl von Massow medal in Silver for 10 years of faithful service to the ICCF in 2014.
Richard (seen on the left in this photograph) is being presented with the Gold medal and certificate by the ICCF President Eric Ruch.
My congratulations to Richard for receiving this award for his excellent service to the ICCF. It is fully deserved.
Ian M Pheby
President, EFCC
Addendum by Andrew Dearnley :
GM Richard Hall (pictured left) receives the Bertl Von Massow Gold Medal from ICCF President Eric Ruch, this week in Vilnius at the 2019 Congress. Richard has worked tirelessly for ICCF for 15 years, as Chair of the ICCF arbitration committee and has now retired from this post after meteoric service. Congratulations Richard!
Congratulations to the following players whose titles were presented at the same ceremony in Vilnius;
Praveen Rallabandi - Senior International Master
Stephen Cade - International Master
Brian Thompson - International Master
Jo Wharrier - International Master
All congress voting results are available to be viewed on ICCF.com
Next year the congress will be hosted by our Scottish Federation friends in Glasgow.
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