Nova Scotia Chess's
How to Play
Chess on the Internet

There are three ways you can play chess on the internet:

1. Traditional correspondence chess using E-mail;
2. Real-time chess on chess servers;
3. Real time chess on websites using java.

E-mail and Correspondence Chess

Two organizations the IECG and IECC pioneered E-mail correspondence chess on the Internet. We can recommend either organization. The traditional postal-based correspondence organizations are newer to the internet, but they now offer E-mail correspondence chess too. Long-time correspondence players tend to look at the traditional organizations as the "only" true - rated organizations. But these traditional organizations could learn a great deal from the experience of the IECG and the IECC. Certainly the ICCF seems to have realized this.

• Canadian Correspondence Chess Association.
• International Email Chess Group
• International Email Chess Club
• Computers in Correspondence Chess
• David Sugden's Home Page with informaton and games on the British Correspondence Chess Association and a Correspondence Chess Recorder
• British Postal Chess Federation
• Andres Valverde HOME PAGE with ECTOOL for Correspondence Chess
• International Correspondence Chess Federation
• New ChessMail Website
• The Correspondence Chess League Of Australia
• DEUTSCHER FERNSCHACHBUND (BdF) - The German Correspondence Chess Association
• Homepage de l'Association des Joueurs d'Echecs par Correspondance (AJEC) - French Correspondence Chess Association
• British Postal Chess Federation
• ICCA: Irish Correspondence Chess Association page
• Techutopia has in its software section a e-mail correspondence chess extension for users of Pegasus Mail.
  

  More information on chess servers and E-mail correspondence chess is available in the chess FAQ.

Chess Servers and their WWW Sites

Generally, you must download chess server-specific telnet software to full utilize the servers. Some of the telnet addresses below only work with the chess- server specific telnet software.

FICS or AFICS = The American Free Internet Chess Server

• Internet Chess Library website of the Free Internet Chess Club (FICS).
• Telnet Connect to the Free Internet Chess Server. or 164.58.253.10 5000
• SLICS or CHESSBD (IBM Compatible matchines) or Fixation (MacIntosch) works best here.

ICC = The Internet Chess Club

• This is a pay for service server, but there is a free trial and you can always have limited access without paying.
  The World's Most Active Chess Club
• Telnet ICC chess.lm.com 5000, if you are new to this log in as "guest."
• ftp://chess.lm.com/
• ICC's BLITZIN Chess server telnet software works best here.

Chess Net

• Grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvili's new server is free and gaining popularity with many including Nova Scotians.
• See the website at http://www.chess.net telnet to telnet://chess.net:5000
• Voice 1-888-chessnet.
• Chess Net has its own specific chess server telnet software that works best with there server.

Other chess servers around the world:

• German Chess Server (telnet)
• Swedish Chess Server (telnet)
• Danish Server (telnet)
• Australian Chess Server (telnet)
• Chilean Chess Server (telnet)

Server Telnet Software For the telnet links above to work your browser must be configured to find the directory and executable file of a telnet software program on your machine! Not all browsers can do this! Better yet get a chess playing utility and log in.

But you'll enjoy playing chess on the internet chess servers more if you get a program that provides you with a graphical interface with the chess server. That's technical lingo for a real board. One of the most recommended programs for MicroSoft Windows users is Fong's CHESSBD or SLICS program for interfacing with Chess Servers. But if you have a MacIntosh, try Fixation.

There's also a list of commands which are somewhat similar between servers but with some differences. There are at least 50 commands. Here are some examples of the most common ones to help you get started:

play 123	  =   	accepts a open challenge number 123 for a game 
accept		  = 	accepts a private challenge for a game
seek 4 2	  = 	you see a 4 minute game with two second 
                        increments added for each move from anyone on 
			the server
match johndoe	  =	you request a rematch with johndoe having just played him.

There are quite a few Nova Scotian's on the servers. Here's a partial list with their handles for FICS and perhaps elsewhere:

Jim Brennan		JimB
Ed Urquhart		easye
John Kapstein		tjradd
Kim Tufts		kim
Alvah Mayo		RicFlair (and others).
Steve Saunders	        Blockhouse
Marke Zuibinski	        zig
Graham Ferrier	        RadRooks
Jim Hayward		Luft
Cedric Davies		Skippy
Rob Villeneuve	        Xfiles
Leighton Steele	        Larrys
Jason Kenney		Bluenoser
Alex Fraser		Pozzo

More information on chess servers and E-mail correspondence chess is available in the chess FAQ.

Other Online Chess Playing Internet Resources

• Java Multigame Machine
• Caissa's Web Home Page
• Playsite - Where you can play chess with a Java-capable browser and other games too!
• The IRC Chess Page
• TELE Chess - Tervetuloa Shakk Inet - Sivuille
• iChess Home Page
• GNU WebChess
• Engage Online Games which has the support of the US Chess Federation and rated games.

For more information or comments please write nschess@chebucto.ns.ca.

 

To leave a comment to the person who maintains this file, send email to nschess@chebucto.ns.ca