ICCF stuff

[Davidflude]

Australian entries for the Veterans World Cup

David A. Flude
Brian Jones
Mike Stubbs
Dave Dempster

Results this week.

Australia versus Finland

David Flude v Karl Solo 1-0

Karl Solo v David Flude .5-.5

I will post the win in PGN when I finish annotating it.

[ER]

Australian entries for the Veterans World Cup
(...)
Australia versus Finland

David Flude v Karl Solo 1-0

Karl Solo v David Flude .5-.5

I will post the win in PGN when I finish annotating it.

CONGRATULATIONS DAVID!

and good luck to Brian and the other boys too!
GO AUSTRALIA!!!!!

[Davidflude]

The following is the link to the ICCF fourth veterans World Cup.

http://www.iccf-webchess.com/Message.aspx?message=365

Good to see both Aussies and Kiwis throwing their hats in the ring.

[ER]

Are you guys still posting letters by mail (or e-mail) to each other?
Are you allowed to use computers?
If yes, do you all rush and buy the latest programs?
If not, what chance do you have vs opponents who do?
Good luck anyway, it's good to see Australia doing well!

[Davidflude]

Are you guys still posting letters by mail (or e-mail) to each other?

There are some tournaments played by snail mail. Email is virtually extinct on ICCF but is still used by the Australian Correspondence Chess League. ICCF is played using a games database. This is really great. You dot have outrageous transmission times. You cannot cheat on time. Times are recorded in days hours and minutes. If your computer crashes you can still play moves at a cyber cafe. (I have done this). Games are automatically added to the ICCF games files when they are finished and can be downloaded. (In some tournaments, especially fixed opening tournaments games are not displayed until all games are finished. This is a really great idea. In one recent tournament I reached a draw in the same position against two opponents.

Are you allowed to use computers?

It depends on the organization and tournament. For example the Australian Correspondence chess league forbids using computers. Furthermore I have very good evidence that the players observe the ban. On the other hand ICCF allows them.

If yes, do you all rush and buy the latest programs?

You do not rush. I am currently evaluating the very strong free program Houdini versus Rybka 3. They appear to be approximately as strong.Installing newer faster programs makes little difference. The machines play really well in certain sorts of positions and hopelessly in other sorts of positions. In my case this makes things harder. The sort of positions that I like the machines are adept at. The sort of positions that I play badly the machines are even worse.

One thing that I recently discovered is that the performance of programs that interface to Chessbase is greatly affected by how you start the programs. Stunningly the programs run twice as fast if you start them one way than if you start them a different way. This was suggested in an article on Chess Cafe and I have confirmed it.

I would spend money buying more memory rather than buying a new program. A good rule of thumb is double your processor speed and double your memory (up to what your operating system will handle) and your program will run twice as fast.

If not, what chance do you have vs opponents who do?

If you have a profound understanding of the openings that you play and the middle games that arise, are a super technician with a superb endgame technique you will probably eat the machines for breakfast at correspondence speeds. These guys are found in the top level of correspondence chess. A correspondence GM is currently giving me a real lesson. After twenty move I am no material down but feel like throwing in the towel.

Good luck anyway, it's good to see Australia doing well!