Editing Internet Chess Club

{{Short description|Internet chess server}}
{{distinguish|Free Internet Chess Server}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Internet Chess Club
| logo = Chessclub.svg
| url = {{url|www.chessclub.com}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Chess server
| language = English
| owner = Internet Chess Club, Inc.
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1995|03|01}}
| current_status = Online
}}

The '''Internet Chess Club''' ('''ICC''') is a commercial [[Internet chess server]] devoted to the play and discussion of [[chess]] and [[chess variant]]s.  ICC had over 30,000 subscribing members in 2005.<ref name="ICC security analysis">{{cite book | chapter-url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/CSAC.2005.36 | doi=10.1109/CSAC.2005.36 | chapter=Lessons Learned: A Security Analysis of the Internet Chess Club | title=21st Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC'05) | year=2005 | last1=Black | first1=J. | last2=Cochran | first2=M. | last3=Gardner | first3=M.R. | pages=245–253 | isbn=0-7695-2461-3 | s2cid=33101 }}</ref> It was the first Internet chess server and was the largest [[pay to play]] chess server in 2005.<ref>[http://www.chesscafe.com/text/polgar32.pdf "The New Age of Internet Chess"], [[Susan Polgar]], [[ChessCafe.com]], 1 February 2005.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/technology/meek-or-masterly-a-challenger-awaits.html "Meek or Masterly, A Challenger Awaits"], Lisa Scheer, [[The New York Times]], 26 July 2001.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Qt1Sw4jQhmAC&dq=%22Internet+Chess+Club%22&pg=PA112 "Children and chess: a guide for educators"], Alexey W. Root and John D., p.110.</ref>

==History==
The first [[Internet chess server]] (ICS), programmed by Michael Moore and Richard Nash, was launched on 15 January 1992.<ref>[http://www.freechess.org/Events/Anniversary/ "Internet Chess Anniversary – History"], [[Free Internet Chess Server]], Retrieved 14 September 2009.</ref> Players logged in by [[telnet]], and the board was displayed as [[ASCII]] text. Bugs in the server software allowed illegal moves, false checkmates etc. Over time more and more features were added to ICS, such as [[Elo rating system|Elo ratings]] and a choice of [[Graphical user interface|graphical interfaces]]. The playing pool grew steadily, many of the server bugs were fixed, and players began to have higher expectations for stability.

Later on in 1992, [[Daniel Sleator]] (darooha) volunteered to take over as head programmer, and began a large overhaul of the server code. He addressed, among other issues, the frequent complaint that players would lose blitz games on time due to Internet lag. In 1994, he copyrighted the code, and began receiving purchase offers from companies wanting to commercialize the server. On 1 March 1995, Sleator announced his intentions to commercialize ICS, renaming it the Internet Chess Club, or ICC, and charging a yearly membership fee. The membership is free for players with a [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] or [[International Master]] title.

Some programmers who had worked on the original ICS became unhappy with what they saw as the commoditization of their project. Led by Chris Petroff, they formed the [[Free Internet Chess Server]] (FICS), which to this day continues to allow everyone to access all features for free.<ref name="History of ICS">[http://www.edcollins.com/chess/fics-icc.htm "Pawns Call King a Rook"], Brad Stone, Retrieved 14 September 2009.</ref>

On 29 May 2007, the [[World Chess Network]] was bought by the Internet Chess Club. It was then merged with [[Chess Live]], another Internet chess server acquired by Internet Chess Club from GamesParlor. The result of the acquisition and merger was the formation of World Chess Live, a new Internet chess server that merged features of both services.<ref>{{cite news |title=WCL – Press release |author=Joel M. Berez and Martin Grund |publisher=World Chess Live |date=29 May 2007 |url=http://www.worldchesslive.com/trywcl/pressrelease.html |access-date=6 September 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810181908/http://www.worldchesslive.com/trywcl/pressrelease.html |archive-date=10 August 2011 }}</ref> World Chess Live merged into, and become part of, the Internet Chess Club on 19 March 2012.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.worldchesslive.com/ |title=Welcome to World Chess Live |publisher=World Chess Live |access-date=2 July 2012 |archive-date=17 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617084054/http://www.worldchesslive.com/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref> For some years, the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] on-line chess portal JaqueMate.org had technological support provided by ICC. The portal closed on 30 April 2013 with members transferred to ICC.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.jaquemate.org/noticias/ver_noticia.aspx?iCode=880 |title=JaqueMate cierra. ICC te abre sus puertas |publisher=JaqueMate.org |date=30 April 2013 |access-date=30 April 2013}}</ref>

==Services available==
ICC's core service is the facility to play chess games (and a number of chess variants) against other members and computers coupled with a [[Chess rating system|rating system]]. ICC also offers many different types of tournaments. ICC recently partnered{{When|date=February 2021}} with the [[United States Chess Federation]] (USCF) to provide USCF rated online quick and blitz tournaments (these online ratings are separate from the USCF over-the-board quick and blitz rating systems apart from the initial seeding of the online quick and blitz ratings for unrated players). Members can also watch live broadcasts of tournaments with [[International Grandmaster|grandmaster]] commentary on Chess.FM, watch games involving titled players being played on ICC and challenge grandmasters in simultaneous exhibitions. The site also offers access to libraries of games, recorded lectures and private lessons (at additional cost).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chessclub.com/tryicc/index.html |title=Benefits of ICC Membership |publisher=Internet Chess Club |access-date=2 July 2012}}</ref>

==Criticism==
The commercialisation of ICC was extensively criticised by users, particularly that Daniel Sleator was charging a subscription to use a system that had been developed by others. Following complaints by students, they were offered a 50% discount.<ref name="History of ICS"/>

The security of the system was criticised in December 2005 with claims that communications between ICC and users could easily be read and that the [[timestamp]]ing could be defeated.<ref name="ICC security analysis"/>

==Internet Computer Chess Tournament==
The '''Internet Computer Chess Tournament''' ('''CCT''') was a chess tournament for computer chess programs held from 2000 to 2011. It was organised annually by the Internet Chess Club. The format was a [[Swiss tournament|Swiss system]] varying between 7 and 9 game rounds, with time controls (from CCT7 onwards) of 50 minutes and 3 second increments. The tournament was set to be completed in one weekend. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vrichey.de/overview/|title = ICGA - Computer Chess Tournaments Overview 1993-2004}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!Edition
!Year
!Winner
|-
|1
|2000
|[[Crafty]]
|-
|2
|2000
|[[Shredder (chess)|Shredder]]
|-
|3
|2001
|[[Fritz (chess)|Fritz]], Ferret
|-
|4
|2002
|[[Junior (chess program)|Junior]]
|-
|5
|2003
|Ruffian
|-
|6
|2004
|[[Crafty]]
|-
|7
|2005
|[[Zappa (chess)|Zappa]]
|-
|8
|2006
|[[Rybka]]
|-
|9
|2007
|[[Rybka]]
|-
|10
|2008
|[[Rybka]], [[Naum (chess)|Naum]]
|-
|11
|2009
|[[Rybka]]
|-
|12
|2010
|[[Sjeng (software)|Sjeng]]
|-
|13
|2011
|[[Sjeng (software)|Sjeng]]
|}

==See also==
*[[List of Internet chess servers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{citation  | last=Burgess |first=Graham |author-link = Graham Burgess | title=The Mammoth Book of Chess  | publisher=Running Press | year=2009 | edition = 3rd | page=417 | isbn= 978-0-7624-3726-9}}

==External links==
* [http://www.chessclub.com Official site]

[[Category:Internet chess servers]]
[[Category:Chess websites]]
[[Category:Companies based in Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1995]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in the United States]]