Welsh Correspondence Chess Federation

Austin Lockwood  Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Unfortunately, due to a lack of administrational support, the Counties and Districts Correspondence Chess Championship will be discontinued following the completion of the 2024 Season.

This event has run continuously for over one hundred years, since 1922.

Austin Lockwood  Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Wales will enter two teams to this team event for players rated under 2,300 - further details are here:

https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1737

Each team will consist of six players (so twelve in total).  If your rating is under 2300 and you wish to represent Wales in this event, please contact Paul Scott, our team captain, on friendlies@welshccf.org.uk

Priority for places in the team will be given to WCCF Premium members.

UPDATE 02/04: We are still looking for team members for this event, please contact Paul if you are rated below 2,300 and would like to play for Wales.

Updated Wednesday, April 2, 2025 by Austin Lockwood

Austin Lockwood  Friday, March 14, 2025

The Welsh Correspondence Chess Federation has been invited to enter a team in "The Caribbean Battle Invitational Team Tournament".  We need six players in the following rating ranges:

• Board 1 – 2450 or higher
• Board 2 – 2400 - 2449
• Board 3 – 2350 - 2399
• Board 4 – 2300 - 2349
• Board 5 – 2250 - 2299
• Board 6 – 2200 - 2249

*Please note that ratings are for 2025/2 which is valid from 1st April, not your current rating from 2025/1 - I have just updated the membership list on our website to show 2025/2 ratings.

Please see attachment for further details of this event.

If you would like to represent Wales in this tournament, please email secretary@welshccf.org.uk before the end of March, the first reply in each rating bracket will secure the board.

If we can't fill some of the boards with Welsh players, I will invite friends from elsewhere, possibly from our international membership.

UPDATE 21/03: We have now filled boards all the boards:

Download

Austin Lockwood  Friday, March 7, 2025

Congratulations to Josh for earning their first IM norm in the British Championship 2023/25.

Josh also looks like having an excellent chance of eventually winning the British CC title!

Robinson, Josh Sherwood, HelenBCCC Chmp 23/25 (ENG) | ICCF | - | 2023.10.01 | 1-0

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1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f4 b5 9. f5 Bc8 10. Bg5 Nbd7 11. a4 b4 12. Nd5 Bb7 13. Qf3 Be7 14. Bxf6 Nxf6 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. O-O-O Rc8 17. Kb1 O-O 18. h4 h6 19. Bd3 d5 20. Nd2 Rc5 21. g3 Qe7 22. exd5 Rd8 23. Be4 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Rcxd5 25. Ne4 Rd4 26. b3 a5 27. Rdg1 Rc8 28. Re1 Qd8 29. Qf2 Qd5 30. Qe2 Rd1+ 31. Rxd1 Qc6 32. Rd6 Qe8 33. Rxf6 Rd8 34. Rxh6 Rd4 35. f6 Qe6 36. Qh5 gxh6 37. Qxh6 Rd1+ 38. Ka2 Ra1+ 39. Kxa1

Austin Lockwood  Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Wales will enter a team for the Second World Team Cup:

https://www.iccf.com/message?message=1732

The team will consist of twenty players, the matches are similar to friendly matches, so you would only play two games.

All players will be considered for selection, regardless of rating, however priority for places in the team will be given to WCCF Premium members.  If you wish to participate, please contact our team captain, Paul Scott on friendlies@welshccf.org.uk

Austin Lockwood  Thursday, February 27, 2025

Congratulations to Marc for earning a second IM and a second SIM norm in ICCF Olympiad 23 Preliminaries - Section 3 Board 4!

Unfortunately these second norms were earned over only nine games, so he is still one game (and one norm) short of both titles... hopefully these will come soon!

Wakeham, Marc R. Petrov, MilenCCO23/S3 | ICCF | - | 2024.01.22 | 1-0

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1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be2 Be7 9. Nd5 Nbd7 10. Qd3 Bxd5 11. exd5 Rc8 12. c4 O-O 13. O-O a5 14. Kh1 g6 15. Rad1 b6 16. g4 Nc5 17. Nxc5 bxc5 18. Bc1 Nd7 19. Qe3 Bf6 20. Rde1 a4 21. Bd1 Ra8 22. Kg2 Kg7 23. h4 Kh8 24. g5 Bg7 25. h5 f5 26. h6 f4 27. hxg7+ Kxg7 28. Qh3 Qxg5+ 29. Kh1 Qh6 30. Qxh6+ Kxh6 31. Bd2 Kg5 32. Bc2 Nb6 33. Bd3 Rfb8 34. Rg1+ Kf6 35. Kg2 Nd7 36. Rh1 Rh8 37. b3 axb3 38. axb3 Ra3 39. Ra1 Rxb3 40. Bc2 Rb2 41. Rhc1 Rhb8 42. Bc3 R2b7 43. Ba4 Nb6 44. Bc6 Rc7 45. Rcb1 Rcc8 46. Bb5 Rf8 47. Ra6 Nxc4 48. Rb3 Rxb5 49. Rxb5 Kg5 50. Kh3 f3 51. Ra7 h5 52. Ra4 Rf4 53. Rb8 Kh6 54. Rh8+ Kg7 55. Raa8 Rg4 56. Rhe8 Kh6 57. Ra7 Rf4 58. Ra4 Kg5 59. Rd8 Kh6 60. Rxc4 Rxc4 61. Bd2+ Kg7 62. Rxd6 Kf7 63. Be3

Austin Lockwood  Saturday, February 15, 2025

The Cuban Correspondence Chess Federation has very kindly offered four free places to Welsh players to this open event.

The four places will be offered to WCCF Premium Members, on a strictly "first come, first served" basis.  If you would like to take up one of these four free places, please contact Austin Lockwood on secretary@welshccf.org.uk

Austin Lockwood  Saturday, February 15, 2025

A challenge by the Welsh Correspondence Chess Federation to the Filipino CC Federation has been accepted, we are hoping to play them over 25 boards at all rating levels.  Welsh players of all strengths, including novices and players new to CC, are invited to participate in the match and represent Wales - we will try to match you up with an opponent of similar strength.

You will be allocated two games against the same opponent, the time control will be ten moves in fifty days, with the clocks starting on 1st April 2025.

If you are interested in representing Wales in this match, please contact the WCCF Friendly Team Captain, Paul Scott at friendlies@welshccf.org.uk

Entry to this event will be free of charge.

Paul Scott,

WCCF Friendly Team Captain

Austin Lockwood  Thursday, January 9, 2025

Players may now enter the Preliminaries of the 49th World Correspondence Chess Championship starting on March 20th 2025; the closing date for entries is February 9th 2025.

To qualify, you must meet one of the following criteria:

1. the participants in one of the previous or running Candidates' Tournaments who have scored at least 40% of the possible points if they have not earned a higher qualification.
2. the participants in one of the previous or running Semi-Finals who scored at least 50% of the possible points, if they have not earned a higher qualification.
3. participants in one of the previous or running Preliminary sections who finished in place 3 or 4 or scored at least 60% of possible points but did not qualify for a WCCC Semi-Final.
4. winners of ICCF World Tournaments - Master class.
5. the participants in one of the previous or running ICCF World Cup Finals who scored at least 50% of the possible points. (This does not include the ICCF Veterans World Cup, Chess 960 World Cup, or World Team Cup Tournaments.)
6. the participants in one of the previous or running acknowledged Zonal Championships of tournament average rating at 2451 or higher who scored at least 50% of the possible points.
7. participants in acknowledged Zonal Championships of tournament average rating at 2450 or below who finished in place 3 or 4 or scored at least 60% of possible points.
8. those players, who are entered through their own national organisation and at the time of nomination have ratings less than 2400 (fixed or unfixed).
9. the holders of the International Master Title with a rating above 2300. (*)
10. the holders of the Senior International Master Title with a rating above 2250. (*)
11. the holders of the Grandmaster Title.
12. any player with a rating of 2500 and above.

(*) Ratings used in these rules refer to any of those rating lists published in the preceding 12-months

The following Welsh players have prior qualifications:

In addition to the above three players, and players who qualify on titles and rating, WCCF are entitled to nominate up to three players rated under 2,400.  If you are a Premium Member and wish to be considered for one of those nominations, please contact me at secretary@welshccf.org.uk

Any other player with a rating under 2,400 may request an entry, the highest-rated players will be accepted only to fill a section if the number of entries won’t be a multiple or 13, 15, or 17.

You can enter via the ICCF website (New Events>WCCC49PR), please contact Russell for the current fees and payment arrangement if you wish to enter via WCCF, or simply enter directly though the ICCF Direct Entry system.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Austin Lockwood  Monday, January 6, 2025

Congratulations to Marc for scoring his first IM and SIM norms in WCCC48SF 4!

Wakeham, Marc R. Jambrich, JaromírWC48/sf 4 | ICCF | - | 2024.06.20 | 1-0

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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O a6 7. h3 O-O 8. a4 Ba7 9. Nbd2 h6 10. Re1 Re8 11. b4 Be6 12. Bxe6 Rxe6 13. Qc2 Qd7 14. Rb1 b5 15. Ra1 Ree8 16. Nf1 d5 17. Ng3 Rad8 18. Re2 Bb6 19. Bd2 Re6 20. Nf5 bxa4 21. Rxa4 dxe4 22. dxe4 a5 23. bxa5 Nxa5 24. Be3 Bxe3 25. Nxe3 Nb7 26. Rd2 Nd6 27. Kh2 Rc8 28. Ne1 Qd8 29. Rd1 Ra8 30. Rxa8 Qxa8 31. f3 Qa7 32. Qd2 Kh7 33. Nd3 c6 34. c4 Nd7 35. Nb4 Qb6 36. Nd3 Qa7 37. Qf2 h5 38. Rd2 g6 39. c5 Nxc5 40. Nf1 Ndb7 41. Rc2 Re8 42. Nxc5