The '''Free Internet Chess Server''' ('''FICS''') is a volunteer-run [[online chess]] platform. When the original [[Internet Chess Server]] (ICS) was commercialized and rebranded as the [[Internet Chess Club]] (ICC) in 1995, a group of users and developers came together to fork the code and host an alternative committed to [[Free-culture movement|free access]],. and aA rivalry between theICC twoand serversFICS persisted for years. FICS usersUsers download one of several graphical client programs, connect to the server via [[telnet]], and can play chess or [[Chess variant|variants]] at a range of time controls. Games played on FICS are stored in a database, which has been used to train chess engines and to support academic studies. Though based in the US, the user base is international. In addition to the games themselves, there are [[Chat room|chat rooms]], pairing systems, analysis tools, and [[Chess rating system|ratings]]. A relay system displays high-profile tournament games for users to see. As of 2024, FICS is still operational, though has declined in popularity with the rise of web-based chess sites.
