Free Internet Chess Server: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:34, 9 December 2023

Revision as of 17:20, 10 February 2024

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{{Short description|Volunteer-run Internet chess server}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=JulyFebruary 20132024}}

[[File:Partida no FreeChess.png|thumb|upright=1.5|A chess game on '''FICS''' using an interface named [[Jin (chess interface)|Jin]]]]

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The first [[Internet chess server]], named the Internet Chess Server (ICS), started in January 1992. The software was coded, supported, and operated by volunteers until 1995, when administrators began charging players for membership and changed the name to [[Internet Chess Club|ICC]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.edcollins.com/chess/fics-icc.htm |title=Pawns Call King a Rook |author=Brad Stone |access-date=2010-05-10}}</ref>

Several former ICS programmers saw the commercialisation of ICS as an exploitation of their work. This group, led by Chris Petroff and Henrik Gram, developed FICS as an alternative to the paid model, giving users free, unrestricted access. The server debuted on {{start date and age|1995|3|3|df=y|paren=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://members.cox.net/cpetroff/FICS/ |title=History of the Internet Chess Server – Part I |author=Chris Petroff |date=5 March 2009 |access-date=2010-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313150500/http://members.cox.net/cpetroff/FICS/ |archive-date=13 March 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freechess.org/Events/Anniversary/2005/index.html |title=FICS 10th Anniversary Celebrations |access-date=2010-05-10}}</ref>

In 1998, the Free Internet Chess Organization (FICS) was organized as a [[nonprofit organization]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://gambiter.com/chess/online/Free_internet_chess_server.html|title=Free Internet Chess Server|website=gambiter.com|language=en|access-date=2017-09-28}}</ref>

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| lightning (x<3) || 1

|-

| blitz (3<=x<15) || 3, 5, 2-122–12

|-

| standard (15<=x) || 15, 45-45

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Some of the more popular channels include:

*channel 1 -– general help; questions asked in channel 1 are usually answered by FICS admins or Service Representatives (SRs)

*channel 4 -– helping guests

*channel 50 -– general chat

*channel 53 -– guest chat

Registration is required for all channels except channels 1,4 and 53.

Some channels are used for FICS staff and cannot be seen by regular users:

*channel 0 -– the admin channel

*channel 5 -– the service representatives channel

*channel 48 -– the mamer manager channel

*channel 63 -– the chess advisor channel

A user can listen and send tells to up to thirty channels simultaneously. Another form of mass communication available to registered users is "shouts" which can be seen by all connected users who haven't turned shouts off.<ref name=":0" />

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* {{official website|http://www.freechess.org/}}

* [http://www.freechess.org/Events/Scheduled/index.html Scheduled tournaments]

* [http://www.ficsgames.org FICS Game Database] -– database of all games played

* [http://apps.brrm.ru/lightfics/ FICS Mac OS app]

* [http://www.bughouse-db.org/ FICS Bughouse Database]