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==History==
{{stack|[[File:Free Internet Chess Server (banner).jpg|thumb|250px|FICS Banner.]]}}
On {{start date and age|1992|1|15|df=y|paren=y}}, Michael Moore of the [[University of Utah]] and Richard Nash started the first [[Internet chess server]], named the American Internet Chess Server (AICS), but generally known as simply the Internet Chess Server (ICS). The initial release was hosted at the [[Colorado School of Mines]], but it was moved to [[Carnegie Mellon University]] later the same year.<ref name="fics10year"/>
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>▼
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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 }}</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>▼
▲Several former ICS programmers saw the
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>
In 2007, the legal entity was involuntarily dissolved.{{clarifyme}} The server is still maintained and administered by volunteers
As of August 2014, FICS had over 650,000 registered accounts.<ref name=":0" />
In 2016, 50,000 active players played a total of 23 million games.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ficsgames.org/2013_stats.html |title=FICS Games Database – Statistics for 2013 |access-date=2014-08-03 }}</ref>
==Usage==
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