OpenChess

Posted: **Sun May 10, 2015 6:21 am**

Since people have asked about this, and I cannot find it anywhere, I reproduce the most relevant parts here.

Page 5 of ICCA Journal 4/2 (October 1981)

The 1981 FIDE General Assembly approved the following agreement between FIDE and ICCA at its recent Atlanta meeting. The agreement will become effective upon approval by the ICCA membership. A ballot is enclosed for that purpose. ...

Agreement between FIDE and ICCA wrote:The World Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International Computer Chess Association (ICCA) declare their conviction that a close collaboration in the common interest of development and promotion of chess is useful.

For that purpose, FIDE and ICCA join as partners in an assocation in which each partner remains legally, economically, and technically independent.

The business of FIDE and of ICCA will be governed by the authorities in the FIDE and ICCA statutes, respectively. ...

ICCA recognizes FIDE as the supreme organization of world chess and as its representative, particularly towards other world institutions. This recognition shall not preclude ICCA relations to other world institutions, so long as computer chess is promoted and FIDE interests are not adversely affected.

FIDE recognizes ICCA as the only official international federation for computer chess tournaments and championships and for the necessary organization work. ...

ICCA should, if possible, meet before the FIDE General Assemblies, so that the ICCA minutes may be added to the minutes of the FIDE General Assembly.

Computer chess titles conferred by ICCA will be ratified by FIDE at the General Assemblies, on the basis of qualification conditions established by ICCA and FIDE ...

This agreement shall continue in force until terminated. The agreement may be terminated by either partner at the end of any year, by written notice to the other not later than October 31. ...

Page 2 of ICCA Journal 5/1 [June 1982} notes the agreement was "overwhelmingly approved by our members" (and repeats the Agreement text).

Posted: **Sun May 10, 2015 5:39 pm**

I'll look back thru my "archives" (a full file cabinet drawer of paper files) when I get back to my office. I don't remember exactly when FIDE decided to allow computer members (with the $10,000 registration fee). But I think it was around that time or perhaps a little later. But no one ever bit THAT bullet and the large cash cow they had envisioned (IBM, Intel, etc would all want to register programs to obtain the free publicity - never happened because the registration fee was simply unreasonable and the big companies were not going to do that, and certainly no private engine author was going to do that - so nada).

FIDE rules and ICGA rules were always disjoint because the games (as played by humans vs computers) are only related in how the pieces move and such. Entry requirements are different. The only close point of similarity between tournament play rules is the FIDE rules for impaired players (blind, unable to move pieces, etc) - i.e. the "operator rules".

OpenChess

FIDE/ICCA agreement (1981/2)

FIDE/ICCA agreement (1981/2)

Re: FIDE/ICCA agreement (1981/2)