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{{Short description|Volunteer-run Internet chess server}} {{Short description|Volunteer-run Internet chess server}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
<!-- Please do not remove or change this AfD message until the discussion has been closed. -->
{{infobox website
{{AfDM|page=Free Internet Chess Server (2nd nomination)|year=2024|month=November|day=23|substed=yes|origtag=afdx|help=off}}
|name=Free Internet Chess Server (FICS)
<!-- End of AfD message, feel free to edit beyond this point -->{{stack|]}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
|logo=Free Internet Chess Server (banner).jpg
⚫ ]]]
|commercial=No
|url={{url|freechess.org}}
|launch_date={{Start date and age|df=yes|1995|03|09}}
|current_status=online
}}
⚫ ]


The '''Free Internet Chess Server''' (FICS) is a volunteer-run ] platform. When the original ] (ICS) was commercialized and rebranded as the ] (ICC) in 1995, a group of users and developers came together to fork the code and host an alternative committed to ], and a rivalry between the two servers persisted for years. FICS users download one of several graphical client programs, connect to the server via ], and can play chess or ] 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 ], pairing systems, analysis tools, and ]. 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.
The '''Free Internet Chess Server''' (FICS) is a volunteer-run ]. It launched in 1995, in response to the commercialization of the original American Internet Chess Server (ICS).<ref name=":1" />


==History== ==History==
⚫ In January 1992, Michael Moore of the ] and Richard Nash started the first online service facilitating live chess games, the American Internet Chess Server (commonly known as the Internet Chess Server or ICS). The initial release, accessible via ], was hosted at the ]<nowiki/>h, but over its first two years it moved repeatedly across American universities, with additional servers opening and connecting to each other through Nash's Internet Ratings Server.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Petroff |first=Chris |date=2009-03-05 |title=History of the Internet Chess Server – Part I |url=http://members.cox.net/cpetroff/FICS/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313150500/http://members.cox.net/cpetroff/FICS/ |archive-date=2010-03-13 |access-date=2010-05-10}}</ref><ref name="fics10year"/><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Doggers |first=Peter |title=The Chess Revolution: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age |publisher=Puzzlewright |year=2024 |isbn=9781454959243}}</ref> The software was coded, supported, and operated by volunteers. ], professor of computer science at ], took over operation in July 1992 and improved the code. One of his primary contributions was a mechanism to adjust clock times for the effects of internet lag. He announced plans to commercialize the service, copyrighted the code in 1994, and rebranded it as the Internet Chess Club (ICC) in 1995, charging membership fees.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.edcollins.com/chess/fics-icc.htm |title=Pawns Call King a Rook |first=Brad |last=Stone |access-date=2010-05-10 |date=2006-05-11 }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=November 1995 |title=Trapped in the (Inter) Net |url=https://www.chicagochessleague.org/cicl/bulls/history/Yr1995_96/Nov1995.pdf |website=The Chicago Chess Player}}</ref>


=== Internet Chess Server ===
⚫ Sleator's decision to commercialize the ICS was controversial, outraging members who felt the internet should be free and open, or who simply did not want to pay for a service which had been free.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Hurst |first=Sarah |title=Chess on the Web |publisher=Batsford |year=1999 |isbn=9780713485776}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> Several former ICS programmers saw the move as exploiting their work. On the day its rebranding was announced, programmers created a mailing list focused on developing an alternative, though work had been in progress, using Nash's original code, since Sleator initially revealed his commercialization plans.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /> Several developers contributed, led by Nash, Henrik Gram, David Flynn, and Chris Petroff. The effort reacting to commercialization led to servers in several places around the world and in the United States, with the latter consolidating to form the Free Internet Chess Server, which launched on March 5, 1995.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name="fics10year">{{Cite web|url=http://www.freechess.org/Events/Anniversary/2005/index.html |title=FICS 10th Anniversary Celebrations |access-date=2010-05-10}}</ref> Its tagline is "we do it for the game--not the money".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Slater |first=Derek |date=September 1, 1999 |title=Knight Moves |work=CIO|pages=20}}</ref> After a few months, it had 1,500 members.<ref name=":3" />
⚫ In January 1992, Michael Moore of the ] and Richard Nash started the first online service facilitating live chess games, the ] (commonly known as the Internet Chess Server or ICS). The initial release, accessible via ], was hosted at the ], but over its first two years it moved repeatedly across American universities, with additional servers opening and connecting to each other through Nash's Internet Ratings Server.<ref name="Petroff-2009">{{Cite web |last=Petroff |first=Chris |date=5 March 2009 |title=History of the Internet Chess Server – Part I |url=http://members.cox.net/cpetroff/FICS/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313150500/http://members.cox.net/cpetroff/FICS/ |archive-date=13 March 2010 |access-date=10 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="fics10year"/><ref name="Doggers-2024">{{Cite book |last=Doggers |first=Peter |title=The Chess Revolution: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age |publisher=Puzzlewright |year=2024 |isbn=9781454959243}}</ref> The software was coded, supported, and operated by volunteers. ], professor of computer science at ], took over operation in July 1992 and improved the code. One of his primary contributions was a mechanism to adjust clock times for the effects of internet lag. He announced plans to commercialize the service, copyrighted the code in 1994, and rebranded it as the ] (ICC) in 1995, charging membership fees.<ref name="Stone-2006">{{Cite web|url=http://www.edcollins.com/chess/fics-icc.htm |title=Pawns Call King a Rook |first=Brad |last=Stone |access-date=10 May 2010 |date=11 May 2006 }}</ref><ref name="The Chicago Chess Player-1995">{{Cite web |date=November 1995 |title=Trapped in the (Inter) Net |url=https://www.chicagochessleague.org/cicl/bulls/history/Yr1995_96/Nov1995.pdf |website=The Chicago Chess Player}}</ref>


Sleator's decision to commercialize the ICS was controversial, outraging members who felt the internet should be free and open, or who simply did not want to pay for a service which had been free.<ref name="Hurst-1999">{{Cite book |last=Hurst |first=Sarah |title=Chess on the Web |publisher=Batsford |year=1999 |isbn=9780713485776}}</ref><ref name="The Chicago Chess Player-1995" /> According to journalist Brad Stone, "players lost their tempers and were exiled from the server, opposition groups were formed, lawsuits were threatened, ICC administrators were harassed, and plans to erect alternative servers were formed".<ref name="Stone-2006" /><ref name="Doggers-2024" />
In 1998, the Free Internet Chess Organization (FICS) was organized as a ], although the formal entity was dissolved in 2007.<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> The server is still maintained and administered by volunteers.<ref name=":0" />


=== Development of a free alternative ===
⚫ FICS never matched the popularity of ICC, but as of 2012 it had about 900 people logged in at any given time,<ref name=":7" /> and by August 2014 it had over 650,000 registered accounts.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Menn |first=Joseph |title=All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning's Napster |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |year=2003 |isbn=9781400050062}}</ref><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>
⚫ Several former ICS programmers saw the move as exploiting their work and, on the day its rebranding was announced, they created a mailing list focused on developing an alternative. Work had been in progress, using Nash's original code, since Sleator initially revealed his commercialization plans.<ref name="Petroff-2009" /><ref name="The Chicago Chess Player-1995" /> Several developers contributed, led by Nash, Henrik Gram, David Flynn, and Chris Petroff. The effort led to servers in several places around the world and in the United States, with the latter consolidating to form the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), launched on 5 March 1995.<ref name="Petroff-2009" /><ref name="The Chicago Chess Player-1995" /><ref name="fics10year">{{Cite web|url=http://www.freechess.org/Events/Anniversary/2005/index.html |title=FICS 10th Anniversary Celebrations |access-date=10 May 2010}}</ref> Its tagline is "we do it for the game--not the money".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Slater |first=Derek |date=1 September 1999 |title=Knight Moves |work=CIO|pages=20}}</ref>


=== Growth and rivalry with ICC ===
⚫ In a 2024 book, Peter Doggers drew a comparison between the FICS and ICC rivalry and the later Lichess vs. Chess.com rivalry, with one side committed to free and open principles and the other offering more features for a fee.<ref name=":3" />
⚫ After a few months, FICS had 1,500 members.<ref name="Doggers-2024" /> In 1998, the Free Internet Chess Organization (FICS) was organized as a ], although the formal entity was dissolved in 2007. The server is still maintained and administered by volunteers. FICS never matched the popularity of ICC, but as of 2012 it had about 900 people logged in at any given time,<ref name="Bouman-2012" /> and by August 2014 it had over 650,000 registered accounts.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Menn |first=Joseph |title=All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning's Napster |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |year=2003 |isbn=9781400050062}}</ref> 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=3 August 2014 }}</ref>

The two servers used different names for similar features, which were then part of the rivalry. For example, very fast games in which each player only has one or two minutes to make all their moves are called "lightning" on FICS but "bullet" on ICC. The terms became ], marking members of each community and derided by the other.<ref name="Doggers-2024" />

⚫ In a 2024 book, Peter Doggers drew a comparison between the FICS and ICC rivalry and the later ] vs. ] rivalry, with one side committed to free and open principles and the other offering more features for a fee.<ref name="Doggers-2024" />


==Usage== ==Usage==
] ]
FICS is accessible via ] and was text-only by default. Before graphical interfaces, users would see a board created by ] characters, with the lines of the board created by ] and ], and pieces represented by letters.<ref name=":3" /> Whereas ICC has dedicated, proprietary graphical interfaces, several have been developed for FICS, with none having official status. The earliest were XICS and ], with subsequent programs including ], BabasChess, Jin, Thief, Raptor, eboard, ], and JavaBoard.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Fernández Slezak |first1=Diego |last2=Etchemendy |first2=Pablo |last3=Sigman |first3=Mariano |date=2010 |title=Rapid chess: A massive-scale experiment |url=https://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/152631 |journal=High-Performance Computing Symposium (HPC 2010) |language=en}}</ref> Though built with pre-web technology which typically requires a dedicated client, there are also web-based interfaces. Users can play using an anonymous guest account or register for an account with a username. Registered users can play games rated using the ].<ref>{{Cite web |author=vek/glickman |title=Vek-splanation of the Glicko Ratings System |url=http://www.freechess.org/Help/HelpFiles/glicko.html |access-date=2010-05-10}}</ref> FICS is accessible via ] and was text-only by default. Before graphical interfaces, users would see a board created by ] characters, with the lines of the board created by ] and ], and pieces represented by letters.<ref name="Doggers-2024" /> Whereas ICC has dedicated, proprietary graphical interfaces, several have been developed for FICS, with none having official status. The earliest were XICS and ], with subsequent programs including ], BabasChess, Jin, Thief, Raptor, eboard, ], and JavaBoard.<ref name="Fernández Slezak-2010">{{Cite journal |last1=Fernández Slezak |first1=Diego |last2=Etchemendy |first2=Pablo |last3=Sigman |first3=Mariano |date=2010 |title=Rapid chess: A massive-scale experiment |url=https://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/152631 |journal=High-Performance Computing Symposium (HPC 2010) |language=en}}</ref> Though built with pre-web technology, which typically requires a dedicated client, there are also web-based interfaces. Users can play using an anonymous guest account or register for an account with a username. Registered users can play games rated using the ], with separate ratings based on time control and chess variant.<ref>{{Cite web |author=vek/glickman |title=Vek-splanation of the Glicko Ratings System |url=http://www.freechess.org/Help/HelpFiles/glicko.html |access-date=10 May 2010}}</ref>

⚫ Once connected, discussion takes place in a wide number of function-specific or subject-specific chat channels numbered 0 through 255. For example, channel 0 is for administrators only, 1 is for general help, 50 is general chat, and 49 is for tournaments. Though based in the US, FICS, like the ICS before it, was notable for its international diversity. Early descriptions of using the servers highlight playing against and talking with people from around the world, which was a rare experience in the 1990s.<ref name="Doggers-2024" />


=== Variants ===
⚫ Once connected, discussion takes place in a wide number of function-specific or subject-specific chat channels numbered 0 through 255. For example, channel 0 is for administrators only, 1 is for general help, 50 is general chat, and 49 is for tournaments.<ref name=":0" />
In addition to standard chess, FICS hosts several ], including ], ], ], wild (including ]), ], and ].<ref name="Hurst-1999" /> It became known for the popularity of its variants and the strength of its variant players. In particular, ''Chess Daily News'' said it is "well-known for featuring the best bughouse and crazyhouse play in the world".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=William |date=23 June 2011 |title=ChessCube vs. Chess.com vs. FICS vs. ICC - An objective comparison. |url=https://chessdailynews.com/chesscube-vs-chess-com-vs-fics-vs-icc-an-objective-comparison/ |access-date=23 December 2024 |website=Chess Daily News by Susan Polgar |language=en-US}}</ref>


Players can choose any time control and increment. In addition to standard chess, FICS hosts several ], including ], ], ], wild (including ]), ], and ].<ref name=":5" />
== Relay == == Relay ==
FICS relays major live chess events.<ref name=":5" /> A bot takes the moves in ongoing games and relays them to special demo accounts on FICS. These demo accounts bear the names of the players in the event. Users and guests on FICS can watch the games in progress and chat about the games with each other. The relay has covered every single ] since its inception. Other major relays include the yearly relay of ], ] and ].<ref name=":0" /> The web-based ] platform obtains its tournament relays via FICS. FICS relays major live chess events.<ref name="Hurst-1999" /> A bot takes the moves in ongoing games and relays them to special demo accounts on FICS. These demo accounts bear the names of the players in the event. Users and guests on FICS can watch the games in progress and chat about the games with each other. The relay has covered every single ] since its inception. Other major relays include the yearly relay of ], ] and ]. The web-based ] platform obtains its tournament relays via FICS.


== Archive == == Archive ==
All games played by registered users are recorded by a computer and made publicly available for free.<ref name=":0" /> The FICS game archive has been used in academic studies on memory,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nagy |first1=David G. |last2=Török |first2=Balázs |last3=Orbán |first3=Gergő |date=2020-10-15 |title=Optimal forgetting: Semantic compression of episodic memories |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |language=en |volume=16 |issue=10 |pages=e1008367 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008367 |doi-access=free |issn=1553-7358 |pmc=7591090 |pmid=33057380}}</ref> decision-making,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Slezak |first1=Diego Fernandez |last2=Sigman |first2=Mariano |last3=Cecchi |first3=Guillermo A. |date=2018-03-02 |title=An entropic barriers diffusion theory of decision-making in multiple alternative tasks |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |language=en |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=e1005961 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005961 |doi-access=free |issn=1553-7358 |pmc=5851639 |pmid=29499036}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> and user interface design.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Picussa |first1=Juliano |last2=Garcia |first2=Laura S. |last3=Bueno |first3=Juliana |last4=Ferreira |first4=Marica V. R. |last5=Direne |first5=Alexandre I. |last6=de Bona |first6=Luis C. E. |last7=Silva |first7=Fabiano |last8=Castilho |first8=Marcos A. |last9=Sunye |first9=Marcos S. |chapter=A user-interface environment solution for an online educational Chess server |date=June 2008 |title=2008 Second International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/rcis.2008.4632106 |publisher=IEEE |pages=179–186 |doi=10.1109/rcis.2008.4632106|isbn=978-1-4244-1677-6 }}</ref> The server and its archive have been used to train ] and chess-related ] projects,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Isaac |last2=Chico Camargo |date=2023 |title=Machine Learning to Study Patterns in Chess Games |url=https://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.30894.52807 |language=en |doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.30894.52807}}</ref> while the FICS code has been used to launch similar regional or thematic chess servers as well as influencing the design of other chess projects.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Bouman |first=Egbert |date=2012 |title=Tribler-G: A Decentralized Social Network for Playing Chess |url=https://egbertbouman.github.io/tribler-g/publications/Tribler-G%20A%20Decentralized%20Social%20Network%20for%20Playing%20Chess%20Online%20(MSc%20thesis).pdf |website=Delft University of Technology}}</ref> All games played by registered users are recorded and made publicly available for free. The FICS game archive has been used in academic studies on memory,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nagy |first1=David G. |last2=Török |first2=Balázs |last3=Orbán |first3=Gergő |date=15 October 2020 |title=Optimal forgetting: Semantic compression of episodic memories |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |language=en |volume=16 |issue=10 |pages=e1008367 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008367 |doi-access=free |issn=1553-7358 |pmc=7591090 |pmid=33057380|bibcode=2020PLSCB..16E8367N }}</ref> decision-making,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Slezak |first1=Diego Fernandez |last2=Sigman |first2=Mariano |last3=Cecchi |first3=Guillermo A. |date=2 March 2018 |title=An entropic barriers diffusion theory of decision-making in multiple alternative tasks |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |language=en |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=e1005961 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005961 |doi-access=free |issn=1553-7358 |pmc=5851639 |pmid=29499036|bibcode=2018PLSCB..14E5961F }}</ref><ref name="Fernández Slezak-2010" /> and user interface design.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Picussa |first1=Juliano |last2=Garcia |first2=Laura S. |last3=Bueno |first3=Juliana |last4=Ferreira |first4=Marica V. R. |last5=Direne |first5=Alexandre I. |last6=de Bona |first6=Luis C. E. |last7=Silva |first7=Fabiano |last8=Castilho |first8=Marcos A. |last9=Sunye |first9=Marcos S. |chapter=A user-interface environment solution for an online educational Chess server |date=June 2008 |title=2008 Second International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/rcis.2008.4632106 |publisher=IEEE |pages=179–186 |doi=10.1109/rcis.2008.4632106|isbn=978-1-4244-1677-6 }}</ref> The server and its archive have been used to train ] and chess-related ] projects,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Isaac |last2=Chico Camargo |date=2023 |title=Machine Learning to Study Patterns in Chess Games |url=https://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.30894.52807 |language=en |doi=10.13140/RG.2.2.30894.52807}}</ref> while the FICS code has been used to launch similar regional or thematic chess servers as well as influencing the design of other chess projects.<ref name="Bouman-2012">{{Cite web |last=Bouman |first=Egbert |date=2012 |title=Tribler-G: A Decentralized Social Network for Playing Chess |url=https://egbertbouman.github.io/tribler-g/publications/Tribler-G%20A%20Decentralized%20Social%20Network%20for%20Playing%20Chess%20Online%20(MSc%20thesis).pdf |website=Delft University of Technology}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==

Latest revision as of 22:34, 24 December 2024

Volunteer-run Internet chess server

Free Internet Chess Server (FICS)
URLfreechess.org
CommercialNo
Launched9 March 1995; 29 years ago (1995-03-09)
Current statusonline
A chess game on FICS using the Jin interface

The Free Internet Chess Server (FICS) is a volunteer-run online chess platform. When the original American 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 access, and a rivalry between the two servers persisted for years. FICS users download one of several graphical client programs, connect to the server via telnet, and can play chess or 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 rooms, pairing systems, analysis tools, and 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.

History

Internet Chess Server

In January 1992, Michael Moore of the University of Utah and Richard Nash started the first online service facilitating live chess games, the American Internet Chess Server (commonly known as the Internet Chess Server or ICS). The initial release, accessible via telnet, was hosted at the University of Utah, but over its first two years it moved repeatedly across American universities, with additional servers opening and connecting to each other through Nash's Internet Ratings Server. The software was coded, supported, and operated by volunteers. Daniel Sleator, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, took over operation in July 1992 and improved the code. One of his primary contributions was a mechanism to adjust clock times for the effects of internet lag. He announced plans to commercialize the service, copyrighted the code in 1994, and rebranded it as the Internet Chess Club (ICC) in 1995, charging membership fees.

Sleator's decision to commercialize the ICS was controversial, outraging members who felt the internet should be free and open, or who simply did not want to pay for a service which had been free. According to journalist Brad Stone, "players lost their tempers and were exiled from the server, opposition groups were formed, lawsuits were threatened, ICC administrators were harassed, and plans to erect alternative servers were formed".

Development of a free alternative

Several former ICS programmers saw the move as exploiting their work and, on the day its rebranding was announced, they created a mailing list focused on developing an alternative. Work had been in progress, using Nash's original code, since Sleator initially revealed his commercialization plans. Several developers contributed, led by Nash, Henrik Gram, David Flynn, and Chris Petroff. The effort led to servers in several places around the world and in the United States, with the latter consolidating to form the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), launched on 5 March 1995. Its tagline is "we do it for the game--not the money".

Growth and rivalry with ICC

After a few months, FICS had 1,500 members. In 1998, the Free Internet Chess Organization (FICS) was organized as a nonprofit organization, although the formal entity was dissolved in 2007. The server is still maintained and administered by volunteers. FICS never matched the popularity of ICC, but as of 2012 it had about 900 people logged in at any given time, and by August 2014 it had over 650,000 registered accounts. In 2016, 50,000 active players played a total of 23 million games.

The two servers used different names for similar features, which were then part of the rivalry. For example, very fast games in which each player only has one or two minutes to make all their moves are called "lightning" on FICS but "bullet" on ICC. The terms became shibboleths, marking members of each community and derided by the other.

In a 2024 book, Peter Doggers drew a comparison between the FICS and ICC rivalry and the later Lichess vs. Chess.com rivalry, with one side committed to free and open principles and the other offering more features for a fee.

Usage

FICS using BabasChess interface

FICS is accessible via telnet and was text-only by default. Before graphical interfaces, users would see a board created by ASCII characters, with the lines of the board created by hyphens and pipes, and pieces represented by letters. Whereas ICC has dedicated, proprietary graphical interfaces, several have been developed for FICS, with none having official status. The earliest were XICS and XBoard, with subsequent programs including WinBoard, BabasChess, Jin, Thief, Raptor, eboard, PyChess, and JavaBoard. Though built with pre-web technology, which typically requires a dedicated client, there are also web-based interfaces. Users can play using an anonymous guest account or register for an account with a username. Registered users can play games rated using the Glicko rating system, with separate ratings based on time control and chess variant.

Once connected, discussion takes place in a wide number of function-specific or subject-specific chat channels numbered 0 through 255. For example, channel 0 is for administrators only, 1 is for general help, 50 is general chat, and 49 is for tournaments. Though based in the US, FICS, like the ICS before it, was notable for its international diversity. Early descriptions of using the servers highlight playing against and talking with people from around the world, which was a rare experience in the 1990s.

Variants

In addition to standard chess, FICS hosts several chess variants, including suicide, loser's, atomic, wild (including chess960), bughouse, and crazyhouse. It became known for the popularity of its variants and the strength of its variant players. In particular, Chess Daily News said it is "well-known for featuring the best bughouse and crazyhouse play in the world".

Relay

FICS relays major live chess events. A bot takes the moves in ongoing games and relays them to special demo accounts on FICS. These demo accounts bear the names of the players in the event. Users and guests on FICS can watch the games in progress and chat about the games with each other. The relay has covered every single World Chess Championship since its inception. Other major relays include the yearly relay of Wijk aan Zee, Morelia-Linares and Amber Melody. The web-based Lichess platform obtains its tournament relays via FICS.

Archive

All games played by registered users are recorded and made publicly available for free. The FICS game archive has been used in academic studies on memory, decision-making, and user interface design. The server and its archive have been used to train chess engines and chess-related machine learning projects, while the FICS code has been used to launch similar regional or thematic chess servers as well as influencing the design of other chess projects.

See also

References

  1. ^ Petroff, Chris (5 March 2009). "History of the Internet Chess Server – Part I". Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  2. ^ "FICS 10th Anniversary Celebrations". Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  3. ^ Doggers, Peter (2024). The Chess Revolution: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age. Puzzlewright. ISBN 9781454959243.
  4. ^ Stone, Brad (11 May 2006). "Pawns Call King a Rook". Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  5. ^ "Trapped in the (Inter) Net" (PDF). The Chicago Chess Player. November 1995.
  6. ^ Hurst, Sarah (1999). Chess on the Web. Batsford. ISBN 9780713485776.
  7. Slater, Derek (1 September 1999). "Knight Moves". CIO. p. 20.
  8. ^ Bouman, Egbert (2012). "Tribler-G: A Decentralized Social Network for Playing Chess [Master's Thesis]" (PDF). Delft University of Technology.
  9. Menn, Joseph (2003). All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning's Napster. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 9781400050062.
  10. "FICS Games Database – Statistics for 2013". Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  11. ^ Fernández Slezak, Diego; Etchemendy, Pablo; Sigman, Mariano (2010). "Rapid chess: A massive-scale experiment". High-Performance Computing Symposium (HPC 2010).
  12. vek/glickman. "Vek-splanation of the Glicko Ratings System". Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  13. Stewart, William (23 June 2011). "ChessCube vs. Chess.com vs. FICS vs. ICC - An objective comparison". Chess Daily News by Susan Polgar. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  14. Nagy, David G.; Török, Balázs; Orbán, Gergő (15 October 2020). "Optimal forgetting: Semantic compression of episodic memories". PLOS Computational Biology. 16 (10): e1008367. Bibcode:2020PLSCB..16E8367N. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008367. ISSN 1553-7358. PMC 7591090. PMID 33057380.
  15. Slezak, Diego Fernandez; Sigman, Mariano; Cecchi, Guillermo A. (2 March 2018). "An entropic barriers diffusion theory of decision-making in multiple alternative tasks". PLOS Computational Biology. 14 (3): e1005961. Bibcode:2018PLSCB..14E5961F. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005961. ISSN 1553-7358. PMC 5851639. PMID 29499036.
  16. Picussa, Juliano; Garcia, Laura S.; Bueno, Juliana; Ferreira, Marica V. R.; Direne, Alexandre I.; de Bona, Luis C. E.; Silva, Fabiano; Castilho, Marcos A.; Sunye, Marcos S. (June 2008). "A user-interface environment solution for an online educational Chess server". 2008 Second International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science. IEEE. pp. 179–186. doi:10.1109/rcis.2008.4632106. ISBN 978-1-4244-1677-6.
  17. Cheng, Isaac; Chico Camargo (2023). "Machine Learning to Study Patterns in Chess Games". doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.30894.52807. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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