World Chess Solving Championship

The World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC) is an annual competition in the solving of chess problems organised by FIDE via the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (PCCC).

The participants must solve a series of different types of chess problem in a certain length of time. Points are awarded for correct solutions in the least amount of time. The lowest score at the end of the competition is claimed the winner.

Format

The Tournament consists of six rounds over two days, with three rounds each day according to the following table:
*Round 1 - 3 twomovers 20 minutes solving time
*Round 2 - 3 threemovers 60 minutes solving time
*Round 3 - 3 endgame studies 100 minutes solving time
*Round 4 - 3 helpmates 50 minutes solving time
*Round 5 - 3 moremovers 80 minutes solving time
*Round 6 - 3 selfmates 50 minutes solving time

ections

*Team Championship - To qualify as an official team world championship, there must be at least seven teams from seven different countries present. This section has grown from nine teams in 1977 to now averaging 20.

*Individual - Likewise, for an official individual world championship to take place, 30 solvers from at least 10 countries must participate. This number too has grown from 18 in 1977 to well over 70 in the past six years (as of 2007).

*Women and Juniors (up to 23 years old) - This event only requires 10 solvers from at least seven countries.

Rating

Formulas

For calculating a players rating whom previously did not have a rating, a provisional rating is given. This rating is given at the completion of the player's first tournament where the formula used is as follows:

*Provisional Rating = (Average Tournament Player's Rating) x (Player's Result / Average Result At Tournament)

For players whom have previously established a rating the following formula demonstrates how a new rating is achieved.

*New Rating = (Old Rating) + (KT) x (Player's Result - (Average Result x Old Rating / Average Tournament Old Rating))

KT = Tournament Coefficient (Ranging from 4 to 1 depending on strength of competition)

Current Rating List

July 1, 2008

# GM Grigorij Evseev (RUS) 2804
# GM Piotr Murdzia (POL) 2790
# GM John Nunn (GBR) 2743
# GM Ram Soffer (ISR) 2691
# GM Arno Zude (GER) 2686
# GM Pauli Perkonoja (FIN) 2681
# GM Noam Elkies (ISR) 2663
# GM Boris Tummes (GER) 2662
# GM Jonathan Mestel (GBR) 2662
# GM Ofer Comay (ISR) 2660

Winners

Team competition

*1977 - FIN
*1978 - FIN
*1979 - GER
*1980 - ISR
*1981 - FIN
*1982 - YUG
*1983 - FIN
*1984 - FIN
*1985 - FIN
*1986 - GBR
*1987 - GER
*1988 - GER
*1989 - USSR
*1990 - GBR and USSR
*1991 - USSR
*1992 - RUS
*1993 - GER
*1994 - GER
*1995 - FIN
*1996 - ISR
*1997 - ISR
*1998 - ISR
*1999 - RUS
*2000 - GER
*2001 - ISR
*2002 - GER
*2003 - RUS
*2004 - ISR
*2005 - GBR
*2006 - GBR
*2007 - GBR
*2008 - RUS

Individual competition

*1983 - Roland Baier (Switzerland)
*1984 - Kari Valtonen (Finland)
*1985 - Ofer Comay (Israel)
*1986 - Pauli Perkonoja (Finland)
*1987 - Michel Caillaud (France)
*1988 - Michael Pfannkuche (Germany)
*1989 - Georgy Evseev (USSR)
*1990 - Georgy Evseev (USSR)
*1991 - Georgy Evseev (USSR)
*1992 - Pauli Perkonoja (Finland)
*1993 - Michael Pfannkuche (Germany)
*1994 - Arno Zude (Germany)
*1995 - Pauli Perkonoja (Finland)
*1996 - Noam Elkies (Israel)
*1997 - Jonathan Mestel (Great Britain)
*1998 - Georgy Evseev (Russia)
*1999 - Ofer Comay (Israel)
*2000 - Michel Caillaud (France)
*2001 - Jorma Paavilainen (Finland)
*2002 - Piotr Murdzia (Poland)
*2003 - Andrey Selivanov (Russia)
*2004 - John Nunn (Great Britain)
*2005 - Piotr Murdzia (Poland)
*2006 - Piotr Murdzia (Poland)
*2007 - John Nunn (Great Britain)
*2008 - Piotr Murdzia (Poland)

External links

* http://www.saunalahti.fi/~stniekat/pccc/solving.htm