Computers On ICC

There are many computers on ICC and they are shown with a (C) title next to their handle.

Using a computer to decide your moves on ICC can be fun, and is welcomed, but you must follow the ICC rules. You will need to talk to an admin and have a (C) placed next to your handle before using a chess program on ICC.

In the rest of this file "computer" means the use of any chess-related computer program during an ICC game, including chess-playing programs and chess databases.

There are both automated computers without an operator, and also some that are manually operated.

Here are some rules that you must follow when it comes to computer assistance on ICC:

  1. Anyone using a chess-related program while playing on the ICC must be listed on the computer list. ICC members have the right to know if they are playing against a computer. You must tell an admin, so you will be added to the list: "message Speedtrap I am using a computer".

    2. NOTE: Read more about how to send messages

  2. Using chess database software, analysis software or chess engines while playing games on the ICC (unless your account is on ICC's computer list) is prohibited. ICC has the right to monitor such activity. ICC considers the use of assistance from computer programs or other people to be cheating, and will take appropriate action. You may lose your account with no refund. We have years of experience detecting computer-use, so please don't try to get away with it. Save yourself and the admins a lot of time and hassle: request to be on the computer list. See " help Speedtrap" for more information on computer detection, and the assigning of the (C) computer label.
  3. Computer and human play CANNOT be mixed on one ICC account. If you use your account for playing, you must get another account for using your computer. Just type "register" to create a new account, then ask an admin to add it to the computer list.
  4. Computers should not issue unsolicited "match" commands. Humans who don't want to play computers find that annoying. Computers are welcome to issue "seek" commands, accept "match" commands, and issue "rematch" commands.
  5. Computers must be able to resume stored games. Please work to finish stored games by typing "resume" often. Computers should not be programmed to shout during or after every game, or every time they login.
  6. If you have evidence that someone is using a computer, and they are not on the computer list, please follow these instructions to report it..

Computers are strongly urged to use a reasonable rating range on their seek ads. For example, if your formula is going to block everyone below 2400, PLEASE put a minimum rating on your seeks of 2300 or 2400. This is very easy do with "set minseek 2300", and you only need to do it once. Computers which are always posting seek ads with no minimum rating and a very high minimum rating in their formula may be no-rated until they comply, at the discretion of ICC admins. This request in no way restricts who can answer your seeks, should only take 10 seconds of your time, and is a courtesy to the 95% of ICC members who receive your seek ads and get rejected by your formula.

Playing computers

ICC maintains a list of computer playing robots to help you train and learn.

How to manually start a game against a computer
There are two primary ways:

     Check in the Seek Tab of the Activities window for any square dots. If you hold the mouse over any of these, you will see the name of the computer, its rating, and the type of game being offered. Double clicking on the seek will begin the game.
     Challenge the computer directly. However, before challenging the selected computer to a game, make sure it plays the variant that you want. Some computers are created specifically to play wild, Giveaway, crazyhouse, or other variants. When you are ready to play, the easiest way to issue a challenge is to go to "Actions" menu, and selecting the "Challenge Opponent" option. Follow the same procedure as you would against a regular opponent. Remember that computer accounts have the same privileges as regular user accounts (except for some technical commands).

How to find computer's strength and other qualifications
After you found a computer you might like to play, you would want to check its qualifications to make sure that it suits your playing interests. To do that, right click over their name in the players window and select Profile, After you did that, on your screen you will see this computer's Profile which will contain it's rating table and any notes that the operator has set for that particular account.

If at any time during the game against a computer you find that something goes wrong, please message its operator! The name of the operator can be found in computer's profile. It is very important that you let the operator know about anything that goes wrong with the computer. Most of the time, automatic computer accounts are unattended and therefore the operator has no idea if something goes wrong. If the computer seriously misbehaves, contact an on-line administrator.

Free computer accounts

Due to the large number of computer accounts on the ICC, we are only giving free accounts to the authors of programs that meet one of the following requirements:

  1. You are the author of the chess program, or
  2. Your program is automated and will play only wild chess, or
  3. Your program is automated and set up to play below 1800 ICC strength,

You must also follow these rules:

  1. You must maintain a non-expired human account.
  2. You cannot use a free computer account for observing ICC events, for playing games yourself, or for any activities other than having the program play games.
  3. You keep this information in the finger notes: - ICC handle of the human owner/operator. - Name and version number of the chess program used. - What kind of machine it runs on.

Send a message to FreeComputer requesting your free computer account AFTER you have set it up and if you meet all the above requirements. ICC reserves the right to decline an application for a free computer account or to remove the free status for any reason. Free accounts unused for one year may be deleted.

See also:
Reporting computer cheating