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ICC Guide :: Starting a Game

The Seek Graph

It is easy to seek an opponent using your "Seek Graph", as shown below. If you don't see a window like this after you have connected, choose Seek Graph from the Window menu. Each dot represents somebody wanting to play a game. Faster games are listed to the left, slower ones to the right. The vertical dotted lines divide between the different time controls: Bullet (extremely fast), Blitz (fast), and Standard (normal). The highest rated players are listed on the top, lower rated ones near the bottom.

ICC seek graph

The color of the dots represent the kind of game being sought:

  • Green dots are for normal chess
  • Blue dots are computer opponents, either robotic or human operated
  • Grey dots are games that are out of your range or for which you are not eligible to play
  • Red dots are for wild games. Wild games are unusual chess variants.
  • Pink dots for the chess variant Crazyhouse.
  • Orange dots for the chess variant Loser's Chess.
     
  • Solid dots for rated games
  • Hollow dots for unrated games

Click on a dot to start a game. You can also right-click a dot to perform various tasks.

Advanced Topic: 'm' or 'f'
You may see that some seeks have an 'm' or an 'f' after their seek advertisement. See help formula and help seeking for more information.

Beginning a Game

If you decide you would like to play allan, and the dot is green on your graph, use your left mouse button to click on that dot. The game will automatically begin. (If the seeker - in this case Allan - adds an 'm' to his seek he has the choice to manually accept or decline your challenge.)

You can also send your own seek, adding your challenge as a dot on the graph. To do this, click your left mouse button on the grey Seek Box located on the top right corner of the seek graph or choose Seek a Game from the Game menu. A dialog window will appear on your screen.

To learn how to fill in this dialog correctly please go to the next page.

 

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