Questions about the ICCF database

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1.) How many of the games are computer-assisted?
2.) What’s considered a “high” correspondence rating? From chess.com the top players are around the 2500-2600 range and it seems the same for ICCF
3.) If all the high rated people playing an opening variation are making draws, does that mean the opening is objectively a draw? I am trying to find a way to make the Fritz work and it seems like the people rated above 2000 on ICCF can always draw with black.

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  1. All of them at high levels. I have run into people who aren’t using computers. They get crushed mercilessly.
  2. Probably 2200+. Hard to win games in corr, and so it’s hard to build your rating.
  3. Objectively drawn is not the same thing as drawn in practical play. Humans are not engines. I’ve had games in corr where my opponent has had to find long strings of only moves to survive, but the engine makes the path crystal clear.
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I will briefly add to John’s accurate comments below.

  1. The top and most serious correspondence players in the world are playing at ICCF not chess.com. I would not compare these organizations.
  2. I have an ICCF IM title and am rated 2292. Any player rated 2200+ choosing the correct openings should not lose against any other player irrespective of rating.
  3. Some of the players play the same openings over and over and just draw. Some of us push the envelope with riskier openings and that leads to occasional losses. But, yes, all the mainstream openings are objectively draws. However, some openings like say the French Defense as Black, are hard to defend even in correspondence chess.
  4. If you are looking at the database for opening ideas for OTB play, make sure you really like the position and can play it before trying it OTB. Many of the sequences in these games are simply impossible for humans to play OTB.
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Maybe also @nikos.ntirlis can share something not already mentioned?

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I agree with John and Douglas!

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Hello all,
Good afternoon!
I wanted to ask which database was being referred to here? Is there a database which @Nikos Sir shared to us? Please do tell.
I am willing to add Correspondence Database regularly with monthly updates to my databases.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Aradhya Garg

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You need to have an account in ICCF and you download the games from here: Access Denied

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Hello @Nikos Ntirlis Sir. Good evening!
Sir I had some questions which I wanted to ask:

  • Sir I went to the databases-Games Archive and downloaded those games. It shows some games which started quite some days ago and it is still on the archive of a later date: for example, one game started in 2019 but is in the 2023 Archive folder. Is this possible or is this an error?

  • Can we download the ICCF Databases games into the MegaDB? I was unable to do it as it frequently shows Error White or Error Black player.

  • I remember you once said that Lichess and Chess.com games are downloadable. Could you share the link from where we could download all of these games if possible Sir?
    Would love if other members and trainers could advice about the way forward here.
    Thanking you,
    Yours sincerely,
    Aradhya Garg

9

Hello Sir,
Good morning!
Wish that you are doing well!
Can we download all the games played in Lichess and Chess.com? I wanted to know about the same in order to know and understand how things work.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Aradhya Garg

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by the way where to download ICCF games from chess.com?

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I would recommend the Lichess Elite database, which has minimum rating requirements. https://database.nikonoel.fr/
Still a massive file, definitely not recommend to add to your megabase.

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