Rules for the European Championship in Solving of Chess Problems (ECSC)
1.1. The ECSC is an independent competition for national teams
and individual solvers as well for juniors and women.
1.2. It consists of 6 rounds over two days, with 3 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 endgames | 100 minutes solving time |
| Round 4 | 3 helpmates (h#2, h#3, h# >3) | 50 minutes solving time |
| Round 5 | 3 moremovers (at least one 4# and one 5#) | 80 minutes solving time |
| Round 6 | 3 selfmates (S#2,S#3,S# >3) | 50 minutes solving time |
Round 4 and Round 6 may be exchanged.
The break between each round is at least 15 minutes.
2.1. The ECSC is organized by a country which is a member of the FIDE
and has been appointed by the PCCC.
2.2. The ECSC is an official team european championship if teams of at
least 7 different countries participate. It is an official individual european
championship if at least 30 solvers from at least 10 countries participate.
For juniors and women required numbers are 10 solvers from 7 different countries.
2.3. The maximum age for junior is 23.
2.4. ECSC is open to all countries that belong to ECU (European Chess Union).
3.1. The organizing country nominates the Director of the ECSC, if possible,
before the announcement of the tournament.
3.2. The Director is responsible for the selection of the problems to be
solved. He makes the diagram copies for the tournament. It is his job to
ensure that the solvers do not know the problems.
3.3. If the Director has no title FIDE Solving Judge he should be from
different country than the organizing one. That country has to nominate
an Assistant Director to represent the Director in case he is unable to
attend the ECSC.
4.1. The teams consist of three or four solvers and the team-leader who
may be one of the solvers.
4.2. A country participating with one team is allowed to nominate a further
two solvers for the individual championship. Maximum number of solvers from
one country is 6 except pt 4.5.
4.3. The members of the teams simultaneously compete in the individual
championship.
4.4. A country not participating with a team may send two solvers for the
individual championship.
4.5 The organizing country is allowed to nominate 2 teams. In this case
8 solvers from the organizing country can participate.
4.6. The three best solvers of a ECSC are entitled to participate in the
following ECSC (individual) independently of their qualification in a national
championship and even if not among the six solvers as defined in pt 4.2.
5.1. A country must notify the organizer of its intention to participate
not later than three months before the tournament; unless in the organizer’s
announcement a later date is given.
6.1. The problems to be solved should be originals, or, alternatively,
little known published problems.
6.2. The selected problems should show a clear theme and a good level of
quality and difficulty. It is recommended that in every round, the three
problems should represent different styles.
6.3. Fairy conditions and retro problems are not allowed. The positions
should be legal. All problems should have only one solution, except in the
helpmate round when more single solutions are especially indicated. The
problems should be computer tested as far as possible.
7.1. The problems to be solved must be presented on printed diagrams.
7.2. The solver may use the chess board(s) and men made available by the
organizer, or his own set(s). The use of all electronic or technological
aids which can help in solving is forbidden.
7.3. The solver must write the solutions only on the sheet provided by
the Director.
a) in direct mate problems: all moves in all variations of full length
which defend the threat, including the threat if it is of full length,
except the last move of Black and the mating move (i.e. in twomovers only
the key; in threemovers all three move variations, including the full
length threat, up to the second white move, etc.);
b) in selfmate problems: all moves except the mating move in all variations
of full length which defend the threat, including the threat if it is
of full length.
If a threat doesn’t exist or a threat of full length is not written all
variations of full length are to be given.c) in helpmate problems: all moves;
d) in endgames: all moves up to an obvious win or draw.
9.1. . In helpmates for which more than one single solution is indicated
the solver has to give the requested single solutions. In all other problems
and endgames only one solution is to be given.
9.2. . If a solver believes he has found a cook, he may give it instead
of the solution. In this case, he has to give the complete moves of the
cook according to point 8. The correct and complete solution or cook of
a problem scores 5 points.
9.3. An incomplete solution scores fewer points. Incorrect or incomplete
variations or single solutions score 0 points. If more than the required
number of solutions for a particular problem is written, it is enough that
one of the solutions is incorrect for the solver to score 0 (zero) points
for this problem.
9.4. The Director must determine the distribution of points for a solution
(i.e. for different variations, moves or single solutions) before the tournament
starts. For a helpmate(s) with more single solutions the distribution of
points should be indicated on the solving sheet.
9.5. If a problem has no solution, 0 points are awarded for this problem
and all solvers get the full time score in this round.
9.6. Retro problems and problems with fairy conditions (see 6.3.) are treated
like problems with no solution. A problem with an illegal position is treated
like one with a legal position.
9.7. If a move is written incorrectly, unclearly or ambiguously, this variation
or single solution is regarded as incorrect. If, however, the Director (or
the jury, pt 13.5) is absolutely sure that the correct move was intended,
this variation or single solution must be regarded as correct.
10.1. During the solving a solver may leave the solving room only with
a permission of the Director and accompanied by a controller.
10.2. When a solver hands over the solving sheet a controller immediately
writes the elapsed time on the solver’s solving sheet. Elapsed time is rounded
up in minutes (i.e. when the last minute starts solvers get full time).
After handing the solving sheet, the solver has no right to make any change
to the solutions. He should leave the room and may not return until the
round is ended.
10.3. The Director announces 10 minutes left and the last minute in each
round. After the announcement of the last minute all solvers remain sitting
to the end of the round. When the end is declared they stop writing and
wait until the controllers collect all the solving sheets.
11.1. For the team result in each round, the score of the three best solvers
of a team for this round is taken in consideration. The points of all rounds
will be totalled, as well as the respective solving time (in minutes).
11.2. For the individual score, the points a solver achieves in the different
rounds will be totalled, as well as the solving time.
11.3. A solver with 0 points in a round gets the full time score in this
round.
11.4. The number of points determines the ranking. In the event of a tie
on points, the solver or team with the shorter total solving time will be
ranked higher.
12.1. Participants must be informed of the official solutions of a round
immediately after the end of that round. The results of the rounds must
be announced in written form as soon as possible.
12.2. If a problem has proved to be incorrect (cooks, duals, no solution)
this must be announced as soon as possible including the respective distribution
of points.
13.1. The Director has to announce his reports not later than 8 pm on the
first day and not later than 3 pm on the second day of the competition.
13.2. Protests against any announcement must reach the Director in written
form not later than one hour after this announcement. He is allowed to accept
protests out of time. If the Director cannot be found, a protest remark
is to be made at the announcement board. Protests have to be given by the
teamleaders or by an individual solver.
13.3. The Director’s task is to deal with such protests and to settle disputes.
He has to secure that a solution given by a solver only can be seen by this
solver himself, or by the leader or other members of his team.
13.4. Objections to any decision by the Director must be made in writing
and must reach the Director within one hour after the announcement of the
decision.
13.5. Such objections shall be dealt with by a jury consisting of the Director
and two neutral persons nominated by him in consultation with the team-leaders
affected. The majority decision of the jury is final.
14. These Rules should be published on the official announcement board
at least 24 hours before the start of the first round.
This version of the Rules was accepted at the PCCC Congress in Wageningen
2006