1.1. The WCSC is a competition for national teams and individual solvers.

1.2. It consists of 6 rounds over two days, with 3 rounds each day according to the following table:

Round 4 and Round 6 may be exchanged.
The break between each round is at least 15 minutes.

2.1. The WCSC is organised by a country which is a member of the FIDE and has been appointed by the PCCC.

2.2. All members of the FIDE are entitled to enter one team. The organising country has a right to compete with two teams.

2.3. The WCSC is an official team world championship if teams of at least 7 different countries participate. It is an official individual world championship if at least 30 solvers from at least 10 countries participate. For juniors (up to 23 years) and women required numbers are 10 solvers from 7 different countries.

3.1. The organising country nominates the Director of the WCSC, if possible, before the announcement of the tournament. It is recommended that the Director should have a title FIDE Solving Judge or he should have experiences as a director / judge of at least two rated solving tournaments.

3.2. If the Director does not belong to the organising country, that country has to nominate an Assistant Director to represent the Director in case he is unable to attend the WCSC.

3.3. 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.

4.1. The teams usually consist of three solvers and the team-leader who may be one of the solvers. Teams consisting of only two solvers are also permitted. The members of the teams simultaneously compete in the individual championship.

4.2. A country participating with a team (organising country with two teams) is allowed to nominate one further solver for the individual championship.

4.3. A country may nominate one extra junior and/or woman out of this quota. For the junior's / women's championship juniors / women from the regular national quota compete as well.

4.4. A country not participating with a team may send one person for the individual championship.

4.5. The three best solvers of a WCSC are entitled to participate in the following WCSC (individual) independently of their qualification for the team and even if not among the four solvers as defined above.

5.1. A country must notify the organiser of its intention to participate not later than three months before the tournament; unless in the organiser's announcement a later date is given.

5.2. The rules for the eligibility of participating solvers (whether team members or individual nominees) shall be the same as for FIDE over-the-board-events.

5.3. Each country must notify the names of all solvers participating on its behalf in writing to the PCCC (or the person nominated for this purpose by the PCCC) not less than 24 hours before the tournament starts. If required the notification must include all documents according to the FIDE rules for establishing the eligibility of the participants.

5.4. The PCCC (or the person so nominated) is responsible for determining the eligibility of participants.

5.5. Other teams and/or solvers may be admitted at a later time with the discretion of the PCCC.

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 organiser, 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.

8. The solutions are to be written in the following way:

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 helpmate(s) for which more than one single solution is indicated the solver has to give all requested single solutions for a complete solution. 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 two 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 scores the full time for 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 publish his reports daily between 8 am and 10 pm. Report after 10 pm is treated like at 8am (on the following day). He should announce in advance when the report is to be published.

13.2. Protests against any announcement must reach the Director in written form not later than two hours 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 team-leaders or by an individual solver according to pt 4.2. and 4.3.

13.3. The Director's task is to deal with such protests and to settle disputes. His decision with the argumentation is to be done in written form. 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 two hours of 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 the PCCC in consultation with the team-leaders affected. The majority decision of the jury (in written form with the argumentation) 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

Recommendations of the PCCC:

Juniors (under 20), seniors (above 60) and/or women may participate unofficially what depends on the organizers of the event whether they offer a separate section for them. (Wageningen 2001)

Studies with just one line and a clear conclusion are preferable. (Moscow 2003)

Helpmates: Multiple solutions are preferable to twins. Some thematic relationship between the single solutions, and a reasonable number of single solutions altogether in a round (max. seven), are recommended. (Halkidiki 2004)

Last update  08-X-06

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