From 2016, ICCF has introduced an automated Adjudication system onto the webserver which the EFCC is currently obliged to use. Players will need to follow the online instructions on the ICCF Server and the game will be adjudicated by an anonymous ICCF player of SIM standard or above. There is no fee, but no appeal either. The EFCC is currently attempting to regain control of its own Adjudications: as soon as this is achieved, the Rules below will once again apply.
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It is a generally accepted principle that adjudications should be avoided whenever possible. The EFCC encourages all players to decide the game at the board, behave in a sporting manner & resign lost positions without delaying matters unnecessarily. However, where a specific end-date is in place, and the players cannot agree on the likely outcome, adjudication becomes an unavoidable necessity.
Here are the Adjudication procedures & guidelines for all EFCC tournaments (except the BCCC).
Adjudication procedure
Fourteen days before the End Date is reached, the Tournament Director should appraise each ongoing game. In the event that a particular game has no impact on promotion or relegation, no adjudication should take place & that game should be allowed to continue playing indefinitely. Both players (and Team Captains if necessary) should be advised at least ten days before the End date.
In the event that adjudication is deemed necessary, the following shall apply:- Claims for adjudication together with the adjudication fee of £10 (cheques payable to ‘EFCC’) and any supporting analysis shall be submitted to the Tournament Director within seven days of the date set for close of play. If you do not submit analysis with your claim you lose your right of appeal. If only one claim is received, that claim will be the result of the game. A player may not be awarded a win when he has submitted a claim of a draw, or when he has submitted a claim of a win without supporting analysis. In the event that both players claim a draw, the Tournament Director shall declare the game a draw. The adjudicator shall be a player selected by the TD from the current list of EFCC approved adjudicators, whose rating is at least 100 points higher than any of the two players involved (Exception: should one or both of the two players involved be rated 2450 or higher, then any adjudicator on the list rated 2500 or higher is acceptable). An appeal against the adjudicator's decision detailing full analysis, including any additional analysis not already submitted, to support the appeal together with the appeal fee of £20 (cheques payable to ‘EFCC’) must be received within seven days of the receipt of the decision by the Tournament Director. The appeal must clearly show that the original adjudicator's decision was incorrect. The relevant Sub-Committee will appoint an appeal adjudicator who shall be a player of Grandmaster strength. The Tournament Director will send to the appeal adjudicator all comments and analysis made by the original adjudicator. No further appeal will be entertained once the Tournament Director has informed both players of the final decision of the adjudicator. At the end of the adjudication procedure, the comments and analysis of the adjudicator(s) will be supplied to the players by the Tournament Director if requested. However, the names of the adjudicator(s) will remain confidential if he/she so wishes. A copy of this Rule and a copy of the EFCC Guidelines for Adjudicators (see below) shall be sent to all adjudicators who decide the outcome of the position, and these will take precedence over any of the ICCF Procedures and Guidelines in connection with adjudication. The adjudication fee of the player whose claim is upheld shall be returned. Should an appeal against the adjudicator's decision be upheld, the claimant's appeal fee and adjudication fee shall be refunded.
EFCC GUIDELINES FOR ADJUDICATORS
First of all, the EFCC wishes to thank you for adjudicating the enclosed position. The following procedure should be followed:-
The adjudicator should consider any analysis submitted by the players and his own knowledge and ability regarding general chess principles e.g. extra material; exchange, typical endgame patterns, etc. In those cases where both players have submitted analysis that does not diverge for several moves, the adjudicator shall accept these moves as if played and start the adjudication at the new position reached. The adjudicator may assume that both players have access to available tablebases for endgame positions.
The adjudicator may use his own analysis to find a win that was not presented in any submitted analysis.
When you submit your decision to the Tournament Director, you may also include any comments or analysis to support your decision. It is possible for a player to appeal against your decision. Should that occur, your decision, comments and analysis will be sent to a further adjudicator who will be of Grandmaster strength. His/her decision will be the result of the game.
Please note that it is possible that the comments and analysis of the adjudicator(s) will be supplied to the players by the Tournament Director if requested by either or both players. However, the names of the adjudicator(s) will remain confidential if they so wish.
It should also be noted that these Guidelines take precedence over the ICCF Guidelines for adjudication.
