World Chess Network
Encyclopedia
The World Chess Network (WCN) was a commercial Internet chess server
devoted to the play and discussion of chess
that launched in 1997 and closed ten years later in 2007 when it was bought by Internet Chess Club
and merged with Chess Live
to form World Chess Live. As a typical chess server, the network provided basic services such as the conduction of live chess
games over the Internet between two human players. Chess tournaments were occasionally conducted by the service, including a select few matches between known chess Grandmasters
where spectators could watch the game in real-time. During its heyday, the network was frequented by professional chess players including notable Grandmasters like Elena Donaldson
, Susan Polgar
, Larry Christiansen and Larry Evans
.
for rating its players. The World Chess Network also conducted professional grandmaster tournaments, allowing spectators to watch these matches live, with professional commentaries. It also advertised itself as a venue for real-world chess players seeking to improve their playing skills. The network facilitated private chess lessons from professional players, usually via arrangement with the professional player with an additional cost. It also provided a service called Banter Chess; With this service, spectators watched two Masters play a game while explaining their moves and thoughts out loud, allowing the spectators to learn how high-ranked players conduct their games. Lectures about playing chess professionally were also given by the many Masters on the site.
For players not currently playing games, the network offered regular chat channels so that players could schedule or discuss games, among other things.
The interface used by the website was the a proprietary chess software called Mgichess. The software has arrangements to try to detect players using the assistance of chess programs. It does this by detecting changes in window input focus, based on information on the activities being undertaken on the computer that the program is able to detect.
by Master Games International, Inc. with the support of chess philanthropist Dato Tan Chin Nam
. It was home to many recognized chess Grandmasters
and International Masters such as Susan Polgar
, Larry Christiansen and Larry Evans
.
In the 1999 policy board meeting of the United States Chess Federation
, a proposal was made for a strategic alliance between the World Chess Network and the USCF.
On 29 May 2007, WCN was bought by the Internet Chess Club
. It was then merged with Chess Live
, another Internet chess server acquired by Internet Chess Club from GamesParlor. The result of the acquisition and merger was the formation of World Chess Live, a new Internet chess server that merged features of both services.
The site itself has been reviewed on Chess Central, a notable online chess resource, by chess grandmaster, Susan Polgar
. Polgar has also referred to the World Chess Network as a major chess "company". Another well-known online chess website, ChessBase
, has featured the World Chess Network in at least one article. The article featured a match on the network between American Grandmaster (GM) Larry Christiansen and the Canadian International Master (IM) Pascal Charbonneau
. The network has also received attention from other chess-specialty sites such as Chessville. The site also has been featured as a popular chess play site on About.com
.
Internet chess server
An Internet chess server is an external server that provides the facility to play, discuss, and view the board game of chess over the Internet...
devoted to the play and discussion of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
that launched in 1997 and closed ten years later in 2007 when it was bought by Internet Chess Club
Internet Chess Club
The Internet Chess Club is a commercial Internet chess server devoted to the play and discussion of chess and chess variants. ICC currently has over 30,000 subscribing members...
and merged with Chess Live
Chess Live
Chess Live, formerly called US Chess Live , was a subscription Internet chess server that opened on August 8, 2000 and closed on 29 May 2007 when it was bought by Internet Chess Club and merged with World Chess Network to form World Chess Live.-Membership:There were three membership options:...
to form World Chess Live. As a typical chess server, the network provided basic services such as the conduction of live chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
games over the Internet between two human players. Chess tournaments were occasionally conducted by the service, including a select few matches between known chess Grandmasters
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
where spectators could watch the game in real-time. During its heyday, the network was frequented by professional chess players including notable Grandmasters like Elena Donaldson
Elena Donaldson
Elena Donaldson Akhmilovskaya is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She has been one of the strongest woman players in the world...
, Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...
, Larry Christiansen and Larry Evans
Larry Evans
For the football player of the same name, see Larry Evans .Larry Melvyn Evans was an American chess grandmaster, author, and journalist. He won or shared the U.S. Chess Championship five times and the U.S. Open Chess Championship four times...
.
Overview
The World Chess Network provided a number of services to its subscribers. Besides the facilitation of online chess games, it also provided members with a method of conducting online chess tournaments. The network used the Elo rating systemElo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
for rating its players. The World Chess Network also conducted professional grandmaster tournaments, allowing spectators to watch these matches live, with professional commentaries. It also advertised itself as a venue for real-world chess players seeking to improve their playing skills. The network facilitated private chess lessons from professional players, usually via arrangement with the professional player with an additional cost. It also provided a service called Banter Chess; With this service, spectators watched two Masters play a game while explaining their moves and thoughts out loud, allowing the spectators to learn how high-ranked players conduct their games. Lectures about playing chess professionally were also given by the many Masters on the site.
For players not currently playing games, the network offered regular chat channels so that players could schedule or discuss games, among other things.
The interface used by the website was the a proprietary chess software called Mgichess. The software has arrangements to try to detect players using the assistance of chess programs. It does this by detecting changes in window input focus, based on information on the activities being undertaken on the computer that the program is able to detect.
History
The World Chess Network was originally created as an Internet chess serverInternet chess server
An Internet chess server is an external server that provides the facility to play, discuss, and view the board game of chess over the Internet...
by Master Games International, Inc. with the support of chess philanthropist Dato Tan Chin Nam
Dato Tan Chin Nam
Dato' Tan Chin Nam is an entrepreneur and developer in Malaysia and an owner of Australian-based Thoroughbred racehorses. His family is the majority shareholder of IGB Corporation Berhad....
. It was home to many recognized chess Grandmasters
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
and International Masters such as Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...
, Larry Christiansen and Larry Evans
Larry Evans
For the football player of the same name, see Larry Evans .Larry Melvyn Evans was an American chess grandmaster, author, and journalist. He won or shared the U.S. Chess Championship five times and the U.S. Open Chess Championship four times...
.
In the 1999 policy board meeting of the United States Chess Federation
United States Chess Federation
The United States Chess Federation is a non-profit organization, the governing chess organization within the United States, and one of the federations of the FIDE. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership...
, a proposal was made for a strategic alliance between the World Chess Network and the USCF.
On 29 May 2007, WCN was bought by the Internet Chess Club
Internet Chess Club
The Internet Chess Club is a commercial Internet chess server devoted to the play and discussion of chess and chess variants. ICC currently has over 30,000 subscribing members...
. It was then merged with Chess Live
Chess Live
Chess Live, formerly called US Chess Live , was a subscription Internet chess server that opened on August 8, 2000 and closed on 29 May 2007 when it was bought by Internet Chess Club and merged with World Chess Network to form World Chess Live.-Membership:There were three membership options:...
, another Internet chess server acquired by Internet Chess Club from GamesParlor. The result of the acquisition and merger was the formation of World Chess Live, a new Internet chess server that merged features of both services.
Coverage
Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...
. Polgar has also referred to the World Chess Network as a major chess "company". Another well-known online chess website, ChessBase
ChessBase
ChessBase GmbH is a German company that markets chess software, maintains a chess news site, and operates a server for online chess. Set up in 1998, it maintains and sells massive databases, containing most historic games, that permit analysis that had not been possible prior to computing...
, has featured the World Chess Network in at least one article. The article featured a match on the network between American Grandmaster (GM) Larry Christiansen and the Canadian International Master (IM) Pascal Charbonneau
Pascal Charbonneau
Pascal Charbonneau is a Canadian Grandmaster of chess, a financial analyst, and an avid supporter of the NYC Club, Tenjune...
. The network has also received attention from other chess-specialty sites such as Chessville. The site also has been featured as a popular chess play site on About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
.