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Home > Rules > FIDE Albums > Instructions |
Efficient and smooth conduct of the evaluation phase depends on accurate and
punctual work by all concerned, to ensure that each Album is ready for publication
at the appropriate time.
Please note that no deviation from the instructions below should take place. Exceptions (in rare or extreme cases) should not be implemented without consulting the President of the WFCC or the Spokesman of the Album committee and getting their approval.
Composers send 5 copies of each of their entries, in accordance with the instructions published in chess composition magazines and on the WFCC website. The Director must eliminate any duplicate entries, any which appeared in an earlier Album, and any which, to his knowledge, were not published within the relevant 3-year period. For informal tourneys the date of publication of the issue containing the composition is decisive; for formal tourneys the date of appearance of the award is decisive (NB: not the closing date of the tourney). Later corrections should normally be accepted. If the date of publication is in doubt, the Director should ask the composer for evidence.
Approximately one month after the closing date for receipt of entries, the Director should send to the webmaster of the WFCC site a list of composers whose entries have been received. If a composer notices that his entries have not been delivered, he should notify the Director as soon as possible. Such late entries should be accepted.
The Director will number all the eligible entries and send one copy of them to each of the three nominated judges. A list of all entries with names of composers must be attached, with space for each judge to write in his scores. In parallel, the Director should inform the Spokesman of the Album committee and the WFCC site webmaster of the number of entries received and of the date of their distribution to the judges.
Using a scale of 0 to 4 including half-points, each judge will allocate points to the entries, in accordance with the guidelines shown in Annex 1. The whole scale should be used, but the very highest scores should not occur often. The normal score for a composition good enough for publication in a magazine but without any point of real interest is 1 or 1.5 points. A composition known by the judge to be totally anticipated will attract a score of 0. A composition believed to be unsound but not computer-testable should be given a score nonetheless, since it may turn out to be sound after all. A judge who considers a composition to be incorrect should send his claim and analysis to the director together with his score.
The Director acts as a substitute judge in the case of a composition by one of the judges. If more than one replacement judge is required, the Director should consult the Spokesman of the Album committee or the President of the WFCC, and a suitable judge will be nominated.
WCCT section-winners qualify automatically for inclusion in the Album. Any such composition entered by the composer is judged in the normal way but is included anyway even if the points score falls below the threshold. No points score is shown in the published Album in the case of a WCCT section-winner not submitted by the composer.
According to decisions reached at Rhodes 2007, (a) judges in section D (endgame
studies) are requested to allocate points to the studies as if they had been
composed in the traditional manner before the advent of the computer into compositional
chess & (b) studies are not to be regarded as anticipated by any position
appearing in a computer-generated database.
After completing his work, each judge will send a list of his scores to the
Director, along with comments regarding errors, anticipations, thematic flaws,
etc. The Director should distribute these comments to the other judges together
with his own notes on anticipations, cooks, duals, etc.
It is highly desirable for the Director to arrange for an exchange of opinions to take place among the judges, so as to allow for reconsideration of scores by individual judges, particularly in cases where there is a wide disparity (e.g. more than 1.5 points) between the scores allocated to a given composition, or where a single judge's score disproportionately affects the total in comparison with those of the other two judges (e.g. 4+2+2, 1.5+3+3, etc.). In addition, compositions whose total score would place them just below the threshold for inclusion should be reconsidered. Such discussion may take place in person at a meeting, by post, by e-mail, by means of tele-conferencing, or by any other available method.
Judges may wish to change some of their scores as a result of discussion with their colleagues, but their individual scores should always reflect the true value of the compositions in the view of each judge.
If the average score of any one judge is much higher or much lower than that of the other two, the Director may suggest that the judge in question should adjust his scores accordingly. However, each judge alone decides on his final scores.
It is suggested that the Director, in agreement with the judges, should draft a time schedule to be followed during the evaluation phase, and that there should be periodical monitoring of the progress achieved. If a judge does not complete his work by the date prescribed in the schedule, the Director should ask the President of the WFCC or the Spokesman of the Album committee to seek a substitute. In the case of any other great difficulties or irregularities in the judging process, the Director should also consult the President or the Spokesman.
Once the Director has received the final list from all judges, he will sum the points for each composition. Normally all compositions with a total score of 8 points or more are selected for the Album. As mentioned above, WCCT section-winners are automatically included.
If the number of selected entries in a section is less than 14% of the entries with a total score of 4.5 points or more, the threshold is lowered so that all compositions with 7.5 points or more are selected for the Album. (This rule has been modified and applies from the 2004-2006 Album onwards).
The Director should arrange for computer testing of the selected entries where
possible. If a dual or similar flaw is found, the judges must be asked to reconsider
their scores. The Director may contact the composer of an unsound composition
in the hope that a quick correction may be possible.
If the Director is unsure about the eligibility of a certain composition for
the Album, he should consult the Spokesman of the Album committee.
The Director will send to the Editors of the Album (cf. Annex 2 for addresses) copies of the selected entries and the relevant list including judges' scores. The Editors ask that all entries with a total score of at least 7 points be included.
For sections D (endgame studies) and H (retros), the list should ideally be accompanied by a computer-file or document with the solutions in Album format (see the most recent Album for details), but it is recognised that some Directors will be unable to produce this. In section G (fairies), definitions of unusual fairy pieces and conditions should also be sent.
In parallel, the Director should send to the Spokesmen of the Album and Qualifications committees, as well as to the webmaster of the WFCC site, a list of the selected entries, including the points thereby earned for each composer (1 point for a problem, 1.67 points for an endgame study), the points for joint compositions being divided equally between the composers.
The editors of the Album, in consultation with the President of the WFCC, will appoint persons to compile the indexes and to translate them where necessary. If the Director or one of the judges is willing to undertake one of these tasks, he should make his offer known to the Editors or to the President.
Questions concerning these instructions or any related matter should be addressed to the Spokesman of the Album committee or to the President of the WFCC.
Questions concerning the publication of the selected compositions in the Album (e.g. about the layout of solutions, definitions of fairy forms, indexing etc.) should be addressed to one of the Editors.
Anyone with suggestions for ways in which the production of the Albums might be improved should get in touch with the Editors in the first instance.
It is recognised that the Album requires a great deal of work by all the people involved. But the result will be worth it: a fine collection of wonderful chess compositions. Thank you for all your efforts.
Harry Fougiaxis (President of the WFCC)
Hannu Harkola (1st Vice-President of the WFCC)
March 2011
ANNEX 1: MEANING OF THE POINT-SCALE |
|
| 4 | Outstanding: must be in the Album |
| 3.5 | |
| 3 | Very good: ought to be in the Album |
| 2.5 | |
| 2 | Good: could be in the Album |
| 1.5 | |
| 1 | Mediocre: ought not to be in the Album |
| 0.5 | |
| 0 | Worthless or completely anticipated: must not be in the Album |
Editors:
Denis Blondel, 19 rue de Rome, F-94510 La Queue en Brie, France, (indexing, typesetting)
Email denisblondelwanadoo.fr
bernd ellinghoven, Königstraße 3, D-52064 Aachen, Germany (printing, distribution)
Email be.fee
President of the WFCC:
Harry Fougiaxis, Delvinou 4, GR-11363 Athens, Greece
Email: harryfou
Spokesman of the Album subcommittee:
Kjell Widlert, Åsögatan 109, 6 tr, S-118 29 Stockholm, Sweden
Email kjell.widlert
Acting Spokesman of the Qualifications committee and webmaster:
Hannu Harkola, Ampujantie 18 B, FIN-00700 Helsinki, Finland
Email hannu.harkola
Closing date: March 1st, 2011
Submission of entries to the judges: June 1st, 2011
Reports by the directors and announcement of results: January 1st, 2013
Submission of selected entries to the editors: March 1st, 2013
Indexing, typesetting & printing: September 1st, 2014
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