To play a move you may use drag and drop (with your mouse) or standard algebraic notation (with your keyboard) to enter a move (you may choose either method from the Board menu, with drag and drop being the default). Click Undo if you want to retract your move and make another one (you can do this many times). Click Submit if using standard algebraic notation to update the position. Note that both drag and drop and Submit do not yet send your move! At this stage, you can still change your mind by using Undo or Commit.

At this point, you may enter any conditional moves you wish to offer (refer How to Play Conditional Moves) Click Commit to tell the system that your move is now final - only now will your move be sent to your opponent!

To end the game check the Offer Draw or Resign check box before you click Submit, or to Claim a Win or a Claim a Draw use a Game menu option (refer How to Win, Lose or Draw).

To analyse the game offline click the get PGN link to download the game score to your computer. Then you can log out without making a move and study the game in your own time (XFCC-compliant software will allow you in future to make moves directly from your games database).

To exchange messages with your opponent (refer How to Communicate with Other Players): enter your message text in the Send a Message box before you click Commit. Your opponent's last message can be viewed in the Message to You box. You can Disable Messages at any time by checking the box provided (remember you cannot email your opponent unless you have agreed to exchange email addresses).

Other options:
- Event/Take Leave (refer How to Book Holidaays and Request Special Leaves)
- Game/Appeal (refer How to Communicate withh Officials)
- Email/TD/AC/Help Desk (refer How to Communnicate with Officials)

The system updates the game score with your move and its timestamp. Your time used clock is updated. Optional details such as draw offers, conditional moves, and message texts are stored temporarily alongside the game until the next move in the game is executed, or until the conditional string is exhausted. An email is generated to inform your opponent that you have moved (unless of course he/she has set email notifications to ‘off’ (refer How to Update Your Personal Settings).

The webserver allows you to change board and pieces sizes by clicking the Board menu on the Game Screen, selecting the piece size option, and checking the number (pixels) of your choice. (Please try this out to see what suits you best, I find 16-pixel size suitable. It depends upon the screen resolution setting of your computer)

The web server allows you to flip (change) the chess board as desired when viewing a game, by selecting Board and Turn in game menu.

The webserver allows you to see your opponent’s leave by clicking the Event menu on the Game Screen, and then selecting show opponent’s leave.

How to Play Conditional Moves:
The system permits a restricted range of conditional moves. Most ICCF events will have conditionals permitted. There will be some tournaments where conditional moves are not permitted. (Refer to How to Check Event Cross-Tables for the conditionals rule setting).

The player wishing to propose a conditional move or moves does so between making Submit and Commit selections (refer How to Play Moves). After you Submit your reply, you may enter a conditional move (shown in red on the game score), and submit it using the Submit Conditional button. This process allows the pieces of both sides to be moved on the display board. Each 1-ply move is recorded when Submit Conditional is clicked, and you may enter as many moves as you wish (subject to the linear restriction described in item 4 below).

No internal branching logic is allowed, thus the conditional string must be linear. For example, 1.e4 if 1... c5 then 2.d4, if 2...cxd4 then 3.c3 is permitted, but 1.e4 if 1...e5 then 2.Nf3, or if 1...e6 then 2.d4, is not permitted. The Commit button then stores the player's primary selected move in the usual way, and appends an unseen conditional string to the game score. The opponent receiving the conditional string is unaware of it until he/she has selected and committed a reply, at which time the system generates an alert and immediately shows the 1-ply response to the committed reply. This sequence may be repeated until the conditional string is exhausted, or a reply is made for which there is no conditional response.

The opponent receiving the conditional string is also entitled to propose another conditional string in turn before he/she exits.

Conditional moves accepted in this way receive a timestamp, but count zero days reflection time for the player who sent the string.

Each time a conditional move is accepted, the receiving player restarts the cycle of 24 hours before a day is charged for his/her next reply (refer How to Calculate Time).

The conditional string is stored in the system, but cannot be seen by either player as part of the game score or the email alert sent by the system to inform a player that it is his/her turn to move. Once an opponent has finished responding to the conditional string, it is removed from the system, and all the accepted moves are entered into the game score along with their appropriate time stamps.

How to Check Event Cross-Tables:
Players may inspect the current standings of event cross-tables at any time. Select Tables and Results from the main menu and click the event you want to see, or, select Games List from the main menu, then select a game, then select Event/Cross-table or select Personal Settings/Events from the main menu for your personalised list of events. In any case, you can view the cross-table, which contains:

There are some quick links also available on the cross-table page, including:

You can also see the rules selected by the organisers for this event below the cross-table.

How to Reference Your Games:
The system automatically organises all your active games into a reference list, which you can customise. Select Games List from the main menu, and you can browse the default settings per game, including:

Select Customise (button below the games list), and you may change the information displayed. You may de-select your time left; your opponent's time left and the event from default settings, and/or select since (date and time of last move played), or select colour (who has white/black). To examine a position, and/or make a move, click on any game, and proceed to How to Play Moves.

The system automatically updates your games list when a new event starts in which you are playing. Entries are removed from your games list when a result is finalised and the players agree to Close the game. The system updates your games list option settings if the Customise option is chosen.

How to Calculate Time
The system implements an international standard for correspondence chess measured in days. The system is capable of extension to include alternative methods of time calculation, e.g. blitz, Fischer clocks, etc.

1. Server date and time is the sole basis for time calculations.

2. Days are the basic CC counting unit, though clocks are displayed as hh:mm:ss.

3. When a player commits a move, the system stamps it with the date and time and notifies the opponent by email (unless of course he/she has set email notifications to 'off' - refer How to Update Your Personal Settings).

4. The opponent has 24 hours from this stamp to reply before he/she uses a day.

5. Each subsequent 24-hour period (or part thereof) from the stamp uses a further day.

6. Once the reply is made, only whole days used are counted, though each move also carries the full stamp.

7. Player and opponent times remaining are displayed in each player's tailored games list. Time overruns are shown in red. Games lost on time are not automatically completed - players must submit a claim for a win to the TD (refer How to Win, Lose or Draw).

Each game score carries a time stamp per committed 1-ply move, which can be viewed on request (use the checkbox on the game page; refer How to Play Moves). Each player, in each game, has a clock showing time remaining to the next time control, which is updated after each move.

How to Win, Lose or Draw
The system allows many different ways for games to be completed. Players are encouraged to be familiar with these methods, as it may be their responsibility to take action. If in doubt, please communicate with the TD in good time. The system can automatically detect certain conditions, including checkmate and stalemate. Players may agree to a result, including:
- Resignation (by using the Resign check boxx before you click Submit
- Draw (by using the Offer Draw and Accept DDraw check boxes before you click Submit

A player may claim a result via the TD (refer How to Communicate with Officials), for example:
- Win (if, say, the opponent has exceeded thhe time limit)
- Draw (if, say, a threefold repetition or tthe 50-move rule has occurred)

The TD may award results, for example:
- win / loss (if, say, a claim is upheld) - draw (if, say, a position is adjudicated eequal)
- 0-0 (if, say, both players are in breach oof rules)
- other (defaulted, null and cancelled gamess)

A player may appeal against an award via the AC (refer How to Communicate with Officials), resulting in the original decision being:
- Rejected (the original decision is ratifieed)
- Upheld (the original decision is changed, and the game may be restarted)
The system marks games as completed once a result is finalised. Games are removed from players' games lists once either has Closed the game.

How to See Game Score
Players may inspect their own game scores and, if permitted, other players' game scores at any time. Refer How to Play Moves for game scores of games you are currently playing. For your completed games, or the game scores of other players:
- select Tables and Results from the main meenu and click the event you want to see, or:
- select Games List from the main menu, thenn select a game, then select Event/Cross-table or:
- select Personal Settings/Events from the mmain menu for your personalised list of events, then click the event you want to see.

You can see the viewing rules selected by the organisers for this event below the cross-table. Assuming you have the necessary permissions then:
- click on any cell in the cross-table to seee the board and game score for that game or
- click on Get PGN below the cross-table to download the PGN file for the entire event.

The system either displays or downloads the requested information if the necessary permissions are in place.

How to check Rating List
The system provides a selection of rating lists and sort sequences for you to browse.