Pretty confident engine use will never be allowed in any format here.
The Case for a True Modern Correspondence Chess Tournament
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There is already one like this, ICC championships. Every game results in a draw - except if one of the players die.
A proposal for Chess.com and the wider chess community
For years, daily chess formats have grown massively in popularity. Tournaments like “Register Now for the 2026 Daily Chess Championship!” bring thousands of players together. But we all know the truth: the daily format, in its current form, is vulnerable. It blurs the lines between pure human play and outside assistance. It creates environments where a player’s rating doesn’t always match the quality of their moves. And worst of all, it undermines fairness for those who want a truly honest human-vs-human experience.
But instead of fighting human nature or pretending engines don’t exist, there is another path—a better path.
A New Proposal: A Fully Transparent Correspondence Chess Tournament
A format where all external aids are allowed, openly and without shame:
Opening books
Databases
Coaches & friends
Personal notes
Deep analysis
And yes—even chess engines
Not hidden.
Not disguised.
Not suspicious.
But accepted, structured, and encouraged.
This is the modern evolution of classical correspondence chess.
Why This Format Matters — and Why Chess.com Should Lead the Way
1. It Generates the Deepest Games Ever Played Online
Imagine thousands of games analyzed with:
layered plans
long-term strategies
model endgames
deeply researched openings
human-engine hybrid creativity
The result?
A treasure trove of master-level games that would instantly enrich Chess.com’s database, lessons, puzzles, and future opening explorers.
This would become the richest bank of analyzed games in modern online chess.
2. It Provides a Legitimate Outlet for Engine Users
Let’s be honest: some players want to study with engines.
Some want to test ideas.
Some want to create opening novelties.
Some simply enjoy deep analysis more than over-the-board intuition.
Right now, those players are forced into the shadows—using external aids in formats where it’s not allowed.
A transparent, “all tools allowed” tournament redirects that energy into a clean, honest space, removing the temptation to cheat elsewhere.
3. It Restores Fairness to Other Chess Formats
When there is a dedicated format where engine-assisted games are meant to happen, the incentive to cheat in traditional daily or rapid formats goes down dramatically.
Chess.com wins.
Fair players win.
Serious competitors win.
Everyone wins.
4. It Honors Chess History
Classical correspondence chess—especially in the 20th century—was the birthplace of:
theoretical novelties
opening ideas
deep positional masterpieces
Players learned from books, friends, coaches, and long-term analysis.
It was the laboratory where chess knowledge evolved.
This proposal revives that tradition but with a modern twist.
Inviting the Veterans and Innovators
This tournament could become a new frontier for:
titled correspondence players
ICCF veterans
theorists
analysts
engine-opening specialists
creators of repertoires
ambitious amateurs with research passion
They could host events under this structure—
but the true beauty, the true legitimacy, would shine brightest if this format carried:
With Chess.com’s support, this becomes more than an idea.
It becomes a movement.
A shift in how we understand fairness, creativity, and transparency in long-format chess.
A Tournament That Honors BOTH Worlds
By creating this event, Chess.com would officially support two noble pillars of chess:
✔ Pure, traditional human play (Daily, Rapid, Blitz)
✔ Deep, research-based modern correspondence play (All tools allowed)
When both forms are separated and respected, the entire chess ecosystem becomes healthier, clearer, and much more exciting.
Closing Thoughts
This isn’t just a tournament proposal—it's an evolution.
A chance for Chess.com to:
innovate,
reduce cheating temptations,
enrich its game database,
and pioneer a new era of transparent correspondence chess.
The community is ready.
The tools are here.
The moment is now.
Let’s build a format where deep thinkers, researchers, engine-lovers, and theoreticians can shine openly—proudly—and contribute to the future of chess.
And hopefully, with the official Chess.com seal of approval.