Adjudication

Adjudication determines the result of a game that will not be played to its normal conclusion. An independent third party examines the position and decides whether a win or draw should be awarded. In the International Correspondence Chess Federation, abbreviated ICCF, the adjudicator's identity is normally not disclosed to the players.

The procedure is reserved for defined circumstances. It may be triggered when an event with an end date finishes with a game still active, when an unfinished game delays the next stage of a competition, or, under specified conditions, after a player's death. It is not a general power to stop any game that has become lengthy or inconvenient.

Players submit a claim, meaning the result they request, together with analysis explaining how the position should develop. A number or variation copied from a chess engine, a program that calculates moves, is normally insufficient by itself. The analysis must explain plans, consequences, and why an advantage leads to the claimed result. The rules may also allow an appeal to a different adjudicator.

The time control matters. In Triple Block events without guaranteed time, ICCF does not adjudicate a game merely because the scheduled end date arrives; the system is designed for games to reach a natural result within that framework.