The Russian Correspondence Chess Association (RCCA) organizes an event in memory of Aleksandr Lazarevich Al'pert (1948-2009) who was a vice-president of the RCCA and a tireless propagandist and enthusiast for the correspondence chess.

The event is open to all CC players. It will be played on the ICCF web server in three stages – preliminaries, semi-finals and final. ICCF standard time control of 10 moves in 50 days is used at all stages.

The first stage are preliminaries. The start date is expected to be in the first quarter of 2010 (the most likely date is January, 29 which is Al'pert’s birthday). The preliminaries are played in groups of 7-11 players (round robin system). Allocation of players to the preliminary and semi-final groups will be made as random as possible; however, geographical distribution as well as an achievement of reasonable equality of an average rating will be taken into account. The winners of each group qualify for the semi-final stage. Other qualifications will depend on the number of entries for the first stage. Any tie breaking, necessary to decide qualification to the next stage will be done in accordance with the ICCF rules principally making use of the Sonneborn-Berger method.

Although the number of preliminary groups for each player is unlimited, no player will be able to qualify for more than two semi-final groups or for more than one place in the final.

Arrangements for the semi-final/final stages will be announced later depending on the total number of entries.

All tournaments will be rated. ICCF title norms will be available in accordance with the ICCF rules.

The winners of preliminary and semi-final groups will be awarded with chess books. The three winners of the final stage will be awarded with gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly.

A contest on the best game will be organized after each stage is finished. The winners (3 best games at each stage) are awarded with chess books.

A special web page is created on the Internet – www.memorial-alpert.narod.ru. There will be published all the necessary information on the event.

The organizer and Tournament Director is Pavlikov, Andrey Nikolaevich.

Entry fee is 10 USD.
It may be transferred to the RCCA bank account on Sberbank of Russia. Details as following:
      • Addressee : Obcherossiskaa obchestwennaa organizachia “Russiskaa assochachia zaochnyx chaxmat”
      • SWIFT: SABRRUMM
      • Loro account: 40703840938170200179

Entry fee must be paid via national correspondence chess federations. For qualified players there are no additional entry fees in semi-final/final stages.

Entries including
      • first name and surname,
      • date of birth,
      • the ID-number from the ICCF rating system,
      • number of entries,
      • email address

should be submitted via national CC federations. Applications via national correspondence chess federations must reach the CTL not later than on December 15th 2009, by email at

We wish all participants many interesting games and new connections with CC friends in other countries based on the spirit of friendship and the ICCF motto: