The World Zone offers three tournament types, the Zonal Championships (Individual and Team), the Zonal Promotion events and the WZ Norm tournaments.
The Tournament Schedule
Our events start every month in most cases, with entries received as of the 21st day of the month. Entries received after the 21st day may be allocated to next month’s events. The exception is the Zonal Individual Championship in all of its stages, we start these events every 2 months.
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2021
January
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Zonal Individual Championship
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2
Promotion events
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For those that like the classic ICCF events, the Zonal Championships and Promotion events are excellent choices.
The World Zonal Championships
The Individual World Zonal Championship is divided in 4 stages, the Preliminaries, Semifinals, Candidates and Final. The Final is played every 2 years, the other tournament stages start sections every 3 months. The planned start dates for the Preliminaries, Semifinals and Candidates are 3/30/2018, 6/30/2018, 9/30/2018 and 12/30/2018. We do not have a planned start date for the first Final yet.
The following describes each tournament stage in detail and registration links.
Preliminaries
First Stage of the WZ Individual Championship.
Groups of 7 to 9 players.
Rating up to 2099 required.
May register in more than one group.
The winner and the second place players will advance to the Semifinals.
Ties will not be broken, all tied players will advance.
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.
Semifinals
Second Stage of the WZ Individual Championship.
Groups of 11 to 15 players.
Requirements to register: Rated between 2100 to 2399, or those with CCE or CCM or higher titles and rated at least 2000, or those that qualified from the Preliminaries.
The top three places will advance to the Candidates Stage. Ties will be broken per ICCF Tournament Rules for Individual Events.
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.
Candidates
Third Stage of the WZ Individual Championship.
Groups of 13 to 17 players.
Requirements: Rated at least 2400, or those with IM, SIM or GM title and rating above 2350, those who qualified from the Semifinals and also top 3 places in WZ-GM Norm events.
The top two players will advance to the Finals, ties will be broken per ICCF Tournament Rules for Individual Events.
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here
Final
Final Stage of the WZ Individual Championship.
To be played every two years.
Groups of 13 to 17 players.
Requirements to register: Qualifiers from Candidates, and current WZ Individual Champion. The organization reserves the right to invite other players to the Final.
The Team World Zonal Championship is organized every two years. Preliminaries and Final according to the number of teams participating.
The World Zone Promotion Events
Composed of two stages, including the WZ Open Class and the WZ Higher Class. Each stage has events starting every month if enough entries are received.
The following describes each tournament stage in detail and registration links.
Open class
Groups of 7 players.
Requirements: unrated players, or rated under 1900
Top two places advance to Higher Class tournaments
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.
Higher class
Groups of 7 players.
Requirements: rated between 1900-2099 or qualifiers from Open Class tournaments regardless of rating.
Top two places advance to Correspondence Chess Expert events.
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.
The World Zone Norm Events
Composed of three stages including the Correspondence Chess expert (CCE), WZ Master norm and WZ GM norm events. There is one connection to the Individual Zonal Championship. These events provide ICCF norms and in some cases WZ norms and titles. Please do not confuse our WZ MN and WZ GM with ICCF titles, they are totally different!.
The following describes each tournament stage in detail and registration links.
Correspondence Chess Expert (CCE)
Groups of 11 players.
Requirements: rated 2100-2199, or qualifiers from Higher Class regardless of rating. Those with CCE, CCM or higher titles and rated at least 2000.
No more than 2 players with rating 2000-2099 per section
Top 2 places advance to WZ Master Norm event.
Replaces the Master class events
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.
WZ Master norm
Groups of 13 players.
Requirements: rated 2200-2299, or qualifiers from Master Class, or players with WZ-Master norm. No more than 2 players with rating 2100-2199 per section.
Top 3 places advance to WZ GM Norm event.
Winner obtains a WZ-Master norm.
Two norms required to obtain the WZ Master title
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.
WZ Grand Master norm
Groups of 13 players.
Requirements: rated at least 2300, or qualifiers from Master Norm, or players with WZ-GM Norm. No more than 2 players with rating 2200-2299 per section.
Top 3 places advance to WZ Individual Championship-Candidates.
Winner obtains a WZ-GM norm.
Two norms required to obtain the WZ Grand Master title
If you are ready to register, contact your national delegate or visit our store here.