All UK members are entitled to take part in ICCF tournaments, with entries being handled by BFCC. (Overseas members must enter through their own national body, and BFCC will happily put you in touch with them.)

The ICCF promotion tournaments are organised in three classes: Master, Higher and Open and are available either by Email or by post; in the postal tournaments both World and European sections are offered. Open and Higher class tournaments are 7-player, all-play all with one game against each opponent; Master class tournaments are similar, but with 11 players. A player may only compete in one of the three classes except to finish off games after earning promotion. The winner of each Open class section is promoted to Higher class; the winner of each Higher class section is promoted to Master class. The winner of each Master class section earns the right to play in the semi-final of the World Championship or, for European postal sections, of the European Championship. On the other hand, a player scoring less than one-third of the possible points in Higher and Master class may be relegated. All promotion sections are rated by ICCF.

New entrants normally start in Open class, but players with a strong track record may start in Higher or Master with BFCC approval. As a guideline, a rating of 1900+ (BCF 160+) would be needed for Higher Class, and a rating of 2100+ (BCF 185+) for Master Class.

ICCF also offers thematic tournaments, with one or two themes starting every six weeks or so. Again, play is all-play-all but with two games against each opponent in sections of 5 to 7 players. Most themes have a preliminary round and then a final, but the most popular ones require a semi-final stage as well. Thematic tournaments are not rated by ICCF.

• who have a fixed ICCF rating of 2300+ (2100+ for ladies)
• who have a not-fixed ICCF rating or a FIDE rating of 2350+ (2150+ for ladies)
• who have placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the British Correspondence Championship, or have won the British Ladies' Championship.

However, in practice players who fall within 20-30 points of the rating qualification can enter too, but must accept that they may have to wait significantly longer for a section.