Chess.

[rog]

Does anyone here play chess? Shall we have a little club?
No sneaky cheating... I'm less than fantastic, the computer beats me on level 2 if I'm not taking it seriously....

If anyone is interested I'll put up a link for a place that we could play against each other.

[toker]

I'm interested. I used to be pretty good. Represented my hometown in tournaments, and once played a master to a draw in an exhibition (I was 14, he was California's reigning champ, playing 50 boards, and I won a small book on endgames, by Horowitz I think). I studied MCO like some people study the Bible. But don't worry, all that knowledge is decades stagnant. :(

[toker]

Shit, just got a flashback. I'm a kid, visiting my paternal grandma outside of Chicago (the only time I've been east of the Rockies), and its Fischer vs Spassky for the world championship. I'd set the board up on the carpet, spread out the morning newspaper, and follow the play-by-play. I was good for hours.

Then I'd pick everything up and get back to being bad. Granny pulled some of my hair out once, I don't remember why, but I probably deserved it.

[munnki]

That was some chess championship... although it seems that Fischer has lost his marbles somewhat... where is he these days? Wasn't he extradicted from Japan for playing an 'illegal' match in Hungary or some nonsense? He's big on his anti-semitic rants these days...

I do like a game from time to time... the yahoo servers aren't bad... and I'd happily meet any of you on there if we can organize a time...

[Ray Moscow]

Bobby Fischer died a few years ago.

I rather like his book on "teaching chess". (I'm not very good, though, despite Fischer's help.)

[frazier]

I used to play quite a bit, got up to "Expert" ranking (one below Master). Got a few Master scalps along the way. Now I play 5-minute games at FICS; if you run into "perfessor", that's me.

[toker]

If anyone is interested I'll put up a link for a place that we could play against each other.
Sometimes we'd want to play a game in real time, but often, due to our different schedules, we'd want to play a move a day or something like that.

[davidpbrown]

Sometimes we'd want to play a game in real time, but often, due to our different schedules, we'd want to play a move a day or something like that.

If you're looking for somewhere, try http://www.redhotpawn.com which is identical to the less controversial distraction that is http://www.chessatwork.com correspondence chess.

There's an option for 'Blitz' online live games and also for clans, if you want to go that route.

e3

[Matty]

i'll have a game. i'm no grandmaster but i do like the game and have played for a long while, if never taken it at all seriously.

I just taught the lad to play so he and i have the odd game on his Super Mario Chess set.

[toker]

Rog, come back. Please.

[rog]

Ok.

That correspondence chess lets you have multiple games going, so if no one else fancies it, let's sign up and play against each other, so we have 5-6 games going each. sound OK?
Suddenly I realise that I'm about to get hammered :(

Post here when you've joined chessatwork?

[frazier]

OK, I'm perfessor at chessatwork. Taking all comers.

[davidpbrown]

I couldn't find perfessor by name search :dunno:

If you want easy points, I'm davidpbrown =
http://www.chessatwork.com/profile/playerprofile.php?uid=129279

[Matty]

Matty73
http://www.chessatwork.com/profile/playerprofile.php?uid=628720

[rog]

rog1977

[frazier]

Matty73
http://www.chessatwork.com/profile/playerprofile.php?uid=628720
Game offered. No fair getting your son to help now.

[rog]

Thread Stickied for now.

[toker]

I'm apathist at chess@work. Challenges sent to Matty, David, and perfessor. I set the time bank at 7 days. Rog, 'rog1977' didn't find you.

en garde!

[davidpbrown]

rog is rog1977 is http://www.chessatwork.com/profile/playerprofile.php?uid=628732

- Unplayed profiles don't list in the search it seems.. so challenge a player directly or link to your profile as above.


To help remember names..
- You can add people you know to a 'buddy list' that allows easier access to challenging them.
In [My Settings] + [My Challenge Settings] you can set limits to the timeout and to the number of games you'll accept. With [My Challenge Settings] default [Buddy privileges enabled] those people can then bypass the challenge settings - so you can lock out strangers and only play people you know, for example.

Goto someone's profile -> [Profile links] -> [Add to buddy list]
To view your list -> [My Home] + [My Buddies]

[toker]

Thx for the info, david! :)

[rog]

Who's on then? I think I'm on with toker, david, frazier and matty.

[toker]

Thank you, rog.

[Matty]

kay, sorry i didnt move over the weekend, i was tuning up the Cray to give me a hand,

we're game on now. :)

[rog]

kay, sorry i didnt move over the weekend, i was tuning up the Cray to give me a hand,

we're game on now. :)

a zx80 would beat me no probs!

[rog]

Are we keeping score?
For the record, toker got me - I have an excuse but it's a weak one, as it was a school boy error on my part. Still live and learn.

eta: now I've clicked the button by mistake :(

[toker]

I'm interested in seeing what sort of rating I earn. Mostly I'm playing by feel rather than trying to look deep into future moves. Pawn structure, development, freedom of movement, like that.

My son saw me playing, and now he has registered. He learned the game from the Chessmaster 2000 tutorial, and hes not bad, although he hasn't played in a couple of years. His handle is kevin0420, and hes hoping to see some challenges from you guys.

[rog]

Just to say, that even though I am getting my arse kicked, I am enjoying the game!
Anyone else want to join in?

[davidpbrown]

Are we keeping score?

:eek:


It seems I've been reduced to waiting for mistakes and timeouts - fortunately Matty's cray seems slow to respond, so I might get one win from a timeout! :evil:
- beware the timebank.. at game setup - max seems to be 21days/move + 28day reserve. Default is 3day/move + 7days


Incidentally, if you can play better than fumbling for the next move, there are advanced options to do conditional and deep mode moves, if there are predictable forks ahead.

[toker]

Incidentally, if you can play better than fumbling for the next move, there are advanced options to do conditional and deep mode moves, if there are predictable forks ahead.
What? The 'analyze board' function is nice and fair. Don't understand about advanced options though.

I think I've won six, lost to perfessor. Beat my kid twice, the first time he was winning but made a subtle endgame mistake; the second time he tried a king's gambit which just isn't a good idea.

[davidpbrown]

"It is now your opponent's move."

Having moved, one of the options is [Conditional moves]. There is a quick mode and a deep mode.

If your opponent's next move is obvious - captures etc, then you can set your response to that without needing to return to the board until the next interesting move.

If there is more than one move obvious to you, then you can use [deep mode] top right on the bar at the top of conditional move. That's a bit more tricky but you set your pieces to the point of the opponent's move and then [record conditional move] and move your response to that scenario.

The only downside then is they might think you're ignorant for not replying to a comment, if they made one.

[toker]

You can have only six games at a time, unless you pay for a membership. But then also you could climb ladders and stuff, sounds like fun.

[frazier]

the second time he tried a king's gambit which just isn't a good idea.
It's one of my favorite openings.

[toker]

Against your peers, perfessor? Bullshit.

[frazier]

I play it against anyone, whenever black plays 1... e5. No bullshit. I've beaten higher rated players with it on occasion.

As with most reasonable openings, the one who plays better will win.

ETA: As with any reasonable opening...

[toker]

Okay sorry. For some reason I thought it was a risky opening that worked when your opponent makes mistakes. I still think that, but not so sure now.

[frazier]

Yes it's a somewhat risky opening. It has a positional basis in its attempt to take over the center and accelerate white's development, at the cost of a pawn. But its not about playing for traps.

[frazier]

There's an excellent book called How To Reassess Your Chess, by Jeremy Silman. He identifies and examines what he calls the seven key imbalances in a chess position:
Material - who has more pieces or more valuable ones;
Space - who controls more of the territory (squares) on the board;
Pawn structure - the shape and mobility of the pawn masses;
Development - who has more of their pieces out in active play;
Initiative - the ability to control the flow of the game through threats;
Superior minor piece - the Knights versus Bishops battle;
Control of a key file or square - the pathways for your pieces.

(Silman puts them in a different order)
Something to think about.

In my experience coaching chess clubs at my kids' schools, I have observed that new players are often very random and impulsive about their moves, and very careless about their material. I would ask them, "When you walk down the halls, do you reach into your pockets and toss away a quarter here, a dollar there? No?? But you do that on the chessboard all the time!"

I can talk more about this stuff, if people are interested.

[rog]

Do go on, I think I need the help :)

[frazier]

I would also tell the kids not to develop their rooks by playing the rook pawn up :). Much better to develop the rooks to one of the center squares on the back rank. Of course, to do that, you have to:
- Move into the center with a pawn or two, to get a foothold there;
- develop the knights and bishops;
- castle;
- figure out where the open files are;
- get the rooks toward the open or half-open files.

Rooks are hard to develop because it takes a lot of steps. But each of those steps improves your position, so it's worth the trouble.

[Rie]

Um... I can play cat chess or rather be a spectator. This is a la Terry Pratchett... cat chess. The rules are inflexible. See toothycat.net - cat chess.

[rog]

Is every one still playing against each other? I'm still regularly playing and losing to you all :)

Does anyone else want to join? Even if you are not great, as I am not, playing can be fun and there is always the hope that one can improve by playing a stronger opponent.

[Silly Sausage]

I don't even understand which little piece goes where, so I'll pass for now :)

[toker]

Completed 20 rated games, so I have my first non-provisional rating:

apathist (1319)

Won 14
Lost 6
Drawn 1


http://www.gifmix.net/gifs/chess-gifs/KNIGHT11.GIF (http://www.gifmix.net/gifs/)

[davidpbrown]

I seem stuck on a range 1300-1350.. I can counter the most common opening d4|e4 but it rarely works on players 1400+.

So, now I'm trying more reckless aggressive openings but have no plan!

It would interesting to know if those who play really well, play to any kind of a plan or if they're just playing to known openings and then winging it.

[toker]

Both, I think. Opening chess strategies will enable a player to form a strategy and plan the achievement of winning the game. (stolen from here (http://www.learn-chess.com/chess_openings/))

[frazier]

It would interesting to know if those who play really well, play to any kind of a plan or if they're just playing to known openings and then winging it.
Yes, both. A sound middlegame plan flows naturally from a sound opening. For example, if you open with 1.e4, you are aiming for kingside play, the shape of which will gradually coalesce with each move. Black will also be trying to influence the shape of the game; for example, by choosing the Sicilian Defense he aims to create open lines on the queenside and a potentially useful pawn majority in the center.

If you are interested in studying the topic, avoid books with titles like "Winning With the Jack Daniels Defense", and try to find one with a title like "The Ideas Behind the Openings". They are out there and available.

[rog]

An etiquette question: when playing in a time delayed game, if it is apparent that one will defiantly lose [something that I am gaining experience in], is it better to resign or go to the end of the endgame?

[davidpbrown]

If you're more than a major piece and one pawn down and it's more than three moves away, I'd just resign. There's no point in a slow culling - a humane death.

Less than two major piece difference, can still surprise both sides occasionally.

[frazier]

An etiquette question: when playing in a time delayed game, if it is apparent that one will defiantly lose [something that I am gaining experience in], is it better to resign or go to the end of the endgame?
There's no real etiquette about resigning. The rules of the game allow you to play until checkmate. If your goal is to learn something by seeing how it's done, go ahead and play it out.

[davidpbrown]

Armenia makes chess compulsory in schools. (http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/armenia-makes-chess-compulsory-in-schools/story-e6frfku0-1226039947579)

[toker]

Ah, Armenia wants to use children as pawns in a quest for global recognition.