Anyone play?
I found this rather nice free chess program recently
It's over 40 years since I played regularly ( wasn't good then) but the program has provided me with hours of entertainment
http://computerchessonline.net/chess-online-against-computer/
I used to play for a pub team many years ago. I've recently started playing on the internet on chess.com. It's free and there are players of all ranges of abilities. I'm annoyed that I can't see moves anywhere near as quickly as I used to.
I mildly regret that I never learned to play chess, and now I expect it's too late. Is it possible for a late starter to reach a good enough standard to have an interesting game?
I don't know about Chess, but would expect so, Rosy. Certainly works for Go, and there's a clear correlation of skills required by the two games. I'd expect you specifically to have no difficulty picking Go up enough to have good games. (And, being biased, would obviously recommend it over Chess. But both games have their pros and their cons.)
Go certainly looks nice! I've always loved this picture, though a self-proclaimed expert once told me it couldn't be a real game they're having.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/natvrnd
In that version of the image I can't see very clearly but - as a self-proclaimed experienced player it doesn't look like a very convincing game. It is distressingly common for games of Go that appear in the background of films, TV, etc., to look like gibberish to experienced players, because they've been set up by someone who didn't play and just wanted patterns on a board. It's a bit like those t-shirts and things you sometimes see on Chinese or Japanese teenagers, where someone's just strung a load of random English words together to look "cool".
In a pleasing counter-example, I read recently that an episode of Teen Wolf (what? never heard of it myself) has a scene with a game of Go in and they have taken care to make it a real game. Always nice when little snippets of research are done like that. (http://www.usgo.org/news/2014/03/teen-wolf-update-michael-redmond-9p-is-the-nogitsune/)
I think the key to having a good game is probably not to play someone who is considerably better or worse than you are, though the way to improve is to play opponents who are a bit stronger than you. I'm sure learning the moves and basic tactics would be easy enough; after that progress would be a question of aptitude, power of concentration, memory and practice. If you're only playing casually for fun there's no need to learn a lot of opening or endgame theory which can be a bit daunting. I believe there are plenty of resources available for beginners on the internet and in books.
It is distressingly common for games of Go that appear in the background of films, TV, etc., to look like gibberish to experienced players, because they've been set up by someone who didn't play and just wanted patterns on a board
It's a bit like in films which feature a game of Texas Hold 'Em poker, with the hero always getting a royal flush. The writers always pick it because it looks cool.
That hand is hugely rare though. A few years back I went through a period of playing about an hour's worth of poker four days a week. Over probably a couple of years's worth (so hundreds of hours of poker) of that I only saw at best two or three straight flushes, and none of them were ace-high.
I mildly regret that I never learned to play chess, and now I expect it's too late. Is it possible for a late starter to reach a good enough standard to have an interesting game?
This is something I've often wondered. It all seems to be geared around getting children to learn. What is the best entry point for the middle-aged (or older) chess novice?
Thanks for this timely thread, Anchorman. I have just pointed my son towards your link as he has been press-ganged into taking part in an inter-house chess competition tomorrow, and hasn't played since the one last year, when he was beaten 2-0.
What is the best entry point for the middle-aged (or older) chess novice?
If you’re a complete beginner I’d suggest getting someone who can play to teach you the basics. Then click on the link in the header. Play at beginner level first.
I hadn’t played for 40+ years until a few weeks ago and was beaten 8 out of 10 times at first. Now I win at beginners level virtually all the time except for when I make a catastrophic move . I’ve now moved on to the next level( Casual) and it is much more challenging although I’m now winning perhaps 50% of the time.
My losses are largely due to me not paying enough attention. My concentration isn’t what it was 40 years ago!
Is it possible for a late starter to reach a good enough standard to have an interesting game?
Absolutely. Virtually any game is interesting just play at beginners level in the link at first or against beginners irl.
The link program has an “undo” move button so if you screw up you can undo the move and try something else and you’ll quickly learn which moves work and which don’t.
Chess is a fabulous game . You can play it at any level and get better and better until you die
Here’s a link to teach you the basic chess moves
http://www.chess.com/learn-how-to-play-chess
and a very simple beginners level article on basic opening chess strategy
http://www.chesscentral.com/chess_strategy_a/201.h
tm
Personally I’d just learn the moves and go straight to the beginners level in the thread header link and take it from there.Playing against a computer you don't feel such a clot when you make silly errors as you would against a human. Make liberal use of the undo facility at first to undo your bad moves and develop your skills from there.
Chess is a game that is infinitely complex but the basic rules are simple.
Some fascinating facts about chess
there are 318,979,564,000 possible ways to play the first four moves of chess. In addition, America's Foundation for Chess found that there were 169,518,829,100,544,000,000,000,000,00... ways to play the first ten moves of chess. http://EzineArticles.com/?Secret-of-Ches...
The Shannon number, 10 to the 120 power, is an estimated lower bound on the game-tree complexity of chess. As a comparison, the number of atoms in the observable Universe, to which it is often compared, is estimated to be between 4 × 10 to the 79 power and 10 to the 81 power. http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_num...
There are 400 different positions after each player makes one move apiece. There are 72,084 positions after two moves apiece. There are 9+ million positions after three moves apiece. There are 288+ billion different possible positions after four moves apiece. http://www.AnswerBag.com/q_view/439478
There are more 40-move games than the number of electrons in our universe. There are more game-trees of chess than the number of galaxies (100+ billion), and more openings, defences, gambits, etc. than the number of quarks in our universe! --Chesmayne
The longest chess game theoretically possible is 5,949 moves. The first chessboard with alternating light & dark squares appeared in Europe in 1090. The record of moves without capture is of 100 moves during the Match between Thorton and M. Walker in 1992.
Feels a bit inspired.
I regularly play on gameknot.com. Because chess.com didn't exist when I started playing online. I'd recommend playing against human opponents as there's something a bit weird about AIs, plus I'm sure psychologically its easier to make stupid mistakes against an opponent you know to be non-sentient.
Wise words, my friends:-
Chess is the greatest waste of human intelligence outside an advertising agency.
Raymond Chandler
Anyone thinking that is clearly far from wise.
Chess teaches a wide range of skills including long term thinking, ,patience, concentration, strategy, memory
That is like when people try to justify music education by emphasising how its good for developing communication skills blah blah. Do we need a pricetag on everything?
I'm friends with one of the top Irish players. He used to play someone in Russia via postcards.
He has a lot of chess books. A lot...
Far from wise indeed.
There's no intelligence in advertising.
I also use chess.com, been playing for about 18 months, after a gap of 30 years.
I've been playing on here for about 8 years:
http://www.redhotpawn.com/
Haha, not clicking that link
Yes, jokefail
Do we need a pricetag on everything?
People claiming chess is a waste of intelligence are due a response
Yes, but by claiming a utilitarian value, your response undersells the very essence of humanity. Or something.
I'm now wishing I didn't play chess online using my real name, or else I could challenge the players here to a game. If there's enough interest in a JTT chess meet on chess.com or elsewhere, I'd create a 'gyratingtrampoline' chess account.
Yes, but by claiming a utilitarian value, your response undersells the very essence of humanity. Or something.
Can't it have a utiliterian value and other values? Why does one in any way spoil the other?
If there's enough interest in a JTT chess meet on chess.com or elsewhere, I'd create a 'gyratingtrampoline' chess account.
I'd join.
#26 You are correct of course. But there is something which offends me a bit about jumping straight for the 'good for your brain' aspect. I suppose because it encourages us to think in these moneygrabbing, good-for-your-cv terms, instead of proudly proclaiming the beauty of chess-for-the-sake-of-chess (or anything for the sake of anything - this is a general point).
bignose I've just made myself an account called 'gyratingtrampoline' on chess.com. Send me a challenge if you want to!
Nice, will set up an account tomorrow.
I found the standard on chess.com to be very good, I used to be a good player as a schoolkid, but was getting beaten the last few times I played on that site, which was a bit disheartening! Think there is a world of difference between those who know the rules and the moves and those who know good openings. I won a lot of games as a kid playing the French defence, which looks weak to your opponent until you unleash your attack! Great game chess, last played against a bloke who had learnt in prison, he wasn't bad but one wrong move and I would be in for the kill so it was just a case of waiting for that.
Chess teaches a wide range of skills
As in "Russians play chess, Americans play poker". That hasn't been decided yet, whatever Americans might think.
also, most computers come ready loaded with a chess game program that is good enough to defeat most people who are not at master level, so there's no real need to go online to do this stuff.
I've never studied openings or read any books about it, but I've got to the stage where most players on my level have, and so I know from raw experience what is likely to happen in any given situation during the first few moves. I've found that doing something a bit leftfield near the start throws people off if they're used to typical games. But actually most unusual things are unusual precisely because there's something wrong with them, so a more advanced player will have seen it before and know a way to use it against me.
And on that subject, if you want to play a wider spectrum of games, it's better to be black, because during the first few moves the white player is the initiator, so you will tend to have a more diverse experience if you play as black.
pent, it's much more enjoyable to play against a human. I bet I could tell the difference too, if there was some kind of chess turing test - even though I know I wouldn't beat the computer.
My son taught me and I do enjoy a game, the problem I have is I can not talk or have to much noise, or I completely lose my train of thought I hate even looking away from the board,so I'm not much fun to play with.
One of the key skills in chess is planning 3 to 5 moves ahead, in practice 3 is about the most you can expect to achieve at an 'average' level but being able to mentally compute what range of moves your opponent has for even 2 moves ahead can be quite challenging!
I think on chess.com you can set up computer vs computer? Certainly could on other programs/sites. Interesting but ultimately 'by the book' games.
I used to play 'live' at lots of different venues, big conferences in London etc. the 1980's were the heyday for school chess. We even had Karpov visit our comprehensive for a simultaneous match against 12 of the best players in the county, he didn't lose one.
The best and most enjoyable games for me are when I start to play experimentally, a sacrifice, or something to throw an opponent, but a lot of times it doesn't work out! Playing seriously I was a lot tighter.
I've just downloaded the chess.com android app for my tablet and won the first game I played! I'm on there as Loosebanana if anyone fancies a game sometime...
I'll tell you what was a waste of intellectual energy far, far worse than chess or advertising agencies - bloody J R R Tolkien devising not just one, but four wholly pointless 'new' languages! I ask you - was there ever anyone more short of something to do than that?
I used to play a bit, but haven't for years.
My son is pretty good these days, and he turned me on to this guy and his very satisfying vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/MatoJelic
Thanks for that link - he's great. I'll definitely check out more of Mato.
I like this chess video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgeYScYe8wI
banana I've just sent you a challenge!
Ah, hah! just received and made a move, ah and you have too! 3 moves a day, interesting..
bloody J R R Tolkien devising not just one, but four wholly pointless 'new' languages! I ask you - was there ever anyone more short of something to do than that?
Wasn't he a professor of languages? To him it might have been a little side hobby, a bit like when an engineer tinkers with engines in his garage at the weekends, or when a computer programmer makes a home made website in their spare time.
I read a comment somewhere that he came up with Middle Earth as a setting for his languages to live in, rather than the other way around.
On chess.com I'm bignosebignose if anyone thinks they're hard enough.
challenge sent!
On chess.com I'm Excalibur.
(I'm not really but there's bound to be one)
arghh! Sorry bignose, I allowed our game to timeout just when it was hotting up.
KB-KR3.
Yes, it was interesting. I used to play in a pub regularly in the 80s, but then new management put a stop to it on the ground that the chess players weren't drinking enough. This was true of some, but the ones who were drinking a lot (such as me) more than made up for it. These days I stick to the internet which is better than a draughty church hall or some such place.Chess is a hard game to get people following as you have to reach a certain standard in order to appreciate and enjoy playing and watching. That's true of all countries, so I suppose lack of funding must be the problem in England as the article suggests.
I discovered that there's a weekly celebrity chess game played live on Radio 4 these days. It's marginally less informative about chess than the cookery demonstrations they broadcast on Woman's Hour are about culinary techniques.
I've heard wine tasting on the radio before. It was, erm, insufferable is too kind.
<subscribes>
I discovered that there's a weekly celebrity chess game played live on Radio 4 these days
Desert Island Mates
You'll be sorry when Home Front comes back.
I discovered that there's a weekly celebrity chess game played live on Radio 4 these days
I'm a celebrity, check me out of this hotel?
The grand mufti is apparently not a fan, claims the game is unislamic. I'd bet, like me, he's just not any good at it.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/21/chess-forbidden-in-islam-rules-saudi-arabia-grand-mufti
Odd. Chess is strategic and not dependent chance: yet more open mindedness from people whose mindset is that existence itself is a burden. They remind me of Swift's Tale of a Tub.
Apparently chess encourages people to place bets.
No, I didn't know that either, until the Mufti said.
Odd that the strictures issued by a bunch of bizarre puritans engender an ever more secular society or grossly materialistic rather and ever worshipful of mammoth.
As for the Tale of a Tub, it's where Jack buttons his coat so tightly, his eyes bulge. That's a brilliant synonym (sic).
Maybe that type of thing will come to our shores one day in a PC form, eg No Black v White, No King or Queen , the leaders would have to be ungenderassigned and be democratically elected from the other pieces, no divisions of rank and all the men(?) would have to be the same size etc
And the bishops would have to accept the reality of same-sex marriages
Unless we've been frequenting different threads you've been notable for your absence recently, Pent.
Everything OK?
Been cruising Oman and Emirates. Better than OK, to be honest.
Better if you could see my tan, but I couldn't make it from Glasgow to Cambridge in 20 mins the other day to show it off. Bugger.
couldn't make it from Glasgow to Cambridge in 20 mins the other day
You're getting old Pent. In your younger days it would have taken you half that time!
Right. See you, Anchs? And all you say about not drinking and shit? If I ever get the motorbike down your way, will you come out for a beer, yes or no?
Day times are difficult six days a week April to November due to work commitments but other than that yes.
I thought this was an excellent article. I was particularly struck by the observations on the pain of losing being much greater than the pleasure of winning. I remember when I used to play, the fear of losing was such that often even in a better position my instincts would be to look for how I can make a draw.These days I only play on the internet where it's easier because it's anonymous and if you lose just move on and start another game. Mind you, one needs a certain fear of losing to be motivated enough to engage in the degree of mental effort and focus needed to calculate accurately and quickly.
I take a more detached view - I consider it very important to lose at least half of the games that I play, otherwise it means I am tending to play people who are worse at it than me, which can only lead to smug stagnation.
I do get tense/adrenaline when playing face to face or timed online games though.
I find the tension of time shortage beneficial. When I'm playing on increments it concentrates the mind remarkably. Long think, wrong think, as they say.
I hope someone is still subscribed to this thread because I think they'll enjoy this podcast from Inquiring Minds:
http://www.motherjones.com/category/secondary-tags/inquiring-minds
It's the current episode at the moment and is an interview with Grandmaster Patrick Wolfe covering lots of topics, nature/nurture, how the brain reads a board, the rise of the machines and more.
Perhaps you don't understand that you can read the thread, and post on it too, without having to subscribe.
I've ordered it.
I've played on this site for about 10 years, with little noticeable improvement:
https://www.redhotpawn.com
I drink (whisky) to fast when playing, but my moves get no quicker or better.
I know what you mean, I can never eat when I'm on the whisky either
My game improved when I studied some or other chess book and put some base 1 tips about the earliest moves.
... into practice.
thanks for giving me the time to finish my sentence.
I've always preferred backgammon, with the cube and for money.
BBC Four, Tuesday 16 June at 10.50pm.
In a programme showing how to play better chess, British grandmasters Dan King and Ray Keene go through a demonstration game from opening gambit to checkmate.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p8lhp
Maybe this heralds the return of chess to telly.
Daniel King has a very good chess channel on YouTube, he does games, instructional puzzles and a few openings.
Agadamator I think it is does a video a day of the latest Grandmaster games.
I interviewed Kasparov in the 90s. He was promoting a chess program at the CES in Las Vegas. Very nice he was, too. He did get a bit testy, though, when I mentioned the possibility of defeat.
That was a most enjoyable programme about the great game.
As I noted elsewhere, I loved the anecdote about Grandmaster David Bronstein starting a game once, with white, contemplating his opening move for 40 minutes.
The last time this thread was active I ended up starting games with bignosebignose and loosebanana on chess.com and I'm sorry to say that I somehow let them both time out. All in can say in my defense is that this happened in 2014 so almost all the cells of my body have regenerated since then, so I can't really be held responsible.
But if anyone fancies an online game I would be up for it and I won't let it time out this time. My preferred venue is gameknot.com as I'm active there but I can create an account elsewhere if needed.
If almost all the cells of my body have regenerated since then, in what sense(s) could say 'I' about both 'your' 2014 experiences, and about not being responsible now?
Juswotiwaswonderin'.
Just been watching the 1925 Russian silent film comedy Chess Fever, on YouTube.
It's notable for great players very briefly seen on movie film, in Moscow, playing. Capablanca has a little role in the drama. Meanwhile, you get glimpses of the likes of Torre, Marshall, Reti, Yates, Spielman and Grünfeld.
This film is worth tracking down. An offbeat pleasure.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vnoHSnJsy6Q
I watched "Pawn sacrifice" a couple of nights ago. It was about the early life of Bobby Fisher and the World Championship he won in Iceland .
A remarkable chess prodigy who had, like many geniuses, big mental problems.
Anyone follow the rapid chess championship? ended in a 4 way draw but because of the dumb rules only 2 got to play the tiebreak. Anyhow, young 17 year old Uzbeki won it, he played every contender in the tourney, great result, looks poised as all hell. Could be our next world champ. (his match vs Magnus was a draw fwiw)
Anyhow, the lads name is Abusattorov, here's an article about the tourney https://www.chess.com/news/view/world-rapid-chess-championship-day-3-abdusattorov-and-kosteniuk-crowned-world-rapid-champions