Gaming Chess

[Keatah]

I play from time to time, but not like I used to. I often play those extended games and puzzles. I also play it on this too -- http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=1429

 

[clive bradbury]

For those of you who are good chess player, which strategy would you recommend for learning the game? I know the rules, I've been playing occasionally, but I suck at it and I wish to improve my skills. Are there books about strategies or you really must play a lot of games and get experience in time? If so, does playing with a computer help?

Hi Wally - join a chess club. You will learn more about strategy and tactics in a few months then you ever will from books. To become good, you will have to do the book work, but not until you have more playing experience. Keep away from computers - they are simply too good nowadays and will just depress you!

P.S. I played league chess competitively for 20 years at a club, so I take my advice if you wish to improve.

---------- Post added at 09:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:42 AM ----------

Oh, on a lighthearted (but accurate) note regarding the score out of 10 scale. Those of you who have been playing a few months, or don't know openings, who think that you are already half as good as a grandmaster - I have news for you - you're not...:lol:

Unless you have been playing several games a week for at least a year against decent opposition all reasonable players would still consider you a novice.

To give you some idea, when I last played seriously about five years ago I was still only a middle-of-the-road league player - my grade was about half that of a grandmaster. But most of you would probably struggle to beat me.

 

[agentgonzo]

I started playing probably when I was about 8. I don't play it regularly (and never have) but occasionally have a game with someone. I've got a chessboard set up on the top of a cupboard at the bottom of the stairs (with the stairs looping around it) which forms an on-going game with me vs my flatmate. Whenever either of us goes up/down the stairs we make a move.

 

[jedidia]

For those of you who are good chess player, which strategy would you recommend for learning the game?

Play, and analyze your games. Playing a computer can actually come in quite handy there, since you can replay the games without hassle. The problem with computer opponents is that either they are practically unbeatable, or you lower the difficulty and then they make some really silly random mistakes that take the flavour out of the game.
Making a computer play perfectly is compareativley easy, making him make sensible mistakes when you don't want it to play perfectly is pretty tough.

You don't really need any books nowadays, the web got you covered for pretty much everything. The fastest way to improve for a novice is probably to learn the openings, since having a solid knowledge of openings and counters help you to not lose the game during the first 5 moves without even noticing it...

Been playing for practically all my life, but never really serious. My first impulse on seeing the scale from 1 to 10 was to rate me a three, but looking at the ratings we either have bloody good players here or the scale is somewhat progressive toward the upper end.

The best I opponent ever played was probably against the vice-master from Albania (in a friendly game, we met by coincidence), against whom I never really had a chance of winning, but I was pleased to see that I gave him some trouble finishing me (sometimes you know that you're going to lose from the start, and you only play to see how long you can stave it off...).

 

[Wally]

Keep away from computers - they are simply too good nowadays and will just depress you!

Oh, great, because I thought I was completely idiot, having lost ALL games against computers.

Thank you all for your advice!

 

[Ripley]

I'm an epic fail at chess, but I want to tell you a little story:
when I was in the Army in Italy (about 1985) a buddy of mine was so involved with chess, that he started studying Russian grammar ONLY to be able to read Russian chess books! That's dedication!
He obviously became one of the "famous" Italian chess players.

 

[dougkeenan]

I've seen it being played, in a couple of movies... but i did the same with 3d chess.

Someone mention 3d chess?

 

[n122vu]

I bought my first chess set from a second hand store when I was 12. I learned the rules on my own, and have always loved the game, but I know nothing about technique or established moves/strategies. I would rate myself probably as a 3-4, even after 24 years of playing.

None of my friends ever knew how to play, so I only played computer opponents. However, my love of chess I think is what eventually led to my love of turn-based tabletop games such as Battletech, and later turn-based PC games like X-COM, which led to real-time PC strategy games (Age of Empiress II, Command & Conquer, etc).

Funny how things come full circle though. One of my current interests is a board/miniatures game called Heroclix, which is basically chess with super powers.

 

[george7378]

Tried playing 3 way chess today - never again! It took each of us ages to make a move, and we got nowhere! Adding one little thing makes it so much harder!

Oh, and I'm george7378 at Chess.com.