What's The Most Fun Chess Program Out There These Days

Lurker

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,526
Reaction score
0
Location
Clearwater, Florida
That's where the passion and drama is! It's like running a 5-7 day marathon.
Besides....I have to do something while WAITING FOR MOVES!!!!
:)
If you want a game on Chess.com then send me a challenge. Just make sure it's more then 3 days a move. :)
I usually move by then but sometimes I get pretty busy, so the extra days are a safe buffer.
 

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
My CM rating is 1100 or something but when i started my first tournament it gave my rating as 877. And after winning the 2 easy tournaments my rating is .......... 877. I've been away for a few days, and need some tourny action! (gulp, yes, too much tourny fun ...).
 

Scott Tortorice

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2003
Messages
7,663
Reaction score
99
Location
The shadows
Country
llUnited States
What's the Elemental?
Stardock's latest 4x-RPG title that has arrived like a very buggy, incomplete beta build. To think I was counting the days for this game to arrive.... :(

I think I'm through with PC gaming. This was one disappointment too many in a long list of disappointments over the last two years. I might just stick with Chess for ever more. :angry: Caissa is a jealous mistress, after all. :bite:
 

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
I've had between 6 and 8 games going at once at chess.com, which is a pretty heavy schedule for me. Then in the last 3 days, four of the games have finished leaving me some open slots ... trying to cherry pick some new opponants now.

Whats this chess960 you sometimes see --> is it something to do with random pieces or setup? Weird.
 

Scott Tortorice

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2003
Messages
7,663
Reaction score
99
Location
The shadows
Country
llUnited States
Yeah, it's one of those new-fangled chess variants. People seem to like it, but I'm too much of a traditionalist to give it a try. :)
 

Lurker

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,526
Reaction score
0
Location
Clearwater, Florida
Whats this chess960 you sometimes see --> is it something to do with random pieces or setup? Weird.
Bobby Fischer use to play that a lot. Each player got so set up their pieces behind their pawns in an order of their choosing. The pieces move the same but there are no openings to memorize and it's all based on ones chess understanding and not memorizing variations.
 

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
For people playing longer chess - 2.5 hours per 60 moves or whatever the normal standard is - how do you cope with the PC not making a move and its time ticking down, you feel like you cant go away and do a job for 10 minutes because your own counter might start up at any point and waste your own time ... but at the same time you cant sit there and wait for the PC to make a move for 30 minutes, can you? How do you play longer games and fit "life" in?
 

Lurker

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,526
Reaction score
0
Location
Clearwater, Florida
Good question. If you were playing a human in a 2 hour (1st time control) tourney then you would have the same dilemma and have to be there. Can't you set a sound for when the PC moves and crank up the volume? This way you might hear it.
 
Last edited:

peterk1

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
1,170
Reaction score
36
Location
Montreal, Canada
Country
llCanada
You're supposed to use that time to think about YOUR next moves as well. Sometime you don't need to do that, but a lot of times you'll sense that there's something good hiding on the board that you can discover if you take the time to find it.

Once you play harder opponents and hit multiple very complicated positions in a game, you won't have time to do "deep thinks" on every move. So you use the opponents time as well for your own moves.
It's also training for playing in tournaments where, yes, you will possibly sit at the board for 3-4 hours with only short breaks. If you have the discipline to do that and the opponent doesn't, you'll win.
Keep a real board beside your computer and play off of that instead of staring at the screen.
Chessmaster rarely takes more than 5 mins a move. I've seen 15 mins with certain opponents who don't manage the clock very well, and they can only do that once or twice before they run into serious time trouble and they start moving faster.

Try 40 in 40 plus 20 for a quick longish game that's exciting.

The "normal standard" (which used to be 60 in 120 plus 60...I don't know if they changed it recently or not...that's a possible 6 hour game) is a little too long. I never train with that time. I want all games to take 3 hours max and average about 2 hours or so. It's a little tough to start the long games, but after about 20 mins or so I get really into it and it's almost hypnotic. It's similar to runner's high a bit and you really forget about any crap that happened during the day. It's actually very pleasant if it's a nice evening and I've got the door and window open and the sun streaming in shining on the board. I don't see it being much different than practicing a musical instrument a couple of hours every night or practicing anything else that you want to get good at.

You can also play longer games over several sessions by adjourning it. Play an hour a night or whatever you can manage and play a game over 2-3 nights. That's also good practice for sizing a position up quickly because you will find that you'll always make your worst mistakes on your first move after a break.

But honestly, I would just try to find the time that's right for you. Try game in 45. If you find that you're always in time trouble and you feel rushed, then bump it up. If you find you're never in time trouble AND you're always winning then move it down. Find the sweet spot where you feel that you are frequently losing games you should have won because you didn't have enough time and then bump it up a little bit. I wouldn't start playing super long games just for the sake of doing it.

The more you practice, and the more you learn the more time you will want on your clock, but playing G30/G45 against the 1000-1200 rated opponents is actually a good idea since they're not usually that tough to clobber quickly.
 
Last edited:

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
Question: how many "serious" games would a top ranked CM play in a year (ie tournaments, title defences, world championship round robins)? I'm not counting practice matches or exhibitions. How many "ranked" games would it be? 0-50? 50+ 100+?
 

peterk1

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
1,170
Reaction score
36
Location
Montreal, Canada
Country
llCanada
Last edited:

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
Which ranking are you most proud of?
Your internet ranking (ie chess.com) or PC ranking (Chessmaster or equivilent)?
 

peterk1

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
1,170
Reaction score
36
Location
Montreal, Canada
Country
llCanada
Which ranking are you most proud of?
Your internet ranking (ie chess.com) or PC ranking (Chessmaster or equivilent)?
I assume this question is for everyone to answer and not just me.

My CM rating and my chess.com rating are almost the same. Most of my chess.com wins have been games where the opponent resigned when he still had chances. Most of my CM wins have been exhausting battles to the death where the computer is still trying to find sneaky tricks to stalemate draw or win until his last breath. So right now I'm more proud of my CM wins and rating.
 

Scott Tortorice

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2003
Messages
7,663
Reaction score
99
Location
The shadows
Country
llUnited States
I would have to say my internet ranking, just for the fact that I have invested far more time into it than I have with any computer program (what...hundreds of hours?). :) Not only that, but I also believe your rating versus other people is more accurate than versus a computer because most chess AIs play far more competently than a similarly rated human.
 

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
I'd say i am most proud (will be most proud) of my Chessmaster ranking. Many of my chess.com wins have been people timing out. Great for my ranking, but not great for my chess. I prefer playing against people but my chess.com ranking is far too high. So, i think my CM ranking will be a more accurate guide. Yes, the PC plays a more consistent game - but in the end that helps me i think. If i can consistently beat a "1300" opponant then i know thats about what my ranking is.

At the time of writing my rating at chess.com is 1450. My chessmaster rating is (cough) 1058. So thats why i say i will eventually be more proud of my CM ranking - just not right now!
 

Scott Tortorice

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2003
Messages
7,663
Reaction score
99
Location
The shadows
Country
llUnited States
I haven't had very many people time out on me (just one in the last three months), but I would say my ranking is wildly inflated, too. I mean, my current rating is a ridiculous 1896! This is way off the mark because my best win is 1683 and my average opponent is 1422. So I suspect my rating to be closer to 1700 (1667 if I took an average of those three figures). Still, I am proud of this rating (which ever it may be) because it is still comprised of flesh and blood victories over lots and lots of opponents (93 victories out of 120 games on chess.com alone). :) I guess it is a philosophical thing. Chess is the only game where I play humans far more than I play the AI, so it means more to me as a result.
 

kcdusk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
636
Reaction score
14
Location
Australia
Country
llAustralia
Has anyone here read or own "Logical chess move by move" by Irving Chernev? Can anyone recommend it?
 
Top