Curious?

This forum is for general discussions and questions, including Collectors Corner and anything to do with Computer chess.

Moderators: Harvey Williamson, Steve B, Watchman

Forum rules
This textbox is used to restore diagrams posted with the fen tag before the upgrade.
User avatar
chesspcmac
Member
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 2:58 am
Location: Richmond, Virginia

Curious?

Post by chesspcmac »

Recently after a 20 years break from live tournaments I played a 5 round swiss tournament. I got my ass handed to me. After 3 rounds (0-3) I withdrew from the tournament. While I was playing I was extremely anxious and I didn't enjoy the experience. Of course Im going to return to play in other tournament but that got me into thinking why most of us don't play tournaments anymore. Do u guys also feel anxious in OTB games? Stamina too low? Why bother with the hustle of traveling? No take back option? I blundered in one game and the other two games my pieces were not well connected.
We are always looking for computers that play like humans but we don't like to play with humans.


old man regards


Mike
"Sir, the slowness of genius is hard to bear, but the slowness of mediocrity is insufferable"

Henry Thomas Buckle
Steve Maughan
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 11:33 am
Contact:

Post by Steve Maughan »

I also played in tournament when I was in my teens. It might seem strange but my interest in computer chess squeezed out my desire to actually play chess. This all changed at the 2015 World Chess Championship, where I entered Maverick. One of the joys of the tournament was playing with the actual board. As a results I bought a Revelation II and I've recently started playing online. It's great fun. My preferred site is https://lichess.org - excellent interface, and all free. I think you'll find it'll all come back quite quickly.

Steve
User avatar
Fernando
Admiral of the Fleet
Posts: 3059
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:35 pm
Location: Santiago de Chile

Re: Curious?

Post by Fernando »

chesspcmac wrote:Recently after a 20 years break from live tournaments I played a 5 round swiss tournament. I got my ass handed to me. After 3 rounds (0-3) I withdrew from the tournament. While I was playing I was extremely anxious and I didn't enjoy the experience. Of course Im going to return to play in other tournament but that got me into thinking why most of us don't play tournaments anymore. Do u guys also feel anxious in OTB games? Stamina too low? Why bother with the hustle of traveling? No take back option? I blundered in one game and the other two games my pieces were not well connected.
We are always looking for computers that play like humans but we don't like to play with humans.


old man regards

I do not like play humans too. I feel I play well under my strength. No pleasure at all. I once played a tourn and I won first place, but it was when I was around 30 years younger and the adversaries were just amateurs of the realm of marketing, advertising, etc. say, 1600 Elo in average. Of course I had to win. but I wonder If today I would do it. I play lot better, BUT only play better with machines.

Anyway, who need people to play chess these days?

Another old man


Mike
Festina Lente
JeffB
Member
Posts: 420
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:36 pm
Location: Seattle, WA USA

Post by JeffB »

When I played some tournaments in the 80's I did okay, but not great (around 1700 USCF). After about 25 years, I tried a few tournaments, and found that my mindset, not my chess, was a problem.

For starters, in the 80's, kids were not allowed to play in adult events. Now they can, and they can be very distracting, and because they are often impatient, which shows in their play. We can sometimes try to match the speed at which they move without even realizing we're doing it, which is a huge mistake as it plays into their blitz-happy style. So I've been working at slowing myself down, going through a mental checklist on each move, and it my slowness annoys my junior opponent, that's great, because then my opponent gets off-game. (I went 3-1 after figuring this out.)

In a nutshell, my return to the game was a disaster. But I think I know why, and most of the cause is within my ability to fix, so that's what I'm focused on before I play my next round of events.

Also, I'm updating some of my opening repertoire so I can try again soon, now that I've analyzed what when so horribly wrong before.
Cheers,

Jeff B.
User avatar
Fernando
Admiral of the Fleet
Posts: 3059
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:35 pm
Location: Santiago de Chile

Post by Fernando »

JeffB wrote:When I played some tournaments in the 80's I did okay, but not great (around 1700 USCF). After about 25 years, I tried a few tournaments, and found that my mindset, not my chess, was a problem.

For starters, in the 80's, kids were not allowed to play in adult events. Now they can, and they can be very distracting, and because they are often impatient, which shows in their play. We can sometimes try to match the speed at which they move without even realizing we're doing it, which is a huge mistake as it plays into their blitz-happy style. So I've been working at slowing myself down, going through a mental checklist on each move, and it my slowness annoys my junior opponent, that's great, because then my opponent gets off-game. (I went 3-1 after figuring this out.)

In a nutshell, my return to the game was a disaster. But I think I know why, and most of the cause is within my ability to fix, so that's what I'm focused on before I play my next round of events.

Also, I'm updating some of my opening repertoire so I can try again soon, now that I've analyzed what when so horribly wrong before.


Let's face it: we are all here old chaps with his skills slowly or speedily going down, not very friendly of people, more or less solitary guys preferring a chess comp or a book to company and even more, some of us like to drink as an artillery sergeant

Fern
Festina Lente
JeffB
Member
Posts: 420
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:36 pm
Location: Seattle, WA USA

Post by JeffB »

Fernando wrote:Let's face it: we are all here old chaps with his skills slowly or speedily going down, not very friendly of people, more or less solitary guys preferring a chess comp or a book to company and even more, some of us like to drink as an artillery sergeant
Even if true, I think we slightly older gents have other skills that the kids don't have, and we need to learn how to use them, how to emphasize them, to overcome the uber-booked-up computer-fed kiddies running amock at tournaments. As always, generalities and stereotypes are dangerous and inaccurate, but often fun nevertheless.
Cheers,

Jeff B.
User avatar
Fernando
Admiral of the Fleet
Posts: 3059
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:35 pm
Location: Santiago de Chile

Post by Fernando »

JeffB wrote:
Fernando wrote:Let's face it: we are all here old chaps with his skills slowly or speedily going down, not very friendly of people, more or less solitary guys preferring a chess comp or a book to company and even more, some of us like to drink as an artillery sergeant
Even if true, I think we slightly older gents have other skills that the kids don't have, and we need to learn how to use them, how to emphasize them, to overcome the uber-booked-up computer-fed kiddies running amock at tournaments. As always, generalities and stereotypes are dangerous and inaccurate, but often fun nevertheless.
Of course and in spite of decline we have a lot of powers the poor kids does not. Even in chess. Maybe the problem is we get tired of them. I usually get better position against my comps adversaries, but then, in the end, I am already tired or bored and let slip the advantage

Better later than sooner regards
Fern
Festina Lente
User avatar
Steve B
Site Admin
Posts: 10140
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:02 am
Location: New York City USofA
Contact:

Post by Steve B »

JeffB wrote: the uber-booked-up computer-fed kiddies running amock at tournaments. As always, generalities and stereotypes are dangerous and inaccurate, but often fun nevertheless.
Inaccurate and Fun And ..
Quite Often True Regards
Steve
User avatar
Scally
Full Member
Posts: 970
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 5:44 pm
Location: Bermondsey, London
Contact:

Post by Scally »

Hi all,

I remember how embarrassed I felt when playing in the Sutton congress many moons ago. I was playing a little snotty kid and fell into his opening trap (I was never one to study openings). There were loads of people watching, and after losing a piece for a pawn early in the opening I could feel my face glowing, so I resigned and shook his limp hand.

He was a very young Julian Hodgson.

Nowadays, I just say I’ve played Julian Hodsgon the GM 😄

Al.
Volodymyr
Member
Posts: 141
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 1:03 pm
Location: Ukraine,Radyvyliv

Post by Volodymyr »

Tihon Chernyaev,age 7 years.
Lichess profile https://lichess.org/@/PeshkaCh

Classic more than 8 minutes per game 2367!
This is real about 2100 FIDE.
Tactics rating 2506!
Only many blitz plays.I think at this age it's harmful.But I'm not a chess coach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDPb9TjxYUc&t
Daisy221
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 9:46 am

Post by Daisy221 »

Hello there! I am Daisy from Alabama and newbie here.
kalatov
Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:11 pm

Post by kalatov »

Fernando wrote:Let's face it: we are all here old chaps with his skills slowly or speedily going down, not very friendly of people, more or less solitary guys preferring a chess comp or a book to company

Fern
As fascinated by dedicated chess computers as I am I have always preferred playing humans, not least because with humans the winner is, as the old saying goes, the person who makes the last but one mistake. Saying that, like others here I do find tournaments, or even league matches quite nerve-racking. Recently I discovered that someone who had become a friend through some other connection shares a love of the game and we find that we're very evenly matched. Spending an evening playing one or two games against him, a good drink at our elbows, seems to me to be the perfect way to enjoy chess.
User avatar
Fernando
Admiral of the Fleet
Posts: 3059
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:35 pm
Location: Santiago de Chile

Post by Fernando »

kalatov wrote:
Fernando wrote:Let's face it: we are all here old chaps with his skills slowly or speedily going down, not very friendly of people, more or less solitary guys preferring a chess comp or a book to company

Fern
As fascinated by dedicated chess computers as I am I have always preferred playing humans, not least because with humans the winner is, as the old saying goes, the person who makes the last but one mistake. Saying that, like others here I do find tournaments, or even league matches quite nerve-racking. Recently I discovered that someone who had become a friend through some other connection shares a love of the game and we find that we're very evenly matched. Spending an evening playing one or two games against him, a good drink at our elbows, seems to me to be the perfect way to enjoy chess.

Yes...provided you win...Otherwise something poisonous lurks inside us...
Festina Lente
kalatov
Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:11 pm

Post by kalatov »

Fernando wrote:
Yes...provided you win...Otherwise something poisonous lurks inside us...
The funny thing is, and I'm definitely not claiming that I manage to take this approach in all walks of life, but I have always found that I get more pleasure out of losing a good game of chess, which I feel was well fought and in which I didn't lose due to some crass mistake, than winning an easy one, or where my opponent has badly blundered. Of course *winning* a good game of chess is even better :-)
User avatar
Steve B
Site Admin
Posts: 10140
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:02 am
Location: New York City USofA
Contact:

Post by Steve B »

kalatov wrote:
I have always found that I get more pleasure out of losing a good game of chess, which I feel was well fought and in which I didn't lose due to some crass mistake
Well I can only say I have NEVER gotten any pleasure ..what-so-ever.. out of losing a chess game..not matter how brilliantly I played

Winning Is Everything Regards
Steve
Post Reply