Chess discussion.

[totalise]

Is chess an art or a science ?

I've always thought of it in it's purest form as an artform.

But the modern successfull players seem to treat it as a science.

Where in this world of lies, damn lies and statistics, is the truth ?

[kinboshi]

I entered the British championship one year and got an idea as to the different level the game was played at down South. Different kettle of fish completely, and they were all a bit wierd.

Tank - I played in the Under-8 British Championships in London back in 1982 (so I guess that proves your last point there!).

The tournament was a two-day affair and each player had to play 9 games.  A point for a win, 1/2 for a draw and nothing for a loss.

Each round you were matched against someone who was doing as well (or badly) as you.  So if you won your first game, you'd play someone else who won theirs.

I won my first 3 games, and so was doing well.  In the fourth round I was drawn against the youngest player in the field (he was 6 whilst the rest of us were 7).  He was the 'star' of the tournament and the only one at the time who had an 'adult' BCF-rating.  Demis Hassabis was his name.  My Dad likes to remind me of how excited and agitated I was when I found out who I was playing.  I went and beat him.  He was distraught, I was ecstatic, as was my Dad.  

Anyway, after 6 games I have won all my games.  I'm leading the tournament as there aren't any others who have 100% - two players had drawn their 6-round game and so they were both on 5 and a half.

In round 7 I was drawn against Dharshan Kumaran (one of the players on 5 and a half).  I didn't know it at the time, but he was a bit special as a chess player.  He destroyed me in that game, and my game fell apart and I went on to lose the next two games as well.  I finished 4th.  I blew it, and I could and should have won at least one of the remaining two games.

Anyway, the two players I mentioned went on to do pretty well for themselves.   Kumaran went on to be the World U21 World Champion, is now a Grand Master as well as a neuro-scientist.  

Hassabis has gone on to achieve a hell of a lot, creating the computer game 'Theme Park' at the age of 17 being one of them.  A fully-fledged genius: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demis_Hassabis

Interestingly, he's moved into neuro-science as well now, and doing some searches on google, it seems as though he's co-authored several papers with Kumaran.  

[gatso]

Is it possible to get a blonde league going? Though i will probably get killed , by the sounds of it.

that'd be an idea, especially the killing longy bit obv. anyone know a site you can do it on. I know it's a prob on redhotpawn as everyone needs to be a paying subscriber to play in any tournaments/leagues

You could organise the league on a thread and just play the games as a non paid RHP member.

good call. think you can have 6 games running as a non subscriber so should be easy enough

[thetank]

kinboshi - that's a pretty cool story.

I think it was the under 12's I played. I got a  total of 1 point from two draws and finished very near the bottom.

[FuglyBaz]

If u all signed to chess maniac setting a tournament is easy enough on there. You play 'swiss tournaments' where you get paired off randomly then player a winner (if u win) or a loser(if you lose) in the next round.

Up to you guys really I'll do whatever

I think it was thetank who mentioned somebody killing their 8 yr olds ears? There is a little kid at our chess club called leo. Only 9 or 10, and has an ECF rating of 90, so not the most gifted but VERY good for his age. His Dad is really extreme with him, as he'll play a league game in the week, and his dad will keep him up till the early hours of the morning working out his game and where he went wrong etc! The kid has primary School in the morning ffs!

[FuglyBaz]

I entered the British championship one year and got an idea as to the different level the game was played at down South. Different kettle of fish completely, and they were all a bit wierd.

Tank - I played in the Under-8 British Championships in London back in 1982 (so I guess that proves your last point there!).

The tournament was a two-day affair and each player had to play 9 games.  A point for a win, 1/2 for a draw and nothing for a loss.

Each round you were matched against someone who was doing as well (or badly) as you.  So if you won your first game, you'd play someone else who won theirs.

I won my first 3 games, and so was doing well.  In the fourth round I was drawn against the youngest player in the field (he was 6 whilst the rest of us were 7).  He was the 'star' of the tournament and the only one at the time who had an 'adult' BCF-rating.  Demis Hassabis was his name.  My Dad likes to remind me of how excited and agitated I was when I found out who I was playing.  I went and beat him.  He was distraught, I was ecstatic, as was my Dad.  

Anyway, after 6 games I have won all my games.  I'm leading the tournament as there aren't any others who have 100% - two players had drawn their 6-round game and so they were both on 5 and a half.

In round 7 I was drawn against Dharshan Kumaran (one of the players on 5 and a half).  I didn't know it at the time, but he was a bit special as a chess player.  He destroyed me in that game, and my game fell apart and I went on to lose the next two games as well.  I finished 4th.  I blew it, and I could and should have won at least one of the remaining two games.

Anyway, the two players I mentioned went on to do pretty well for themselves.   Kumaran went on to be the World U21 World Champion, is now a Grand Master as well as a neuro-scientist.  

Hassabis has gone on to achieve a hell of a lot, creating the computer game 'Theme Park' at the age of 17 being one of them.  A fully-fledged genius: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demis_Hassabis

Interestingly, he's moved into neuro-science as well now, and doing some searches on google, it seems as though he's co-authored several papers with Kumaran.  

Thats a really cool story Kinboshi Shame you didnt take the thing down then man. Chess is ridiculously tough, especially where played over two days. How can you play a game when all you think about is a dumb blunder made in the last game?

[sovietsong]

I love chess, I'm not very good at it and didnt really play as a kid.  My mum taught me but was useless and being the 'poor winner' i am she soon stopped playing me.  I started playing again when i went to my girlfriends parents house for christmas, he grandad gave me a real lesson, i was sick as he beat me with ease.  I started playing a few guys at work then joined gameknot.com, i'm still not very good but got my own back on the missus' grandad who now refuses to play me as well!

Whilst everybody on here seems a much higher standard than me i would be happy to join any league set up.

[FuglyBaz]

I love chess, I'm not very good at it and didnt really play as a kid.  My mum taught me but was useless and being the 'poor winner' i am she soon stopped playing me.  I started playing again when i went to my girlfriends parents house for christmas, he grandad gave me a real lesson, i was sick as he beat me with ease.  I started playing a few guys at work then joined gameknot.com, i'm still not very good but got my own back on the missus' grandad who now refuses to play me as well!

Whilst everybody on here seems a much higher standard than me i would be happy to join any league set up.

If you wanna register at Chessmaniac let me know your username and we can set something up

[sovietsong]

done - sovietsong on chessmaniac, fancy a game?

[kinboshi]

I'll register on chessmaniac (think I might already have an account on there from ages ago).  The Swiss tournament idea sounds like a laugh.

Talking about kids playing chess and the pressure from parents - there was lots of that when I played.  I had a chess coach when I was 7.  His name was John Bogovic, and worked at the steel works in Corby until he retired, and he used to run a chess club that I went to.  As I had a talent for the game, he focused his coaching on me another boy who was a few years older than me.  He died when I was about 15 (some years after I'd stopped playing).  I didn't realise what a brilliant coach he was until I was a lot older.  It's a shame I could never thank him for what he did.  

I used to read chess books, play through games against myself in the middle of the night.  It wasn't a chore for me, as it was 'fun'.  My Dad used to take me all over the country to tournaments.  I played board 1 for my county U12 team and so I played in the inter-county events as well as tournaments that I entered as an individual.  My Dad had taught me how to play when I was 3 years old, and was obviously proud that I'd taken to the game and was doing well.  He never forced me to play though.

When I was about 12 or 13, the game no longer was fun for me.  I had to practice several hours a day to keep up with the other players, and I was discovering other things - such as karate and more importantly, girls.  I told my Dad that I didn't want to play any more.  I think he was disappointed that I didn't continue playing, but he never once 'made' me play after I'd said I wanted to give it up.

There were other players though who were 'forced' to play by their parents.  As Tighty has mentioned in his diary thread about other sports, it was often the case that parents were fulfilling their dreams of playing chess at the top level through their children.

[kinboshi]

done - sovietsong on chessmaniac, fancy a game?

I'm on there as kinboshi (how inventive of me), same name on RedHotPawn.  Send me a challenge if you fancy a game.

[gatso]

done - sovietsong on chessmaniac, fancy a game?

I'm on there as kinboshi (how inventive of me), same name on RedHotPawn.  Send me a challenge if you fancy a game.

I'm in as gatso

get a few more and we can get this tourney running

[Longy]

Im registered as Longy11.

[sovietsong]

done - sovietsong on chessmaniac, fancy a game?

I'm on there as kinboshi (how inventive of me), same name on RedHotPawn.  Send me a challenge if you fancy a game.

Challenge sent, feel free to give me pointers throughout!!  Last time we played you gave me a hiding!

[The Baron]

Thee Baron if anyone wants easy pickings.