Sign me up as well!

By the way, are only those who are signed up for the game allowed to vote? Because I believe polls are public, but to count the actual "votes" would be tedious.

Ng5

702 Posts

July 25 2011 01:24 GMT

#28

CowMoo wrote:
This sounds awesome! It reminds me of the correspondence chess that was commonly played in prisons not too long ago. I'm all for it.

If I can ask - what's your FIDE/USCF rating?

Brayzon wrote:
im in too, just curious about your ELO. you mind telling us?

I don't intend to play in FIDE or USCF events. I always say that I might one time in the future just to avoid the question, but I honestly do not care about it that much.

I used to like the research part of correspondence chess and I have fun playing once every half a year or even rarer now. But I have long realized that chess itself wasn't my passion. I like puzzles and moreso I love teaching. I would love to be a second to a really good player sometimes or coach a team, but playing in tournaments - I'm just not interested.
You could argue that for the later two I need a rating, but I tell you; if I had three weeks to piss away I would rather spend it with my family or even play random games and read half a dozen books than play in a chess tournament. And don't bring up money, earning from chess is irrelevant unless you are on a high level. (*) For one I don't care about money, for two... I don't want to spend that time of my life to get that high. Derping around in correspondence when you are a unusual thinker and like analysis is great fun, playing random blitz games now and then can be fun, but it's nothing compared to being professional. And I'm not.

The only real reason that could persuade me into playing in events if I had two years free and I felt the sudden rush that I need to do it and the sense that it would make me teaching chess easier so to speak. And even then I would probably play until I get a title then sit back and not play in a single event ever. Maybe in the open section of the World Open just for the kicks. But out of that list not even the first would be granted (two years to blow away), so meh.

I'll be flat out honest here... If playing seriously I would even rather play League of Legends than chess.

(*) You could probably lead a life of chess once you get to IM level. Play smaller tournaments, teach, etc. But then you spend all your time on it as a living. Which I will not. Not now, not later. And getting higher is just too much time. I would much rather work in my field and teach that at a university. I can still keep chess as a hobby and who knows, if I do enough volunteer teaching I might end up in a random coaching position one point in time.

Ng5

702 Posts

July 25 2011 01:24 GMT

#29

On July 24 2011 11:38 Empyrean wrote:

Show nested quote +

Watch out OP, you're playing one of the best computers

Sign me up as well!

By the way, are only those who are signed up for the game allowed to vote? Because I believe polls are public, but to count the actual "votes" would be tedious.

Nah, doing the actual counting is not that big of a hassle. Kinda like the spreadsheets for classes and those are not that big of a hassle.

And Rybka is one of the squishier engines in correspondence - IF you know what you are doing and IF you are good enough. The difference is probably having a far less variance in your expected winning ratio than against, say Fritz. And obviously not many people are that good and willing to concentrate and work enough to sweat it out.

Ng5

702 Posts

July 25 2011 01:24 GMT

#30

There were also questions about whether 3 days/move is too long or no. I would like to emphasize what three days really represent. When I do correspondence I usually do random first 3-4-5-6 first moves based on my mood, but then according to my opponents, perception of them etc. I will start doing deep opening research and choose the lines where I think I have the most chance to have an interesting game. I don't necessarily choose the one best for winning or best for having at least a draw, I want an interesting game, where the midgame is not analysed infinitely and there's more than one 'proper' move in general.

Then when it comes to midgame - or even in the late opening stage - I research my plans out of the opening and work on them extensively. It's not rare for me to think fifteen-twenty or more moves ahead around getting into the midgame. That obviously means I don't cover all the variations, but the ones I consider mainlines, I usually leave the ones out that I can think I can win. That takes half a day or more likely several consecutive days of coming back to the position each time with a clean mind and restarting the process.

Now should you for example go into a line that I think I could win and thus I disregarded - I will still have to analyse it out to the bone. Well not have to, but that's how I work. At the same time I want fun games, so I will most likely check all the sacrifical lines, and if I find them even somewhat plausible and somewhat sound - I'm gonna play them. But that creative work takes time, too.

That means I will work hard even during your turn before counting the votes and check what the next move will be. If you have a midterm for example, it's no biggie - you can leave out a move. If I have something urgent to do it could easily mean for you to have a delay in my move, and that could get more irritating. Giving you guys two days and me three could speed it up, but then you would always have to watch out that it's not a fix timeframe for both and it could lead to confusion.

Edit: For example there's almost been a day since the last person signed up, and it was late night, so there's no way the European guys had a chance of chipping in. That's how short one day is on a forum.

ketomai

United States2789 Posts

July 25 2011 02:04 GMT

#31

Miss your stream yo. Nice to see you back in action!

lolsixtynine

United States600 Posts

July 25 2011 02:13 GMT

#32

Sweet I'm in. I haven't played competitively in a long time but I used to be like 1400 USCF in 5th grade

Stijx

United States804 Posts

July 25 2011 02:19 GMT

#33

I'm totally in! Sounds awesome

Slakkoo

Sweden1119 Posts

July 25 2011 02:33 GMT

#34

How does this work? :x Sorry for my newbish question but it´s basically us versus you?

qrs

United States3637 Posts

July 25 2011 03:05 GMT

#35

Sign me up please--although if this game turns out to be mostly about people posting computer analysis, I'll probably lose interest quickly.

Picklesicle

United States64 Posts

July 25 2011 03:12 GMT

#36

Chess?
I'm in.
I'd be all for not less than 3 days/move. I wouldn't have time to be active for anything more frequent than that (and, to be honest, even that's stretching it...)
August 14th is just about perfect.

Cheers.

enigmaticcam

United States280 Posts

July 25 2011 18:16 GMT

#37

Sign me up!

aphorism

United States226 Posts

July 25 2011 18:28 GMT

#38

Sign me up too, gogogo!

Brayzon

Germany29 Posts

July 25 2011 18:32 GMT

#39

dont get me wrong ng5, i just asked cause it would be sad to play the game and then realizing that the game was totally noobish, cause there might very well be people with around 2000+ ELO which could outthink you if you are not even close to this level. nof offense there but what if we just say team white vs team black? anyone gets there own thread and discuss there, which would resolute in the responsibillity for one team just not to look in the opposite thread. there might very well people who do that, but there might very well be people that uses computer engines so it would be arguable to disable cheating completely. if we would play team black vs team white, everyone got scrambled and then adjusted to team white/black. just my humble oppinion

goldrush

Canada709 Posts

July 26 2011 00:01 GMT

#40

I'll join, but I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to put into it.

For those wondering what the highest level of chessplayers analyze and how they look at the game, I'd suggest looking at the videos on this page:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7402

The players get together with a commentator and discuss the game. It's highly educational and frankly, kind of scary/awe-inspiring to watch them talk.