The Importance of Chess in Today's World

reply to post by DeadSeraph


I have a similar story..in the army I played and no one else really played chess so i never lost a game.....I seriously thought I was like a grand master or something....well the first time i play a real player i get smoked...i didnt play for years...what got me back into chess was i was using some chess app and I couldnt win a single game....i thought man....i cant be this bad..so i joined a chess website...i had a rating of about 1200 online and thought wow....i am bad at chess...so i studied for almost 3 years...really really got into it....today my online rating floats around 2000ish and is still climbing....I can honestly say its some of the hardest work ive ever put into anything ive done and still am nothing compared a master. What is really really sad is that you are barely even recognized unless you are a super gm in the 2700 range whic at this moment is just under 50 players in the whole world....all that work and those guys are barely recognized for their efforts. I wish chess was more popular and that they made more money.

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


Ok.... now I finally read this, and my interest is peaked! Maybe I will try to figure this out

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


I found a article that was very interesting today. Carlson is 2881 elo currently. The article is the 10 strongest chess engines above 3000 elo. Stockfish is number 1. It has a free iPad and iPhone app. I highly suggest it. Stock fish current Elo is 3247.

thechessworld.com...

stock fish website with link to apps

stockfishchess.org...

reply to post by GArnold


Thank you! I hadnt seen this...Carlsen is something else....id come out and say...best player of all time...even at only 21

GArnold
Stock fish current Elo is 3247.

Ho ... ley ... crap !!!

Now, I'm glad I stopped playing tournament chess. If I had dedicated my life to being the best chess player in the world, only to be beat by someone's cell phone, I'd put a bullet in my head. Sheesh!

I remember when I was playing tournaments, I played a few where computers were allowed. Didn't matter to me; for the most part it was an easy win back in the 70s and early 80s. But I remember one of the arguments against computers back then was, "No forklifts in a weightlifting competition."

I guess that makes more sense to me now.

Playing chess was what I did in college instead of going to class. Particularly in cafes. You had to watch out for the foreign students; there were a couple from Senegal that would clean your clock. I played as a way to meet the ladies. Yes there were chess groupies back in the day! Ok, not really groupies per se, but it was a toe in the door. A lot of women were interested by something that got men so bent out of shape, just sitting there looking at a board.

I was a 2100 back in the day. I got on a chess website about 4 years ago, and barely could get a 1800 ranking.

Although since then I happened across a one-time grand master at a hotel on the beach. He had a board set up and I actually beat him. I couldn't believe it and I think he was distracted.


I never liked playing for less than 10 minutes per game. I think speed chess is about as senseless as speed dating.

reply to post by VictorVonDoom


My jaw hit the floor when I saw that Elo also. It was only recently it took a supercomputer to beat a human with Big Blue 2. Now the technology is so advanced a cell phone app can whip a pro with ease. Stock Fish is incredible. I had Shedder or still have it but Stock Fish is much stronger.