News & Updates
Written by guest author Jason Repa for Wholesale Chess
A continuation of Jason’s reviews of online chess sites. Be sure to check out Jason’s ICC review, ficgs.com review, and Yahoo Chess and PlayChess.com review.
Chesscube.com is a real-time chess server based in South Africa. It features a sharp and intuitive flash-based interface with fairly smooth gameplay. Chess 960, otherwise known as Fischer Random Chess, can be played there as well. This is the only chess variant they currently offer.
Chesscube.com utilizes a unique system of levels ranging from 1 through 20 that rewards you based on how much you play, referred to as XP (short for experience, not for the Windows operating system). The more you play the higher the level you achieve and the more features and functionality you ‘unlock’. New accounts start off at level 1, but even here, you are able to chat in public chat rooms (pending email verification), play in tournaments, post games to Facebook, set rating range for seeks, copy your games as PGN, etc. At level 2 you are able to Read more �
Written by guest author Jason Repa for Wholesale Chess
A continuation of Jason’s reviews of online chess sites. Be sure to check out Jason’s review of ICC and Yahoo Chess and PlayChess.com review
In the days before the public internet, correspondence chess referred to a game which involved a person setting up a position on a chess board, thinking about that position for sometimes days, or even weeks, then writing down their move(s) on a piece of paper, putting that piece of paper into a stamped envelope, and mailing it off to their opponent, who might be on a different continent. Not only did the moves sometimes take a long time to make, but on top of this there was the time it took to mail the letter. In an era of modern technology, with instant emails, voice, and video communication from any two places on the planet, this might seem like a ridiculous waste of time and money (spent on postage), but it did offer a unique chess experience which can no longer be replicated.
It was a form of the game in which two players had the opportunity to play to the best of their ability and without any restrictions on time or travel obligations. There was a profound Read more �
Written by guest author Jason Repa for Wholesale Chess
In some ways I feel fortunate to have commenced my foray into tournament chess just before the arrival of the popular internet and all the chess software and access to theory that hitherto was not available. At that time, studying chess meant looking at a real board with real chess pieces and attempting to work out complex positions using your own mind. Sometimes you used an opening manual or other chess books as a reference, but Rybka 4 was not around to do the thinking for you. You were forced to learn how to plan, attack, defend, and work out all the tactics in a particular position or else suffer defeat against an opponent who did. For those who embraced the challenge of learning how to play the game using only their wits, this resulted in the development of skill. Sure you would often miss an important combination, or completely be on the wrong track in your understanding of a particular position, but you were fully immersed in the learning process and, as a result, would adapt and Read more �
Written by guest author Jason Repa for Wholesale Chess
A continuation of Jason’s reviews of online chess sites. Be sure to check out Jason’s review of ICC.
Second on my list is www.playchess.com.
This server was created by the Chessbase Company which sells popular chess software. Their annual fees are comparable to ICC and you also have the option of getting a year membership with the purchase of any of their new chess playing software, such as Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, or the formidably expensive Chessbase database management utility. A free trial membership is possible as well.
They are based out of Germany, but have a fully functional English interface, as well as providing interfaces in a plethora of other languages. Playchess.com has by far the highest resolution interface and smoothest action for game-play of any chess server on the internet, which is why they began stealing many of ICC’s members when they first arrived on the scene about a decade ago. Read more �
Written by guest author Jason Repa for Wholesale Chess
In the early days of the public internet, there were few choices for those seeking to play chess in cyber space. On top of this, you had to contend with slow response times, crude graphics, and a limited number of prospective opponents. Live, or what is referred to in chess vernacular as over-the-board (otb) chess, was still very much alive and well as many chess aficionados didn’t want to make such concessions.
Today there are many dozens, if not hundreds, of chess servers, sometimes with tens of thousands of users logged on at once, offering everything from turn-based email chess, in which players may take days, or even weeks, to make a single move, to nerve-wracking bullet chess, where all of your moves must be made within a minute or two. In addition to that, Read more �
Written by guest author Jason Repa for Wholesale Chess
Of all forms of chess, this is the fastest and most nerve wracking. It is not for the weak or faint of heart. Entire games are played with only 1 or 2 minutes being allotted to each player. Blunders and mouse-slips are commonplace. Time forfeitures in won positions may be frequent as well. The depth of calculation is compromised and there is rarely an opportunity to double-check your plans. So why do we play it? The answer, as any bullet chess player can tell you, lies in the rush one gets from crushing an opponent under such draconian conditions. It also provides an opportunity to play a large number of games in a short period of time. This makes it ideal for busy people with only a few minutes to spare, but also for addicts who want to get the maximum number of games in per session.
There has been much debate as to whether or not playing bullet chess can be harmful to your slow and serious game. Read more �
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