International I Hate Sports Club

Okay, here are my long-anticipated findings on which online chess site is best. I like http://www.instantchess.com/, because you don't have to register, and you can start playing immediately. If anyone wants to take me on, send me a PM.

I heartily recommend this site based on past experience. They start you off with a default time-limit of 5 minutes per side, but you can keep adding all the time you like to your clock as long as both players agree to the added time.

recovering_fan wrote:Okay, here are my long-anticipated findings on which online chess site is best. I like http://www.instantchess.com/, because you don't have to register, and you can start playing immediately. If anyone wants to take me on, send me a PM.

I heartily recommend this site based on past experience. They start you off with a default time-limit of 5 minutes per side, but you can keep adding all the time you like to your clock as long as both players agree to the added time.

I'm having a problem.

In my first two attempts, when I tried to move the first pawn, the game canceled. I was playing white, and it said white canceled.

How do I move a Chess piece without accidentally canceling the game?

On my third game, I was able to move my Chess pieces. I was playing white, and after about 5 moves, my opponent resigned.

On my third game, I was playing black, and my opponent checkmated me after about 12 moves.

On my fourth game, I was playing white again, but the first time I tried to move a pawn, the game canceled again, and it said white canceled.

How do I avoid these accidental constellations?

My user name is Fat Man 1951 because somebody else is already using Fat Man.

I got to learn how to use this thing!

It's been years since the last time I have played Chess with anyone, so I'm out of practice.

Okay, hang on. I'll have some answers shortly.

--RF

Fat Man wrote: I'm having a problem.

In my first two attempts, when I tried to move the first pawn, the game canceled. I was playing white, and it said white canceled.
How do I move a Chess piece without accidentally canceling the game?

I don't know what happened. I do know that on that particular program it cancels whenever White does not appear to be interested, so if you took too long to move the first pawn, that might be the problem.

On my third game, I was able to move my Chess pieces. I was playing white, and after about 5 moves, my opponent resigned.

Okay, so you were able to start at least. It is possible that if you were out of practice and playing against a really tough opponent, your opponent may not have liked the way the game was going--too easy for him, I mean. If you played an unconventional opening, he may not have deemed you up to the task of beating him. There are some tough players online.

On my third game, I was playing black, and my opponent checkmated me after about 12 moves.

It happens.

On my fourth game, I was playing white again, but the first time I tried to move a pawn, the game canceled again, and it said white canceled.

How do I avoid these accidental constellations?

The biggest problem seems to be the "white cancels" scenario you mentioned. The other problem (opponent cancelling after 5 moves) is something you would run into at any chess site. THAT won't happen when we are playing each other, because we WANT to play against each other and won't resign on each other.

But we'll have to be on our guard against the computer cancelling our games right at the opening gun. Here's something to try: figure out, before you even start playing, what your first move is going to be if you are white. To beginners, I would recommend moving the pawn in front of your king to the fourth row. It's the most popular first move for white in the history of chess--the classic opening. If you know right away how you're going to move, then you'll be able to get the first move off faster, and the program won't abort on you.

It's been years since the last time I have played Chess with anyone, so I'm out of practice.

Well, let's meet and play tomorrow night (9pm your time sound good?) I have to run off to bed now. I'll PM you my screen name. Don't tell anyone what it is.

Later,
RF

In response to recovering_fan:

Don't worry, I won't reveal your user name to anybody here, or anywhere else.

Yes, I always start with P-K4 (Pawn to King 4) as my opening move when I'm playing white, and even when playing black. That has always been traditionally the opening move in Chess.

I also try to Castle King with King's Rook as early as possible in a game

Sometimes I might have to castle King with Queen's Rook if the situation warrants it. One is known as Castling short, and the other is known as Castling long.

Another words, (O - O) and (O - O - O)

So, I do know the traditional starting moves.

In the game where my opponent resigned, I was actually doing pretty good. I had my most powerful pieces out there on the frontier and my opponent started backing off as though he was intimidated by my moves. I had gained some positional advantage and he was retreating.

Then he resigned.

If he hadn't resigned I might have won, or else the game might have ended in a draw.

In the game when I was playing black, I made a stupid move, and I was checkmated.

Oh Well, it's only a game.

Yes, Chess is much better than sports, and a Hell of a lot more fun, but it's still only just a game.

Hey! I have an interesting story.

I remember back in 1976 when I was in college, I saw a couple of guys sitting out on a park bench playing Invisible Chess. Now get this! There was no Chessboard or Chess pieces between then. They were calling out their moves verbally while picturing the game in their minds.

Yeah! It can be done. You have to have a photographic memory.

Also, you have to be a real Chess geek to play that well.

I seriously doubt that I could ever play that kind of Chess.

I just have to admire anybody who can do that!!! It probably takes an IQ of around 180. I'm talking some real Mensa stuff here!!!

Well, I'm tired. I got up this morning earlier than usual.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing you at 9:00 PM tomorrow evening.

See ya later Gator!

Fat Man wrote:I remember back in 1976 when I was in college, I saw a couple of guys sitting out on a park bench playing Invisible Chess. Now get this! There was no Chessboard or Chess pieces between then. They were calling out their moves verbally while picturing the game in their minds.

Yeah! It can be done. You have to have a photographic memory.

Also, you have to be a real Chess geek to play that well.

I seriously doubt that I could ever play that kind of Chess.

It's called "blind chess."

Oh, don't be so sure that you wouldn't be able to play it. My father works at a computer firm with a chess master for a co-worker, and they played blind games a little while back. I don't think you need to have an IQ of 180, although you do need to be a very visually-oriented person. Also, if you were able to play it at all, you might not play all that badly. It forces you to become aware of all the pieces at once and their relation to each other.

I love that you still use the good old trusty "pK4" language. That's awesome. The move is also called "e4" in the new money. I think if I were teaching a kid chess I would have him play blind games using both notations, old and new, because each "chess dialect" groves the mind into thinking about the game a certain way.

So ... if you knew exactly how you were going to move to start the game, then the program may be aborting due to some bug in the software. At least it only does that before the first move, so it doesn't happen in the middle of games. THAT would be a major problem.

OK, I can't find you there.

How do I locate you, and connect to you specifically?

I do I locate your user name and connect to you?

Well, I figured out how to search for a user name.

You're good!

You really kicked my fat ass around the ol' 8X8 tonight!

I didn't stand a China man's chance in Hell. You're good!

And no need to say "sorry" in the chat.

No need to apologize for being a good player.

Be proud!!!

Fat Man wrote: I didn't stand a China man's chance in Hell. You're good!

Well, thanks. I'm not that good, and you're not too bad a player either. Really it was just a few moves here and there that gave me an advantage.

And no need to say "sorry" in the chat.

Ah, yes. Here's the thing people should know about the chess program I recommended: it has a "chat function", but unfortunately what you can say is limited to about 20 lame stock phrases--one of which is "sorry". After Fat Man and I had played one game, where I played white, we tried to play another with him as white. However, the stupid program wouldn't let him play white this session either (see his complaints in previous posts, above), and it cancelled on him. So we tried a second time to get a second game going, and we succeeded, but it set me up as white again. It was rather unfair that I should play twice as white, so I thought I should note the fact somehow. One of the weak points of InstantChess.com is they only let you say certain things in the chat.

Fat Man wrote:Well, I figured out how to search for a user name.

Yeah, just so everyone else knows, the way it works is you type in your own user name and click the "find" option underneath that. Then you type in the name of the opponent you're looking for and select "search unregistered users" or something like that.

It usually connects you, if you know whom you're looking for ahead of time.

I'm quite interested in doing one of these chess games with you. How does Friday night sound to you? Believe me, I'm not sacrificing anything for it! If you thought Fat Man was easy, then prepare for a real walk in the park here! Just set me up with some more info (by PM) and we'll arrange a time. How about it?

But remember that I'm at least five hours ahead of you.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

i_like_1981 wrote:How does Friday night sound to you? Believe me, I'm not sacrificing anything for it! If you thought Fat Man was easy, then prepare for a real walk in the park here! Just set me up with some more info (by PM) and we'll arrange a time. How about it?

Sure thing, I'll be in touch. Friday works.

recovering_fan wrote:Sure thing, I'll be in touch. Friday works.

Hey, 1981, what time Friday evening would work best for you? I'm free after 7pm, British time.

How about we do it at 8pm, my time? I don't know what time that will be over where you live. Just tell me if that's okay with you.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

i_like_1981 wrote:How about we do it at 8pm, my time? I don't know what time that will be over where you live. Just tell me if that's okay with you.

That's 3pm my time, Friday. I'll make a mental note of it and send you a PM with my screen name at instantchess.com.