Overwritten.net
Games => General Gaming => Topic started by: Quemaqua on Saturday, November 22, 2008, 09:21:09 PM
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So... who plays? And if you do, what do you play?
I was feeling the urge to go back and play a little bit ago, feeling sad after having been away from it for years and years. It's such a wonderful thing, and as a kid I was taught by my father. We played from time to time. Not regularly, but often enough to remember the experiences fondly. During that time I also, as a very young kid, went to the public library at night where this old guy used to teach to whatever kids would show up. He was an old black military vet (I'm not sure what department he served under), didn't have any legs. He'd just roll around in his wheelchair and teach us on the mat sets they had. This might have been John Easterling of the John Easterling Memorial Chess Club at the Richmond Public Library, which I can't find any information on now. Which makes me strangely sad. It was so long ago, and I'm quite sure I never got the chance to thank the man on any even semi-adult level. Their website doesn't make any mention of it, either, and I'd hate to think that it was now defunct. I might have to go by and see someday.
Anyway, I really loved chess as a child, and stopped probably around the time I went into high school. My parents even bought me this gorgeous hand made wood chess set from... I forget. Somewhere in Europe, I think. I loved that thing to death. I know part of what killed it for me was I had one of these cheaply made (but expensive) Radio Shack chess computers that you could play using little tiny plastic pieces with little pegs in an actual board. It was awesome. But on a school trip one time somebody knocked it out of my hands into a bunch of gravel, and I could never find all the pieces. After my dad lost his eyesight we didn't really play anymore either, so it just gradually fell by the wayside. I picked up a few games here and there, like Chessmaster 10th Edition (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/puzzle/chessmaster10thedition/index.html?tag=result;title;0), and enjoyed them for a while, but since I didn't really have anyone to play with and never got into going online (especially since 10th didn't really have good chat functionality, as I recall), I more or less just stopped playing.
The other day I got it in my head to play some again. Got a chess game for my PSP, played a little, and remembered how amazing a game it is. I completely suck at it now, as apparently I've lost all my ability and need to rebuild a hell of a lot of patience, but it's such a deep and rewarding game.
Anyway, I guess I just thought I'd share and see if anyone else out there plays. I know Ghandi and Pug used to play it over Facebook sometimes, but I don't think I ever heard anyone else talk about it. I'm curious to know if any of the rest of you play, what you play and where. Turns out you can play chess in the Playstation Home beta at the mall, which is cool because you've got actual boards that you can watch games on. I think Chessmaster 10th was the best electronic chess program I ever bought, with a wealth of boards, tutorials, and features, and I've never really seen anything I liked any better, so I still use it whenever I go back. There's some issue with it, I forget what, but as I recall there's an EXE on the net somewhere that fixes it. It's been a while since I reinstalled it (and I'm reinstalling now).
If there's any interest, it might be fun to play sometime. Get some people together on Teamspeak or something and play some games together.
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I used to play chess here and there, when I was in High School.
Not so much, anymore.
Though, I also do have CM 10th Edition.
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I haven't played a good game of chess in awhile, I used to play a lot in middle school and high school but when I got into college I sort of stopped playing. I've never liked playing chess video games though, at least against an AI. I'd be down for playing sometime even though I'd be rusty as hell.
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I'd be rusty, too -- hehe!
Yeah, I'm MysterD in CM 10th Edition, as well -- when online.
If y'all need it, here's latest patch for CM 10th Ed (http://www.ubi.com/US/Downloads/Info.aspx?dlId=698)
CM 10th Ed is cheap, these days -- like $10, at most stores like Office Max, for those who ain't got it.
You don't need to keep the disc in the drive, either.
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Wow, they really still sell it? It's like 4 years old now. There's a new one, called Chessmaster: The Art of Learning, I guess based sort of on Waitzkin's new book, but it's sort of ass. 10th is definitely better if you can get it. Like I said, I never found anything better.
Also, those patches aren't cumulative, are they? Because they're all different sizes, and the 1.03 update is smaller than the other 2.
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Wow, they really still sell it? It's like 4 years old now.
Yep. It's in jewel cases these days, in the Bargain Bin racks at places like Office Max and Staples.
My local Best Buy still sells CM 10th Ed (in the usual sized box) and the newer The Art of Learning for $20.
I think CM 10th Ed still is being sold b/c -- yeah, it's considered to be one of the best chess games in recent years.
There's a new one, called Chessmaster: The Art of Learning, I guess based sort of on Waitzkin's new book, but it's sort of ass. 10th is definitely better if you can get it. Like I said, I never found anything better.
I never picked up Art of Learning -- it's like $20, most places; such as BB.
Also, those patches aren't cumulative, are they? Because they're all different sizes, and the 1.03 update is smaller than the other 2.
No clue -- oddly enough, it doesn't mention anything about that in the readme file.
I only put in Patch 1.03, myself.
EDIT:
On the Ubi forums, they say you only need the newest patch 1.03. (http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/760105752/m/7101075896)
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Well you know that I'm willing to play whenever. I'm decent, but by no means good. Pug usually kicked my ass.
One of the nice things that I want in my house is going to be a good chess set. My grandpa had a really nice granite set and I always admired it (but never got to play on it - I was too young).
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For all y'all CM 10th Edition owners, there's a Extra Downloads post on their message board -- with extra official and user-made Chess Boards, Skins, and other stuff. (http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/760105752/m/5081052236)
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I used to play a lot of chess when I was in Jr. High to Sr. High school. I still really like it and would be up for playing if I ever have time to. Vista has a built in chess game that I've actually played every now and then.
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Thanks for those links, D, that's awesome. Even better to see them posted February of 2008! Seems there's still interest, which is fantastic. I just got the game reinstalled, and am reminded again that it's a remarkable program. I never did bother to look for user-made content, but I'm totally going to download all this stuff.
We should have a chess day some weekend or something, could be good times. Maybe we could even get idol to finally play a game against a human being, too.
EDIT - I ran across another fun game today. It's called Majestic Chess (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/puzzle/hoylemajesticchess/review.html), and it's not nearly as hokey as it sounds. Basically, you've got a standard chess game in which you can play against AI personalities (though these are quite limited compared to what you'd get in a more robust game), an online component that's no-frills (and by now is surely dead well beyond dead -- the game came out in 2003), and the cool part: the adventure mode.
The adventure mode is basically a gussied-up tutorial, but it's cooler than that because... well, it's almost like this was Puzzle Quest, except with chess. And also before Puzzle Quest existed. It's got a silly little fantasy plot, and you're this king who goes around the countryside fighting monsters and maniacs to try and regain your kingdom. Or something along those lines. So certain encounters teach you basics, others ask you questions, and others are puzzles to actually play. Some of these are actually scaled-down full games as well, where you'll play what would be a real game except you and the other guy only have about half the pieces you'd normally have. It sounds stupid, but it's actually quite cool. You have to actually "earn" or purchase chess pieces to use in the encounters, and you can buy other things to help you out like scrolls to give you a hint on the best move, or a potion that lets you take back a move. So while these things are really just vague extensions of the usual tutorial formula, they work because you feel a sense of actual progression. You unveil a map which is actually quite nicely detailed, get a little bit of "story" as you go, and the game starts to give you progressively more difficult scenarios with greater degrees of complexity that feel more like new insights rather than lessons. You feel like you're gaining knowledge that'll help you beat the next challenge, not like they're just teaching you stuff. It sort of transcends that "lesson" feeling through these extra little things. And it moves at a pretty brisk pace, too, expecting you to get the idea without a whole lot of jawing. No real penalty for failure, and it's just tricky enough that if you don't give it any respect ("Oh, I can play chess, I don't need this tutorial crap"), it'll surprise you by actually giving you something that requires a minute of thought. The AI is pretty decent, so I can see beginning players taking a little while to get past some of the early challenges which pit you against other "armies". So far, like I said, these have all been under half the actual chess set, and the opponent always has less material than you do, but it's smart enough that if it sees a stupid move, it'll still nail you to the wall with it.
So even as someone that plays chess but is looking to refresh his memory, this is actually quite a fun way to do it. The game is visually quite pleasant, the AI seems to be functional (and the review says it's quite good on the whole), and the little touches of this adventure mode I think would be great for anyone that's been away from the game for a while. It's entertaining enough to get you through the really basic basics, and once it gets to the more interesting stuff that you've probably forgotten, the package feels pretty complete.
Anyway, could be worth checking out if it sounds fun to you. I was pleasantly surprised after not expecting much.
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Thanks for those links, D, that's awesome. Even better to see them posted February of 2008! Seems there's still interest, which is fantastic. I just got the game reinstalled, and am reminded again that it's a remarkable program. I never did bother to look for user-made content, but I'm totally going to download all this stuff.
We should have a chess day some weekend or something, could be good times. Maybe we could even get idol to finally play a game against a human being, too.
No problem on the links. I found all that stuff yesterday, actually -- I'mma have to do some DLing, too.
If you hit the Ubi servers online, for a 4 year old game, there's still a fair amount of people playing this CM 10th Ed online still (compared to most; most games that old would have....nobody!) -- hehe. I think it's b/c many consider it the last great (commercial) chess game on the PC.
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I haven't played Chess in ages! I know have CM10 somewhere around here.
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I haven't played Chess in ages! I know have CM10 somewhere around here.
Awesome! Install it! :)
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I have it installed. I didn't remember if it was 10, so I checked. It is.
I have very similar stories to tell. My grandfather taught me. He was known as a good player in Puerto Rico. He gave me a book called something like Chess Openings. I didn't get that heavily into the game, so years later, I passed it on to a friend of mine here. He already liked chess, but with the book as a launchpad to study and practice, he went on to become an A player (which is one level below Master, 2 below Grandmaster). You get rated in the Chess Federation by playing in tournaments. It didn't take a year after I gave him the book before I couldn't play him anymore. We started out mutually competitive, and he ended up outclassing me severely.
I too got one of those physical chess boards with a computer inside, some time in the 70s. I remember being in awe of how I had a chess-playing computer of my very own. Woo! I entered my moves as some board-coordinates notation, and the computer would reply with its moves. It was of course up to me to move the pieces for both sides. On one of his visits, my grandfather played it, and fairly quickly backed it into a corner. Then there was some sort of error--probably human. But he blamed the thing for going crazy or trying to cheat. Haha! We'll never know now.
I haven't tried playing in years, not even as a quick diversion against an AI on the PC. I don't know where my good chess sets are right now. Yes, I too got a couple of nice ones carved out of wood. There's one carved out of obsidian from Mexico too, somewhere. That one I haven't seen for decades. I got a few others with themed pieces, like Napoleon's army, but one great uncle, another locally renowned player at the time, quickly set me straight on distracting pieces. After that, I only used the basic universal shapes in actual games.
So yeah, lots of chess history with me too, all in the past. Good memories.
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Well maybe you can make some new ones. Seems like there are enough people that it could be good fun to get together and play. If enough of us all have 10th, we could just hop on the Ubisoft servers and use IRC for some communal chat as we go, or Teamspeak if people wanted to talk (my server is up a lot of the time anyway).
What would you guys think about organizing a little event? Timing, as always, would be the tricky part.
EDIT - This really made my day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbXFHulfDhU). Watch and laugh.
EDIT x2 - Also, I never realized just how good 10th's game analysis is. At 10 seconds analysis per move, the default, a few minutes calculation gets you a nicely detailed, fully-voiced analysis showing key victories and losses as the game progressed, and how the players could have performed much better. I'm amazed that it sounds as good as it does. They must have recorded a ton of it.
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If you guys come on facebook, we can do battle. This reminds me... I think it is my turn in my never ending battle with Gandalf. (Yes, I used your formal name BITCH!)
EDIT - This really made my day. Watch and laugh.
That was hilarious... poor ole fool.
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Idol also pointed out this to me (http://www.babaschess.net/), which seems like a decent little chess client. If we had a chess day/evening those without a retail chess program could use it to play.
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Or we could just use facebook and make out moves whenever we logged in. Hell, you don't even have to use facebook for "social networking"... you could just use it to play chess with us.
You can start a game, and just make your moves when you feel like it. :)
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If you guys come on facebook, we can do battle. This reminds me... I think it is my turn in my never ending battle with Gandalf. (Yes, I used your formal name BITCH!)
You will die!!!!
...in chess.
But yeah, the great thing about facebook is that you don't have to devote a lot of time to playing a game. Obviously it isn't the same as sitting down with someone, but it's more long-term and strategic. I think that one of mine and Pug's games lasted a few months.
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That's fun, but I wouldn't want to use Facebook for that. I'd just as soon play by email or something. Actually, we could play over the boards. And then everyone could follow along and see how bad we suck.
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http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1102
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I will totally look into that.
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Awesome, because I totally didn't. I know almost nothing about it, but I'm hoping that it works.
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That would be awesome if that could be implemented on the boards, it would be easier for more people to hop on and play and I wouldn't have to hunt down CM 10th edition and as a bonus, I could play at work!
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But 10th is still worth picking up. And it's got pretty chess sets!
(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/921361_20040907_screen004.jpg)
(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/screen0/921361_20040810_screen001.jpg)
(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/921361_20040907_screen012.jpg)
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I like the sets 10th has to offer, but when I play, I really just want the 2D look.
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Really? I don't dislike 2D, but most 2D sets in most programs are terribly bland. I don't want anything outlandish, just something attractive. Fortunately, 10th also has some great 2D sets, and some good user ones as well. I wish more programs did that. The stuff for Art of Learning on PSP is almost all really lousy except for the stock one, and it's very bland. A shame when you consider that the PSP could very easily display a 3D board and make good use of the analog stick to rotate the view while keeping the d-pad for piece selection. Kind of a waste.
Anyway, I prefer to get as close to a real board as possible. The tactile sensation is part of it for me. Even the cheapo mats with their plastic pieces that we used to use at the library had such a satisfying sense of weight to them. That's the one thing lacking from my nice wood set. The pieces are all very light. But even with that, the symbiotic energy between the pieces and the board is really nice, so they're still pleasant to use. Either way, I could never live on chess programs, not without an injection of at least simulated reality from time to time. With 10th I have a black and white photo of a rainy street as the wallpaper, with a set that compliments the theme, and I generally listen to rain sounds while playing. Gives me that physical sensation of playing indoors on a rainy day, which I always loved to do. A rainy night at the library with a couple sets and a few friends would be the only thing better.
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I just.... have trouble startegizing in 3D. I like the top down view... it isn't that I can't play in anything else though. Also CM10 allows internet play, so two people can play the same game using different boards.
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It can definitely be easier to see patterns in 2D, but that's partly why I don't like it as much. I don't want to play a textbook... I want to play chess. If I ever sat down to an actual board and suddenly sucked because it wasn't 2D, that would make me sad. Sort of pointless to worry about since I don't have anyone here to actually play with, but... still.
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Yeah, but a screen projection of 3D is not the same as the real stuff. I know you can grab the board and rotate it around slightly in real time, and that's a big help. Side-to-side motion is how one-eyed people get depth perception. 3D tech has gotten so advanced that I really don't mind chess that way on a screen anymore; but it better look like the classic shapes. That would be your middle picture above.
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If you have depth perception problems I can see it being an issue, but I do not.
There are plenty of very nice Staunton variants or Staunton-esque sets available in 10th, too. Some cool user ones for download, too (probably just reskins, but they look really nice -- check out the link D posted earlier). I don't like the weird ones either... too distracting from the game itself, though they can be fun just to fiddle with. As for rotation, you can rotate the board any which way (except to see the underside, heh), all the way to fully top-down.
EDIT - thechessstore.com is having a fall sale (http://www.thechessstore.com/category/promotions.150_fall_pre_holiday_sale/) with some fairly decent stuff on offer, including sets, boards, books, DVDs, travel sets, a couple of cheap chess computers, some wood puzzles, backgammon sets, and domino sets. Not too shabby. I'm thinking about picking up a super-tiny wood stand set for 10 bucks to keep at my desk at work.
Apparently wholesalechess.com is also having a sale (http://www.wholesalechess.com/) with some middling to fairly decent stuff.
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So Que and I have started playing the past couple of nights on a free chess client, and everyone else should definitely join up. It's easy to get started and completely free. Here's what you need:
1. Download Babas Chess (http://www.babaschess.net/download.asp) and install.
2. Go to http://www.freechess.org/ and register a username. You can play as a guest but there are more options if you are registered, and it only takes a minute. No reason not to.
And you're good to go!
Once they email you your password, you'll probably want to do a few things. Go to the console window and type in "password oldpass newpass" to change your password. To add friends use the "+notify" command. So to add me and Que type "+notify Ghandiee" and "+notify Quemaqua". You will also have to set up the parameters for who can challenge you, which is really easy. Just go to view-my profile-variables and formula- and click on the "formula wizard" tab. Suit it to how you like it, just make sure to click "untimed" and "unrated" so that you will accept our games.
The program is highly customizable so it will probably confuse the hell out of you at first (like it did to me) but once you get it set up how you like it, it can be quite nice. There are a number of themes to pick from to suit your style. Mine currently looks like this:
My Setup (http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/Borgs_2006/babassetup.jpg)
So there you have it. No excuses - it's free and easy. Join up!
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If you have depth perception problems I can see it being an issue, but I do not.
No, you misunderstood. My depth perception is fine. I meant that there is no depth perception without perspective-changing motion on a 2D projection of a 3D world. In real life, you see the board pieces in full 3D. On a screen you don't. I'm not saying it's a big issue with properly rendered and shaded pieces. Just that I find it more natural to use a 2D board on a screen.
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I get you, Cobra. I don't agree, though. I personally never find it natural to use a 2D board. When Ghandi and I played our first game over the FICS, I dragged out a real board and played with that instead as our 2D board did its thing. That ended up being rather impractical (apparently switching between the two is worse than just using the flat deal), but I definitely have my preference for a real board. Still, I can use a 2D board fine. That's all you get with Chessmaster XI on PSP, and while it isn't terribly pretty, it gets the job done.
Anyway, yeah, everybody should totally grab Babas (or Thief (http://www.thief-interface.com/), Xboard and Winboard (http://www.tim-mann.org/xboard.html), CClient (http://home.centurytel.net/khb/cclient/), etc.) and come play. The FICS (Free Internet Chess Server -- freechess.org) is very similar to IRC overall, with a command-driven interface (helped greatly by clients that give graphical frontends for the commonly used stuff), different clients you can use (you can also just use the java applet at freechess.org), different channels, and various admins and bots that can help you with stuff. It's a little scary at first glance, but I've actually come to really like it over the course of maybe an hour or so. It really isn't bad, and Ghandi and I have done the hard part -- learning -- for the rest of you already. BabasChess is also extremely customizable, so while some of the default themes are a little iffy, you can get it looking pretty spiffy without too much trouble.
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/BabasChess.jpg)
But seriously, come play. We had a blast the other night and you guys can all beat me into the ground because I really suck.
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Que's strategy revolves around really underselling himself and then surprising you with mad skills. Don't listen to him.
Also, Cobra: 2D galore!
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I take it Que won?
edit:
I am on BTW. :P
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Actually I ended up winning that game. But Que was definitely kicking my ass when the screenshot was taken.
I'll be on in a bit. I take it your name is Pugnate?
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I should have won, but I'm really not very good anymore, and my end game skills seem actually to be much worse than they've ever been (because that's where you need to see ahead most at the basic level I play at, and I can't seem to see very far anymore). Actually, that move right there is where I made the mistake that cost me the game. I should have kept him from castling and didn't. My position might have made up for his lead in material until I let him bring the rook out on his own terms.
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Yeah, that was the turning point. But that was what...3 hours into that game? It was late.
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It was late. We were both tired. Though good luck ever getting to play me when I'm not, unless it's on a weekend, heh.
So I forget if I mentioned it here, and I'm too lazy to, uh, scroll up, but I went to http://www.thechessstore.com (http://www.thechessstore.com) and got so nostalgic for the old days when I used to play at the library using rollup vinyl boards and big plastic tournament-sized pieces, I decided to go order myself a set. It just came today, and I'm super happy with it. Seriously, that's a very reasonable place to get a substantially more than decent plastic set.
For somewhere around twenty bucks I got:
- Club Tourney single-weighted pieces, 3 3/4" king (http://www.thechessstore.com/product/PCSNCBC/New_ClubTourney_Plastic_Chess_Set_in_Black_Camel__3_34_King.html), and I like the design better than the more expensive ones, even. Only seven bucks. Seven! You'll pay ten for a smaller, poorly-cut, unweighted set at my local shop. This is a total deal.
- Black vinyl rollup board (http://www.thechessstore.com/product/VR100BK/The_Chess_Store_Vinyl_Rollup_Chess_Board__Black.html), four bucks. They've got a cheaper one, but this one is a little better because it's got a cloth back and slightly higher quality vinyl. It seems nice at first glance, and better than the ones my store sold at about the same price.
- Black canvas chess bag (http://www.thechessstore.com/product/BAG03BK/Chess_Piece_Board_Canvas_Bag__Black.html), complete with sleeve for rollup board, zippered main compartment for pieces, with handles. Though in my case I'll be using the main compartment for some chess books. Five bucks.
- Small zipper bag for pieces (http://www.thechessstore.com/category/chess_set_storage.chess_piece_zipper_bag/). 3 bucks.
Seriously, beat that. Shipping was a little pricey at 8 bucks, but I ordered a 2nd set of all that stuff for my niece and nephew, and since this place deals a lot in bulk, even if you only up your quantity to 2 of something that generally gets you a discount! So I ended up paying under $40 for the whole thing even after shipping. I'm very pleased.
(http://static.zoovy.com/img/thechessstore/-/P/pcsncbc_800logo)
Anyway, it's a pretty nice set. I can't tell you how good it felt to have some big clunky plastic pieces in my hands earlier. There's nothing like a capture made with a weighted plastic set where you smack one piece out of the way and put yours down in one smooth motion. It's just so... beefy.
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You know what I've always wanted to play? Knightmare Chess (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/227).
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Normally chess variants seem stupid to me, but that actually looks like it could be fun.
Anyway, you guys should totally come play with us on Babas/FICS. We're having a great time.
[21:57]idolminds: I sw it on mythbusters, it must be true
[21:58]Ghandiee: They are *so* scientific
[21:58]idolminds: yes, nothing about their testing methods could possibly be faulty
[21:58]Quemaqua: don't ever question the Mythbusters
[21:59]idolminds: they have a soda machine that shoots cans at you. Do you want them to use it on YOU? Didnt think so
[21:59]Ghandiee: Oh, I forgot. They have a hot chick. They MUST be right
[21:59]idolminds: I would so bust her myth. Whatever that means
[22:00]Quemaqua: haha
[22:00]TheOtherBelmont: jamie and adam already did
[22:00]TheOtherBelmont: sorry idol
[22:00]Ghandiee: haha..
[22:00]idolminds: ah #$%&
[22:00]TheOtherBelmont: they do everything as a team
[22:01]idolminds: ok, now I'm weirded out
[22:01]TheOtherBelmont: woo
[22:01]TheOtherBelmont: mission accomplished
[22:01]Ghandiee: screenshot + post...whoever has the capability. I have no photoshop
[22:01]idolminds: copy and paste, #$%&#
[22:02]idolminds: also que, you should try win before 12:16
[22:02]idolminds: no pressure
[22:02]TheOtherBelmont: oh yeah, when your net craps out?
[22:02]idolminds: yeah
[22:02]Quemaqua: oh, fuck
[22:02]Quemaqua: now it's blitz chess
Also, since the sounds for Babas are so UNBELIEVABLY TERRIBLE I made a sound pack you can download. It's got sounds from CM10 and the playchess.com client (ssshhh). Get it here (http://www.overwritten.net/QueSoundsforBabas.rar). Unzip to Babas/Data/Sound and select the sounds you like in the program's setup menus.
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I should add that it's basically an interactive IRC. Tons of fun. Who cares how good you are? Honestly, I'm pretty drunk half of the time and Que is absolutely terrible. Half the fun is chatting with everyone. So join up and have fun!
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Sorry, Que. My internet stopped working last night at around 10 and didn't come back on until this morning. I would have called them but last time I did I ended up slamming my head into the wall because the guy on the other end of the line was so stupid.
But I'm game tonight, assuming everything works.
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I would have called them but last time I did I ended up slamming my head into the wall because the guy on the other end of the line was so stupid.
So that happens worldwide with ISP tech support eh?
The thing is that a lot of stupid people with self created issues call ISPs, so these tech support guys take 30 minutes to identify that you have a real problem.
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The problem wasn't the process, it was the guy himself. I understand the process (even though I hate it). The guy was just an idiot. Plus I had to wait about 45 minutes until I got through.
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So this seemed like the right place to update with some pics of the new chess set I got. I know I talked about it somewhere, and mentioned it to a couple people, so thought I'd post the pics I took of it with the new camera. I've wanted to purchase a really nice chess set for years, and this is what I ended up getting. It was the best looking thing I could find for the price made of good quality materials with a really heavy weight. I love the design, and there were even more expensive sets that really didn't do it for me. This one fit the bill. It's made of boxwood and red sandalwood, both pieces and board, and the set itself (just the pieces) weighs just over 6 pounds.
These pics are bigger than the boards will allow. Feel free to view them outside the boards to get a little more detail. I tried to do closeups of the knights.
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/posty/Chess001.jpg)
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/posty/Chess002.jpg)
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/posty/Chess003.jpg)
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/posty/Chess004.jpg)
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/posty/Chess005.jpg)(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/posty/Chess006.jpg)
It means a lot to me. Chess was one of the ways my father and I bonded when I was younger, and it holds a special place in my life for many reasons. I always wanted to have a set that demonstrated that.
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Awesome, I love the detail on the knights. I am incredibly jealous. What kind of wood is that?
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It's made of boxwood and red sandalwood, both pieces and board, and the set itself (just the pieces) weighs just over 6 pounds.
Red sandalwood is also called bud rosewood. Boxwood isn't anything special, but bud rosewood is my favorite wood for chess sets and boards.
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I've been playing a little bit again recently and thought... at least a few of us play and like to chat about it now and again, might as well actually have a thread with the occasional interesting tidbit, or a bit of a game, or an interesting position, puzzle, whatever. Rather than start a new thread, I figured I'd just start throwing more shit into this one.
So I was playing a game today against one of the middle-level AI opponents in Chessmaster: the Art of Learning which I have on PSP. The game itself is pretty damned average, and a lot of the "learning" features are kind of lame, but it provides a pretty good portable chess game that's functional and consistent. Chessmaster - Grandmaster Edition for PC, which I also have, is basically just CM10 with a... uh... well, I'd say new coat of paint, but it doesn't really even have that. They tweaked some stuff and made minor changes, but it's almost entirely the same game as 10, right down to the chess sets they've provided (you can use downloadable fan-made sets frolm 10 as well). Which is really quite weird. Though if you have neither one, it's a great thing to have. Those are both the newest versions of the product, portably and on PC.
Anyway, I was playing a game against this chick, and I had to quit at one point and so saved the game. You can kind of abuse it because you can turn off the machine and load a saved in-progress match to start over from that position, but it's also kind of nice in the sense that you can save at an interesting position and play out multiple ideas. Obviously this makes your in-game Elo rating kind of not so accurate, but if you're just experimenting it doesn't matter too much (and who really cares about ratings anyway?). So I loaded up the position, which I think is a quite strong one in my favor (I'm playing white), and I obviously have a 2 pawn advantage in material. Should have been a cinch, yet I managed to blunder my way into a stalemate by making a stupid move in the end. I knew the game should have been mine, so I said screw this... loaded the game back up and tried again, using a similar set of moves. Somehow she outmaneuvered me and managed to eventually turn the tide until eventually mating me. Suck. Tried again... after a pretty damned good rest of the game, I totally blundered at the end and allowed her to get a back row mate with her rook when I failed to realize that she could manage it one move before I could finish my final attack. I tried one last time and finally managed to win, but it was a bit frustrating because I mostly won due to a couple of blunders on her part where she traded a rook for a bishop and gave me a clear shot at the center (which is weird, because this particular AI almost never trades... the board stays crowded for quite a long time usually).
So here's the position I was playing from:
(http://www.theflyingmonkeyapparatus.com/images/chess/Position001.jpg)
The moves I really wanted to make were Qf4 or Ra1-e1. She'd invariably attack the leading bishop with Nc8 or Nf5, and I'd invariably retreat with Ba3. After that is when it usually started to get interesting. The E and F columns saw a lot of action, and all 4 bishops played pivotal support roles during the remaining halves of each game. Quite the exasperating tug-o'-war. Things usually started to continue in my favor if I could force her to start trading pieces, which was easier when she brought the queen down to f6 and started trying to make trouble.
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Dude I want to play you. If only you'd come on facebook. You don't have to enter any of your info, or participate in any of the social things.
But we can play a nice game over a month. The problem between us is the time difference. But I wish to play before you continue to improve. :P :P
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Haha... well, the chances of me showing up on Facebook are basically zero, bud. =) It's not like we really need that, though. We could always do a play-by-mail game, or even play one on the boards. There was actually a cool chess plugin for the boards I thought about installing, but I'm too stupid to figure out how to get it working. Regardless, I wouldn't worry about me improving any time soon. I don't have nearly enough time to actually make any real progress, so I just sort of stagnate in my little corner of sub-mediocrity. Maybe when I retire.
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I'm so terrible at endgame stuff. I can never see a mate, like ever, and even when I do it's usually at the expense of a much better mating combination. I suck at that so bad.
This game was totally in my favor pretty much the whole way through, even despite an error or two, but while black threw itself into a bunch of really bad positions at the end, as usual I got panicky and started playing it really safe when I wasn't sure I saw it just right. Drew the game out way, way more than I needed to.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.c3 Nf6
4.d3 Ng4
5.Qc2 a6
6.a4 a5
7.b3 e6
8.Nbd2 d6
9.c4 h6
10.Qc3 f6
11.d4 Nb8
12.d5 e5
13.h3 g6
14.hxg4 h5
15.gxh5 Qb6
16.g3 Qb4
17.Bb2 Be7
18.Bh3 Rxh5
19.g4 Bxg4
20.Bg2 Rxh1+
21.Bxh1 Ra6
22.Qe3 Qb6
23.Qh6 Bxf3
24.Bxf3 Kd7
25.Qxg6 Kd8
26.Bh5 Kc7
27.Qe8 Nd7
28.Qxe7 Qb4
29.Be8 b5
30.Qxd7+ Kb8
31.Qd8+ Ka7
32.Bxb5 Rb6
33.Qd7+ Rb7
34.Qc6 Rb6
35.Qc7+ Rb7
36.Qxd6 Rb6
37.Qe7+ Rb7
38.Qxf6 Rb6
39.Qe7+ Rb7
40.Qxe5 Rf7
41.Qg3 Re7
42.Bc6 Rh7
43.Ke2 Re7
44.Qg6 Rc7
45.Qd6 Qb6
46.e5 Rf7
47.e6 Rc7
48.e7 Rc8
49.Qd7+ Qc7
50.e8=Q Rxe8+
51.Qxe8 Ka6
52.d6 Qh7
53.d7 Qxd7
54.Qxd7 Kb6
55.Bc3 Ka6
56.Bb7+ Kb6
57.Qc6+ Ka7
58.Bc8 Kb8
59.Qb7#
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So I've been reviewing games from the pros recently and diagnosing what I can improve upon. There are tons of things, obviously, and probably most things I can't grasp at this point. But some things in particular -
Pawn position early is crucial. If you are playing against someone decent, your first 10-12 moves are always about establishing pawn position. I've made the mistake recently of getting some pawns into position, getting my knights out and then trying to establish something that ended up failing because I didn't get my pawns into position early enough.
Once you know what you are doing, pressure is easy. Once your opponent knows what they are doing, pressure is tough. Ultimately, you can't rush yourself.
Sacrifice if you have the advantage. This is the key. It's all about the +1. Recognize what will happen if you take a piece and the next 6 moves after that. Will you gain position? Or gain a piece advantage?
And, at the very least, know what you plan to do next. And hopefully three or four or five moves later.
Edit: But hopefully Pug interjects, because he is much better than I am.