February 23rd, 2010
Part 3 of 4 in an excellent History of Chess by Jason Rintz.
The 19th and early 20th centuries saw relatively rapid change in the game of chess. It was still a game for an educated minority, but there was a higher European population than ever before, and more people were educated that at any previous time in history. Additionally, chess play moved from the club scene to broader tournaments, resulting in professionalization and famous players. Coinciding with and contributing to the rise of tournament play was the proliferation of chess media, as well as a need for standardization of rules. By the time war broke out in 1914, chess had become an international game much resembling today’s sport.
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February 23rd, 2010
I’ve heard another blogger use the term “chess blind”. I am afflicted with this disease. Here is an example:
It's My Turn Playing Black
I’ll admit that I have a long way to go to become a decent chess player. However, when playing online chess you do have the opportunity to take a few days to make a move and presumably consider your options. There were a number of moves I could have made here but only one really disastrous move.
After I finish a game I generally run it through an analysis program. One is available on Chess.com or I can use Shredder. (For those who might be wondering …. NO, I never use Shredder to help me decide my moves. It’s just for after-the-fact analysis.) At this point in the game we were even on material and Shredder even gave me a decided advantage on positioning. When I replayed the game Shredder recommended that I make the following move 19 … Qh3. Indeed that was a pretty good move.
I've lost the Queen ... and the game
In fact the move seemed rather obvious …. with the benefit of hindsight. I guess I could say that I got it half right if you were to believe that moving half way there get’s you half the benefit. But unfortunately chess doesn’t work that way. I decided for reasons I don’t even remember to counter with 19 … Qf5 which of course was followed by 20 Ne7+ and I promptly lost my Queen and shortly thereafter the game.
One of my challenges playing online chess (as opposed to live chess where you are playing and not leaving the computer) is to make sure I get my head back into the game when I’ve been away for perhaps a day or so. Hopefully I can learn. During this game I sent a note to my opponent saying I couldn’t believe I had made such a stupid move. He graciously responded by saying that he’d made that mistake many times. A classy response to be sure but I didn’t feel much better.
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February 6th, 2010
Part II in a series by Jason Rintz.
The period between 1500 and 1800 A.D. saw significant developments in the game of chess as well as a new phenomenon—the rise of chess celebrities. Beginning in lower Europe and gradually moving north toward England, chess gained popularity while undergoing alterations to its rules, meaning a new chess was born after the end of the Middle Ages. The 1700s saw chess shift from aristocratic pastime to intellectual preoccupation, meaning its former fan base was lost while a new, wider one was found. By the time 1800 arrived, chess had become a new game with its stars, heated competition, and canonical technical literature, and was far more difficult and moderately different that its medieval manifestation.
More good work from Jason Rintz. Be sure to check it out.
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February 6th, 2010
I run into a lot of articles like this and they usually involve Peyton Manning. I wonder if he really does play chess.
When it comes to the NFL chess match, there’s no better player than Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and that’s something Jonathan Vilma knows all too well.
Vilma, the middle linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, is preparing for a mental and physical chess match with Manning on Sunday in Super Bowl XLIV. The two will spend the day within 10 yards of each other, with Vilma making all the defensive calls and adjustments just the way Manning does on the other side of the ball.
If you like the chess analogy and football it’s worth a read.
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January 17th, 2010
Well at least Kiefer Sutherland does. In this article we learn that he does like chess.
Mary Lynn Rajskub, known to the viewers as Chloe O’Brian, revealed some facts about her co star Kiefer Sutherland. According to her, the talented actor loves playing chess and spends time in the game whenever he can manage.
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January 15th, 2010
Chess match between Super Bowl MVPs will certainly be full of chatter.
Peyton Manning will spend Saturday night doing his usual work, barking instructions at the line of scrimmage.
Ray Lewis will try to match Manning word for word, jab for jab, audible for audible. Their teammates have been through enough of these rounds to know it will be the most entertaining, and loudest, chess match of the divisional-round weekend. It’s Peyton versus Ray, The Sequel.
“It can get pretty chaotic out there,” Colts left tackle Charlie Johnson said with a laugh, reflecting on other times he’s been in the crossfire. “They’ve played against each other so many times that Peyton will make a check and then Ray will make a check and then Peyton will make another check. In a way, it’s kind of fun to listen to.”
Read the rest of it. It’s kinda fun. If you like football you’ll enjoy it.
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January 15th, 2010
I had mentioned in an earlier post that I was all agog over Chess.com. Well I am. For years I’ve never really had chess partners that I could play with and the local chess club doesn’t really fit my work schedule. But Chess.com seems to be working for me. I have a couple of games on the go (and another one on GameKnot.com, another excellent site (but more on that another day). I’m kinda wondering what my rating will settle in at …. I’m guessing 1050-1100. But we’ll see. I’ll post the results of my first game when it completes.
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January 9th, 2010
Some nice research by Jason Rintz resulted in the following article describing the early days of chess. If you’ve played the game for a while but haven’t looked into the history you’ll find this article interesting.
Hindus in India playing an early version of chess
The history of chess is as complex as the game’s rules and strategy themselves. While there are no definitive origins of chess - for example who, where, which particular year, as they all relate to invention - there is adequate historical evidence available to narrow down to a general time frame of its first appearances. Originating in the east and gradually spreading westward, following the historical arc of military and monarchical domination, chess began as a game reflecting the art of war but eventually evolved into one symbolic of European class structures by the end of the medieval age.
Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3.
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January 8th, 2010
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January 5th, 2010
Finally got around to joining Chess.com. It is the site for the person who wants to play chess and doesn’t have anyone around to play with. It’s also for the person who really wants to improve and doesn’t have anyone around who’s a better player or a chess teacher. It’s also for the person who really appreciates well put together websites. And this one is really well put together. As someone who has put together a few websites in the past I can really appreciate the technical awesomeness of Chess.com. Great graphics, easy to navigate and lots of great features.
I’ll have more to say later.
Posted in Improving Your Game, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
