Jordan Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Do any of you play? I was probably a B- or C-class player as a teenager, but as the years have gone by, I stopped playing. However, my local library has started running a chess club three nights a month, and that--along with the recent documentary, "Bobby Fischer Against The World"--has sparked my interest in playing again. I also figure that every true gentleman should be able to know how to navigate his way around a chess board. My best guess is that I'd only play at a 1200-rating level now, but could get to 1800 with a year of solid play, practice, and study. I've started playing OTB at the library, and have also started playing online, too. I'd like to start this thread and leave it open for general chess discussion: talk about your play, specific games, what's happening in the world of chess, discuss theory and tactics, call chess players nerds, talk about where you play, arrange games, discuss how awesome Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" is, etc.
Guest MattP Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Used to captain my school team when I was 14-15 but have not played seriously for years. Always play when I'm on the games on a flight etc but just don't seem to have the time anymore to play properly.
Webbo Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 I can play but I can't claim to be any good. I tried to teach my daughters how to play but they don't have any interest. PS I've just noticed your "http://www.newyorkfoxes.com/". Is there much Leicester interest there?
James. Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Played a lot when I was younger and have started playing regularly again recently. On the Shredder iPhone app playing versus a computer I have a 1,600 rating but that's probably a little high. On Chess.com I'm around 1,400. Consider myself pretty decent but prone to rushing so I generally play 10 or 30 minute timed games. Love it though, proper game, keeps the mind ticking.
Jordan Posted 4 July 2012 Author Posted 4 July 2012 I must have accidentally hit "add reply" on my phone before finishing my post; you'll find another, more complete thread here, too. Can you please merge them? Thank you I can play but I can't claim to be any good. I tried to teach my daughters how to play but they don't have any interest. PS I've just noticed your "http://www.newyorkfoxes.com/". Is there much Leicester interest there? There is not a whole lot of interest here ATM but there are fans. There are a few LCFC fans in NYC but not as many as most Premier League teams, though when (if?) Leicester go back up, interest will spike a bit, as people do watch the Premier League here--more than MLS, I'd say. Best crowds out for recent Leicester games were at least 15 for the playoffs 2nd leg at Cardiff and 3 NYers + 10 visitors from Leicestershire for the Pompey home game this year. Doesn't sound like a whole lot, but getting a dozen City fans in a NYC bar is pretty good. Football Factory, the new biggest soccer bar in NYC, advertises when it shows Leicester games, promotes those games along with New York Foxes, and is trying to get us to donate some Leicester merchants or memorabilia to put up alongside their Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea etc. stuff but I suppose this is material for another thread.
Jordan Posted 4 July 2012 Author Posted 4 July 2012 Played a lot when I was younger and have started playing regularly again recently. On the Shredder iPhone app playing versus a computer I have a 1,600 rating but that's probably a little high. On Chess.com I'm around 1,400. Consider myself pretty decent but prone to rushing so I generally play 10 or 30 minute timed games. Love it though, proper game, keeps the mind ticking. Does it ever. I'm not sure how much peer-reviewed studies have been made about this, but I feel like I generally have been thinking more sharply over the last few weeks now that I've been playing again.
Bert Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Not intelligent enough to play chess. Too short fused at competitive stuff I'm useless at.
isaidno Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 I was in the school chess club, haven't played since then
Rincewind Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 I think it was the old Leicester Forum but I googled Leicester and it came up with a Leicester in America (New England I think) and contacted a team Leicester United. It turned out it was a schools team. I kept in touch for a bit but they may have not been interested in promoting City too much. I'll have a look to see if they are still going. As for chess I can play but do not have the concentration. I remember years ago at my first work place we used to have xmas tournaments and I won the chessone one year. The other contestants were not happy because they thought themselves so much superior to me and said that I was lucky. I always thought it a game of skill but i may have been lucky that they never saw my poor play was a ruse. Found one website but its the end of the season.http://www.leicestersoccer.com/ Also found a Leicester United team that won some European Cup. Not football though
leicsmac Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Was captain of my university team and play a fair bit online in my spare time now. I was rated at about 1850 ELO when I was at uni but I think I've dropped off a bit from that now because of lack of application. I never had the will to study all of the theory on openings and classic game lines etc which would have taken me to a better level as a player, but I'm not bad recreationally. I tend just to play rapidplay online games now, though there are a few of my friends out here who play too so when we're both out we'll sometimes have a sit-down game. What openings does everyone prefer? I'm very much a 1.d4 man as White and like to use the Sicilian against 1.e4 as Black and the semi-Slav against 1.d4.
Guest MattP Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 We should try and set up a foxestalk tournament....
leicsmac Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Sounds good to me. I'm sure some of the Net chess engines (Chess.com, Chesscube.com) have the facility for that.
Rincewind Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 I had one of the talking game ones. I usually set the opposition at the lowest level. Sure I still have it somewhere if I didn't leave it at where I worked. May have a PC CD game but it came with my original PC a on a different system. I'd just get bored if I kept losing pieces.
Hollism Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 I know how to play and was in a chess club in primary school. Last time I played was a couple of years ago and I wouldn't say I'm any good.
Libertine Dream Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Ive never played nor would I know how to play chess. I'd probably strughle to name the pieces if you put me on the spot
Rincewind Posted 4 July 2012 Posted 4 July 2012 Looked at the online site mentioned above. Think you can set your own tourneys up. You can also do it through Facebook. There is also a no time limit type game where you are alerted when its your move. If you don't mind somebody taking a fortnight holiday in between moves that'll be OK.
Jordan Posted 4 July 2012 Author Posted 4 July 2012 Was captain of my university team and play a fair bit online in my spare time now. I was rated at about 1850 ELO when I was at uni but I think I've dropped off a bit from that now because of lack of application. I never had the will to study all of the theory on openings and classic game lines etc which would have taken me to a better level as a player, but I'm not bad recreationally. I tend just to play rapidplay online games now, though there are a few of my friends out here who play too so when we're both out we'll sometimes have a sit-down game. What openings does everyone prefer? I'm very much a 1.d4 man as White and like to use the Sicilian against 1.e4 as Black and the semi-Slav against 1.d4. I generally prefer some version of the English as white and the Sicilian against 1. e4 as black. I've tended to like unbalanced games. But I've found recently that I've really enjoyed playing the Ruy Lopez as white; it's lead to some very sharp games for me lately, although it's such an extensively-studied opening that good players will know a lot of variations to that line. I'd like to brush up on openings, and know at least one basic line to play as/against 1. c4, d4, and e4, but I'm probably gonna spend the next week or two sharpening up on tactics, etc. We should try and set up a foxestalk tournament.... I'd be down for that. But I like how leicsmac asked us about our openings so he can prepare his openings for everyone else.
leicsmac Posted 5 July 2012 Posted 5 July 2012 I'd be down for that. But I like how leicsmac asked us about our openings so he can prepare his openings for everyone else. Damn. Busted.
ithuriel Posted 5 July 2012 Posted 5 July 2012 When i was around eleven years old i grabbed a chess book from the school library and read it thoroughly, drew a chess board and cut out card pieces. We were not that well off. Then i taught my next eldest brother and sister to play and started playing a little bit in the school chess club at break times. When i first started work i took a set to work and used to play games with my manager over the course of dinner breaks. These days most peeps i know do not have the time for it unfortunately and i have not played a game of chess since the nineties.
Guest Posted 5 July 2012 Posted 5 July 2012 used to play a lot. Had a pretty good ranking in the Leicester league. Got serious won a couple of tournaments. Came to France - no local competition, played email chess for a while then stopped. Haven't played more than a handful of games in the last 15 years - apart from teaching my son. Now feel stupid to look at a board and not see 10+ moves in advance. I do have rather a good collection of chess sets though and I'm always looking at others. If anyone has an old chess set they want to sell let me know.
Rincewind Posted 5 July 2012 Posted 5 July 2012 I have an electronic talking one. It has varied levels and a teaching mode. On piece is missing. I use a small screw which does the job. You just press on the board to confirm a move so doesn't matter how. Just played a game letting the computer make both w an B moves. Thought it would be a stalemate but White eventually won. No inswtructions on how to set levels teaching etc It's a Systema make so don't know if instuctions can be viewed on line. Off for a shift in a charity shop soon. Can look to see if they have any sets. Lost connection as I was editing Just remembered I also have an hand held one somewhere. I think old games can be replayed on it. It's either that one or another one I had. When I got the electronic one I also bought a couple of books but eventually it got too technical meaning I had to think more.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 5 July 2012 Posted 5 July 2012 Uncanny Jordan, over the past few days I've been thinking of starting a chess thread, but just not remembered when on here (I'm easily distracted - not good for playing chess!) I love chess, though I can't say I'm many good at it as it's rare I get to play anyone - I've never liked playing random anyones on-line. Earlier this year I bought a great chess set in Skye made entirely from driftwood - it's beautiful and only cost me £32, I couldn't believe it!
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