Chess.

[Khandro]

Do we have any secret grandmasters on AB - or even low-graders like me ?

[SlackAlice]

I play chess regularly, although not at Grandmaster Class (yet!). Have been playing since the age of 12.

[naomi24]

I like chess but would not by any stretch of the imagination consider myself a 'Master' - much less a 'Grand' one.

One bit of good news though - I know a few teenagers who have recently half-abandoned their usual games on their phones in favour of playing chess on their phones, either against each other or against the computer. Only half-abandoned, true, but it's encouraging.

[Khandro]

Hi Alice & n. I ask because I'm playing an online game against a guy whose stats show he has won well over a thousand games & lost 400
My stats (on this chess site) show I've not won any !
I could put up the state of play so far if you like ?

[naomi24]

Khandro, you might like to ask the Ed to move this to a more suitable category where it will be seen by those interested in games. Just a thought.

[Khandro]

n. I tried the gaming site, but its default is for computer games. There doesn't seem to be a suitable site

[naomi24]

Oh really? So the same would apply to card games, backgammon, Monopoly, Cluedo, and all sorts then. Perhaps you could bring it to the Ed's attention and ask where they suggest threads like this be posted.

[naomi24]

Khandro, putting a link to this in Editor's Blog would bring it to their attention - and once the Ed's seen it and responded, everyone would know the answer.

[ClareTG0ld]

I do, although I know I'm nowhere near good enough to be seen as a "secret Grandmaster". Also, TTT does, or did at least -- we even played a game once.

[ToraToraTora]

I once played jim360 via lichess link, I think he won, I blundered, can't remember if we had a rematch or not. You can send a link to anyone to play a game or post the link anywhere including in AB so you can play anonymously. https://lichess.org/

[ToraToraTora]

sorry CTG should have read all the posts before I put my pennyworth in.

[Khandro]

n. I asked Ed.
Hobbies & Interests isn't quite right really for a fight to the death :0)

[naomi24]

Hmmm ... I don't know, Khandro. When I'm playing I'm always interested in the battle - and hopefully the victory! :o)

[Hymie]

I doubt there are any Grand Masters on AB - to qualify as a Grand Master, you’ have an ELO rating of about 2400.

The chess ELO rating system is based a player having an ELO rating 400 points above their opponent would be expected to score 100% (win all the games), the same ELO rating resulting in a 50% score and a plus 200 ELO rating resulting in a 75% score.

The world chess champion will typically have an ELO rating of around 2800.

I used to play over the board chess for a club and the county first team, but my ELO rating was just over 2000 – so a Grand Master would expect to win virtually every game against me.

I still play chess on-line for the county and have an assigned ELO rating of circa 2150.

Currently the best chess engines have a claimed ELO rating of circa 4000 – and so can beat the human world chess champion with ease.

[Khandro]

Hymie; I have two computer chess sets & I could turn one on at a high level for my moves, but that would be pointless cheating - though I guess it's done, and you never know whether the opponent is doing just that in online games.

But I think a suggestion from a friend on AB would not be out of order.

[Hymie]

When I lose one of my on-line games, I assume it is because my opponent is cheating better than me.

[Hymie]

Having spent far too long playing chess and analysing chess positions – these are a couple of quotes I totally agree with.

The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life. (Paul Morphy)

Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency. (Raymond Chandler)

[Khandro]

Hymie at 11:00 is that a joke, or do you actually use a computer ?

[vulcan42]

I play chess but to no particular standard. The notion of cheating is intriguing, how is it done? The only person I saw was My MiL who on seeing she was losing accidently knocked the pieces off the board and declared it was a draw!

[naomi24]

Haaa! Well, that's one way to win, Vulcan. That reminds me of someone I used to play Scrabble with. He tried so often to sneak tiles into his hand that had already been laid to use in his next word. More often than not I spotted him doing it - but I don't doubt there were times when he succeeded. Didn't do him a lot of good though. He rarely won. :o)

[Ken4155]

I have played chess but wasn't much good at it - no real strategy, just off-the-cuff moves. In an effort to try and improve my game, back in the early 80s, i bought a small electrical chess game with differing levels of difficulty computed into it.
I was beaten by the machine more times than i cared to count - even on the 'beginner' level, but one day i thought my luck had changed when i captured it's queen. However, a few moves later, the machine moved it's queen!!! I had taken it but it had reappeared on the board.
I promptly gave the game away:-/