"M Winther" wrote in message
newspty362ke13bzrao@kalroten...
Den 2007-09-23 14:42:30 skrev Chess One :

[...]


But for most players, chess is so far from being played-out, or
draw-infested, that no changes are necessary. In fact, very few people
can
even trot out the first dozen moves of relatively popular lines.

I think you address a real problem, Mat, but changing the way the game is
played to accommodate top GMs seems less acceptable to the great majority
of
players, than fiddling with the time controls or with the scoring.

Cordially, Phil Innes


But computers have ousted the masters. I can set up a tournament on my
computer between engines which generates better chess than most
tournaments in the world, and they will play perfectly in the openings,
and
endgames up to 6-pieces. What's the point, then, in including chess in the
Olympic games?

True! I can set up a race with Ferrari's in the 1000 metres, and no human
will win. Trouble is, Ferrari's are not allowed to compete, and neither are
computers, since they both cheat the rules.

But the point I think you do not understand is that most players of chess do
not compete in the olympics or the world championships, and are far from
being grandmasters. To them, there is no draw problem from their own
experience.

Why then do you suggest that rules need changing?

The chessmaster has lost his status, and he will continue
to lose status and creative freedom as the computers are designing the
remaining openings and endgames.

You do understand that that is as illegal as entering a Ferrari in the 1000
metres, right? You can't look up material during the game, and computers
do - so sorry - that's cheating.

We have a problem on the horizon.
I would like to play email chess, but half of my opponents are cheating by
using computers, at least intermittently.

I play lots of corres chess and experience a cheat rate of less than 10%.
Not half.

Had we played chess variants, or
used a swapping pawn move, then they couldn't cheat.

Sure.

So it's not a
problem only to the grandmasters.

You changed the subject ["its"] from Grandmaster draws to correspondance
cheating. Which is it you reference?

I also feel that modern people think that
chess is a little slow and tedious.

Really? To watch or to play? What's boring about a 2 minute game?

Adding flavour to the game could be
worthwhile. The swapping pawn assists the king attack as pawns are
harder to block.

A diversion from the issue.
What is your issue? Cheating or Grandmasters? Both are minor considerations
to the very great majority of chess play. And changing the rules to
accommodate suspected cheaters, ain't in the spirit of the game of chess,
nor any game.

Phil Innes

Mats