I went to my local chess club, forked over 15 bucks to my TD for playing
a tournament style chess match system set up. I've never played in
tournament chess style formats before and I was burned twice last night
(game 45/no increment) to 2 mere pre teen geeks. One of the games I lost
because I couldn't keep up with the task of writing down the moves on
the scoresheet and getting confused over which move was played and what
I had to do next. This problem cost me a piece and I lost quickly.

After I lost, I asked the "genius" if I could play a quick 5 minute
blitz game with him. Luckily for me, he agreed and we played. With
blinding fury and determination, I totally crushed him. *******! I won
without having to write down the damn moves and I was able to
concentrate on the game itself. I salvaged my pride with that quick
game. It told me that I'm not an idiot. I CAN play chess well, I just
didn't have experience with tournament style chess playing. Next week I
go to the club, I'll play the tournament games without keeping any game
score. This way I can concentrate on the moves, not the moves on the
score sheet.

To further boost my ego, I went onto the Playchess server later that
night and played a few blitz games and crushed some opponents left and
right. Those games I enjoyed playing because I didn't have to keep score
of the moves played...because Fritz did them for me. I just wish playing
OTB chess games could be as effortless as last night's blitz session
online. I also like the faceless nature of computer chess because I
don't have to fear feeling humiliated in front of another player. I can
just click the "loss" away and find another opponent. Playing in
tournament chess the stakes are different. Losing hurts in those kinds
of chess matches because your name gets marked down either a 1 or a 0
and if you're dead last in the columns...believe me, that can hurt
psychologically. People can whisper behind your back that you're nothing
more than an "easy mark" and a fool. Playing online avoids this problem
since there are so many players to choose from to play with and you
don't run into problems like this.

Just my two cents worth.

A few comments:

1. Being able to play successfully at blitz doesn't necessarily make you
a chess "genius"

2. Writing down moves, once you get the hang of it, is very easy. It
may have thrown you, but you should find it very simple later (and
incredibly useful for post-game analysis with a friend or a computer).

3. One would think that having 45 minutes for a game, even with writing
down moves, would allow you to think more clearly than playing at blitz
speed.

4. A lot of those "pre teen geeks" can play some pretty good chess. In
particular, I find them tough at faster time controls because they can
often spot the 2 or 3 move combination faster than I can, although with
more time I can usually find perhaps a positional refutation. I've been
beaten by kids at G/15 or G/30 because of this, while able to beat them
playing G/60 - and it turns out that they tend to use no more time at
G/60 than they do at G/15!

5. I believe you are required to record moves in officially rated
tournaments. Your own club may not require that though, but I would
recommend that in casual games at non-blitz speeds, you take the time to
do so.

6. Yeah, it can be fun to boost your ego in blitz games (esp. online),
but you'll understand the game a lot more by playing at slower controls.

7. Losing may hurt, but your ego should not be so fragile as to see a 0
next to it. Learn from your mistakes, and soon the extra "1's" you see
should provide you an ego boost. Ignore the whispers, BTW - most of
them are probably in your head... ;-)

8. Learning to write down moves and immersing yourself in the notation
will aid in your reading of chess books.

John

Alberich wrote in rec.games.chess.misc:

snip

So, you're good at blitz. But are you good at _chess_ as well?

--
CeeBee


Uxbridge: "By God, sir, I've lost my leg!"
Wellington: "By God, sir, so you have!"


Google CeeBee @ www.geocities.com/ceebee_2

On 16 Sep 2003 14:22:14 -0500, Alberich
wrote:

I went to my local chess club, forked over 15 bucks to my TD for playing
a tournament style chess match system set up. I've never played in
tournament chess style formats before and I was burned twice last night
(game 45/no increment) to 2 mere pre teen geeks. One of the games I lost
because I couldn't keep up with the task of writing down the moves on
the scoresheet and getting confused over which move was played and what
I had to do next. This problem cost me a piece and I lost quickly.

After I lost, I asked the "genius" if I could play a quick 5 minute
blitz game with him. Luckily for me, he agreed and we played. With
blinding fury and determination, I totally crushed him. *******! I won
without having to write down the damn moves and I was able to
concentrate on the game itself. I salvaged my pride with that quick
game. It told me that I'm not an idiot. I CAN play chess well, I just
didn't have experience with tournament style chess playing. Next week I
go to the club, I'll play the tournament games without keeping any game
score. This way I can concentrate on the moves, not the moves on the
score sheet.

To further boost my ego, I went onto the Playchess server later that
night and played a few blitz games and crushed some opponents left and
right. Those games I enjoyed playing because I didn't have to keep score
of the moves played...because Fritz did them for me. I just wish playing
OTB chess games could be as effortless as last night's blitz session
online. I also like the faceless nature of computer chess because I
don't have to fear feeling humiliated in front of another player. I can
just click the "loss" away and find another opponent. Playing in
tournament chess the stakes are different. Losing hurts in those kinds
of chess matches because your name gets marked down either a 1 or a 0
and if you're dead last in the columns...believe me, that can hurt
psychologically. People can whisper behind your back that you're nothing
more than an "easy mark" and a fool. Playing online avoids this problem
since there are so many players to choose from to play with and you
don't run into problems like this.

Just my two cents worth.


I think you should play what you enjoy. If you want to play blitz
only, then play blitz only. However, don't expect a club to be filled
with only people who want to play your way.

Many clubs offer a "free" night where you don't have to join your
first night.

As an aside: I play a lot on Yahoo. A lot of people there like to
play bilitz. I do not. Some will "yell" at me to play faster. I
have beating some of these peope whose rating is 200 points better
because they don't know how to play a better, slow game. I must admit
that I take some pleasure in a win in those circumstances.

I think that some of them have built their ratings by "wins" over
people who simply run out of time.

In general: Play the kind of chess you like with the people you enjoy
playing with and you will have a good time.

Greg in Cincinnati

In article ,
Alberich wrote:

I went to my local chess club, forked over 15 bucks to my TD for playing
a tournament style chess match system set up. I've never played in
tournament chess style formats before and I was burned twice last night
(game 45/no increment) to 2 mere pre teen geeks. One of the games I lost
because I couldn't keep up with the task of writing down the moves on
the scoresheet and getting confused over which move was played and what
I had to do next. This problem cost me a piece and I lost quickly.

After I lost, I asked the "genius" if I could play a quick 5 minute
blitz game with him. Luckily for me, he agreed and we played. With
blinding fury and determination, I totally crushed him. *******! I won
without having to write down the damn moves and I was able to
concentrate on the game itself. I salvaged my pride with that quick
game. It told me that I'm not an idiot. I CAN play chess well, I just
didn't have experience with tournament style chess playing. Next week I
go to the club, I'll play the tournament games without keeping any game
score. This way I can concentrate on the moves, not the moves on the
score sheet.

To further boost my ego, I went onto the Playchess server later that
night and played a few blitz games and crushed some opponents left and
right. Those games I enjoyed playing because I didn't have to keep score
of the moves played...because Fritz did them for me. I just wish playing
OTB chess games could be as effortless as last night's blitz session
online. I also like the faceless nature of computer chess because I
don't have to fear feeling humiliated in front of another player. I can
just click the "loss" away and find another opponent. Playing in
tournament chess the stakes are different. Losing hurts in those kinds
of chess matches because your name gets marked down either a 1 or a 0
and if you're dead last in the columns...believe me, that can hurt
psychologically. People can whisper behind your back that you're nothing
more than an "easy mark" and a fool. Playing online avoids this problem
since there are so many players to choose from to play with and you
don't run into problems like this.

Just my two cents worth.


Can I get my money back?

If you don't like tournament rules, don't play in tournaments. Period.

You can tell yourself how great you are if you want, but if you can't
prove it under tournament conditions, no one cares what you think. Well,
at least most people don't. You obviously do.

--Harold Buck


"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

"Alberich" wrote in message
. ..
snip
didn't have experience with tournament style chess playing. Next week I
go to the club, I'll play the tournament games without keeping any game
score. This way I can concentrate on the moves, not the moves on the
score sheet.
snip

Don't be surprised when the TD tells you that you have to keep score and
then penalizes you if you don't. It will take a few games to get used to
it, but then you'll be fine. Try practicing with a friend, or by playing
through a game from a book, or watch an on-line game and record it.

It isn't optional to keep score.

David

In article ,
says...

"Alberich" wrote in message
. ..
snip
didn't have experience with tournament style chess playing. Next week I
go to the club, I'll play the tournament games without keeping any game
score. This way I can concentrate on the moves, not the moves on the
score sheet.
snip

Don't be surprised when the TD tells you that you have to keep score and
then penalizes you if you don't. It will take a few games to get used to
it, but then you'll be fine. Try practicing with a friend, or by playing
through a game from a book, or watch an on-line game and record it.

It isn't optional to keep score.

David



I guess it's going to take me a while to learn this method of
"transcribing" moves on score sheets. But to me it should be null
because of this rule that if the game is under 5 minutes left on the
clock...one doesn't have to keep score. Why not allow chess players the
option of not keeping score in rated tournament games? Either that or
require chess players to use DGT enabled chess boards with pieces. But
of course, that'd be a very expensive option, but at least that would
take care of the problem of trying to write down the moves fast enough
to catch up with the opponent's rhythm.

Another thing...why the requirement for subtracting 5 minutes from the
total game time length if you have your digital chess clock give you
delays of 5 seconds?! Personally, I believe the best solution for all
involved is to just give us game plus increment. Personally I can live
with 5/30, but then it'll be next to impossible to write down the moves
UNLESS they give a player the option to adding a time delay between
moves, say 10 seconds. That gives enough time to write down the moves
BEFORE the next second ticks down for the time requirements. But my
personal best is the way chess software like Fritz, Hiarcs, Tiger,
Shredder, Junior do in the Chessbase GUI...just play the game and the
program automatically transcribes the moves for you. No messy
handwriting, no worrying about mistakes in the scores, etc. Very simple
and easier on the player. At least for chess tournament newbies like me.

I guess it's going to take me a while to learn this method of
"transcribing" moves on score sheets. But to me it should be null
because of this rule that if the game is under 5 minutes left on the
clock...one doesn't have to keep score. Why not allow chess players the
option of not keeping score in rated tournament games?

snip

If there's a dispute, they may need to check the scoresheets to re-create
the position.

But the truth of the matter is, people make mistakes keeping score all the
time. If you find out you missed a move somewhere, I'd recommend letting it
slide and just keeping score from then on. Don't worry if your scoresheet is
correct while you're playing. That can be distracting, and chance are slim
the TD will ask to see it.

-T

I guess it's going to take me a while to learn this method of
"transcribing" moves on score sheets. But to me it should be null
because of this rule that if the game is under 5 minutes left on the
clock...one doesn't have to keep score. Why not allow chess players the
option of not keeping score in rated tournament games? Either that or
require chess players to use DGT enabled chess boards with pieces. But
of course, that'd be a very expensive option, but at least that would
take care of the problem of trying to write down the moves fast enough
to catch up with the opponent's rhythm.

Most people don't have a "problem" with writing down moves. It's pretty
easy - and you can even get one of those roll-up boards with the letters
and the numbers on the sides if you can remember the algebraic
coordinates of the squares. But, if you want to study chess, it makes
sense to learn the notation.

By the way, you may be required to write down moves, but I'm not sure
what the penalty is (or if there is one) if you don't write them down
correctly.

Ultimately, when we're all playing with electronic boards synched up to
clocks that track moves and times automatically, you won't have to worry
about this. But, despite the fact that the technology exists, I would
predict that it will be 10-20 years at least before this becomes
standard equipment. Chessplayers today complain about having to buy
clocks - think they want to deal with electronic boards?


Another thing...why the requirement for subtracting 5 minutes from the
total game time length if you have your digital chess clock give you
delays of 5 seconds?!

I don't think it is a "requirement" (other than perhaps from the TD),
but it is an attempt I believe to keep the overall game time the same.
Since each move adds 5 seconds in your example, over the course of 60
moves, you've gain 5 minutes in time - so to compensate many TDs have
you start with 5 minutes less. The main reason is so that games will
finish more or less on time, I believe.

Personally, I believe the best solution for all
involved is to just give us game plus increment. Personally I can live
with 5/30, but then it'll be next to impossible to write down the moves
UNLESS they give a player the option to adding a time delay between
moves, say 10 seconds. That gives enough time to write down the moves
BEFORE the next second ticks down for the time requirements. But my
personal best is the way chess software like Fritz, Hiarcs, Tiger,
Shredder, Junior do in the Chessbase GUI...just play the game and the
program automatically transcribes the moves for you. No messy
handwriting, no worrying about mistakes in the scores, etc. Very simple
and easier on the player. At least for chess tournament newbies like me.

You'll find that it isn't so hard - lots of chessplayers have managed to
overcome it... ;-)

John

"Alberich" wrote:
.... One of the games I lost
because I couldn't keep up with the task of writing down the moves on
the scoresheet and getting confused over which move was played and what
I had to do next. This problem cost me a piece and I lost quickly. ....

One should never expect to live up to his full potential in his first
tournament. If it isn't writing the moves, it's freaking about the clock,
or getting used to the touch-move rule, or remembering not to talk during
the game, etc. Just play in a few more events and you'll be over it.

Are you aware that, when under 5 minutes, you are not required to keep score
anymore? This should keep you from losing on time because you're worried
about writing the moves.

Another option would be to play only in quick-rated events, game in 29
minutes or faster, where scorekeeping is not required.

.... Next week I
go to the club, I'll play the tournament games without keeping any game
score. ....

Illegal. If the time control is game/30 or slower, you are required to
write the moves until one of the players has less than 5 minutes remaining.

Bill Smythe