Thread: Online chess site recommendations

Do you have any favorites, assuming you enjoy playing chess?

Chessgames.com: Chess Games Database & Community

I attempt the problem every day. Easily the chess best site in the world. I do not pay a subscription as I do not have sufficient spare time to use the site to its best advantage.

Lots of good sites for learning from novice and up, problem solving, tactics, live play:

chesstempo.com
chess.com
gameknot.com
chessclub.com
and on and on...

Originally Posted by can123

Chessgames.com: Chess Games Database & Community

I attempt the problem every day. Easily the chess best site in the world. I do not pay a subscription as I do not have sufficient spare time to use the site to its best advantage.

Have you played maak rook? Very hard to win, especially against a seasoned player. My neighbour plays online every day and I was intrigued. We made a date to have a game in real life so I went online to learn the rules. While doing so, I came across a comment from a former chess grandmaster who declared maak rook was like starting a game of chess at the end game., and after playing 5 games with my neighbour over a bottle, I appreciated the comment. It is straight into it, because the pawns are already advanced a rank.
Like with draughts (checkers), moves become automatic for the regular player and newbie tactics are easily swiped away. I didn't win at all, but in one game had him "Oh"ing and worried. He prevailed though after his initial shock at the sneaky and unexpected assault.
Needs practice.

Yes, I have played Makruk ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makruk ) but I cannot play it well. I am of a reasonable standard at chess but totally useless at draughts (checkers) and I feel that Makruk is more like draughts than western chess. I find the end game rules, counting the moves, very annoying and so the game irritates. I used to enjoy myself by looking for Germans with a chess set on the table at the Royal Garden, open with an apparently silly opening like the Orang Utan to throw them off guard, and wipe the floor with them just as they realised I could play the game Th look on their faces was a joy to behold.

My club playing days were before the internet so most of my studies of openings were from books and opponents. I stuck to only a few openings for white, preferring Queens Gambit, usually Cambridge Springs was the defence. The major study was as black trying to remember best play for the standard openings, of which there are many.

Wiki has a page dedicated to ECO. Batsford are good books that can be picked up online as PDFs.

My favourite play was to go away from a mainline early and pick some iffy variation to force opponents away from book play

Originally Posted by jabir

chess.com

Chess.com is good.

You can usually get a rapid 30 min opponent in a few seconds.

i have not tried the others.

Originally Posted by Troy

My club playing days were before the internet so most of my studies of openings were from books and opponents.

It is a different world from when I was kid. There is so much scope for learning and practice online now. I would bet that there has been a Flynn Effect on chess ratings since the internet took off. My game is defo better than when I was kid just because there are so many ways to practice and things to learn online.

Just watching a few youtube talk-throughs is much easier than trying to learn from a book by reading move sequence notation.

Originally Posted by Troy

My favourite play was to go away from a mainline early and pick some iffy variation to force opponents away from book play

Definitely my style, as I don't study book play, but play to what's happening, looking at various permutations just 2 or 3 moves ahead. I realise that won't get me far with good players who look ahead much further, but it suts me.

There was an Indian lass, world class champion. She actually had very little strategic skill or logic but had memorised several hundred games and got by with that. Not my style at all.

I'm the reigning, undefeated, Grand Chess Champion... of our house.

But I'm retiring on top. Kids are starting to get a little bit too good and threatening to take my title.

Originally Posted by can123

I used to enjoy myself by looking for Germans with a chess set on the table at the Royal Garden, open with an apparently silly opening like the Orang Utan to throw them off guard, and wipe the floor with them just as they realised I could play the game

The number of different aspects in which you are an ultra-cool dude really is impressive.

CV, Hotel choice, Baked goods sources...and now chess.

You rool can123!

One of my favourite places to play was Linz Austria. There was a bar with an outside chess board on the square with almost life size pieces. The games were played for litres of beer so winners couldn't stay on too long. It is much harder for the average player because you can't see the whole board from one viewpoint. Memory positions and moves is a big bonus.

are you done sucking his cock, cy ?

Originally Posted by Troy

One of my favourite places to play was Linz Austria. There was a bar with an outside chess board on the square with almost life size pieces. The games were played for litres of beer so winners couldn't stay on too long. It is much harder for the average player because you can't see the whole board from one viewpoint. Memory positions and moves is a big bonus.

you should try Guliver, they have them too

I note that Squirrel has commented. The beauty of chess is that one never comes into contact with people like Squirrel. The game is denied to thickies.

Originally Posted by Troy

It is much harder for the average player because you can't see the whole board from one viewpoint. Memory positions and moves is a big bonus.

I saw a doco on Chess grandmasters a whiles back -- wish I could remember what it was called now because it was really quite good.

And that's ironic too because it basically concluded that the reason some people are better than others is a very specific faculty for memorising the positions and patterns that follow from them.

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

you should try Guliver, they have them too

Yes, and their set is a nice one. It would have been pinched if it was in the UK. It's before the steps on the way to the toilet.

Originally Posted by Looper

Just watching a few youtube talk-throughs is much easier than trying to learn from a book by reading move sequence notation.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

And that's ironic too because it basically concluded that the reason some people are better than others is a very specific faculty for memorising the positions and patterns that follow from them.

I think it is very important to learn with a board in front of you and move the pieces according to the opening you are trying to study and to do so from white and black perspective. It is not enough to see the position from a diagram in a book or on you-tube. You can guide one opening into another and achieve a familiar middle game position if you can see the positions your aiming for and this is especially important if you know your end games.

Apologies for drifting...