Small thrills in chess

Originally posted by bot 6
chess is a stupid game for fools.the only reason i play is to show you geeks that its not about this deep and intelectual thing you call logic, its about tic tac toe whoopty do. i might as well play checkers. same thing.

Clearly, judging by your current rating, it is neither deep nor intellectual for you.

Originally posted by Bedlam
14 moves isnt bad 🙂

[Event "Friendly Game, 12m + 0s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2005.11.08"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Caffeinated"]
[Black "Samoht"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C00"]
[BlackElo "2589"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2005.11.08"]
[TimeControl "720"]

1. e4 {1} e6 {5} 2. d4 {2} d6 {10} 3. f4 {7} Nf6 {8} 4. Nc3 {3} Nbd7 {20} 5.
Nf3 {3} ...[text shortened]... {27} 13. Bxd5+ {2} Nxd5 {3} 14. Qxd5# {(Lag: Av=0.33s, max=0.5s) 1} 1-0

Not bad! Any in 10 or less?

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
Not bad! Any in 10 or less?

I have one where I mate Kamsky in 9 but I can never find the pgn while awake 😛

Originally posted by Bedlam
I have one where I mate Kamsky in 9 but I can never find the pgn while awake 😛

Was that when he was 6 years old?

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
Was that when he was 6 years old?

In my dream its right after he just beat Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Polgar and Adams in a simlu 😛

Originally posted by Bedlam
In my dream its right after he just beat Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Polgar and Adams in a simlu 😛

Couldn't he beat Kramnik?

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
Couldn't he beat Kramnik?

Kramnik is his footstool 😉

Originally posted by Bedlam
14 moves isnt bad 🙂

[Event "Friendly Game, 12m + 0s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2005.11.08"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Caffeinated"]
[Black "Samoht"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C00"]
[BlackElo "2589"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2005.11.08"]
[TimeControl "720"]

1. e4 {1} e6 {5} 2. d4 {2} d6 {10} 3. f4 {7} Nf6 {8} 4. Nc3 {3} Nbd7 {20} 5.
Nf3 {3} ...[text shortened]... {27} 13. Bxd5+ {2} Nxd5 {3} 14. Qxd5# {(Lag: Av=0.33s, max=0.5s) 1} 1-0

Forgive me if this sounds stupid. But what's the meaning of Plycount "27"?

Originally posted by ckoh1965
Forgive me if this sounds stupid. But what's the meaning of Plycount "27"?

The number of moves in the game 🙂

Originally posted by Bedlam
The number of moves in the game 🙂

Ah, but in this particular game, only 14 moves?

Originally posted by ckoh1965
Ah, but in this particular game, only 14 moves?

ply is one half move......

ie 13 black moves and 14 white moves 🙂

Originally posted by Bedlam
ply is one half move......

ie 13 black moves and 14 white moves 🙂

Oh ok. Thanks. That's something new I've learned today. Amazing, I've played chess for years before this, and yet I didn't know that! Strange thing is that I've read quite a lot of chess books, and I don't seem to have come across that term. Is that a common way to describe the number of moves in chess? I know one move means one for white and another for black, of course. I didn't know about the usage of 'ply' to mean half a move. Interesting....

Originally posted by ckoh1965
Oh ok. Thanks. That's something new I've learned today. Amazing, I've played chess for years before this, and yet I didn't know that! Strange thing is that I've read quite a lot of chess books, and I don't seem to have come across that term. Is that a common way to describe the number of moves in chess? I know one move means one for white and another for bl ...[text shortened]... of course. I didn't know about the usage of 'ply' to mean half a move. Interesting....

Its not something iv bumped across in books either, its mainly used for the electronic part of chess, databases will tell you the ply count of the game and engines will tell you in ply how deep they are caculating.

Originally posted by ckoh1965
Oh ok. Thanks. That's something new I've learned today. Amazing, I've played chess for years before this, and yet I didn't know that! Strange thing is that I've read quite a lot of chess books, and I don't seem to have come across that term. Is that a common way to describe the number of moves in chess? I know one move means one for white and another for bl ...[text shortened]... of course. I didn't know about the usage of 'ply' to mean half a move. Interesting....

I just heard it for the first time, too. I have only been playing for two years, haven't read many chess books, and haven't played at a club or anything, but I think I have come over most chess terms on the internet. I think I have heard them referred to as "half-moves".

Originally posted by Nordlys
I just heard it for the first time, too. I have only been playing for two years, haven't read many chess books, and haven't played at a club or anything, but I think I have come over most chess terms on the internet. I think I have heard them referred to as "half-moves".

Well, actually, you'd be surprised how much you can improve if you read books. You'll find lots of stuff. Past games and what are the ideas behind each opening. When I was at the height of my chess madness, I used to read a hell lot. I used to play in tournaments. Unfortunately, I never did win anything, but I got as far as number 7 in a local club. Then when I was transferred back to my home country, I had to give up competitive chess because of work commitments.

If you don't read, you'd often find yourself trapped; or you'd waste a lot of time thinking in the opening. In some openings, up to the first 10 moves might be made out of memorization, really. But of course, some games get out of book opening much sooner than that.

Now I'm trying to spare some time to do a bit of reading again. And I've just realised just hom much I've forgotten. For example, right now I'm reading about the Accelerated Dragons (John Donaldson & Jeremy Silman: CADOGAN). Anybody who has this book bill tell you that it is soooo deep, the first few chapters can drain all your mental stamina! But anyway, the dragons is a very complicated opening with lots of traps etc in it.

Try reading a bit, and you'll see that your strength will increase in no time!