Latest news from the chess board

Jun 10 2009 by Aaron Edwards, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FEW people can enjoy the advantages offered by the internet more than chess players.

Not only are their innumerable sites offering free tuition on the game, but at any time of the day a willing opponent is only a few mouse clicks away.

It is said more people are playing chess online at any given moment than the ubiquitous poker which begs the question why there are so few TV channels showing chess programmes and so many showing poker.

Those with sufficient faith in their broadband connection can play lightning chess, making moves every few seconds, while those with a liking for ‘normal’ speed can simulate a league or congress game by playing for hours.

Another form of the game exists which is something of a contradiction in these times and is the e-equivalent of postal chess.

When talking to some of our younger club members about postal chess I realise how old I am as I muse about the wonders of sending off a move to an unseen opponent and then waiting with great excitement for its return. Some are disbelieving when I say there were occasions when I posted a move one day and received the response the next, unwilling to accept that there was either a second delivery each and every day or such an efficient mail service.

Online it is possible to play games with time controls measured in days rather than minutes. Given so much time for consideration, surely it should be possible not to play those rash moves prevalent in my over-the-board play where pieces are suddenly lost or positions crumble because of one careless move?

And yet I sit here now, musing over a game in which I had three days to respond to my opponent’s move, responded instead in three minutes and impatience has cost me the game.

There is truly no fool like an old fool.