Great Article in Chess Life

I'm not much of a CL fan, but this article by WGM Katerina Nemcova starting on pg. 30 is a great one. Highlights below (Disclaimer: I paraphrased this a bit to save text)


For those anxious newbies here who've spent the last 18 months at twitch, just finished your 12th viewing of The Queens Gambit or those returning to OTB after a long layoff, please consider the following suggestions.

While online platforms give you ample opportunity to multitask, and drag your piece via the mouse while deciding your move, OTB chess allows for little or none of this, your opponents move is not "lit up" on the board, and your opponents are not required to let you know the move they made, so focus on the board in front of you as much as possible.

OTB time controls are normally longer, so start practicing them either OTB with a friend, or online when you can.

You'll have no computer Nany to track your time or record moves, so get used to using a chess timer, learn how to set both primary and secondary time controls, practice hitting your clock after your every move, as well manually recording all moves - do this BEFORE you step into a tournament hall to compete.

The human factor: Unlike online chess, your not going to be playing against "Lifelesspigeon03" a faceless entity, somewhere in cyberspace, with an avatar that resembles a disfigured cockroach, so take a few seconds to learn your human opponents name. It's customary to shake your opponents hand before the game, with a friendly comment such as "good luck" as well as afterward. Once the clocks start however, multitasking and comments should cease completely except for things like "I adjust" or when offering a draw. Once the game is concluded, it's wise (though not mandatory) for both players to adjourn to another room to analyze the completed game.

You'll play at a higher level, but not necessary to win more. Costs of travel, fewer distractions, peer pressure, and having a group of serious players in one place collectively creates a unique environment that push players to do their best.

Expect inaccurate ratings. Unrated or lower rated players may have improved a great deal over the last year, while their ratings remain unchanged, so you should always treat your opponent as dangerous.

@greenpawn34 said

I could not find player here called "Lifelesspigeon03" but we do have a pigeon blanc.

pigeon blanc was involved in 'trigger happy f-pawn' whcih I was going on
about in a recent Blog. This is a typical RHP example. Limerle - pigeon blanc.

[fen]r1bq1rk1/1pp2pp1/p1p2b1p/4B3/8/PP1P4/2P2PPP/RN1QR1K1 w - - 0 14[/fen]
White played 14.f4 and resigned a two moves later.

"I'm not much of a CL fan,..." Why not? I've always found it a good read.

"I'm not much of a CL fan,..." Why not? I've always found it a good read.

CL is OK if you like things such as where a player grew up, which child won a primary school event, what flavor of gummy bears she likes, 3 pages of glossy photos of the CL executive staff, meaningless awards such as committee of the year and the world's largest chess piece.

I know it's impossible to give all readers exactly what they want, but I'd prefer more instructional material, GM games, and coaching ideas on how to improve.

One of the best ideas around playing OTB is .... the chess set.

So wood pieces and board are some of the most expensive and elegant (at the same time serious FIDE tournaments use wood chess pieces, I can't imagine Carlsen playing a championship match with plastic ).

Now OTB, the "style" of chess pieces are important as well, Bobby Fischer liked the Dubrovnik.

Now , clubs can afford to put for everyone wood.... so plastic and vinyl is the common practice, and are affordable.

Sometime chess pieces are very heavy, they have iron inside.

so in some way the "real" chess is OTB with a good "soviet" style chess set, very used and dirty.

@schlecter said
One of the best ideas around playing OTB is .... the chess set.

So wood pieces and board are some of the most expensive and elegant (at the same time serious FIDE tournaments use wood chess pieces, I can't imagine Carlsen playing a championship match with plastic ).

Now OTB, the "style" of chess pieces are important as well, Bobby Fischer liked the Dubrovnik.

Now ...[text shortened]...
so in some way the "real" chess is OTB with a good "soviet" style chess set, very used and dirty.

"real" chess is OTB with a good "soviet" style chess set, very used and dirty.

I don't think the "dirty" part is necessary, but the rest sounds good to me.

Talking of chess sets.

"Making this one piece takes two hours, and there are fewer than 10 people trained to carve knights for the championship chess sets. So, how are these chessmen made? And why are they so expensive?"

YouTube

@mchill

People in the ex-soviet union is selling by everywhere a lot of super very used chess sets, they said: "Botvinnik and Flohr play a championship with this set my father had when he was a child"

I look those sets from them, so the pieces has a nice style, but boards and pieces are very used, broken, dirty....but people is buying those sets because of "Queens's Gambit"

I think I would like to use same pieces as Alekhine or Thal used, it could be "mystical" (idem Lasker, Capablanca....etc...)

(in general I said that about soviet chess sets..... but I think there are as well some few good ones very well conserved almost like new... and affordable )

@Russ
Yes awesome, there are some videos about woodturning of people making their own chess sets.

YouTube

It seems making a chess set is kind a good project for a carpenter , chess related part in video comes after 1:18....

Now those guys in India are very serious, I think best pieces comes now from India.

@schlecter said
@mchill

People in the ex-soviet union is selling by everywhere a lot of super very used chess sets, they said: "Botvinnik and Flohr play a championship with this set my father had when he was a child"

I look those sets from them, so the pieces has a nice style, but boards and pieces are very used, broken, dirty....but people is buying those sets because of "Queens's G ...[text shortened]... I think there are as well some few good ones very well conserved almost like new... and affordable )

Yes, I can see where those old sets would be prized collectors items, with or without the movie. Personally I wouldn't mind owning one.

@mchill
yeah, In some way regular tournament sets with plastic pieces an roll-up boards are very resistant, they last for years.

Maybe some FIDE tournaments use that kind of material.

For me the important think with OTB is the style of pieces. It should be "staunton" set, or similar.

Other kind of shapes are very distractive, some have pawn and bishop very similar

and ... I think I make more mistakes OTB, so the advise and ideas of the article make a lot of sense

@mchill said
"I'm not much of a CL fan,..." Why not? I've always found it a good read.

CL is OK if you like things such as where a player grew up, which child won a primary school event, what flavor of gummy bears she likes, 3 pages of glossy photos of the CL executive staff, meaningless awards such as committee of the year and the world's largest chess piece.

I know it's impossible ...[text shortened]... ey want, but I'd prefer more instructional material, GM games, and coaching ideas on how to improve.

You're exactly right. I used to be a chess life subscriber but I stopped because of the same reasons you just gave. That was a long time ago and I see nothing has changed.

@Tartakower
and chess magazines are so expensive now. I had to give up New-In Chess. that American Chess magazine is very expensive too.

@ogb

Everything about chess got expensive because of the popularity of that TV show "The Queen's Gambit"
In my humble opinion.

@tartakower said
@ogb

Everything about chess got expensive because of the popularity of that TV show "The Queen's Gambit"
In my humble opinion.

It's not clear to me how the subscription cost for a highly technical publication such as New in Chess would be affected by an increase in the general public's interest in the game.

I suspect that recent cost increases were influenced by the widespread disruption of supply chains over the past year or so.

@FMDavidHLevin

Supply and demand. You sell stuff for what people are willing to pay.