Weak Position with a Strong Move for Checkers

[Eric Strange]

Couldn't have said it better myself....

1/0 allows me to play hundreds of games a day even if a lot of them are same lines over and over it just means I learn them better and find neat cooks... slow playing allows me to play 1 game every 20 minutes.... I get a lot less practice in.

I honestly think 1/0 can help you a ton to a certain point.... then u must play slow to max out the potential


P.S> whoever said that about jolt is full of it haha.... he won that trny
The guy who came in second in majors... jolt beat him in real life BADLY... guy didn't even get a draw


and his online friends don't know his name... I believe I'm the only one who knows his full name so I can keep track of if he goes to a tournament haha

[Ingo_Zachos]

Botwinnik once compared playing Blitz to cheap prostitution.

He insisted his pupils should not play Blitz.

I doubt that you get much practice from 20 minutes of Blitz games.
The learning effect in it, which is the main purpose of getting practice, is close to zero.
The faster you play (without using a buddy), the more "mechanical" and uninspired your play.
The less you learn.

Instead, a 20 minute game would force you to dig deeper and to learn to analize more properly.
Also, one remembers lessons from a 20 minute concentration span better then 20 lessons with a minute concentration span.

And if you get used to the rhythm of concentration spans of just one minute, you will never learn how to concentrate in a game.

The reason most 1/o players are not going to any tournament at any time, is that either they are strong tournament players, pretending to be an unkown or they just use a buddy, and would never play well without a program.

There is one rule:
the faster the time limit, the easier it is to get a good result by using a program, ie by cheating.

[Eric Strange]

Once again someone who doesn't play blitz games bashing it. and regardless of the timer... if you look up your losses then you learn.... when I learn a new line I get a lot more practice playing it with many different people in 1/0. If I lose I look up what I did wrong and learn. I played Kondlo a bunch of blitz games in 2007... he said he likes it better than playing slow.... he won masters didn't he??? GG

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Botwinnik once compared playing Blitz to cheap prostitution.

Botwinnik said and did may things wrong, this quote is not exception.

BTW. Gata Kamsky, USA, recently (several days ago) won chess blitz World Championship.

[nickaddante]

as

[BillyBoy]

Hi Nick, From what I read of the statements by Inglo he was stating his opinion of why he dislikes blitz games and he has good logics like you did in your statement before the last one. Most of your problems with tournaments is not really with the actuall tournament its with the Minor class and Major class. So get into masters then you can use your clocks and everyone will record their games and all is good? As far as your opponent having marked cards that is common sense to refuse using them and get another deck to use from a officiall. And the touch rule keeps it clean where its not sloppy putting a finger on all the pieces putting it back etc. And long games can be annoying at times specially if your winning the game and want to wrap things up. But take into consideration your a blitz player and if tournament players know that they are going to try to stretch it out a bit to side track ya and the way it sounded it worked. But just relax calm down a bit and keep playing online or in tournaments. Billy

[tommyc]

As i said b4 i can see both sides of the arguement but if Nick cant stand the heat(pressure)(his last post) he better got outa da kitchen.And checkers is all abt pressure...........so is it all to much.

[Eric Strange]

So... can we get back on subject???

I would like to hear EVERYONES ideas on how we should be able to promote the game and challenge the world to checkers??

Keep in mind everyone who views our game as an easy kids game... what can we do to capitalize on this?
if we can get people to give it a chance... there is a chance they will get hooked!!!

[jaguar72]

I would like to hear EVERYONES ideas on how we should be able to promote the game and challenge the world to checkers??

Keep in mind everyone who views our game as an easy kids game... what can we do to capitalize on this?
if we can get people to give it a chance... there is a chance they will get hooked!!!

"everyone who views our game"; i.e., public perception, I guess:

"Well, let's see, how difficult can checkers possibly be if people online can play a master-level game in a mere sixty seconds? Kinda, you know, like a slightly more difficult version of tic-tac-toe. Besides, it's common knowledge that the game has been "solved" by computers so what's the challenge, online or otherwise?"

Please note: before you all pile on me with the usual comments (e.g., luddite, etc.) please read the post again: this is NOT my personal postion on the game, blitz or otherwise; far from it; however, I am just surfacing this as food for thought on the difficulties we might face in promoting the game no matter how high-tech and edgy we make it seem. 1/0 (or any online speed variants) could be a double-edged sword in checkers promotion. Or maybe not.

For me, the jury is still out on online play, particularly at the faster speeds; since I've never tried it, I certainly can't knock it. I have played a lot of speed chess (but not online) usually at five or ten minutes a game; Kamsky doesn't have to be concerned....

Let's not be shooting the messenger here.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[nickaddante]

as

[jaguar72]

jaguar,

And clearly Eric meant people who do not play checkers, if you read the original post you'd know that.

Nick or whoever...,

Well, yes, obviously, but that was the whole point of my post; that's why I said "public perception"; perhaps I should have been more clear and said "non-playing" public perception. That is, the first part of the post might be the reaction of non-players on being introduced to 1/0 (or any online extreme speed variant). Maybe/maybe not; hard to tell. Perhaps I should have put it in quotation marks. And, as I said, it's only a point for discussion or departure anyway. And it doesn't hurt to surface all possibilities (positive and negative) when we are talking about promotional ideas and the reactions to them.

And, yes, checkers (chess, too) had been thought to be a theoretical draw for many years, but I don't think it was proven until Chinook and all the attendant publicity...it even made the Wall Street Journal!

I guess I don't express myself very clearly or write very well...it has always been a problem.

That's also why I included the disclaimer starting with "Please note:". I, personally, simply don't know (obviously) what public reaction would be; never palyed online, much less 1/0. I thought there also I had made myself clear, but apparently not.

Thanks for (I guess...) the, ah, compliment...if only (sigh) it were true... .

Please call me Gary, by the way; jaguar72 is just my screen name.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Eric Strange]

In my experience most players who became addicted to this game and still play it today from 2000 til now played 1/0 or 1/1. maybe it added more excitement or that adrenaline rush u get when there are few second left and your both tied on time. Blitz checkers is actualllly very much fun even though I agree your skill level can only grow so high playing it.

[Dennis Cayton]

In my experience most players who became addicted to this game and still play it today from 2000 til now played 1/0 or 1/1. maybe it added more excitement or that adrenaline rush u get when there are few second left and your both tied on time. Blitz checkers is actualllly very much fun even though I agree your skill level can only grow so high playing it.

Greetings:

I first became addicted to Checkers in the late 1950s.

As I inferred in a previous post, I seem to be on the older side of the generation gap, with respect to this style of play.

I've tried a few games of "blitz" Checkers and also a few games of "blitz" Chess as well.

To me, it was no fun at all.

In fact, I hated it.

Instead of getting an "adrenaline rush", these games just frazzled my nerves.

I was raised reading books instead of playing video games.

I don't like video games either.

To me, having to play a game of Checkers at such a high rate speed robs the game of the intrinsic beauty which I behold in the quiet and contemplative deep level of thought the game deserves.

But that's me.

I am also the kind of person who finds a great deal of intrinsic beauty in sitting through a full 9-inning baseball game, an activity which many people now find "boring."

That's how I'm "wired."

I am not trying to bash "blitz" Checkers or those who like to play it.

In fact, I'm a little envious of those who have the ability to play a game of Checkers so well at such a high rate of speed.

For me, this style of Checkers is just not "my flavor."

Setting my personal biases aside, I am willing to concede that it may be time for the ACF to give "blitz" style Checkers some "respect."

Can separate Championship titles for this style of play be legitimately and officially established and sanctioned by the ACF?

if so, then how?

i honestly don't know.

Perhaps, those who excel at this style of play can offer some ideas.

Maybe this can help bridge the growing "generation gap" which seems to be causing a deeper divide among those who love our game.

Best Wishes,

Dennis Cayton

[jaguar72]

In my experience most players who became addicted to this game and still play it today from 2000 til now played 1/0 or 1/1. maybe it added more excitement or that adrenaline rush u get when there are few second left and your both tied on time. Blitz checkers is actualllly very much fun even though I agree your skill level can only grow so high playing it.

Well said, Eric, and no doubt true...maybe that's why I don't want to play 1/0...the adrenaline rush would probably kill me... .

But Dennis has a good and valid point as well:

"To me, having to play a game of Checkers at such a high rate of speed robs the game of the intrinsic beauty which I behold in the quiet and contemplative deep level of thought the game deserves."

There you have it.

Same coin, different sides.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Jay H]

Yes....
The game, with the rules of actual play as we play it, has had many different disciplines, at different times. Some have come, some have gone....and some have come and gone !!
Examples.....
Problem Solving AND Composing contests.
This is all but a "lost art" within the game at this point in time. BUT, this was not always so. In years gone by, almost every publication had its own problem component, which was a major part of the publication's structure and/or contents. Problem solving and composing was encouraged and promoted, and many participated in this discipline of the game. Experts !!
The participation of individuals in problem solving/composing did not necessarily translate to crossboard skills and or tournament participation...but, these problem composers/solvers were Checkerists nonetheless !!! It was a different form of the game as we know it, but, it was, indeed, a major part of the game !!
Mail Play.
For many, MANY years, Mail play was a very competitive, and very active discipline of the game. The rules of play itself were the same, just different "rules of conduct" were implimented , as was necessary to assure the game moved along in a timely manner.
And, as with problems, nearly every publication had its own mail play column, and most had its own mail play ladder....and many times, competing on these ladders was the sole reason for subscribing to the publication.
There were also ACF sanctioned mail play tournaments. Indeed, the ACF had included in its yearly budget funding for the Mail program, which, for many years was directed by Earl Hangen.
Another discipline of the game, but, STILL the game as we know it. And, as with problem solving/composing, participation in mail play did not necissarily translate to crossboard skills and/or tournament participation, but, in its day, it thrived.

There were other forms of the game which have come and gone.....Exhibition play, pacing matches, blindfold play-matches, 11 man ballot...these were/are all different disciplines of the game that were at one time fully (and financially) supported and nurtured by the governing bodies of the day, and the checker/draughts playing fraternity in general.
The newest frontier that needs to be supported and nurtured is internet play...whether turnbased, real time, 1/0-speed-blitz or whatever you wish to call it.....these are modern versions of THE SAME GAME that has been enjoyed for many years.
If the ACF won't do it, then a new organization will come along, once somebody is devoted enough to put the effort to it........
Obviously, there are players who are willing to "cross over" to "mainstream" participation in the games x-board tournaments ( Nick is a perfect example)....and, even be competitive ! Imagine that.....someone who participates in more than one discipline of the game !!!
Perhaps, some will cross over from crossboard to internet play.....
The ACF , at one time, would fully and financially support any discipline of the game, not just crossboard tournaments and, as a result, the players who participate in them.

I am not Anti ACF by any means......but I, like any other checkerist, have my opinion.
As long as the playing rules are the same....it is our version of the game, the game we love and respect. Mail play, Problems, Crossboard (with and without restrictions), On line, all the same game. English Checkers/Draughts.
My opinion is that the ACF needs to embrace and support what appears to be the future of the game....Internet Checkers.

As far this game disappearing from the scene, drying up and blowing away as a pastime...it will never happen.
This game has been around loooong before anyone here, looong before the ACF, loooong before internet checkers.
And it will be here loooong after we are gone.

Regards

Jay H