"USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

[Gary Ruben]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

These guys running the show are not young enough nor wise enough to embrace the modern technology. Maybe if the USCF gets into it and hands them the blueprint things will change. My opinion, of course.

[Scott Richardson]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

As I mentioned on the other thread on this topic, the rating regulations allow for internet chess and there have been a couple of CFC rated events that included remote players. However, there must be a TD present at each remote location. A challenge when mixing on site and remote players is chess clock management.
I certainly do support Scott's idea. For example this would be a perfect medium for a club match between say Victoria and Windsor.

The four CFC members here could play in the Quebec Open or the Toronto Open better still, both. We'd have our own electronic boards, pay the fee for the boards at the other end, register 6 or 8 weeks prior, we wouldn't expect to be eligible to win any of the prize money but we'd save $16,000 or $17,000 on air travel and hotel. The best part would be the club playing more chess.

5 years ago there was one active player north of the lower mainland. Now there's 4. After our first tournament next week there will be a few more joining the ranks of the CFC. With the opportunity to play remotely here could be a thriving community of chess players in the whole province.

[Paul Leblanc]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

As I mentioned on the other thread on this topic, the rating regulations allow for internet chess and there have been a couple of CFC rated events that included remote players. However, there must be a TD present at each remote location. A challenge when mixing on site and remote players is chess clock management.
I certainly do support Scott's idea. For example this would be a perfect medium for a club match between say Victoria and Windsor.

[Scott Richardson]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

I never turn down a volunteer. I hereby delegate this task to you. I probably won't be able to put significant energy into it for a week or so. I spent all of yesterday sitting down answering emails aside from the two chess lessons that I gave at the library. Thank you for volunteering!

Great. I will get started. We've got a tournament up here, LakeCityChess. Talk to you in a week or so.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

It is good to play till the end. Though, the tournament might dictate other approach - like to save energy for the next same-day round.

I just played in a two day section of a Michigan tournament where you had to play four rounds in the first day. In round 3 I played one of the top players a WIM (only about 2260 FIDE) got a miserable position and then gradually worked my way out of the mess by hanging on with my finger nails. My opponent got into time trouble and was a pawn down in a rook ending and I refused the draw offer but about an hour later the game was a draw and I was probably in slight danger of losing. Meanwhile I had to rush to get something to eat as the rounds had been scheduled without consideration of the fact that people have to eat. Next round I was the last one playing against the eventual winner of the tournament and a similar situation played out only this time I lost and was absolutely the last one playing. I could have gone home two hours earlier with a better result and had some energy in the morning. Oh well. Hindsight is always 20/20.

In general I like to play out endings if only for the practice. You learn a lot from playing that you won't learn as well from a book.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

That is quite possible but lately my biggest problem is that I refuse to take draws in drawn positions against higher rated players.

It is good to play till the end. Though, the tournament might dictate other approach - like to save energy for the next same-day round.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

my 2cts on the server matter:

Long time ago anybody (registered players) could start a tournament at Playchess. Even they could get a special room for that. Most likely it was possible to give prizes (in playchess current, iirc). Yesterday I looked again at Canada: FQE has a similar room, some clubs too. Thus, there is a ready platform to use it.

The CFC and the Strategy games might start a deal for selling Chessbase products (they include a membership to playchess too) etc etc.

On other hand players don't need a middle man (like the CFC) to play online. The chess.com Canadian community play in various matches against other groups. Nothing stops BC to challenge other provinces and enjoy chess.

As for the special CFC server: everything looks great until you get problems: annoying players, safety issues, spammers, hackers etc. Looking back how the CFC handled the website upgrade, doubt, that the server is a field the CFC should go. Even the proper national championship is a trouble...

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

You've got a coach?

Yes. Every time my rating goes into free fall I start listening to what he tells me to do and the slide reverses.

Kidding aside, doing the kind of intense organizing and teaching you are doing probably costs you around 200 rating points if not more.

That is quite possible but lately my biggest problem is that I refuse to take draws in drawn positions against higher rated players. I have had that problem in the past and once I address it temporarily my rating starts climbing again.

The day you stop all that stuff and tell yourself you're a chess player and the only person whose games you care about are your own you'll get some, if not all, of those points back.

That day will probably never come as I will probably always care about the kids games. It might work if I moved to a city where there were no chess players. Though lately I have been finding that some of the kids are getting quite good and my preparation for their lessons is helping me in my games.

Only problem is, the organizing is more fun than the playing. At least that's what I found.

Organizing has its rewards and also its drawbacks. I am not sure that I will always be able to do it to this extent but while I can I will continue to do as much as i can. I am not sure I would agree that it is more fun than playing. I played 168 games one year and that was fun. About 60 to 80 games would be a more sane level and I might be able to do it if relatives quit visiting on holiday weekends....

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

Hi Vlad. I'm impressed with the resource of over 1800 members. If even 1/10 of that resource were tapped you could see more of your initiatives moving forward.

If we had 180 volunteers running tournaments and classes and doing all across Canada what happens in BC, Windsor, Alberta, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa we would no membership problems. We would also be able to get help to fill the unfilled CFC officer positions.

Have you heard of the 3 and 33 rule?

No but from the context I would guess that it is a variation on the Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule.

Baggage seems to be pretty heavy around here but the past is gone.

In some cases thankfully.

My son's going to be twelve, time is moving fast.

Do you want me to follow this initiative up? From what Roger says it could be easier than we think. From what your saying it's a matter of member power.

I never turn down a volunteer. I hereby delegate this task to you. I probably won't be able to put significant energy into it for a week or so. I spent all of yesterday sitting down answering emails aside from the two chess lessons that I gave at the library. Thank you for volunteering!

"To escape boredom, man works either beyond what his usual needs require, or else he invents play, that is, work that is designed to quiet no need other than that for working in general."
Nietzsche

Thanks for the post Vadim.

Yes thank you, Vadim who has been very helpful.

[Eric Gedajlovic]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

Hi Scott,

I hope you have the best of luck if you want to pursue this initiative with the CFC. Please let me know if I could help get this off the ground. I have some additional ideas beyond what we discussed with Vlad when our group met with him in Montreal. I can be reached at erg (at) sfu (dot) ca.

Best to you Kai and Aki,

Eric

[Gary Ruben]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

I am also a premium member at Playchess.com where I get lessons from my coach, Viktor Gavrikov. I haven't played any games there.

You've got a coach?

Kidding aside, doing the kind of intense organizing and teaching you are doing probably costs you around 200 rating points if not more. The day you stop all that stuff and tell yourself you're a chess player and the only person whose games you care about are your own you'll get some, if not all, of those points back.

Only problem is, the organizing is more fun than the playing. At least that's what I found.

[Scott Richardson]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

At some point when I have time I will probably have a talk with Ruth Haring the President of the USCF about it (ICC deal). I had fifty four chess related emails yesterday, most of which required a response. My guess on the ICC-CFC deal going away would be that the people organizing the tournaments stopped doing so. If people complain about CFC membership prices I am sure that they were complaining even more about the combined price of a CFC membership and ICC membership. There was discussion of a company that offered countries a chess server for free though the members had to pay a subscription fee if they wanted to take part. This was during Michael Von Keitz's term as president. The governors seemed lukewarm and suspicious of the idea and seemed to be of the opinion that we should hold out for a bigger, better deal which of course never came.

I have talked to a few people at the CYCC in Montreal including Scott and Victoria about using online chess to connect remote locations. The CFC has some rules in place to allow that to happen.

I have used FICS mostly to play friends when we were getting ready for a team tournament. I am also a premium member at Playchess.com where I get lessons from my coach, Viktor Gavrikov. I haven't played any games there.

Hi Vlad. I'm impressed with the resource of over 1800 members. If even 1/10 of that resource were tapped you could see more of your initiatives moving forward.
Have you heard of the 3 and 33 rule? Baggage seems to be pretty heavy around here but the past is gone. My son's going to be twelve, time is moving fast.

Do you want me to follow this initiative up? From what Roger says it could be easier than we think. From what your saying it's a matter of member power.

"To escape boredom, man works either beyond what his usual needs require, or else he invents play, that is, work that is designed to quiet no need other than that for working in general."
Nietzsche

Thanks for the post Vadim.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

At some point when I have time I will probably have a talk with Ruth Haring the President of the USCF about it (ICC deal). I had fifty four chess related emails yesterday, most of which required a response. My guess on the ICC-CFC deal going away would be that the people organizing the tournaments stopped doing so. If people complain about CFC membership prices I am sure that they were complaining even more about the combined price of a CFC membership and ICC membership. There was discussion of a company that offered countries a chess server for free though the members had to pay a subscription fee if they wanted to take part. This was during Michael Von Keitz's term as president. The governors seemed lukewarm and suspicious of the idea and seemed to be of the opinion that we should hold out for a bigger, better deal which of course never came.

I have talked to a few people at the CYCC in Montreal including Scott and Victoria about using online chess to connect remote locations. The CFC has some rules in place to allow that to happen.

I have used FICS mostly to play friends when we were getting ready for a team tournament. I am also a premium member at Playchess.com where I get lessons from my coach, Viktor Gavrikov. I haven't played any games there.

[Roger Patterson]

Re: "USCF & Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess"

Hello Scott,

Good to hear from you! Please give our kind regards to Aki and Kai.

My understanding of the events is the following. The USCF was toying with an idea of creating its own dedicated chess server for members for quite a long time. Meanwhile, open alternatives, whether free (FICS, Chess.com) or paid and well-reputed (ICC, Chessbase), were attracting hundreds of thousands of players. When FIDE created its Online Arena and allowed players to have "official" online ratings last year, the USCF understood that they were very late to the party, and started seeking partnership with one of the established actors. Hence, the present announcement. It would be interesting to learn what are the business terms for each side; hope more details will emerge.

I agree with you completely that it would be quite interesting to see whether the CFC can strike a similar agreement with one of the existing chess servers. ( In fact, it was a motivation for me to post the announcement. ;-) I recall that there was a recent thread touching on the server issue, but it got sidetracked. ) Indeed, this country's geography is practically begging for such an arrangement!

I've read that Larry B. and Victoria J.-D. have a pilot project in works where highly rated scholastic players across the country (B.C <--> ON <--> QC) would play in a supervised environment via one of chess servers, and these games would be rated by the CMA. As with many things, Larry is a trailblazer - maybe we'd be able to learn more from his experience. - If you can volunteer for that, too, it would be great! :-)

Everybody in this thread seems to be unaware that the CFC did have a partnership with ICC at one time providing CFC rated active games. (10 years ago or more?) It stopped for some reason - maybe someone who was involved can supply more info.

The USCF did more than toy with having it's own chess server for members. It had one for a while (I believe it was call "Chess Online"). I presume it was not a financial success seeing as it does not exist anymore.

[Jeff Boyd]

Re: &quot;USCF &amp; Internet Chess Club Join Forces to Provide Online Rated Chess&quot;

This came up in another thread (membership), and I haven't had time to respond to it there. I think if the CFC isn't willing to get into this it may as well close up shop now rather than continue dying its current slow death (or a very rapid death if a new internet-willing organization supplants it). It is late in the game, and the CFC appears to low on the necessary resources (a guess on my part), so a partnership may be the best way.

Internet tournaments would alleviate geography problems and potentially (if not mishandled) provide revenues beyond membership fees.