It's been a slice...

[David Ottosen]

Re: It's been a slice...

I'm glad to see the thread focused on interesting topics instead of some guy who plays a dying form of chess making an attention whore post about how he's not going to play anymore. Hint: the thread should make it clear to you that no one really cares.

[Bob Armstrong]

There's a Perception Problem

I fear Bob G has sort of hijacked the thread here, which was on chess games and ratings, etc. But his comment did jog a thought in this rather murky brain.

Speaking of " snow ", I have a problem here.

All Canadians ( most, many, some ? ) are happy to have a milder winter.

So when they are told its due to climate change, they say " great " ! And I think they'll live with the extreme weather events that also accompany climate change, in order to get the overall milder winter.

So where does that leave the climate change educators?? And can they convince Canadians that there are larger problems affecting the planet due to climate change, that they should be weighing against the better winter? Will the response be: " Well, those won't happen in my lifetime! "

Bob A

[Bob Gillanders]

Re: It's been a slice...

one of those guys wearing the sandwich boards, "The End Is Near, Dumb Ass Humans!"

Well, I just have one question for the climate change skeptics:

It is January, where is the snow?

Perhaps, we should listen to the sandwich boards guys, once in a while.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: It's been a slice...

Peter, it is very simple for a persons rating to exceed their true abilities. All they need to do is win several games by complete luck; for example with their higher rated opponent self-imploding a few times. For example, with Bonham, any time that he played someone who used chesstalk regularly and read most of his postings this would apply. Such an opponent would probably be unable to stop laughing upon meeting him in person and would thus lose irrespective of how much higher their rating was...

So then my "true abilities" include getting people to laugh so hard they lose their game to me! All part of the skill set. It's so easy to burst your balloon, Paul!

Guess how I got them to laugh so hard, all those 16 years ago when Chesstalk didn't even exist (ooops! another blunder, Mr. Beckwith!)?

I told them in about 15 years, Beckwith would be out of chess and would be reduced to being one of those guys wearing the sandwich boards, "The End Is Near, Dumb Ass Humans!"

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: It's been a slice...

Peter, it is very simple for a persons rating to exceed their true abilities. All they need to do is win several games by complete luck; for example with their higher rated opponent self-imploding a few times. For example, with Bonham, any time that he played someone who used chesstalk regularly and read most of his postings this would apply. Such an opponent would probably be unable to stop laughing upon meeting him in person and would thus lose irrespective of how much higher their rating was...

On a purely scientific basis there is a major flaw in your theory. A constantly laughing opponent would be removed from the playing hall by the TD. As well the set of those Paul B. plays and the set of those who read chesstalk and the set of those who share your viewpoint are mutually exclusive. Simply put just the set of those who share your views and everyone else on the planet are mutually exclusive as well. If you like I can draw the Venn diagram for you.

As well even given that your theory is with some basis, one would think higher rated players don't see chess as a personality contest ala Paul Beckwith. Or at least they would smarten up next time after losing.

[Paul Beckwith]

Re: It's been a slice...

Peter, it is very simple for a persons rating to exceed their true abilities. All they need to do is win several games by complete luck; for example with their higher rated opponent self-imploding a few times. For example, with Bonham, any time that he played someone who used chesstalk regularly and read most of his postings this would apply. Such an opponent would probably be unable to stop laughing upon meeting him in person and would thus lose irrespective of how much higher their rating was...

[Peter McKillop]

Re: It's been a slice...

...
But Beckwith claims my rating has ALWAYS exceeded my true abilities. I doubt anyone else can match that!

This does sound like quite a significant accomplishment! :)

[Brad Thomson]

Re: It's been a slice...

It seems to me that a chess rating is not an indication of how good you are, but of how consistent you are. Almost anyone can play a good chess game, few can play nothing but good games. The same applies to golf. Any hack can hit a good shot now and then, but the low handicappers and scratch players are those who hit 69 good shots, maybe one or two bad shots, and then walk off the course.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: It's been a slice...

... just look at Paul Bonham's rating which has always exceeded his true abilities....

Which makes me the smartest person in chess, because I learned how to GAME THE ELO RATING SYSTEM!

Can anybody else make this claim? To do so, you'd have to get the eminent Beckwith to produce a number that is your true ability, because only he knows this, just as only he knows to what degree man is affecting climate, and only he knows to what extent you are a "dumb ass" human (the more you agree with his opinions, the less "dumb ass" you are).

If your rating ever surpassed Beckwith's conclusion of your true abilities by any significant amount, you too can claim to have gamed the rating system.

But Beckwith claims my rating has ALWAYS exceeded my true abilities. I doubt anyone else can match that!

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: It's been a slice...

I think I can help you out Paul. Your inability to get an engineering job for years may lie in your inability to process numbers. For example, I am currently 1655 (and yes I had to look that up) which you don't seem to realize is above 1650.

He always did seem mathematically challenged judging from his comments on the economic side of things that usually just make him look kind of dim most of the time.

But sure go ahead and put down my chess playing ability. That's the best way to grow the game in Canada, if those with higher ratings start to disparage those with lower ratings. Whatever gets you through the day. I seem to be occupying permanent space in your thoughts. Maybe you can get a research grant to study the affects of my chess rating on climate change. There is obviously a link there and you are just the mental case I mean scientist to prove it.

Well to be fair he did put down my chess playing ability, as well, and it is clear that I am a much better player than he is even when I am having a bad day.

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: It's been a slice...

Or consider Mr. Kitich's attempts to stay above 1600 (if he spent half the time that he does correcting posts on ChessTalk to actually study the game I am confident that he would reach 1650). ...

I think I can help you out Paul. Your inability to get an engineering job for years may lie in your inability to process numbers. For example, I am currently 1655 (and yes I had to look that up) which you don't seem to realize is above 1650. However, I play chess for fun much as I post on chesstalk for the same reason. I don't play chess or post on chesstalk to make up for a small mind, small body parts or to boost my ego. I play chess well enough to enter tournaments or to have fun playing socially with the majority of people I may run into out there.

It may surprise you but not all of us think we are going to be the next Bobby Fischer nor would we care to be. I think that's the realization that Gary is coming to. That chess can be played for fun and social reasons without it being a serious time drain on teh rest of our lives. There are more inactive GM's and IM's out there who have made that same decision to give up on serious competition than your imagination can hold.

But sure go ahead and put down my chess playing ability. That's the best way to grow the game in Canada, if those with higher ratings start to disparage those with lower ratings. Whatever gets you through the day. I seem to be occupying permanent space in your thoughts. Maybe you can get a research grant to study the affects of my chess rating on climate change. There is obviously a link there and you are just the mental case I mean scientist to prove it.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: It's been a slice...

I've played some really nice people over the decades and been on the winning or losing side of some very pretty games. What more can a player ask?

Maybe you can write an article for the CFC newsletter on meeting these nice people over the years with a couple of your very pretty games.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: It's been a slice...

Paul, those events take about 2 1/2 years each. I don't really want to be playing high level chess at an age greater than 70. Beside my waning skills, when I accept and invitation it takes an opportunity away from someone else who would likely get more benefit and maybe a norm.

In sport there's little which is sadder than someone who stays at the party too long.

I might play the thematic events like the King's Gambit or Evans Gambit or that sort of thing. It's not even for rating points at ICCF. Simply for fun.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: It's been a slice...

The IGCF does not schedule events. We leave that to the members.

The planetary currency used is the Euro. Like the Eurozone, we pretend it has some worth and prospective members pretend they believe us. :)

[Paul Beckwith]

Re: It's been a slice...

Hello Garvin,
I do not play much these days apart from some games with Fritz 13 on my laptop, Shredder on my iPhone (amazing how strong it is on the phone), and occasionally I go the RA club in Ottawa, although that has not happened for a while, maybe I'll go tomorrow. Occasionaly I will play on FICS. I enjoy following some of the analysis on Kevin Spraggetts blog; I find it excellent chessically speaking, and the perks are also good on his site. I also do a little bit of teaching to my kids and their friends.

I know that you are doing some organizing; do you get a chance to play much.