General chess.com talk

[DaveShack]

I'm a gold member. The main reasons I decided to subscribe are:

• Full game explorer for the master database -- for opening study
• Ability to see opponent's history and download games. For players with 100's of games, it's possible to research their opening preferences
• Entering multiple tournaments

 

[col]

ditto tclaafc

 

[Narz]

Being able to start tournaments (and groups) did it for me. I went Platinum mainly to start the CFC tournament.

Opening explorer & tactics trainer (and now the computer workout) are nice to have access to also (I think non-premium players can get three tactics trainer problems a day not sure about computer workout).

 

[Panzar75]

I'm not sure I feel there are that many benefits for me being a gold member over the free one but I was on a break from World of Warcraft and figured I could pay one month's worth of WoW subscription for a year's chess.com subscription.

 

[WhiteEagle22]

I'm hoping to be back playing chess by Wednesday afternoon. I start nights at work that day as well.

 

[Narz]

Wow, my tournament filled up fast!

And in my very first game with a guy 500 points below me I blundered a piece. (7. ... Nd4? should have just played 7. ... h5 with a dominant position), my brain just blanked on the fact he could safely play f5 then h5.

 

[DaveShack]

And in my very first game with a guy 500 points below me I blundered a piece.

Wow, that's quite a position.

 

[Narz]

12. ... Nge7 was also a bad move on my part. I'll be very surprised if I manage to pull off even a draw, if this were a 1900+ opponent I would resign immediately but you never know, he could drop a piece or something.

Fortunately it's not a make or break game (or a team game). I'll win the 2nd game & I imagine we'll both beat the 1333 in our division & then we'll tie & both advance.

Still, teaches me not to get snarky & lazy with moves like 7. ... Nd4????

 

[Panzar75]

I lost the queen and the game to a 1200 player once, I'm not saying anything.

 

[civiijkw]

I lost the queen and the game to a 1200 player once, I'm not saying anything.

Try being an expert slowly squishing a C-player and then overlooking a mate-in-one swindle.
OUCH!

On the other hand, I did have a game in the US Open paired down against a roughly 1900 player and ended up allowing a mate-in-one in the opening that he missed (Alekhine's after an ed and cd trade with my K on e8, Q on d8, B on f8, P on g7, f7, e7, d6 and his P on d5, c4, b2, N on e4 and, strangely enough, Q on e2). I played g6??? to fianchetto and only then saw his Nf6# (uncovering the e-file pin and also hitting the d7 escape square). I spent about 10 minutes with a poker face before he played b3 to contest the long diagonal. My reflexive sigh of relief caused him to take another look and almost fall out of his chair.
P.S. I did win the game.

 

[Sashie VII]

I spent about 10 minutes with a poker face before he played b3 to contest the long diagonal. My reflexive sigh of relief caused him to take another look and almost fall out of his chair.

I was once told a story of a gifted young player who was very strong, yet quit the game after a while, saying it's crazy to sit for hours staring at a board with funny things on it. Maybe we are all crazy, but it's fun to be crazy this way.

 

[Narz]

Not that much crazier than sitting for hours on a computer typing to people you'll never meet.

I started a new theme tournament : http://www.chess.com/tournament/two-knights-defense-steinitz-variation-c59

I think it will be very slow to fill up. I'm tempted to invite a bunch of people from the groups I help admin (NP of course & Jokers & WE ARE ADMIN) but I don't want to annoy players who can't even join (I set it to >1600).

Edit : removed the rating cap so now I'll invite all the groups.

 

[WhiteEagle22]

Back from chess vacation.

Watch out for my new chess blog and chess podcast called "Chess Talk".

 

[Narz]

I've taking a vacation from my games on chess.com for a few days more, will check in to check messages & keep tabs on the vote games but am too distracted while at home ATM to really focus.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Waiting for some further chess talk, generals!

 

[Chamnix]

How do people keep track of our vote chess games? I get the alert letting me know when its our move, and I look at the position then, but I don't vote right away. I check again whenever I get notified of a new comment, but if nobody commented, I'd probably never go back to that game to vote. What do others do to make sure they don't miss a vote?

 

[Panzar75]

I don't have any notifications on, I simply check every now and then anyway. I probably check for it being my move in regular games at least 4-5 times a day and 2-3 of those times I go through all vote games as well. Doesn't take that long to click through them.

 

[WhiteEagle22]

I may lose my Premium membership.

 

[PaulusIII]

I just got myself a Premium. Hooray for joining extra tournaments!

I may lose my Premium membership.

Why?

 

[WhiteEagle22]

Don't have the money to pay for it.