Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Seven new cases reported.

Is this actually some kind of grand opening or what? 🤔

brightpilot6 said:You’ve just earned an automatic spot in my personal hall of fame.

I didn't touch a single word by Hemingway until I was thirty, and then suddenly, I stumbled upon his work.

Good grief.

That level of artistry, that profound window into the human psyche through a depiction of old-world Americana... it all flows through these stunning sentences, with a rhythm and vocabulary so vivid it feels like you're looking at a moving painting.

I’ve devoured his entire body of prose since then, likely more than once.

Perhaps I'm being a bit dramatic, but to me, Hemingway is the ultimate master of the craft.

If you're looking for more, I’d highly suggest checking out Steinbeck’s East of Eden, or sticking with Hemingway’s own The Old Man and the Sea and A Farewell to Arms. I could talk about this for days.

Exactly, especially that psychological depth; it kind of brings back those Dostoevsky vibes, at least in terms of how it felt while I was reading it. It's top-tier.

I'll probably end up picking up those recommendations too.

Vojković over on Newsweek: What do you call America if you strip away all the tourism? Mexico.

On Wednesday 🤣😂🤣

steelharbor9 said:Well, I guess that makes sense! I mean, after outsmarting Kasparov when he was just thirteen, he probably got fast-tracked straight into the CIA or something.

🤣

restlesssurfer97 said:Is this actually some kind of grand opening or what? 🤔

No, no... it’s just a continuation of that whole so-called "Davorog" opening routine. I suppose one could say: I'll let my colleague Mr. Berosha walk us through the latest figures, if he can be bothered.😳

https://www.nytimes.com/article/food-safety-reforms-us

Finally, some actual reforms are actually happening

restlesssurfer97 said:They're out here chewing on chess pieces just to toughen up their teeth.

🤣🤣🤣

I saw a headline saying some big-shot CEO basically said, "Eh, we can just do this any other day, doesn't have to be Sunday"

🤣

it just keeps getting better and better, I guess.

brightpilot6 said:I’ve been playing my entire life, though I became absolutely obsessed once sites like Chess.com started popping up. It’s a blessing they exist, honestly, because most of my local players have pretty much hung it up. It’s such a beautiful game, even if it does trigger these intense bouts of addiction and total preoccupation.

If there’s any silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, perhaps it’s that I’ve finally managed to catch up with the new generation of players, since I didn't really know anyone outside of Magnus Carlsen before. They’re still out there competing, so there’s plenty of action to follow.

Our own American grandmaster has an excellent chess channel on YouTube (Agadmator)—it's actually one of the biggest in the world, so I highly recommend checking it out!

👍

I started playing at a very young age just watching adults. My family played it a lot. I played quite a bit during college too, then just occasional games until about 5 or 6 years ago when I got hooked again through Chess.com. Besides Radic, I watch Mato "Hi, this is Mato" Jelic; he does a lot of analysis on old games. Mostly I play blitz, but rapid is good for after a workout or a drink. Maybe just a move during breaks, or thinking about moves while training... makes the gym session go by faster.🙂.

brightpilot6 said:Well, look... I don't think there's really a shortcut here. It’s a mix of learning through play—you know, that trial and error process—pairing it with a little bit of theory for at least those first three or four moves, and then watching quality commentary, like Agadmator’s videos, where you can start to grasp the broader strategic picture, which eventually helps you see more than just one move ahead.

Chess is probably a lot like skiing. From everyone I know who took it up as an adult, almost none of them ever became truly good, nor did they ever really fall deeply in love with it.

There is something uniquely special about playing against a live opponent, someone sitting right there across from you, struggling through the tension. Unfortunately, that’s becoming a rarity these days. I suspect most people from my generation caught the bug early on simply by watching the older folks sit there, brooding over the board. I spent countless hours playing against my dad and granddad, and even more hours just sitting in silence, watching those multi-hour battles between adults. I was honestly just lucky they let me stay in the room. Later on, I was fortunate enough to have a friend who shared the passion, and we’d grab a beer and head down to a local park to play in the shade. God, those were the days.😢

And, of course, there are the great chess books. I grew up on this one; if I haven't read it at least twenty times, I haven't really learned anything. 🙏



Try to track it down; it offers a little bit of everything for a beginner—solid theory, fundamental principles to stick to, various chess curiosities, and a wonderful overview of the world champions up until the book was published.

As for those stories and oddities... Take the well-known legend about chess and the grain of wheat. Or the tale of Alekhine being found dead in a hotel room next to a chessboard, where the only missing piece was the white king, which he had allegedly grabbed as he fell. To me, that felt almost supernatural, something mystical, and I still remember the feeling of reading it for the first time. Those are the things that enchant you, though I suppose it’s much easier to be captivated when you're just a kid.😢

I haven't read it yet, but I definitely will; it seems to follow the same path as the one I mentioned above.👍

Yes, quite—the absolute summit, and how much pride he seemed to take in such a distinction.🤣

It isn't just special; maybe that's the only way I can really push myself to the limit. Playing online, I often just play by pattern without thinking much. There's no fear of losing, nobody knows who you are😁 and it ends up being lazy chess. And the addiction... I don't know, there are times I start a new game and I have zero concentration left.

Hey, is this actually working? 👍

The group I used to play with in person has mostly scattered because they hit a losing streak, and honestly, their egos just couldn't handle the bruise. I don't think I've ever encountered a reason for people to walk away from a game or a sport quite as frequently as that.

When I'm online, I’m playing about 99% of my matches at a 3/0 ratio, mostly because I get stuck dealing with idiots who quit mid-game. If I could manage a 10/0 run, that would be the dream...

3 0 I play too, but honestly, I don't have the patience left for serious chess. At least, not through a screen.

I just don't get the massive hype surrounding Chess.com. It’s a disaster from top to bottom—everything from the clunky interface and constant lag to the quality of the players and those endless, tedious statistics.
I suppose it all comes down to the brand recognition.

Ego in chess is a real problem. Last Christmas, I was playing on the local courts. Out of about 70 people there, only 16 signed up for the tournament. I ended up winning it, and after that, I didn't even see some of those guys for days 😁...and we live and work in the same small neighborhoods...we eat in the same diners. It’s awkward.

I don't know, I wasn't really feeling Chess.com at first. The green board is easier on my eyes 😁

brisktrucker52 said:Ego in chess is a real problem. Last Christmas, I was playing on the local courts. Out of about 70 people there, only 16 signed up for the tournament. I ended up winning it, and after that, I didn't even see some of those guys for days 😁...and we live and work in the same small neighborhoods...we eat in the same diners. It’s awkward.

I don't know, I wasn't really feeling Chess.com at first. The green board is easier on my eyes 😁

Exactly 🤣

Because in chess, there is no luck, no favorable referee, nothing of the sort. There is only you, your own brain, and the mistakes you make 😬

Personally, I find Chess.com perfectly fine; I don't notice the lag too much. And as for the interface, whatever it looks like, you can always customize your board 🤷

Well, I just remembered I should probably write this down, if only to have a little vent.
Back when I was in the military, I actually won a chess tournament. To be honest, I can't even recall what the occasion was.
It was at a base near San Diego with about 3,000 people stationed there.
The competition, however, was frankly pathetic.
My prize? A day off.
I think I have the certificate for it buried somewhere in my house.

The whole thing was organized by some commander who happened to be a member of a local chess club.
As for me, I don't really have an official ranking. I’ve never competed formally—well, except for one time when I was maybe twelve or thirteen, playing five rounds in the Junior National Championships (where I lost all five games 🙂). For the most part, I lack a rating, though I suppose I sit somewhere between a casual player and a club regular.
After the tournament wrapped up, I started playing a match against this guy. He seemed to think he was some grandmaster because I didn't have an official rank.
I took the first game 🙂 and basically walked all over him.
I actually had to play two more games just so he could end up winning 2-1.
LOL

brisktrucker52 said:Ego in chess is a real problem. Last Christmas, I was playing on the local courts. Out of about 70 people there, only 16 signed up for the tournament. I ended up winning it, and after that, I didn't even see some of those guys for days 😁...and we live and work in the same small neighborhoods...we eat in the same diners. It’s awkward.

I don't know, I wasn't really feeling Chess.com at first. The green board is easier on my eyes 😁

brightpilot6 said:Exactly 🤣

Because in chess, there is no luck, no favorable referee, nothing of the sort. There is only you, your own brain, and the mistakes you make 😬

Personally, I find Chess.com perfectly fine; I don't notice the lag too much. And as for the interface, whatever it looks like, you can always customize your board 🤷

Have you given Lichess a shot yet? It’s worth your time.

If you're looking for some solid software to get your fixes running, you really ought to install Babaschess. It’s absolutely flawless.
I wonder if Babaschess might actually be backing Chess.com. I should probably go take a look and see for myself.
EDIT:
Hell, nothing from that.

My one moment of supposed glory happened back in middle school when I represented my school at some regional tournament held under the Swiss system. I actually managed to grind my way through to the seventh round, where I ended up facing off against a local prodigy. Naturally, he absolutely dismantled me. I eventually finished somewhere just above the median, though I suspect I was cursed by bad luck right from the start ☕

As for my ego, during a recent intramural tournament, I managed to beat this guy who could barely hold his breath, let alone a chess piece—he was an old drunkard, really, so it wasn't much of an achievement. He beat me in maybe ten or fifteen moves, yet he immediately started telling everyone I should be the school's top representative. Apparently, if you beat a guy like that, you must be the next Bobby Fischer 🤣🤦

Perhaps it might have been feasible to organize some sort of tournament in the virtual space, assuming such a thing is even possible

I suppose I am merely a beginner, though I don't imagine I would particularly mind being completely dismantled by someone more experienced😁