I'm not going to write a long story about myself. I've asked this question, because I want to say something, how am I seen in the internet. Not as a blogger, but as a chess player.
I did write an article about online chess some time ago. I wrote, inter alia, that online chess kills this sport. Some people did not understand me. I meant that the chess as a sport will be changed. The form of chess will be changed.So far we had an opportunity to discuss with our opponent, to know him, to see him. Now the situation is different. I am not a real player. I am not a human. I am just the rating which has to be beaten. And that is true. We don't need to see our opponent. We don't care how does he look. He is anonymous for us.
I don't like this. And to me the chess over the board will always be more important than online chess. Even if sometimes I'm to lazy too go on the tournament which takes place in the same city where I live.
I started CC when we used post cards and played people from all over the US and Europe. A few engaged in idle chitchat but most didn’t. At least one advantage of using post cards was I learned enough German and Spanish to make myself understood. Now there’s Babel Fish. But you are right…it’s a rare online opponent who offers more than an initial greeting, if that much. When we used post cards things were a little more personal because at least you knew your opponent’s real name and their address.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it though even when I played OTB I had a lot of “friends” on the tournament circuit but couldn’t tell you anything about them personally.
Nobody but us CC players ever took that form of chess seriously! I learned that many years ago when I had a CC game with notes by John W. Collins published in a national magazine. Of course I was pretty proud of it but when I got to the club, not one person had seen it and out of 10-12 CC opponents only one mentioned it and all he said was, “Nice game.” Even we CC players tend to ignore published CC games…always have!