Chess Thrives under Lock-down!

With the outbreak of the Corona Virus at its height and many countries across the world under strict lock-down for fear of the spread of the virus, sporting activities are at their lowest and many sporting codes are suffering the effects. Chess however is one of the few, if not the only sport that can survive in its truest nature through the lock-down. By this I mean chess players can play a proper game of chess in spite of the lock-down restrictions and feel all the pleasures of winning; the pains of losing and the anxiety associated with the anticipation of your opponents next move and the hopes that he/she misses your punishable blunder. The same cannot be said of other sports when forced to be moved to other platforms.

This is an article about the different forms of online chess and how each of them can be utilised in these tough times.

Chess has always been a sport appreciated by a few and mastered by even fewer mortals. Chess players have always been on demand. Skilled chess players always had a difficulty meeting in person with players who are on a playing level that allowed them to play intense and seriously challenging games; the only pleasurable kind. This is why chess players are such a close-knit group connected by this beautiful game. When a chess player meets a formidable opponent, they try to keep contact with them for as long as the game is good. This has led to the advent of a long distance format of chess play known as correspondence Chess. Correspondence chess was initially played by post where each player would send their move in response to their opponents move via the post mailing system. People would get old playing one game together but each move sent or received brought its own unique brightness to the day of the player.

Each player would set-up a board in their table at home (or in a public place if they had spectators). The first player would make the first move then write the co-ordinates on a piece of paper (for example e4 which means that a pawn has been moved to the square on the forth rank of the E-file). This piece of paper would be posted to the opponent in a different country or region who would also be having their own board setup. Upon receipt of the post, they would make the move on the board then sit looking at the board and think of an appropriate response to e4. They would decide on the move, make the move on their board then write in down on a piece of paper to post. Such games would last for weeks, months and even years depending on the pace of play and the time it took for the post to get from one player to the other.

 With the inventions of telephones, correspondence chess became much faster. Players would setup their boards in their respective homes or public places then make a phone call to the opponent letting them know what move they had made. Then after came emails and moves could be electronically mailed to opponents almost immediately and the best thing about it was that records could be retained for longer periods in the mailbox. This has been the evolution over time of the correspondence chess. Nowadays people can play correspondence setup via social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and other media.

Nhlanhla "Jumbo" Tsela playing correspondence chess against yours truly via Facebook messenger

With the improvement of technology overtime, chess players seem to be the ones who have benefited the most from technological progress. Today we have so many platforms that allow players to play a live game of chess with opponents from different countries. Such platforms allow both player to look at the same board and witness their opponent’s move as it is made in real time. The beauty of such platforms is that they allow spectators to watch the games also in real time from the comfort of their homes and witness as their favourite players trick their opponents through tactical play and cheer them on in the comments sections.

Fide Master and National Chess Champion Banele Mhango playing an Online Chess Tournament

Live chess has made it possible for players to choose between different time formats of play depending on whether they would like instant pain/gratification or delayed pain/gratification. We have quick play formats for the players with speed and accuracy. These formats are for players who have learned their lines and depend mostly on instincts to respond to threats during a game as the formats hardly afford players any thinking time. These are formats such as Bullet time format which is anytime control less than 3 minutes per player. In such formats, players would give each other two minutes to complete their moves. This means that in a two-minute bullet time control, a game of chess could be finished in less than four minutes and the first player to run down his/her clock loses the game. There is the most popular option of playing blitz games which are time controls of between three minutes and ten minutes. This is where players learn the importance of being decisive and committed as there is no chance to doubt and second guess your moves.

There is also the option of rapid play which affords players some thinking time, though no too much of it. These are the time controls of above ten minutes and less than 30 minutes per player. This means that a rapid game has to be completed within an hour.

And for those that would still like to practice patience and do proper calculations before making their moves, we have the classical time format which is anything above 30 minutes up to as many as 12 hours per game. This is a true test of skill and mental endurance as a game hardly ever ends on time; players lose the game before they run out of time

Juliet Mathebula playing a game of rapid Chess on her cellphone while doing some essentials shopping

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The online chess platforms present a real development opportunity for those that would like to improve their game by playing stronger players who could challenge them out of their comfort zones; or by watching stronger players battling out their best ideas. This is also great for people who would like to learn how to play the game of chess as most platforms also have lessons available for beginners who would like to master the basics for free.

Lindokuhle Bhila doing some Chess puzzles on Lichess.org

In this period of social-distancing, where personal contact is discouraged and social life seem impossible, the online chess platform offers a community that is rich in entertainment, full of the complexities of life that involve losses and gains; pleasures and pains. And the great thing about it is you can track your development through rating points that you accumulate with every game won, and reduce with every game lost.

So if you are a sport-lover and enjoy watching as actual sweat and blood falls out of the faces of superior beings as they battle for dominance, Chess is your sport to follow right now and Online is the platform which offers it raw and unfiltered!

P.S, if you are interested in sponsoring and hosting an Online Chess tournament for your club, school team or one that is open to all chess players in the country, chat to me via WhatsApp and we could organise something. 

My number is 0715814519

Learn, Play, Compete and Thrive

The Coach Chess Academy

By. Eddie Bhila

author of The Coach Life Adventures Through Chess and The Coach Chess Manual

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