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