Chess Thread

Junpei · Post Post #0 (isolation #0) » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:01 pm

So I want to get better at chess again. I used to be pretty good (in context! I was pretty good for my standards..), but now I only remember a few openings and tactics.

Basically, I was wondering if anyone has good tips on how to get better at chess, or knows a good way to train. Also we could play chess games against each other and everyone in the thread could critique each other and talk about other chess related subjects.

(this is a Mastermind of Sin endorsed HELP THREAD -- "take that, Google!")

Also chess.com is easy to use if we want to do that. I can't find El's chess thread so I made one, I think the rollback got rid of it.

Junpei · Post Post #28 (isolation #1) » Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:38 pm

I don't have many hobbies. I have sports, mafia, and now chess. Mafia and chess I love because they really work my mind which is a workout I wouldn't have without them.

Say LLama and TSQ, have you ever watched Code Geass ("no I don't watch that nerd shit")?; well LeLouch, the main character, plays chess and is supposedly very good, but his play style heavily utilizes movement of the king past the baseline and for use in attacks. They don't show any of his games, so I don't know the answer to my second question: Is such a playstyle possible to competitively maintain?

Junpei · Post Post #37 (isolation #2) » Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:53 am

2 questions:

1) Is it considered advantageous generally to have an expanded positioning on the board (like pushing pawns up the court as the game goes), or to consolidate your forces?

2) Will playing against yourself help improve your game at all? In theory I think it should but I don't know about in practice.

Junpei · Post Post #48 (isolation #3) » Mon May 28, 2012 4:46 pm

In post 44, Nicodemus wrote:Oh, and the registration is only $85

Sounds like you lost a solid 7 or so dollars plus whatever else you spent to get there. But 7 dollars for a day of fun is a steal so good job.

Junpei · Post Post #61 (isolation #4) » Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:40 pm

Should I buy these books/will they help me get better?

The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes
The Chess Mysteries of the Arabian Knights

Both books by Raymond Smullyan

Junpei · Post Post #63 (isolation #5) » Sat Jun 23, 2012 8:38 pm

Okay! I was looking at different logic books to purchase and that author was a name that came up in suggestions. I did the googlebook reviews for two of his books (Alice, Satan/Cantor) and the former was easy and the latter I am stuck on a puzzle. But knowing you felt Sherlock Holmes was an elite logic puzzle book makes me favor it over everything I've seen so far. It's not expensive anyway so I'll pick it up tomorrow.