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Computers have literally killed chess

I totally agree. This polarized society now only looks online for ideas that make them feel part of a group or unleash their hatred against someone. It's a shame this is also happening in the world of chess. Nothing is immune to this new wave that rides on technology, fostering an allergy to frustration and an addiction to constant content.

A big hug!

I totally agree. This polarized society now only looks online for ideas that make them feel part of a group or unleash their hatred against someone. It's a shame this is also happening in the world of chess. Nothing is immune to this new wave that rides on technology, fostering an allergy to frustration and an addiction to constant content. A big hug!

@TotalNoob69 said in #10:

You make a valid point that mass entertainment and online chess changed the game, sometimes to its detriment, but also how can you complain that millions of people now routinely play it?

Millions of people played chess before but they had to go to a club or local cafe to do so regularly, which I've begun to realize was probably healthier for them and their community. I hope that eventually this will happen again.

As for computers... Ouch! I am a software developer. How can I say something against them? But I tell you something: the computer science required to build a modern chess engine is more cerebral and fascinating and nerdy than chess itself.

I love and am absolutely fascinated by computer science. I probably would also be fascinated by aerodynamics and atomic theory but that doesn't make me any any less horrified by some of its applications.

@TotalNoob69 said in #10: > You make a valid point that mass entertainment and online chess changed the game, sometimes to its detriment, but also how can you complain that millions of people now routinely play it? Millions of people played chess before but they had to go to a club or local cafe to do so regularly, which I've begun to realize was probably healthier for them and their community. I hope that eventually this will happen again. >As for computers... Ouch! I am a software developer. How can I say something against them? But I tell you something: the computer science required to build a modern chess engine is more cerebral and fascinating and nerdy than chess itself. I love and am absolutely fascinated by computer science. I probably would also be fascinated by aerodynamics and atomic theory but that doesn't make me any any less horrified by some of its applications.

I guess there are advantages and disadvantages of Computerchess. You can learn special position ideas but also cheating became possible

I guess there are advantages and disadvantages of Computerchess. You can learn special position ideas but also cheating became possible

@ZugAddict said in #12:

Millions of people played chess before but they had to go to a club or local cafe to do so regularly, which I've begun to realize was probably healthier for them and their community. I hope that eventually this will happen again.

Millions. Really? You might just as well decry dating in bars while you are at it. I don't reject your assertion that it was somehow better for the very few people who would move off their ass to get to a cafe just to play chess, but online chess and computer analysis made the game explode in popularity. On Lichess alone there are close to 100 million games played every month. That makes for a lot of cafes.

I love and am absolutely fascinated by computer science. I probably would also be fascinated by aerodynamics and atomic theory but that doesn't make me any any less horrified by some of its applications.

There should be a Godwin's Law equivalent for people comparing every technological advancement with the nuclear bomb.

@ZugAddict said in #12: > Millions of people played chess before but they had to go to a club or local cafe to do so regularly, which I've begun to realize was probably healthier for them and their community. I hope that eventually this will happen again. Millions. Really? You might just as well decry dating in bars while you are at it. I don't reject your assertion that it was somehow better for the very few people who would move off their ass to get to a cafe just to play chess, but online chess and computer analysis made the game explode in popularity. On Lichess alone there are close to 100 million games played every month. That makes for a lot of cafes. > I love and am absolutely fascinated by computer science. I probably would also be fascinated by aerodynamics and atomic theory but that doesn't make me any any less horrified by some of its applications. There should be a Godwin's Law equivalent for people comparing every technological advancement with the nuclear bomb.

@TotalNoob69 said in #14:

Millions. Really?

It's strange that I should need to say this, but yes, millions of people played chess before the internet. I would go so far as to say the number of people who play OTB (the people I tend to consider most likely to appreciate chess outside of social media personas) has remained remarkably similar: there were about 80K USCF members in 1997, and roughly that much now. What has changed is the number of people treating chess as a video game which, like all fads, can and will likely ebb.

In the meantime we witness the game transform to accommodate these trends so that a large number of people (of which, an ever diminishing percentage of are decent chess players) can make some money off it for awhile. Is that a net positive? I don't know, depends on who you are, but some of the less pleasant consequences of this have become more and more evident.

That said, in terms of the tragedy at hand, the internet might have been only an accessory, but I think a crucial one - in the past not only were there less baseless accusations of computer cheating but also less of a reliance on social media by those affected unfairly by them, and moreover that media has only become more divisive and irresponsible over time.

@TotalNoob69 said in #14: > Millions. Really? It's strange that I should need to say this, but yes, millions of people played chess before the internet. I would go so far as to say the number of people who play OTB (the people I tend to consider most likely to appreciate chess outside of social media personas) has remained remarkably similar: there were about 80K USCF members in 1997, and roughly that much now. What has changed is the number of people treating chess as a video game which, like all fads, can and will likely ebb. In the meantime we witness the game transform to accommodate these trends so that a large number of people (of which, an ever diminishing percentage of are decent chess players) can make some money off it for awhile. Is that a net positive? I don't know, depends on who you are, but some of the less pleasant consequences of this have become more and more evident. That said, in terms of the tragedy at hand, the internet might have been only an accessory, but I think a crucial one - in the past not only were there less baseless accusations of computer cheating but also less of a reliance on social media by those affected unfairly by them, and moreover that media has only become more divisive and irresponsible over time.
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honestly, what a disrespectful way to push your opinions about the internet and chess over the grave of a beloved chess legend. what are you talking about?

honestly, what a disrespectful way to push your opinions about the internet and chess over the grave of a beloved chess legend. what are you talking about?

Your knight and king draw in the article are simply beautiful @ZugAddict !

Your knight and king draw in the article are simply beautiful @ZugAddict !

I guess the real culprit is how people are using online chess and engine not the engines and online chess itself. We made chess websites but did nothing to make sure its negative impacts are dealt with. Also, it allowed people to play and learn chess where it was not possible. For ex- In my own case, there is no chess club or tournaments in my city not the school, no access of chess books from the store so online chess was my only way I learnt chess, was able to practise daily against variety of players of my strength with access to online content to improve.

I guess the real culprit is how people are using online chess and engine not the engines and online chess itself. We made chess websites but did nothing to make sure its negative impacts are dealt with. Also, it allowed people to play and learn chess where it was not possible. For ex- In my own case, there is no chess club or tournaments in my city not the school, no access of chess books from the store so online chess was my only way I learnt chess, was able to practise daily against variety of players of my strength with access to online content to improve.