Not sure how much general chess interest in here. Welcome to discuss your own chess or the world of chess.
The whole cheating saga between Carlsen and Niemann is getting a lot of coverage at the moment
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Maybe 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 is just unbeatable at that level!
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Every year or few I sit down and boot up chess.com or lichess.org and try to get good, and every year or few it just does not happen. I think, as with poker, I simply don’t have the attention span for chess.
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Good idea for a thread! I’ve always wondered if there was much interest in chess on here and have considered starting myself at various times. I started getting into it around the Carlsen-Caruana world championship and then really started enjoying it during the explosion after The Queens Gambit series. I play on Lichess pretty regularly and follow a few popular streamer/youtubers. I really enjoy the Chess.com events because they do a good job with packaging the commentary in a way that it can be easily followed by an interested amateur.
This Carlsen Niemann stuff is nuts. Magnus seems to have gone off the deep end. Sure, Hans says some provocative stuff but it’s not really good enough to just blackball him indefinitely. Somehow things have to be brought to a head.
You need to dig up @mikey
I’ve discovered the ‘Antichess’ mode on lichess.org tonight tonight, and am hooked. Basically you aim to either lose all of your pieces or be unable to move on your turn in order to win, but if you can take a piece you have to take it. Completely inverts the strategy.
Ohh might have to check that out. I got into crazyhouse for a bit (any piece you capture you can then put back on any square on the board as your own) but simply not enough players on chess.com for it
Love a game of chess, I’m probably no good but the rare time that I find somebody to play they are worse than me so it all works out well.
This thread caused me to reactivate my chess.com account… Still rubbish though
So what’s the vibe with this Niemans fella… Is there any concrete evidence of him cheating?
Seems suspicious but Im not aware of any concrete evidence. Think its a case of a prior history of it, a very quick rise and some games where he’s pulled out engine level moves from nowhere.
On the playing chess aspect, did also get back into it myself properly last year after playing it alot whilst I was younger. Whilst no pro (rated around 1100-1200 on chess.com). Helped to get a really solid opening that youve played a lot of different versions of- I’ve got one for white I feel very comfortable many versions of and getting there with black. Will next be looking to add a second one for white.
The youtubes I went on were GothamChess (his videos can be alot more production value than chess tricks. Especially his recent stuff is far more on the world of chess):
Also liked Hanging Pawns. More advanced and his videos can get pretty long but definitely helpful at giving you a lot of the common ways a particular opening might go
Controversy continues
Anyone following the world championship? Ding just got absolutely streamrolled with the white pieces. He really doesn’t seem like himself at the moment.
Finish to game 6 is amazing sruff
Yeah d5 was some inspired stuff huh. Would have been amazing to see the insane engine line with Rb7 instead, but still very nice.
Kind of nuts to see a London system at this level though, and even crazier to win with it. I wonder if Team Ding have identified that Nepo is weak in the Carlsbad structure and just going for any way that they can to get it on the board.
Anyhow 4 decisive games so far is already a big turnaround from the Carlsen matches. Long may it continue.
Every game continues to be immense entertainment. Ding weathers the storm and keeps things even, gets into a position where he can start taking control and spends 7 minutes (when he had only 8 minutes to make I think 9 moves) to blunder and end up resigning with 4 seconds on his clock
Poor old Ding. Completely psyched himself out of it.
And then Game 8 ends up with more chaos. Both players miss some massive winning lines but still come up with some incredible moves (rook a2!). And then theres the Ding prep leaks. Chaos. This series better a better drama than any netflix drama
4th tie breaker game, Ding turns down an easy repeat to go for the win and clinched it and the title.
Completely enthralling series. Feel bad for Ian but what final play
That was insane. I put it on for my evening walk thinking I’d listen out to a draw. So glad I did.