30-10-2020, 01:37 AM
(28-10-2020, 06:17 PM)George Neave Wrote: Personally I don't know why anyone would play online chess at amateur level other than blitz and there, generally, not to be taken too seriously. It's clear playing longer time controls is completely open for cheating and, therefore, completely pointless as far as I can see.
Hello George, Yes, it is possible for someone to cheat online, especially in longer games. But I will tell you why I play online chess, and not blitz or fast games as I don't enjoy those games at all.
I have had some really exciting games online, when you are under pressure and you find a way out, when you make a sacrifice and it come off, when you are short of time and still make some really good moves. those things get the adrenaline going and it can take time to wind down after exciting games, even when you loose.
How can I be confident my opponents are not cheating and how can my opponents be confident I am not cheating on them? Well, I am playing fellow club and league members. I trust them not to cheat and they do likewise. I guess that at club nights I have behaved in a manor that given them confidence that I will play fair with them, the same way as they will play fair with me. We often go through the games afterwards, just like you would do over the board. Sometime online chat, but often over the phone and spend ages going through interesting games.
Online chess has kept me in regular contact with the friends I have made at the chess club, that must be a good reason to play online, especially if you are in the highest level of lockdown like I am.
Now I appreciate not everyone is in this position, so I would advise people who wish to play with opponents they may not know, to make sure they are playing in tournaments where they employ extra checks and tighter controls to give people more confidence that their opponents will be playing fair.
So those are my personal reasons for playing online chess, but I equally know some players who don't think online chess offers them the same enjoyment as over the board chess.
David