when excluding chip-mates we already are more strict than the set of rules for correspondence chess. We cannot control it, but at least declare it a question of honour not to use active computer-assistance, means: recommended moves, abstract position evaluations.

However, the use of literature should be accepted, since it always has been used in correspondence chess, and is considered to be forming the higher educational value of corr. chess. You can learn a lot that way. I personally do not use a computer-based data-base, but would not object to anyone who does. It is very much the same like literature, only with another method of finding the stuff you need. In books you need to do the search yourself. this is with regard to openings for the main.

In Correspondence chess moves would also be encoded differently, they use numbers only, no letters, a1 becomes 11, and h8 turns into 88. That way, the sequence 1. e4/c5 2. Sf3/Sc6 would translate into 5254 3735 7163 2836.

Has any of you guys every used things like these? :lol:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4545/img07140xd.jpg

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/2246/img07159vx.jpg

My God, that match protocol must be close to 30 years old :lol:

I agree, though when it comes to literature/databases some players may not possess any and be turned off if they don't have the option of declaring it off limits in their game.

In my case I have, like you (and probably most other experienced players, an extensive chess database that I have used in e-mail games (where it was permitted) - at least during the opening phase of the game (they become less useful the farther into the game you progressed). I stopped short of computer assistance, even where permitted, and would declare at the outset that I would not use it - and my opponents generally shared my feelings.

I also have a small library of chess literature (about 25 books) covering all phases of the game as well as some of the better known game collections (like the Zurich International chess tournament of '53) and could probably make some decently informed recommendations to anyone who wants to explore this somewhat arcane subject but has no idea on what books to consider.

The PC-software by chessbase, botht he chess programs and the database, come with immense databses of several hundred thousand matches of the last years, and classical ones. However, I always was turned off by using that. Maybe I am a fossile.

I have a substantial collection of chessbooks, the former GDR publisher Sportverlag had a very good collection of chessbooks until the 80s, and a good encyclopedia of chess openings, of which I own around a dozen books on those themes that I used to play in that time. I make use of that, and consider it to be okay, since it is work nevertheless and is allowed in correspondence chess as well (maybe even expected :) ). Despite that, a small number of books on strategy and tactics (of which I do not remmber too much anymore :( ) , and a basic collection of books on principles of endgames. Like so many players, I always disliked endgames, and enver was really strong in that. The ammount of moves one calculates in advance here is a bit beyond my abilities, and I also have no good eye for typical strategic position layouts in endgames. I had several books on chess computers, but somehow I lost them during one of my movements between cities.

I have chessbase, but not Fritz. Chessbase is probably the best datbase program out there and they continue to expand its usefulness with things like e-book opening books in chessbase format, etc.

I think the last chess engine I ever bought was an early version of Chessmaster (for Windows 3.1) back before I started playing online. I definitely prefer human opponents - computers are too precise and lack the same creativity.

I own rather fewer opening books (a handful) but more of the middlegame stuff on strategy, tactics, etc (the bulk of my chess book collection). I agree that endgame books are harder to read and its the hardest part of the game to play as well. I have 3 slim endgame books and actually managed to plow through one of them once upon a time (the most basic of the three). Its something I keep meaning to come back to, or at least pawn and rook + pawn(s) endings. Meh, one of these days :)

Wish I had one :up:

you mean when I survive the opening you will catch me in the middle part , then? :)


Sixpack,

I had several albums like this, additonally to chess club and school team I played several corresp. chess tournaments during school age and some years beyond, before leaving for university, which brought all my chess playing to a halt for over ten years. I suffered severely from that and never was able to get back to the former playing level of mine - which really makes me sad nowadays, but I'm a little bit too late now, it seems.

Well I would not really fear that if I were you - owning them and having read and digested them all are two separate things ;-) Actually, up until your challenge in this thread rekindled my interest I had been inactive for almost exactly a year and had not looked at a chess board at all. However the interest flared back up pretty quickly and I logged into my online account the same day and played a couple dozen blitz games (discovering in the process just how rusty I am... though that'll pass... I hope :)).

I've had over the years a bit of a mentor, interestingly a countryman of yours, who's only in the last couple years decided (at the tender age of forty-something) to give tournament chess a go and he's really into that now as well (though still plays online too). Like me he's always been an on again/off again player - I usually play fairly intensely for a year or two then take a 3-6 month break... this past one year break was my longest but that was following two years of steady online play that included involvement in online tournaments and such (so I needed a longer break when the time came ;)).