Crystal Chess

One of the nice things about chess is how the quality of one’s chess board and chess set does not affect one’s game playing ability. Chess can be played with any set one has lying around, and can be just as fun no matter the quality. That said, however, nothing gives chess the feel of being the classy set that it is like a fine chess set. Moreover, no matter the quality of the set, everyone needs some form of set to play. Whether you’re looking to purchase a fine set for elegant display and play, or simply looking to purchase a more low end chess set for more day to day use, we here at ChessBoss are dedicated to finding you the best quality chess supplies for your needs at reasonable prices.

chessusa.com

ChessUSA.com offers perhaps the widest selection of any chess shop in the country, much of which is displayed in their New York store, and of course offered for sale on their website. They offer all sorts of regular chess sets, but also figurine sets for special occasions and to commemorate a variety of events. In addition, they offer what they term to be “unusual” chess sets, which range from from regular chess sets made of unusual wood to chess sets made exclusively of old auto parts to sets in an extremely abstract art deco style.

wholesalechess.com

WholesaleChess.com also offers a nice variety of chess sets, most of which include “normal” pieces, though they have a few themed sets. They also specialize in other chess appliances including chess clocks for timing professional standard games, chess computers to play on a real chess set against a computer, chess score books, prizes and trophies for anyone hosting a tournament, demo sets, and chess themed t-shirts, among other chess accessories. In addition, they have an extensive chess library that offers books specializing in chess strategies of nearly every part of game play, general strategies, and tactics books for all levels of play. Moreover, their library extends to software and DVDs that offer training and playing tips for all levels of play.

thechessstore.com

TheChessStore.com operates out of Hillsboro, Oregon and offers a more high quality selection of chess sets and boards, as well as a number of chess accessories and sets for a variety of other games including backgammon, checkers, mah jong, and brain teasers, among many others. They offer quality chess sets manufactured in most common materials including metal, marble, wood, and plastic sets. They also have a number of chess clocks, travel chess sets, and storage cases. Furthermore, they have a nice selection of media materials for teaching better chess strategies and tips for all different levels of play and player.

chess-shop.com

Chess-Shop.com is the website of the Village Chess Shop which is located in Greenwich Village in New York City. It offers a variety of chess sets for sale, but their actual store specializes in exquisite sets from all over the world, hundreds of which are set up in the shop for perusal. They also offer places to play in their store, and strive to offer a cozy atmosphere for any level of player looking to view their selection, or to play against another in a coffee-shop setting amenable to chess players. They are open every day of the year, and of course their website is accessible at all hours of every day.

Benefits of Chess

In the European Union, chess is often given a similar importance to sports in most schools, and is frequently considered a requirement. In fact, in 30 countries around the world, chess is part of the required school curriculum, and with good reason. Susan Polgar, World Champion in chess, claims studies suggest that students who participated in chess improved their test scores by 17.3% compared to a 4.6% increase in students who engaged in other outside activities. These numbers are by no means exaggerated; in another study in China, people who engaged in chess had a 15% increase in math and science scores, while studies in the former Zaire, Belgium, Venezuela, Canada, and the United States all showed that children participating in chess had better math, spacial, and verbal skills, as well as general standardized testing, and can actually raise the IQ of participants, no matter the final skill level attained.

All of these studies suggest that chess has a great amount to offer in terms of helping students form planning skills and discipline, as well as mathematical proficiency, but this is just the beginning. Besides the gained recall, abstract reasoning, and judgement skills, other studies prove that students who engaged in chess had greatly improved self confidence than before starting the program. This particular aspect has been used to fuel programs in California and New York that work to engage at risk students in chess in order to rescue them from gangs and drugs, as well as other negative behavior. In fact, countless anecdotes from educators, parents, and researchers alike marvel at the levels of focus that chess provides for students from all walks of life, some of whom had previously exhibited severe concentration skills.

In addition to all of the intellectual benefits of chess, National Geographic in 1956 detailed a case in which chess skills could actually gain a man a wife. Legends state that in some areas of Italy in the Middle Ages, men would, rather than duel, play chess to win the hand of a woman. In 1956, a particular town in Italy, Marostica, decided to revive the legend, offering men the chance to play for a woman’s hand.

Overall, chess has been shown to provide nothing but benefits for people from every age who play with any sort of regularity. Chess forces one to develop logical thinking and problem solving skills, independence, and mathematical and abstract reasoning qualities. In addition, students who engaged in chess had markedly improved social skills and discourse ability, partly from the teamwork utilized to study the game, and partly from the focus that being a clever chess player requires. All in all, it’s a great game, and a great tutor in life skills.

Elo Ratings

All sports in the world have their independent ratings; similarly expertise in the game of chess is measured through one’s chess rating. The experts in chess have chess ratings that range around 2800 while the chess ratings of average chess players are around 1600. Sometimes, chess rating is referred to as Elo rating, in remembrance of the inventor of the chess rating system.

When competing in chess competitions, the players with the same rating have equal chances of winning when competing against each other. Players having different chess ratings, with the same difference in the chess ratings, have similar chances of winning at a game of chess. This means that two chess players having chess ratings of 2100 and 1900 have equal chances of winning in a game of chess as two players with chess ratings of 1300 and 1100 as the difference in chess ratings in both cases is 200 points. However remember that the chess ratings that different agencies offer need not be the same or comparable with each other.

Chess players usually use their chess ratings when introducing themselves when meeting each other for the first time. It was Garry Kasparov who was the first player to break the 2800 barrier in the year, 1989. This was in comparison with the other players; both current and historical.

The criterion employed in a chess rating system seems to be rather mysterious, but a chess rating is basically based on statistics of the players in their previous matches and chess playing expertise. In 1959, the USCF rating system in chess used 2000 as the upper level chess rating level for strong club players. These chess ratings then had divisions of 200 points that helped assign the different players in different classes of players. Elo had developed these measures as he thought that they were steep in the tradition of chess playing.

There are lots of calculations associated in getting a chess rating. The game results of a chess game naturally play an important part in the calculation of the chess rating. When calculating the chess rating, the expected percentage of the results of a game and the difference with that expected result is taken into consideration. Along with this, the number of wins, losses and draws against the opposition in the chess games too are taken into consideration.

With all this information, it is possible to calculate the initial chess rating for a new and previously unrated player. However, the higher is the results of numerous games in the calculation of chess rating, the more accurate is the initial chess raging. The chess rating is a very important factor determining the expertise and prowess of a chess player in a chess competition.

The players in a chess competition are usually matched against each other, after taking into consideration their individual chess ratings. This is why it is important to work at improving your chess rating by playing as many chess games with chess players having similar, if not equivalent chess ratings.

ELO CHESS RATING

The most widely used chess rating system that is in use today actually is of fairly recent origin. In fact, organizations like the United States Chess Federation and similar types of organizations and associations around the globe implemented what has become known as the Elo or the ELO system beginning in the early 1960s.

The so-called Elo or ELO system (hereinafter “ELO” for ease of reference in this article) was the creation of a gentleman born in Hungary but who was a physics professor in the United States named Arpad Elo — hence the moniker Elo or ELO. The chess rating scheme oftentimes if signified in all capital letters although it really is not an acronym.

The ELO chess rating system actually was created in order to improve the overall chess rating system that previously was in place. In time, ELO has been used in many other arenas beyond chess rating. In addition to chess rating, ELO can be used as an appropriate rating system for any competitive game situation that involves multiple players, including computer games. Indeed, the ELO chess rating scheme has evolved so far as to be applied to such sports as international football, U.S. football and U.S. Major League Baseball.

At the heart of the ELO chess rating system was the substitution of statistical estimation in place of a system that is based upon competitive rewards. Rather then subjective evaluations based on so-called “greatness” in relation to game related or play related achievements. An easy to understand example is to consider a chess tournament. Previously, chess rating could be based upon a rather arbitrary determination that one chess tournament is three times more important than a less competition. Therefore, “points” would be awarded to the winner of this more significant chess tournament in a more significant proportion under this subjective system of chess rating.

On the other hand, the ELO chess rating system engages a purely statistical model that considers the actual game or tournament results to underlying variables that are intended to reflect the actual abilities of a particular chess player. Of course, competitors can still contend that the ELO chess rating scheme still rewards success and failure in a particular situation; however, many experts in the field of chess rating believe that this system more accurately evaluates and reflects the actual abilities of a chess player. The contention is that the ELO chess rating system is a much more reliable chess rating scheme than anything else that has come before or anything else that might be available for utilization today.

In developing the ELO chess rating system, ELO operated on the basic premise that the performance of each and every chess player in any particular game is what technically is known as a “normally distributed random variable.” At the heart of the normally distributed random variable is the conclusion that while a chess players performance will vary from one game to the next, sometimes even significantly, the mean or median “value” of a particular chess player’s performance over time in fact would change only slowly

chessboss.com

Chess is the game of strategies and tactics. If one has an opportunity to play chess with different opponents with varied skill levels, chances of learning are much higher. However, such opportunities are not always feasible but chess online makes this possible.

Advantages of chess online

Chess online has suddenly opened up a new avenue for growth for chess lovers by giving them international exposure. Sitting at home, a chess enthusiast can play chess with anyone in the world.

Online forums offer immense opportunities to discuss strategy with great players and share opinions for mutual benefit.

Many chess online websites also have databases of chess games. These databases are continuously updated and provide an understanding of the game.

Like your own chess board, chess online is available to you 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Choose your convenient time and day to play chess on chess online.

Websites to play chess online

Many websites are now in the offing and it becomes tough to decide on registering with a particular site to play chess. This is particularly difficult when sites charges for membership.

Following points may help one select the best site:

1. Level of the player

1.1 A novice should ideally select a site that offers learning lessons along with options to play chess
1.2 Established players should look for sites that allows participation in many tournaments and competitions

2. Game analysis

2.1 Websites that help analyze concluded games can enhance ones learning process
2.2 Look for websites that have large databases to make such analysis feasible

3. Better exposuree

Sites that have more affiliations and reputation in playing chess can offer better international exposure to its members

4. Security

Website security becomes a critical issue in situations where financial transactions are involved to play chess

5. User friendliness

5.1 Good navigation, faster response and useful help screens are some of the options that needs to be considered in selecting a good chess online website
5.2 Good graphics, 3D images and various user definable parameters are offered by advanced technology websites that are used to play chess online

6. Earning potential

If the chess online site offers prize money for participating in tournaments, it is worth considering, as the competition will be much higher and tougher

www.chessboss.com is a website that is worthy of your choice to play chess as it satisfies many of the parameters outlined above. Immense resources on chess amply supported by state of the art technology in terms of the hardware and software, makes this the number one chess online website.

Selecting a suitable website to play chess online on a continuous basis is a crucial decision if you are serious about the game. An ideal option would be to look for a chess online site that offers various avenues to strengthen your game. It should be remembered that once you outgrow a website, one should move in to a higher league of chess online, in order to grow continuously.

3D Chess

Chess is a board game played by two people which has always been considered to be an amazing board game since a long time. It was started as a game for kings, and is still popular today amongst many people. However sometimes chess lovers cannot play chess when they feel like playing chess as they can’t find a suitable chess partner for themselves. So with a bid to solve this problem, computer technology has now come up with the concept of 3D chess.

The concept of 3D chess was popularized in Star Trek; however it was first detailed in Franz Joseph Schnaubelt’s book, the Starfleet Technical Manual which was published by Ballantine in 1975.

3D chess games are designed wonderfully, where its 3D effects help in turning an ordinary chess game into an enthralling sight and game. Being a tactics based game; the 3D chess set consists of carved chess pieces that are brightened with the help of reflections made on the lacquered board. There are many features found in the 3D chess set; one of them being the flexibility of changing the colors of the chess army.

People learning chess find a 3D chess game a very useful tool in learning the game of chess. This is because tips and highlighted points of both possible and impossible moves are supplied during the course of the game. The moves of a 3D chess game are made possible using an original chess algorithm. There is a huge game archive to help adjust and decide on the right tactics and moves to use to get the best move.

There are also additional features in the 3D game where you can not only make the game much more complicated and set a specific time limit per move played in the game, but you can also establish a limit for the whole chess game. In addition to this, 3D chess games also have a provision for changing the game skin if required, keep a tally on the exact game notation and also visualize the consequences of individual pieces being removed from the game.

Different gaming companies have come up with different and innovative games for 3D chess. All of these 3D chess games are compatible with an Intel or AMD based computer process, which has a 200MHz processor. With the help of a 3D graphic card, it is possible to make the 3D chess game get an additional advantage with the latest DirectXtechnologies that it offers like lighting, realistic shading and anti-analyzing graphics.

The latest 3D chess games offer high resolution graphics that are up to 1600x 1200 at 32-bit color with a 4x anti-aliasing for sharp and smooth images. The resulting breathtaking 3D graphics can be viewed and zoomed from any angle. So it can be seen that playing a 3D chess game is a must for all chess enthusiasts. It offers a splendid experience for players where the game is designed solely for players who are masters in both chess ambiance and chess combination

Chess Clock

Prior to the invention of the first mechanical chess clock, games of chess — even tournament play — could drag on for what seemed to be an unending amount of time. Indeed, from time to time high profile players in tournaments were known to walk away from a competition claiming that their opponents were unfairly delay play. Hence, the a growing hue and cry for a functional, meaningful chess clock commenced.

The first mechanical chess clock ever created was the invention of Thomas Bright Wilson in the United Kingdom. Wilson’s chess clock was used the first time in tournament plat in 1883. The Wright mechanical chess clock was premiered in the 1883 London Tournament.

Prior to the introduction of the chess clock by Wilson, time was kept (in a very casual and many times non-binding manner) through the use of regular timepieces with a so-called recording secretary to keep track of the time. In the alternative, sand glasses were used to track time in chess play.

The basic design of the chess clock has not changed dramatically since its initial development. The first chess clock actually consisted of two smaller clocks — one of the clocks for the White Player and one of the smaller clocks for the Black Player. The clocks were situated so that when one of the individual chess clock time pieces is running, the other is stopped. In fact, when a player finishes with his or her move, the player stops his or her own clock which automatically initiates the opponent’s chess clock time piece.

The chess clock was created with an overall time calibration. The first mechanical chess clock required each of the two players to make forty moves apiece during a time period of two and one half hours for each player. If the player failed to make the appropriate number of moves under the calibration of the chess clock, the game would be forfeited due to time.

Over the course of the past one hundred and thirty some odd years, the chess clock really has not changed dramatically in its design or its function. In truth, when Wilson designed his classical chess clock, he really did seem to hit the proverbial nail on the head. His design for the chess clock has proven to be as enduring as the game of chess itself.

With a chess clock a player actually can horde time. Because some moves — indeed many moves — in a game of chess are very basic and routine and require little to no thought, these particular moves can be effected in a matter of seconds. Therefore, because of the manner in which a chess clock is designed, a person can “stock up” his or her time for those moves that are far more complicated, for those moves that do require thought and strategic planning.

Historically, and to the current day, the chess clock has made the game of chess — including tournament play — more enjoyable and, on some level, more appropriately challenging. With the advent of the chess clock, the days of unending, frustrating games of chess are long gone and truly things of the past.

Chess Puzzle

If you are an avid fan of chess and are interested in improving or advancing your skills and abilities, you might benefit from incorporating chess puzzles into your overall practice regimen. Indeed, many people who have developed a proficiency in the game of chess have relied rather heavily on chess puzzles as part of their strategy to improve their own games. In this regard, you may have heard reference to chess puzzles but may not really have a full and complete appreciation as to what chess puzzles actually are “all about.”

In fundamental terms, chess puzzles are types of puzzles that oblige a person to have a basic knowledge of both the rules of chess and of how different chess pieces function during the course of play. The convergence of chess rules and chess pieces is designed to allow a person involved with chess puzzles the ability to logically resolve demonstrable problems associated with individual chess puzzles themselves.

There can be some variations on the more traditional theme associated with a standard game of chess when it comes to chess puzzles. In other words, chess puzzles actually can and oftentimes do incorporate different goals than what might normally be associated with the traditional game of chess. However, and with that said, the processes involved and arising from chess puzzles really have been shown to have a demonstrable effect on the improvement of a person’s ability to better succeed in a game of traditional chess.

As an aside, although chess puzzles have proven themselves to be solid learning and instructional tools for those people interested in enhancing their abilities as traditional chess players, chess puzzles have also devolved into their own separate and distinct gaming tradition. In other words, there is a recognizable group of individuals who now regularly engage chess puzzles for no other end reason that to enjoy and partake in chess puzzles themselves. These people have no primary objective beyond the chess puzzles designed to enhance their traditional chess playing abilities.

Generally speaking, there are three different variations on the theme of chess puzzles today:

– Orthodox and Tactical Chess Puzzles

– Heterodox Chess Puzzles

– Chess Miner Chess Puzzles

Orthodox and tactical chess puzzles are intended to closely mimic an actual traditional chess game and on many levels are best designed to develop a person’s abilities with traditional chess play.

Heterodox chess puzzles invoke conditions that are not possible in traditional chess play. For example, with these types of chess puzzles a player could have multiple kings on his or her side of the board.

Finally, with chess miner chess puzzles a person is left to determine where missing chess pieces are located based on information provided pertaining to chess pieces that actually are visibly present and the location of those chess pieces.

There are other chess puzzles and derivatives of this type of intricate gaming. However, overall these three different versions of chess puzzles remain the most widely used and played variants today.

Chess Sets

Chess is one of the most popular board games of the world. It is a game that is played on a regular board, with plastic pieces. However there are many players that prefer to use a unique chess set, and take pride in owning it.

There is no steadfast proof of the origin of the game of chess. However it is known that chess was played by people in Persia, India and China; only to spread to the Middle East, Spain and the rest of Europe. It is inferred that the different chess sets originated from the different countries the game traveled to.

You find many types of chess sets that accommodate the needs of different chess players. The chess sets can be made of various materials like wood, marble, ivory or glass. Some of these chess sets have magnetic pieces and are small in size, making it convenient for playing when traveling and on trips.

A typical chess set consists of sixteen pieces where each part represents a part of medieval life. The weakest pieces of the chess set are the pawns which represent the peasants who were always considered unimportant people. These eight chess pieces are usually used as sacrifices. There are two rooks or castles, the represent home and sanctuary. You find two bishops that represent priests that are more valuable than knights.

There are two knights in a chess set that represents soldiers that were held in high esteem. The most powerful piece found on the chess set is the queen; however though it is a strong chess piece; it is the king of the chess set that has to be protected by hook or by crook. The loss of the king indicates the end of the game.

It is not easy to create a fine chess set. It is required to have lots of skill and craftsmanship to create a chess set worth remembering. Glass, stone and wooden chess sets are created using maximum artistry. There are many rare chess sets in the world that are great collector’s items. Of course, the rare chess sets are the most expensive chess sets while the different types of chess sets have different rates. The most expensive chess sets are the ivory chess sets and crystal chess sets. The cheapest chess sets are the plastic chess sets that are available in toy stores.

If you want exquisite chess sets, you can find them only in hobby shops and perhaps on the internet. There are many sites on the internet offering both exquisite and ordinary chess sets. You have to use search engines on the internet to find the right site to buy your chess set from. Make sure that you buy from a reliable and known shop; so that you will receive the chess set you want, in good condition.

You have to choose the chess set according to the reason you are buying the chess set for. If you want a chess set to play everyday, it is better to buy a wooden or plastic chess set that is least probable to break. However if the chess set is meant to be for display, and a collector’s piece, then you can afford to buy one of the more expensive and fragile chess sets like the crystal chess set.

Quality Chess Set Dealers

For a particularly wide range of chess sets visit ChessBaron in the UK, Canada and the USA – hundreds of sets from $20 through to $500.

Get top quality chess sets from Entertain Guests. Large variety of wood, metal and electronic boards.

The Regency Chess Company – Your source for the worlds best wooden chess sets, chess boards and the most beautiful chess pieces.

Chess Sets – wholesalechess.com

Chess Titles

Chess is a game where excellence in the game is recognized by conferring chess titles to the respective players. The recognized international organizations like FIDE and ICCF confer chess titles for players with outstanding performance against world class players. Of all the titles, the most prestigious title is the title of World Champion.

There are many FIDE chess titles that are conferred to the players like Grandmaster (GM) or International Grandmaster (IGM), International Master (IM) and FIDE master (FM). There are also chess titles awarded to women for their outstanding performance in women’s events like Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and Woman International Master (WIM).

In addition to these chess titles, there are other master titles that are granted by national federations. There are no rules to be followed for a country to confer chess titles as chess titles are usually based on chess ratings. Such a chess title is the National Master (NM) of the USA.

At present, there are about 565 chess players having the grandmaster title in the world. In addition to these grandmaster titles, there are about 5 players that have the honorary grandmaster title, about 102 women players with the woman grandmaster title and a single woman with the honorary woman grandmaster title. Susan Polgar was the first woman to earn a Grandmaster title in the year 1991 under similar conditions as men. All of these 673 players have their names on the list of grandmaster titles of chess.

In addition to this list of grandmaster titles, there are an additional six players presently in the world that hold both the Grandmaster title and the World Grandmaster title. So it can be said that a total of 108 players have been awarded the World Grandmaster title. The Arbiters and Composers are also granted titles by FIDE. Composers and solvers of chess problems are also awarded Grandmaster titles by FIDE. In addition to this, the title of International correspondence chess grandmaster is also conferred by the International Correspondence Chess Federation.

To become a grandmaster, there are some requirements that have to be met. The player should have an ELO chess rating of a minimum of 2500 at a time. To become an International Master, it is required that the player have a chess rating of 2400 or higher. Even the winning of the World Junior Championship helps achieve the chess title of a Grandmaster.

The first chess players to be awarded the chess title of Grandmaster were awarded it by the Russian, Tsar Nicholas II in the year 1914. The players awarded the chess titles were Lasker, Marshall, Capablanca, Tarrasch and Alekhine. It was in the year 1950 that the FIDE first warded the Grandmaster chess title to 27 chess players. Since then the number of grandmasters have increased tremendously because of inherent inflationary effects that have made it easier to get awarded a chess title.

Chess ratings have increased by 100 points recently; moreover there are more chess tournaments worldwide to participate and win in. moreover air travel is much cheaper, making it easier for chess players to participate in chess tournaments and winning at them. However much it may be easier to get a chess title today, the chess grandmaster title still holds its prestige as it depicts a high level of chess performance.

Chess in the Movies

The Game of Chess on the Silver Screen

Introduction

Many people have many misconceptions about chess. There is a stereotype of chess players as being squirrelly introverts tucked away in dimly lit rooms. In reality, chess actually has somewhat of a storied history. Indeed, chess has been featured predominately in chess films and chess movies through the years.

Through this article, a reader is provided a review of some of the chess movies that have lit up the silver screen through the years. By way of this article, a reader will be able to come to an understanding of the powerful role that chess has played throughout the years.

Chess Movies

According to chess film aficionados, there are three films that have had a tremendous impact on the entire chess film genre. These films trace the presence of chess movies that have appeared on the silver screen since the birth of the film. These films are

Chess Fever (Soviet Union 1925)

Brainwashed (Germany 1960)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (U.S.A. 2001)

Chess Fever

Chess Fever is a 28 minute silent film produced in the Soviet Union. Chess film analysts consider this piece of film to be one of the best depictions of the game of chess of all time. They contend that the film goes beyond merely showing a couple of people playing the game. In the short, silent film, the passion that chess players have for the game is clearly brought to the front. Indeed, the film is said to convey the addictive nature of the game of chess.

Brainwashed

Brainwashed (which was originally titled Die Schachnovelle) is a very dramatic work. The film is based on the novella written by Stefan Zweig. The novella itself actually was published in 1944 after the author of the work and his wife committed suicide. Many people considered the novella to be a perfect foundation upon which a chess film could be built.

Most people do consider the novella to be the best written piece of fiction about chess of all time. The novella became a chess movie in 1960. This chess film tells the story of a man’s slow descent into insanity while imprisoned and tortured in Nazi occupied Vienna during the Second World War. The film centers around the man’s connection to the game of chess, perhaps his only relief in an otherwise horrific existence.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The game of chess played a fairly significant role in the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Indeed, this film perhaps presented the game of chess to the broadest possible audience of any of the chess movies or movies that have included chess in their plots that have been released since the birth of the motion picture. This film was one of the most widely released and viewed motion pictures of all time. Indeed, as a chess movie or a chess film, this movie exposed more people to chess in film fashion than any other production.

Conclusion

Of course, there are dozens of other films that feature chess in their plots (and in their themes). The dynamics of chess likely will continue to form a basis for character and plot development and as a foundation for thematic expression in films well into the future.