I've played about 6 games on Playchess.com and oddly enough, 4 of them started with d4, one of them started with Nf3 and then d4 and the last one started with e4. Has it just been my luck or are Queen's Pawn openings much more popular there. On most other chess servers, I have maybe 25% of games starting with d4. Most of them start with e4.
I don't mind this. I find d4 quite easy to play against, but this is kind of strange. Has anyone else noticed this and if so, what is the reason for this?
Originally posted by exigentskyBecause the players on playchess are mostly European, and thus better than the Americans you'll find on FICS, more of them play 1.d4.
I've played about 6 games on Playchess.com and oddly enough, 4 of them started with d4, one of them started with Nf3 and then d4 and the last one started with e4. Has it just been my luck or are Queen's Pawn openings much more popular there. On most other chess servers, I have maybe 25% of games starting with d4. Most of them start with e4.
I don't mi ...[text shortened]... this is kind of strange. Has anyone else noticed this and if so, what is the reason for this?
Originally posted by exigentskyHis post seems comical, but I have to agree 100%. That's not to say that no good players play e4, but almost all bad ones do. That is what's responsible for the pattern you noticed. The Playchess server appeals to the better chess player.
LOL, are you serious. You think European players are better than American ones?
My blitz ratings show ICC and FICS lowest and playchess.com highest. That's been over approximately three years, so I would assume the competitions tougher at ICC and FICS. Besides theres lots of europeans on ICC and FICS so it's difficult to sort out who's better. Obviously, at the highest level, the Europeans are going to have an edge because chess is bigger over there. But half the American chess players are emigrants from Europe so that further confuses the issue.
Originally posted by exigentskyI bet you were playing white!
I've played about 6 games on Playchess.com and oddly enough, 4 of them started with d4, one of them started with Nf3 and then d4 and the last one started with e4. Has it just been my luck or are Queen's Pawn openings much more popular there. On most other chess servers, I have maybe 25% of games starting with d4. Most of them start with e4.
I don't mi ...[text shortened]... this is kind of strange. Has anyone else noticed this and if so, what is the reason for this?
2 edits
Originally posted by buddy2Inflated ratings are not the consequence of weaker competition. Other factors are more significant.
My blitz ratings show ICC and FICS lowest and playchess.com highest. That's been over approximately three years, so I would assume the competitions tougher at ICC and FICS. Besides theres lots of europeans on ICC and FICS so it's difficult to sort out who's better. Obviously, at the highest level, the Europeans are going to have an edge because chess is bi ...[text shortened]... half the American chess players are emigrants from Europe so that further confuses the issue.
Clearly the black player in this game would not be anywhere near 1755 in OTB play:
[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2006.03.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wulebgr"]
[Black "szavam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "1544"]
[BlackElo "1755"]
[PlyCount "101"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
1. f3 d5 2. Kf2 e5 3. e3 Bd6 4. Ne2 Be6 5. d4 Nd7 6. c3 Ne7 7. Nd2
7... f5? 8. Nb3 e4
9. f4 Nf6 10. h3 c6 11. Nc5 Bxc5 12. dxc5 Neg8 13. Nd4 Qd7 14. b4 Nh6 15. Be2
O-O 16. a4 a6 17. Ba3 Bf7 18. g3 g6 19. Qf1 Rab8 20. b5 axb5 21. axb5 Ra8 22.
b6 Ra4 23. Bb4 Rfa8 24. Rxa4 Rxa4 25. Qd1 Ra2 26. Qb3 Ra8 27. Qb2 Qc8 28. Ra1
Kg7 29. Rxa8 Qxa8 30. Qa3 Qxa3 31. Bxa3 Nhg8 32. Nxc6 bxc6 33. b7 Nd7 34. g4
Ngf6 35. g5 Ne8 36. c4 dxc4 37. Ke1 Bd5 38. Kd2 Nb8 39. Kc3 Nc7 40. Bxc4 Bxc4
41. Kxc4 Kf7 42. Bb2 Ke6 43. Be5 Nca6 44. Bd6 Kd7 45. h4 Nc7 46. Kd4 Nba6 47.
Ke5 Nb8 48. Kf6 Nba6 49. Kg7 Nb5 50. b8=Q Nxb8 51. Bxb8 1-0
My playchess opponent, rated 1762, proved much more resourceful:
[Event "Rated game, 3m + 0s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2006.01.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wulebgr"]
[Black "Arieszodiac"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E93"]
[WhiteElo "1618"]
[BlackElo "1762"]
[PlyCount "105"]
[EventDate "2006.01.30"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 Nbd7 8. Bg5
h6 9. Be3 Ng4 10. Bc1 f5 11. h3 Ngf6 12. exf5 gxf5 13. Qc2 Nc5 14. b4 Nce4 15.
Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Bb2 Qe8 17. Nd2 Nxd2 18. Qxd2 Qg6 19. O-O-O f4 20. Bd3 e4 21. Bb1
Bxb2+ 22. Qxb2 Bf5 23. g4 fxg3 24. Rhg1 Qg5+ 25. Rd2 g2 26. Qd4 Rae8 27. Kb2
Kh7 28. Re2 e3 29. Bxf5+ Rxf5 30. fxe3 Qf6 31. Qxf6 Rxf6 32. Rgxg2 Re4 33. Kb3
Rf3 34. Rgf2 Rexe3+ 35. Rxe3 Rxe3+ 36. Kb2 Kg6 37. Rg2+ Kf6 38. Rf2+ Ke5 39.
Rf7 Rxh3 40. Rxc7 h5 41. Rxb7 h4 42. Rxa7 Rh1 43. Rh7 h3 44. Ka3 h2 45. b5 Kd4
46. b6 Kc5 47. b7 Rb1 48. Rxh2 Rxb7 49. Rb2 Ra7+ 50. Kb3 Rb7+ 51. Kc3 Rh7 52.
Rd2 Rh4 53. Kb3 1/2-1/2
Originally posted by Wulebgr2. Kf2??
Inflated ratings are not the consequence of weaker competition. Other factors are more significant.
Clearly the black player in this game would not be anywhere near 1755 in OTB play:
[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2006.03.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wulebgr"]
[Black "szavam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "1544"] ...[text shortened]... b3 Rb7+ 51. Kc3 Rh7 52.
Rd2 Rh4 53. Kb3 1/2-1/2