Going through a slump before the days of the internet was a miserable experience. Paying for travel, lodging, and entry fees for the privilege of losing to a string of opponents that were once your inferiors was enough to drive more than one player away from OTB tournament chess forever. Other players were usually polite, and even supportive, but once the clocks started, they knew you were vulnerable. Today's internet tools make the unpleasant process of recovering from a slump much less painful. When one's best efforts result in a long string of losses to low rated opponents, anonymity can be like a warm blanket on a cold day. One can review and learn from ones losses with the aid of a computer program, that (while not perfect) does give valuable analysis without personal comments. Though the RHP games are going pretty well, my OTB results have gone down the toilet, and the only way out of this slump is to keep studying, playing, and reviewing one's completed games in depth.
I'm deeply thankful for wonderful age in which we live.
@mchill saidI remember playing correspondence chess by post card. It was so tedious. The Internet revolutionized correspondence chess, all for the better IMO.
Going through a slump before the days of the internet was a miserable experience. Paying for travel, lodging, and entry fees for the privilege of losing to a string of opponents that were once your inferiors was enough to drive more than one player away from OTB tournament chess forever. Other players were usually polite, and even supportive, but once the clocks started, they ...[text shortened]... eviewing one's completed games in depth.
I'm deeply thankful for wonderful age in which we live.
Playing as much (or as little) chess as you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want, in the comfort of your own office/lounge/bedroom; what could be better, from a chess - players' point of view? Of course the 'human contact' aspect is missing, but I've met people on this site whom I now regard as good friends, so there's that.....