USCF...A dying organization

Originally posted by Jusuh
Chess is dying for a reason. Chess is inferior non-sport. It is played by nerds who are too fat to pursue real sports.

not really actually, most chess players are very healthy, and do sports. If you look at world champs I can't remember one that was a fatty. If you ask me chess is dying because it is over analysed, over studyed and over written.

Originally posted by orion25
not really actually, most chess players are very healthy, and do sports. If you look at world champs I can't remember one that was a fatty. If you ask me chess is dying because it is over analysed, over studyed and over written.

how can you guys say that chess is dying, with the advent of the internet, this has opened a whole new epoch in chess popularity. i would really like to see the statistics, but i reckon it must be among the most popular internet games ever!

I don't think chess is dying, it's just that there is more competition. The sort of person who would have taken up chess fifty years ago might well prefer computer games now. Other chess-types spend all their time on the internet, achieving nothing and learning much less than they think they are. Even spending an evening watching TV can be entertaining now, which certainly wasn't the case thirty or so years ago.

I think it's great that chess ability has little to do with physical prowess (although to succeed at the top-level it's undoubtedly an advantage to be fit). I'm in my forties now and the friends I grew up with who took sports seriously have now mostly given up or are playing at a much lower level, whereas I can still play chess as well now as I could when I was twenty!

Last year a player in the Oxfordshire Chess League had a very successful season and increased his ECF grade by 13 points (the equivalent to about 100 FIDE / USCF points). This is pretty good by anyone's standards, but this chap is in his mid-eighties. Are there are any other activities in which an old man of 84 can compete on even terms with a seven year old?

Hi Robbie,

OTB the game is in trouble. All clubs that I know off have a reduced
membership or have stayed the same. They have had to re-structure
the Edinburgh league a few times in the past to allow for clubs that have dropped out.

Will you be in Edinburgh for the Congress 11th - 19th July.
If not there will be live games, I'll post address when I have it.

The Congress will also have an official site with video interviews etc etc.

The Corner will be done daily - started already by interviewing a c-pawn.

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=340

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Robbie,

OTB the game is in trouble. All clubs that I know off have a reduced
membership or have stayed the same. They have had to re-structure
the Edinburgh league a few times in the past to allow for clubs that have dropped out.

Will you be in Edinburgh for the Congress 11th - 19th July.
If not there will be live games, I'll post address wh ...[text shortened]... dy by interviewing a c-pawn.

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=340

actually Greenpawn my friend, i will be taking my caravan up to Perth, to Scone palace and me and the wee man shall be doing some fishing in the Tay. i don't get back until maybe after the congress, its a real pity, i have never ever been to a Major chess event, and would probably go over dressed for the occasion, i know i would. Whos in with a shout? Mrs Grant? Mr.Aggard, Mr.Rowanson?, Mr.Motwani?, have you a wee flutter on the winner? I could be in with a shout for the Chandler howler trophy, but seeing you are skint, you can keep the fiver! Pawn dude do you know what a chess-type is?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
how can you guys say that chess is dying, with the advent of the internet, this has opened a whole new epoch in chess popularity. i would really like to see the statistics, but i reckon it must be among the most popular internet games ever!

rhp has about 2000 active members. World of warcraft has over 2 million. You do the math.

Originally posted by greenpawn34


http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=340

haha great!! this made my day!

Hi Robbie.

Fishing on the Tay - that's an expensive hobby.

"but seeing you are skint, you can keep the fiver! Pawn dude do you know what a chess-type is?"

I was pulled into the office in March and told since July last year
I had logged in late (slept in) no fewer than 17 times.

I joined here in July last year! Coincidence?

No idea what a chess-type is - please tell, I need a joke or two.

Originally posted by kmac27
rhp has about 2000 active members. World of warcraft has over 2 million. You do the math.

what is it about the internet as a whole, the members of RHP and those who play warcraft that you do not understand? are we to assume from your erroneous assertion that RHP is the only site on which persons play chess, no, well then stop talking nonsense. I am, quite confident, that if it was researched, in countries with huge populations like India and China, you will find that chess is at least in the top ten played internet games, often in the top three.

Both India and the Philippines share the top spot for the most searches for "chess" between 2004 and 2006 (unfortunately, the data does not go further back). India is a country with a huge population with internet access becoming more and more available in recent years. However, most of the other top spots in the popularity of chess searches are taken by countries with a much smaller population: the Philippines, Norway, South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Romania occupy ranks 2 to 8. The United States, a developed nation with a population of close to 300 million people is only on the 9th place.

source:http://gettingintochess.blogspot.com/2006/05/chess-popularity-quick-and-dirty.html

one must remember that the United States of America is not the centre of the universe.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Robbie.

Fishing on the Tay - that's an expensive hobby.

"but seeing you are skint, you can keep the fiver! Pawn dude do you know what a chess-type is?"

I was pulled into the office in March and told since July last year
I had logged in late (slept in) no fewer than 17 times.

I joined here in July last year! Coincidence?

No idea what a chess-type is - please tell, I need a joke or two.

Yes Greenpawn, the correlation between your joining RHP and your call to the office are quite telling my friend! is there anyway to get another book out and instead of donating the proceeds to charity, try and make a little dosh fro yourself? traps and zaps! as long as Mrs Pawn is tolerant, thats what counts.

Originally posted by Jusuh
Chess is dying for a reason. Chess is inferior non-sport. It is played by nerds who are too fat to pursue real sports.

I've played in 21 OTB tourneys now and I can't recall seeing a single person who was really obese. All the kids I've seen there were in pretty good physical shape.

Hi Robbie

No money not a problem - as long as I have board and pieces I'm happy.

Proceeds not for charity but to Scottish Chess (they have about a
£2,000 already).

Have a new 'never been done before idea' about a chess book.
Thrown idea it out to a few trusted friends and feedback is very positive.

Am trying a few drafts as layout has to be perfect for idea to work.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Robbie

No money not a problem - as long as I have board and pieces I'm happy.

Proceeds not for charity but to Scottish Chess (they have about a
£2,000 already).

Have a new 'never been done before idea' about a chess book.
Thrown idea it out to a few trusted friends and feedback is very positive.

Am trying a few drafts as layout has to be perfect for idea to work.

mm, what could this revolutionary concept be?

Originally posted by Jusuh
Chess is dying for a reason. Chess is inferior non-sport. It is played by nerds who are too fat to pursue real sports.

Gata Kamsky hardly looks like the "fat nerd" stereotype

Originally posted by chesskid001
Gata Kamsky hardly looks like the "fat nerd" stereotype

Well maybe not fat...
http://www.chess-theory.com/images2/kamsky01.jpg