Will RHP ever rate Blitz?

Fairly new, here. Tried looking around. But, with no search engine I could find no thread on rating Blitz games. Chess.com rates blitz games. This is a nicer site. Hopefully, rated blitz games are in the works, here. Anyone have information?

Originally posted by Pnwoods
Fairly new, here. Tried looking around. But, with no search engine I could find no thread on rating Blitz games. Chess.com rates blitz games. This is a nicer site. Hopefully, rated blitz games are in the works, here. Anyone have information?

For blitz, it's better not to use browser-based software. The macromedia flash interface doesn't respond fast enough for good blitz/bullet.

uchess is the same interface and rates its games and outdraws RHP blitz more than 3-1.

The problem is that there seem to be some cheaters on uchess with insider access to their site. For example, there have been multiple stories of highly rated players having their connections severed in winning positions. That even happened to me once and I'm just a 1400 (give or take) player.

Happened to me a lot as well - seem to be a lot of disconections on that site.

Simply stopped playing there.

Raised question about tally being kept when first joined.
Advised perhaps in future.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Happened to me a lot as well - seem to be a lot of disconections on that site.

Simply stopped playing there.

Raised question about tally being kept when first joined.
Advised perhaps in future.

Yes, I've gotten a tremendous amount of disconnections and the site is quite buggy in general. However, I don't think the disconnections were caused by any player, the site just has issues. It's also very annoying that it has no rating restrictions and does not display the rating when you're about to start a game. I've played way too many unhelpful games against < 1000 players. It's alpha software after all.

BTW: Is it also run by Russ?

For rated live chess there is FICS, no ? The best free option by far. So why to bother with other sites ?

Originally posted by ivan2908
For rated live chess there is FICS, no ? The best free option by far. So why to bother with other sites ?

Yeah, I agree. FICS is much better and has more features. Rating restrictions, takebacks, adjournments, etc. It's not as good as ICC or playchess.com, but it's probably the best free site.

In fact, I just got into trouble because of a real pig taking advantage of the lack of takebacks on uChess. I mouse slipped and played Kd2 instead of Be2 early in the opening. After he moved, I asked if he could move his knight back and forth to allow me to castle by hand which would have been my next move if I hadn't mouse slipped. Mitrovica agreed and I proceeded to carry out Bd3-Re1-Ke2-Kf1-Kg1-Rf1-Be2, but the pig took advantage and as soon as my rook moved took my h-pawn. What a lying scumbag. He is perfectly within his right to take advantage of my mouse slip, but IF he agrees to help me fix it, he should stick to his word. This is deception and I am disgusted by such people. I wonder how he would have felt in my place. Anyway, this rant just illustrated that uChess lacks many basic features. I'm definitely not playing on it again until they improve the software.

I know I should not laugh but....

It's hilarious the lengths some people will go to for a poxy win at
blitz chess. He's won a game but made an enemy.

Afraid I'm one of the old school - I never ask for a quarter,
nor do I expect to receive one.

Funny story though - you don't by chance have a score of the game.
I collect these things.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
I know I should not laugh but....

It's hilarious the lengths some people will go to for a poxy win at
blitz chess. He's won a game but made an enemy.

Afraid I'm one of the old school - I never ask for a quarter,
nor do I expect to receive one.

Funny story though - you don't by chance have a score of the game.
I collect these things.

No score, just a pocket of delicately contained rage and searing hatred. 😛 No, I'm actually over it but I have lost a bit of my faith in humanity. If he's willing to sacrifice any morals for a win on a random chess site for some anonymous username, I can only imagine what he'll do when something important is at stake. At least I know that a robber was doing it for money and would not act like this normally, but he had very little to gain.

Originally posted by exigentsky
Yeah, I agree. FICS is much better and has more features. Rating restrictions, takebacks, adjournments, etc. It's not as good as ICC or playchess.com, but it's probably the best free site.

In fact, I just got into trouble because of a real pig taking advantage of the lack of takebacks on uChess. I mouse slipped and played Kd2 instead of Be2 early in th many basic features. I'm definitely not playing on it again until they improve the software.

I once was winning huge on uchess and because of a complete mouse slip, I hung my queen (I was going to take his rook and go up by about 14 points; instead my slip causes basically an even position). I told him my mouse slipped, but he took it anyway (I don't really blame him, as he was being crushed). I won the game anyway. 🙂

Originally posted by sh76
I once was winning huge on uchess and because of a complete mouse slip, I hung my queen (I was going to take his rook and go up by about 14 points; instead my slip causes basically an even position). I told him my mouse slipped, but he took it anyway (I don't really blame him, as he was being crushed). I won the game anyway. 🙂


[pgn]1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. ...[text shortened]... g4+ Ke6 46. Rxa7 Rf2+ 47. Ke4 e2 48. Re1 Bc3 49. Ra6+ Kf7 50. Rxe2 Rxe2+ 51. Kf5 Re5# 0-1[/pgn]

Yeah, it's a bit cheap winning on obvious mouse slips like that. Although, it is within the rules. However, lying about trying to fix the mouse slip and taking advantage of someone is entirely different.

Originally posted by exigentsky
Yeah, I agree. FICS is much better and has more features. Rating restrictions, takebacks, adjournments, etc. It's not as good as ICC or playchess.com, but it's probably the best free site.

In fact, I just got into trouble because of a real pig taking advantage of the lack of takebacks on uChess. I mouse slipped and played Kd2 instead of Be2 early in th many basic features. I'm definitely not playing on it again until they improve the software.

How do you know he would have played the same move in reply to both Kd2 and Be2? Kd2 may indeed prompt a change in tactics on his part, because now your K is stuck in the center and vulnerable.

And so you wait to ask for the takeback, because you don't want to disturb him when his clock is running. But now, if he accepts your takeback, the time he spent plotting a response to Kd2 is wasted.

If he accepts the takeback, he runs the risk that you might do the same thing that he actually did to you, i.e. you might leave your Rook on e1 [centralized] instead of doing the 'honorable' thing and move it back to f1.

If he does cooperate with the takeback, and gets into a bad position, he will be distracted by that old position with Kd2 and how much easier the game would have been if he had just played on from there.

And finally, if he later makes an odious blunder, and asks for a takeback, you probably will not give it to him because it was not a mouse slip. He will be left wondering if a mouse slip is really so different from an odious blunder that one should be taken back and the other should not. Aren't both borne of carelessness? Don't both spoil the quality of the game?

For these reasons, I oppose takebacks and think your anger at your opponent is largely misplaced. Sure, he could have behaved more honorably. But he is not to blame for your slip.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
It's hilarious the lengths some people will go to for a poxy win at
blitz chess. He's won a game but made an enemy.

Lengths like asking the opponent to hold still while you play Bd3-Re1-Ke2-Kf1-Kg1-Rf1-Be2 in series? 😵

Originally posted by SwissGambit
How do you know he would have played the same move in reply to both Kd2 and Be2? Kd2 may indeed prompt a change in tactics on his part, because now your K is stuck in the center and vulnerable.

And so you wait to ask for the takeback, because you don't want to disturb him when his clock is running. But now, if he accepts your takeback, the time he spe isplaced. Sure, he could have behaved more honorably. But he is not to blame for your slip.

The position would have been equalized for tempos and time if there were a problem. Moreover, he could have made any other move instead if he did in fact select a different response for Kd2. There would have been sufficient time and opportunity to make the intended moves while I was adjusting the pieces. It is clear that if he helps me, I will make sure that there is no price for it and everything is fair. I just wanted to have the right moves on the board so we could have an interesting game. You were not part of the game so your speculation is interesting but largely not applicable here. For example, he spent less than one second to respond to Kd2 and if he was worried about me being immoral or did not understand, he should not have accepted the proposition.

Moreover, this is not the main issue. It is not about accepting the takeback. He is perfectly in his right to continue playing as if there were no mouse slip. Like you said, is a mouse slip so different from a blunder and how can he be sure? There are many reasons for refusing takebacks of any nature. Thus, of course I do not blame him for my mouse slip. The problem is that he AGREED to help me correct the mouse slip in the manner I outlined. Just explaining how it would work and how he will have to move a piece back and forth to equalize for tempos etc. took me about 20% of the time (a bit more than two minutes). Then, he followed the plan just long enough to put me in the weakest position possible and then pounced. It is the outright deception that bothers me. This is dishonorable as well as unethical and no quotes are required. I have absolutely no respect for people like this. One's word should not depend on whether there is something to gain from breaking it.

BTW: Having to maneuver that way for a mouse slip is annoying but not all that difficult. I've done it for some of my opponents and it only took maybe fifteen seconds. It is an unfortunate limitation of uChess and one of the reasons you won't see me there again until they have better software.

Originally posted by exigentsky
The position would have been equalized for tempos and time if there were a problem. Moreover, he could have made any other move instead if he did in fact select a different response for Kd2. There would have been sufficient time and opportunity to make the intended moves while I was adjusting the pieces. It is clear that if he helps me, I will make sure t ...[text shortened]... f uChess and one of the reasons you won't see me there again until they have better software.

Perhaps he was miffed at you for talking for two minutes instead of just finishing the game. Again, I already said that he could have acted more honorably, but I remain sympathetic to his situation, because I tend to disdain lengthy chat in my games. It's just a distraction I don't need. If it takes two minutes of a 10-minute game just to explain how the takeback works, it's not worth the bother and disruption to the flow of the game.

Kd2 was likely a weak position for you. Was the one after ...Rxh2 really so much worse?

I also stopped playing on uChess a long time ago. I can't stand the Flash interface. It's too unresponsive. You can lose a second or two even after you've completed your move while the software registers the move.