CHESS UNIVERSITY OFFICIALLY ENTERS VOTE CHESS! JOIN NOW!

Hi all,

I am happy to announce that Chess University Team has officially decided to join VoteChess (VC)! I know that we played a game or two in the past but we never really took it seriously... until now! My name is Marek Simon, I am Assistant Director at Chess University and I will co-ordinate our VC initiative. The most important guys here though will be the VC captains, namely Rocky Baker (JustADude80), Marc Stutzel (BishopKnightRider), John Cox (Tactickle) and Robert Lapszynski. Since we want the experience of VC to be as fruitful as possible, we have created a set of rules that all must obey if they want to participate in our VC games:

Mandatory Rules:

1. No engine use or outside help.
   
2. No Drive-By Voting (votes cast without discussion) – Don’t vote for an undiscussed move. If you like a move that nobody has mentioned, then you talk about it - share your thoughts with the team!
   

Discretionary Rules (2 and 3-day time control games):

1. No rude or profane comments.
2. Use of Chess.com or other GM databases allowed (and encouraged).

Strong guideline:

1. Discussion only until the 24-hour mark or vote call from Team Captain(s) - Don't vote early!

We would like this to be followed like other rules but we understand that at times it is not practical. If a move is obvious (for example the opponent just took our Queen and we must take their Queen in return) there is no need to wait. If you are a strong player (rated 1800 or higher) and the best move is clear you don’t have to wait. Moreover, if the clock says 30 hours and you won’t be able to get back to the computer until after the vote is counted, then read the others comments and vote. Weaker players are strongly encouraged to wait till the clock is 24 hours or less.

Below are further details on how CU VC Initiative will work:

Chess University (CU) Vote Chess Group will be organized and run by one or more Team Captains. The objective of this effort is to introduce discipline into the voting process and foster the educational aspects of Vote Chess.  Highly-rated CU members will attend VC games to lead the discussion and analysis. CU group members can learn a great deal about VC and the game of chess itself by participating in discussion to see how top players analyze positions and develop game strategy. 

Group members will also learn how to use the database and board diagrams. VC forums will also be established to provide tutorials on database use, diagram use and game analysis.  A forum will also be set up as a VC “chat room” so that members can discuss games, ask generic chess questions etc.

Those who won't obey by the rules presented above could get a warning and, if ignored, be even banned from participating in VC. We don't want people to make random moves, it must be a group work.

That would be it for now, let's get our VC initiative going! I am sure all could learn something from participating in the analyses and decision making process.

Kind regards,

Marek Simon
Assistant Director
Chess University

What if I am the member of both CU and its opponent? 

Hello everyone.

As team Captain it is not my job to decide which move is best. I am just here to remind everyone to follow the team guidelines. Winning the game is up to the team.

Go Chess University!  

Go Chess University!!! But how do I join?

Hi sougataghosh. Because of how the vote chess software is set up you can pick which team you will play for. Once you pick you cannot change. Therefore if you quit the game for any reason you cannot rejoin on either side.

So it is up to you to act honorably and once you choose a side, you should not talk about the game or strategies with the other team.

Good luck. Go Chess University!  

Hi, JustADude80. I haven't joined any club other than Chess University (now) but I was just saying that because if I join any other club in the future. Just asking, can I send you a friend request?

There are two ways to join. If you are a member when the game starts you should get a message asking you if you want to join.

If that doesn't happen for any reason, you can always to go the Chess University's group front page and look for the link to Vote Chess (make sure it is THE Vote Chess link and not the forum discussion of vote chess). From that list you should be able to pick a game and it will ask you if you want to join.

Sure, send friend request. 

This is a great idea. Vote chess is a fantastic way to learn and it’s super fun too. I’m especially fond of the idea of having good guidelines for voting behavior. Thanks!

Howdy, Marc here.

How do I join

Read my post from earlier in this thread.

Hello, I am John Cox another CU VC team captain.  I have just returned from a trip and would like to introduce myself to the group and resume VC play.  I hope to have a tutorial on how to use diagrams in vote chess analysis ready to go soon.

Where do I chat about the vote chess game?

If you've joined the game, there's a chat window under the board just like the one you wrote in when replying to this announcement.  You'll need to have joined the game though. It's not available to people just kind of strolling by.

Thanks! 

To all,

Please read the intial post with the rules again, because it has been just updated!

Enjoy our VC experience to the fullest,
Marek Simon
Assistant Director
Chess University

Hey Marek, can we pin this thread to the top of the page? It is getting hard for some people to find.

hello