Hello all Vikings, shieldmaidens, Valkyries, gods, goddesses, (etc.) of Valhalla!
I am Brunnhilde, Valhalla's Vote Chess admin, and this is the Vote Chess guidelines forum. If new rules or recommendations for Vote Chess are suggested and they are good I shall update this forum and add them.
If you are new, you may be asking: What is Vote Chess and how do I play it?
Vote Chess is a type of chess in which two groups/teams play a single game against each other. When it is one team's move, that team discusses ideas in the comments and they vote for moves they like (usually ones they all agree on). For more info on what it is and how it works, click here.
Now that the basics have been covered, I shall move on to the overall "mentality" of Valhalla Vote Chess: While we are competitive, we do this to learn and have fun. We don't battle each other - we come together and battle the other group! Vote Chess is thus generally about teamwork. All players participating are equal, though if one person comes up with good moves/a good plan, then the rest of the players can follow his/her lead if they wish. As Vote Chess admin, the only thing that makes me different from the other participants is that I moderate the games.
Vote Chess is also about learning. Thus it is recommended that you join our Vote Chess games; you can gain plenty of experience from other players. Don't be afraid to post your insights/ask questions/suggest moves. The more discussion, the better. No matter what sort of player you are, you are welcome here!
Like on the rest of this website, cheating and abuse are not allowed. Sources that you base your candidate moves on can include books, Chess.com's databases, chess videos, your own experience, and more - just make sure they do not involve engines.
The standard time control for Vote Chess games in this group is 3 days for each side. The 24 hour time control wouldn't give us enough time to analyze the positions thoroughly and the 7 day time control (or greater) would be too slow.
IMPORTANT: During gameplay, the first 1 1/2 to 2 days (sometimes longer if the position is critical and/or complex) are spent discussing moves while the rest of the time is spent voting. Exceptions to this are when the next move is obvious or forced or when the whole team is very quick to agree on one move (even if it isn't all that obvious, often the discussion ends where everyone agrees on one or two certain moves). You may only vote for candidate moves. Candidate moves are moves suggested by players in the comments; if a candidate move is refuted or proven to be inferior than another candidate move then it is removed from the list of candidates. This means that before you vote, you must read the comments/analysis (and/or make comments of your own). If you like/are interested in a certain move but you do not see it in the comments, then make a post suggesting it. A common problem I see a lot in Vote Chess is that one player briefly examines the position and then votes for a move that is not among the candidates and never posts a comment/analysis. Thus it is recommended that you tick the "Notify me of new comments" box (in V3 this is the "Follow" box) so you can track the comments and read the analysis in the Vote Chess games you participate in with ease.
I hope this forum has been informative and helpful and I hope to see you in our Vote Chess games! Good luck with your raiding, Valhallans!
Hello all Vikings, shieldmaidens, Valkyries, gods, goddesses, (etc.) of Valhalla!
I am Brunnhilde, Valhalla's Vote Chess admin, and this is the Vote Chess guidelines forum. If new rules or recommendations for Vote Chess are suggested and they are good I shall update this forum and add them.
If you are new, you may be asking: What is Vote Chess and how do I play it?
Vote Chess is a type of chess in which two groups/teams play a single game against each other. When it is one team's move, that team discusses ideas in the comments and they vote for moves they like (usually ones they all agree on). For more info on what it is and how it works, click here.
Now that the basics have been covered, I shall move on to the overall "mentality" of Valhalla Vote Chess: While we are competitive, we do this to learn and have fun. We don't battle each other - we come together and battle the other group! Vote Chess is thus generally about teamwork. All players participating are equal, though if one person comes up with good moves/a good plan, then the rest of the players can follow his/her lead if they wish. As Vote Chess admin, the only thing that makes me different from the other participants is that I moderate the games.
Vote Chess is also about learning. Thus it is recommended that you join our Vote Chess games; you can gain plenty of experience from other players. Don't be afraid to post your insights/ask questions/suggest moves. The more discussion, the better. No matter what sort of player you are, you are welcome here!
Like on the rest of this website, cheating and abuse are not allowed. Sources that you base your candidate moves on can include books, Chess.com's databases, chess videos, your own experience, and more - just make sure they do not involve engines.
The standard time control for Vote Chess games in this group is 3 days for each side. The 24 hour time control wouldn't give us enough time to analyze the positions thoroughly and the 7 day time control (or greater) would be too slow.
IMPORTANT: During gameplay, the first 1 1/2 to 2 days (sometimes longer if the position is critical and/or complex) are spent discussing moves while the rest of the time is spent voting. Exceptions to this are when the next move is obvious or forced or when the whole team is very quick to agree on one move (even if it isn't all that obvious, often the discussion ends where everyone agrees on one or two certain moves). You may only vote for candidate moves. Candidate moves are moves suggested by players in the comments; if a candidate move is refuted or proven to be inferior than another candidate move then it is removed from the list of candidates. This means that before you vote, you must read the comments/analysis (and/or make comments of your own). If you like/are interested in a certain move but you do not see it in the comments, then make a post suggesting it. A common problem I see a lot in Vote Chess is that one player briefly examines the position and then votes for a move that is not among the candidates and never posts a comment/analysis. Thus it is recommended that you tick the "Notify me of new comments" box (in V3 this is the "Follow" box) so you can track the comments and read the analysis in the Vote Chess games you participate in with ease.
I hope this forum has been informative and helpful and I hope to see you in our Vote Chess games!
Good luck with your raiding, Valhallans!