How many of you play games online, but have a physical board right next to you?

CC “wording” can leave a lot to be desired. On another issue regarding Daily chess a similar debate took place over the rules. Many members whom have been here for years and are SA’s insisted it was against the rules to use Internet Explorer in Daily chess. Their interpretation was computer evaluations were being made and hence against the rules. 
Well what was the result?

CC reworded the rule to further clarify. Of course IE is allowed and always has been. Many were unfamiliar,  became adamant about being “right” and would not listen. 
Perhaps such new wording is needed regarding the use of a 2nd board.

Probably. My guess is they wont because using a real board is not assistance. Any more than many other things are assistance. I'm still curious about people who openly say they use a real board. Chess.com has all the information they need. I wonder how many of those people have had any action taken against them. My guess is zero. 

Not in bullet or blitz.  Maybe in longer Live games, but never when short on time.

Great question OP.  I just started back at chess 2 years ago, online has been an adjustment. I played a lot as teen, way back when pieces were made of sticks and mud. Had considered setting up a physical one next to laptop to try out next few moves in daily chess, but never even thought of this as being cheating.  Very interesting discussion here, and now a moral conundrum for me.

🤔...  😖...  😭

If you are a beginning player online I’d agree - great idea to assist visualization will learning the subtleties of a mouse and smaller board. 

But play unrated games. Train as such until you have made the transition. It’s not all that difficult. I play on a 2 1/2 screen and enter moves by finger (phone app). Didn’t take long at all. I’d rather play on my phone than on a physical board.

Honestly, I was just asking mostly as a conversation starter; didn't occur to me it would be against the rules, here. 

And I certainly didn't expect 5 pages,(and growing), of debate whether the rule is good or not. 

There is no specific rule regarding the practice.

The rule simply states “ no outside assistance of ANY KIND is allowed.”

It’s not about wine or eyeglasses - but about chess materials that have a direct relationship to the game.

A comparison is taking notes OTB. Not allowed. This is difficult for some to understand  - insisting they are obtaining no advantage in their decision making process. All kinds of rational and explanation that their intent is not to cheat. All very true the intent part - but they are blind to the fact that permitting notes opens all kinds of opportunity for abuse . That door is simply closed . No notes of any kind. The issue is not really  if an advantage exists or not. Might for some and not for most. Does not matter one iota. No opportunity is made available because of the obvious - it is easily abused and the not so obvious assistance at work.

But it doesn't say that. It says "outside assistance". So yes, wine would be both outside, and assistance. It doesn't say anything about it having to be chess materials, does it? Maybe a bigger screen would be assistance. What is assistance? You say it's anything that helps visualize the board better. Your words. 

So, what about condal vs. neo pieces? What if one helps you visualize the board much better than the other? Chess.com allows many custom options to help members visualize the board better. What would be the point of all these piece and board options if it weren't for assistance? And what about writing down moves in OTB play? Is that allowed? Maybe that helps someone who forgot the move order from 10 moves ago and wanted to remember his plan back then. Is he allowed to look at the move notation even if it helps him visualize the game better? My guess is yes, the person is allowed to look at the moves from the game. 

If the ONLY objection to using a real board is it helps visualization then that couldn't be outside assistance, since there are MANY things both outside, and offered by chess.com that aid in visualization. Again we are talking about relaying only the moves as exactly played in the game. 

My posts are directed towards new players not aware of the issue. Your reasoning is stuck in some weird time zone about things that are not chess related - comparing a 2nd board to everything under the sun. I have no interest in enlightening your faulty reasoning. The only way you’ll ever be convinced in the error of your thinking is for CC to put it all down in black and white. Good luck and have fun in your games. I’m not here to argue.

Your position is not hopeless. Think of it as being in check, while down a bishop. Maybe not working out the way you thought it would, but not hopeless. At least yet.  Still some things that could potentially go in your favor. 

lfPatriotGames

Are you a girl? Just asking?

2 questions. OTB a player is writing down his nightly shopping list during the game. Is this of any assistance or possible advantage and if not can he be warned for the practice?

Answer:

1. Yes definitely. Writing down a shopping list can most definitely lead to an advantage.

2. Yes. Most likely a warning would be given on the 1st offense. 2nd observance most likely a forfeiture of the game.

Why worry you have a place for notes (turn based or daily take-backs are allowed ) at least chess.com allows this in setting. So get your note taking take backs in gear.

One thing Gary Kasparov has said is that you need to play more than online versions as they do differ. A person can be very good online and make blunders on a real world board if he doesn't practice both.

I wonder if it would be fine to play against the computer here using a board on the side, but not do it for games against a real opponent?

Daily chess and Live chess (either online or OTB) are entirely different animals when applying some of the rules regarding outside assistance.

OK. But your last 5 posts is an awful lot of not arguing. I understand notes, and many other things, can be of assistance. But notation of the game is allowed is it not? That will clearly assist someone who wants to remember the move order from 5 or 10 moves ago. You had said you believe a real board could help in visualization. That just seems odd considering all the other things that are used by players, and allowed  and encouraged by chess.com, that aid in visualization. 

That's great, but it still doesn't address your main concern, visualization. You had said you believe that's the big advantage of using a real board. How does that square with all the other things people use, that are allowed, that aid in visualization? Isn't the whole purpose of chess.com offering different online board and piece options to assist with visualization, depending on each persons preference? I guess I dont understand your other comment "The notation is not taking notes..." Isn't the purpose of notation to take notes? Hence the name, notation. I do understand recording the moves is allowed, and no other forms of note taking are allowed. And it makes sense why. But referring to the recorded moves, notation, can be of assistance. 

Sorry about my use of terms. There is no "online board". What you see online is a computer screen. What you use in real life is a chess board. I just refer to each for what they actually are. So when I say real board, or real chess, I mean real board, not a simulated one on a computer screen. 

I'm too lazy to setup a board. And if I did it doesn't work so well in 3min games, lol