Chess.com Snobbery

 LOL

CHAT:

LILYBETRICE SAYS: HI

ERIKIDO23(waits to figure out what Lily's rating is before responding.  Oops I can't respond she is lower rated than me.)

Seriously get over it.  Losing a chess game makes you no less or more of a person and no sane person really thinks that way. 

I rarely ever speak during games and I pretty much only play tourney games that go on for months.  I sit down at the board for 15-20 minutes and look at 10-20 games, then I go on to something else. 

Talking across a chess board is just not done, its not just me - its rare that an opponent says mor ethen the cursory 'hello' and 'good game'.

Too much talking leads to lower ratings.

I suspect that a lot of conversations begin when your opponents realize they are playing a woman . . . some of these hacks act like they have never seen a girl before - you will just have to learn to tolerate them.

If someone says hi I respond hi, otherwise not.  Rating is irrelevant.

Some like inane twitter some don't.  In either case rating is not relevant.

There are many fine chat rooms on the internet. When I want to chat I use them. When I want to play chess then I come here.  BTW, good luck with your games.

To chat or not to chat, that is the question....

Unless I'm in an insanely good mood I usually don't say anything, for various reasons above.  If someone wants to chat, I'll chat back, but in no way should it be considered rude if someone doesn't want to chat.  That's just stupid.  If someone says "hello, how are you?", ignoring them can be considered rude.  But at the start of the game both players start with a blank page. 

Trying to converse with someone who might not speak the same language as you can also cause problems.  I played some guy who started asking me stuff in Arabic.  I said, in English, that I didn't understand, so he started sending me links to some strange propaganda stuff on youtube.  In return I sent him a link to an AC/DC video.  Not quite sure what he thought was going on, but luckily (perhaps for both of us!) the game ended soon after.  I forget who won now....

I won't let a rating number lead me to assumptions about

people i havn't got a chance to see in person.

Silence is golden.

Rudeness is chattering away on the keyboard when one is trying to concentrate, though it is a valid strategy. 

I do try to be polite but will not be the catalyst for conversation--I mean to mate your blasted king.

Also, real rudeness is the reason most people have turned off chat--they care not to be insulted and cussed at by sottish degenerate kids looking to "cyber".  God save us.

I do sometimes like to digress here in the forums, and I have found your unique perspectives on etiquitte entertaining. 

I highly suggest a wonderfully enjoyable essay by Donald MacMurry (a promising master who died at a tragically early age). It is from the very 1st issue of "Chess Review". It is titled "The Gentle Art of Annoying".

I'll transcribe it and post it soon...

I believe all human beings naturally perceive themselves as better than thou. 

Thus came about the creation and evolution of strategic games to test these magniloquent perceptions of self. 

Chess is one of the more snobbish games of testing.  Football not so much--more for the proles.  ;)

Iagree. I think footbal is not as snoobish because it is a team sport. even when you win you have to share the glory with your team. When you beat a particularly tough opponent it is all yours. On the topic of discussion, I don't think I am a better PERSON, than anyone, just a better chess player than some. I don't talk during games unless I know the person or they are chatty and it is an unrated game. Not that ratings matter but still I don't like distractions

Hello lilybetrice.

Regarding your post..well, did it ever occur to you that your opponent may not have an interest in chatting with you? Now let's not have our ego get in the way. Maybe you feel that everyone has an obligation to chat with you, but you're wrong. If your opponent doesn't talk, then the only thing to do is deal with it. Don't take it too hard. Don't try to force these things upon people. Most of us are here just to learn and play chess. I say hello and exchange a few words most of the time. But sometimes, depending on my mood, I don't say a thing. 

Pont: Learn to respect your opponent, whether he keeps quiet or says hello. And save your anger for someone who does actually say something rude. 

Just my point of view.

Just playing devil's advocate here, but: maybe it's not that higher ranked players are snobs who talk to you less, as much as those who talk to you less can concentrate more and earn a higher rank....?

:) seriously, though, libybetrice, I doubt one has to do with the other. And I suspect this chatting thing is now your bete noir and you will never be satisfied with the answer "some people are just not going to talk during a game."

Just try not to turn yourself into a Capt Ahab chasing this white whale. You'll just drive yourself (and us) mad.

lily.  you are hilarious for even starting up these silly topics.  I can confirm for you that rating has little to do with it.

It's not that there aren't people who are snobs.  In fact, I am a chess snob.  I think people who are rated higher than me deserve more chess respect and I'm more apt to care what they have to offer regarding the game...but I can vouch for the fact that many people rated 300+ higher than me do say hello or "nice move"...and many who are my rating or lower do not say anything at all.  

Next time you think you're onto something, do a little study...then bring your results to the forum.  

" In the middle of the match I said, 'Oho, Now I've got you!'"

So, you took a shot on your opponent, and later acted surprised that your opponent took a parting shot at you?

Jerk.

I don't think he was taking a shot at the opponent.  I think it was his idea of playful flirting...err...banter.  

And his opponent's idea of playful banter was to tell him to talk less next time. So what's the problem?

Well, no-one has ever spoken down to me... I don't think there are a large number of people who feel they're better than others because they can play chess at some degree of skill.

Well done on breaking 1000, by the way.

Sweagen,

   I agree some people are that serious about winning #1.

Lesser English skills (which for some can be a needless embarassment) #2. 

LB should join a tennis club and see how many superior players will give her a game, and how many turn her down.  It's not about the ratings.  It isn't exactly snobbery either.  In tennis top club players want a challenge.  If one isn't up to it, it is not about being snubbed.  Chess.com is different I have refused a few games against low rated players because a few of them were close to beating me, and I didn't want to lose a lot of rating points.  Just the opposite!  That's respect.

I've argued this point before, though not on chess.com.

Everybody wants to get better at chess.
The better you get, the fewer people that give you a good game.
Take it to the extreme, and your typical GM, IM, or even FM really has to work pretty hard to find a good game. You can't just sit down at a coffeehouse and take all comers, because most of those games aren't going to be very interesting at all, for either party.

Also, don't they get paid to do it? That completely changes the equation. Then it's not necessarily the game you're enjoying but the fact that it furthers your professional goals.