i find it useful to move games along quickly and to make obvious moves. i can then use chat to add a personal element. i don't use it to end games unless the other player is playing out obviously lost positions which is a waste of everyone's time.
i have never felt it impersonal, but i can see how one might. play with friends, chat with everyone, and enjoy the game! if one or two moves come back quickly, take it as a challenge to thwart their ideas!
Hi, I am a relatively new player on Chess.com. I have enjoyed my experience immensely and have met a few people here whom I am pleased to call "chess friends." I only look forward to getting to know -- and play -- more people.
Recently after challenging a player to a chess game, it turns out that the player was using the conditional move protocol that is available here. I am sure many players have found it convenient, if not necessarily useful. However, in a recent game wherein it was used against me, I found it downright unpleasant. This unpleasantness might have derived more from the quality of my play than anything else. However, I do believe there might be some negative aspects of this system that merit consideration. Therefore, I submit the following for the sake of argument -- hopefully I will receive answers that might clarify the purpose of this mechanism.
First, while it's no doubt a very clever programmin accomplishment, I really have to wonder what purpose it really serves. I find it difficult to believe that it is a useful learning tool insofar as it mostly detaches the player from the game. Because the player is not actually involved in the moves in question, there is less opportunity for learning.
Secondly, and most importantly, the experience left me with the impression that the player programmed the game and abandoned it, presumably to find more interesting endeavors. Yes, I KNOW that my own playing skills -- such as they are -- are still operative and intact -- although one might not have seen evidence of that in recent games. That is not the point. The point is that it left me with a feeling that the other player wanted to spend as little time as possible with that particular game. Regardless of what that player really intended, I found that somewhat disrespectful. It's as if I asked someone to play a game and they said "sure -- here's my computer, it will play you." If I wanted to play chess with a computer instead of another human being, I would use chess.com's computer play or the software I bought for my home computer!
So, despite my having laid a compelling argument before you, I'm guessing that some of you might have different ideas about this issue. So, I'd just like to ask players about reasons for using it. That is, what does it really do for you?
Thanks.
Mike.