Crocodile Dumbdee
Sort:
Chess isn't really a part of our culture. None of my friends play unless against me and even then it's rare.
I really love chess but only really started this year (Im 16). This is a result of very little exposure to it and up until recently I didn't know much about online chess. My skill OTB is in a stagnant state as no one I know really wants to play chess. I would not say that we are inherently weaker at chess but over here it is much harder to get good. Also I have not come across a chess club, apparently there are quite a few in America.
Mar 3, 2016
0
#4
Former World Postal champ Purdy (from the days before computers) was from Australia.
Mar 3, 2016
0
#5
According to what metrics?
We've got a relatively small population spread over a wide geographical distance - 22 million in a country the size of the contiguous states of the USA, although most of that population is concentrated along the eastern coastline. We're also a long way away from other countries, so attending tournaments in Europe or the U.S. is a considerably less feasible for Australians too.
Natalia Pogonina had an interesting article on GMs per capita in 2010: using the latest FIDE list and the 2016 country populations, Australia (#51 in population) was #58 in terms of number of GMs but #63 in terms of number of GMs per 100,000 of population, so yes, doing more poorly.
By way of contrast, the #1 country in terms of number of GMs (Russia) with a #9 population size drops to #28 in GMs per 100,000 of population; the United States fares even worse, dropping from #2 in terms of number of GMs and #3 in terms of population to #53 in terms of the number of GMs per 100,000 people. The top 10 countries have tiny populations, generally speaking:
| Country | GMs | #GMs Rank | Population | Population Rank | GMs / 100,000 | GM per rank |
| Monaco | 3 | 63 | 37,863 | 160 | 7.923302432 | 1 |
| Iceland | 13 | 28 | 331,778 | 152 | 3.918282707 | 2 |
| Andorra | 2 | 67 | 69,165 | 158 | 2.891635943 | 3 |
| Armenia | 37 | 14 | 3,026,048 | 123 | 1.222716890 | 4 |
| Montenegro | 6 | 48 | 626,101 | 146 | 0.958311838 | 5 |
| Croatia | 31 | 17 | 4,225,001 | 114 | 0.733727637 | 6 |
| Georgia | 27 | 19 | 3,979,781 | 119 | 0.678429290 | 7 |
| Serbia | 54 | 5 | 8,812,705 | 84 | 0.612751703 | 8 |
| Slovenia | 12 | 30 | 2,069,362 | 133 | 0.579888874 | 9 |
Mar 19, 2016
0
#6
Nah, not really...
Nigel Short thought it was worth turning up to the Ballarat Begonia, so we can't be terrible.
Mar 20, 2016
0
#7
ThreeTwoFourteen wrote:
Australia is weak in chess. Discuss.
You've got brain damage. Discuss.
it might be because of continental drift or something. globe trotting for rugby makes sense, but chess ?
Hey look, capablanca is back, tell us a creepy doodie story old man!!
Mar 20, 2016
0
#10
ThreeTwoFourteen wrote:
Hey look, capablanca is back, tell us a creepy doodie story old man!!
I've outgrown puberty now. (Mentally that is.) 
Where's Cap, can I get his autograph?
Nah, creepy doodie stories aren't my thing... How about you?
i wouldn't toast that slice of bread if i were you.
Mar 20, 2016
0
#12
No, singed cat hair isn't the best taste in the world. Plus it would also be very hard to put into the toaster without breaking it.
Especially not if you have the cat still in it - that would be animal torture.
No, creepy poo stories ARE your thing, do you deny sharing one in this forum? Yes or no?
Mar 20, 2016
0
#14
ThreeTwoFourteen wrote:
No, creepy poo stories ARE your thing, do you deny sharing one in this forum? Yes or no?
It depends on your definition of "creepy poo stories", but first would you please consider using proper phrases? "Creepy poo" sounds like a 7 year old's idea of the bogeyman.
It's ok you already admitted it in another thread and I saved the original before you deleted it. I own u old man.
Mar 20, 2016
0
#16
ThreeTwoFourteen wrote:
It's ok you already admitted it in another thread and I saved the original before you deleted it. I own u old man.
Haha it's nothing to be ashamed of, mate...
Just a story that obviously traumatied you. I could see your point, so I took it down. Solved.
It's down but it will NEVER go away.
Australia is weak in chess. Discuss.