OTB - Taking it easy on lower rated players? - Chess Forums - Page 3

chasm1995

Jun 15, 2013

0

#41

Would all of you agree that if it is a casual otb game, it is acceptable to point out a couple of errors and explain why they are errors, yet in a tournament game, you may only go over it with your opponent if you both agree to look over it together?

billyblatt

Jun 15, 2013

0

#42

waffllemaster wrote:

billyblatt wrote:

RandyRhoads wrote:

Kingpatzer wrote:

At our club we have a saying "A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to make a small child cry."

There's no mercy in OTB chess.

i'm gonna be sick.

lol exactly. When I first read I was lost for words. Was I reading it right? It was just mind-boggling that someone would hold that as their credo.

Now, some guy posts that thats not what it means. You would have to execute some really sophisticated self-deception to hold the sentiment, but not the intention. Or whichever way round you are twisting your thinking. I don't know. In any case good luck to you...

Have you ever played in a tournament?

Games with friends are for fun of course. At the club, online, etc it's friendly. But competition is competition. You play to win period. To me a good long tournament game of chess is best personified as suffering. Slow methodical focused torture (for both players). Not only is there no mercy, mercy is a thousand miles away.

And that's how it should be. After the game we can be friends, and often there's friendly chatting. There's nothing mean spirited... I think this is obvious but you seem to misunderstand so I thought I'd throw that in there.

Oh for the love of god man, get off the pulpit. It is just plain embarassing when a full grown man talks about making kids cry. Seriously? This has to be explained?

Irontiger

Jun 15, 2013

0

#43

paulgottlieb wrote:

If your weaker opponent is interested in learning, you can go over the game afterwards and show him some ideas and alternatives. I was always very happy to get that kind of help from more experienced players. But in general I think it;s best to try and play good chess, observe touch-move, and general act like a chess player during the game.

Yep, this. (Put apart than in tournaments, you play "chess for blood", but the question refers to club).

No bad moves on purpose, ever, ever. Lazy calculation, maybe, but not intentional blunders.

You can always review the game afterwards with them if they want to (if they don't want, they will not improve as fast as they could, but hey, that's their choice).

I would not be so touchy about the touch-move rule though. If they just hang a piece or let a fork or something like this, I usually point it out and then we come back to the previous position - the game is over otherwise. If you know they are going to a tournament soon, things are different, but generally speaking let them take back once or twice per game.

FanOfCarlsen

Jun 15, 2013

0

#44

What is the meaning of OTB?

ProfessorProfesesen

Jun 15, 2013

0

#45

'overthrow the british', just joking. It means Over the Board, as in with a board with real pieces.

Mandy711

Jun 15, 2013

0

#46

I would play my usual game against lower rated player. There is nothing wrong in crushing them. Just no teasing or taunting.

Kingpatzer

Jun 15, 2013

0

#47

billyblatt wrote:

Oh for the love of god man, get off the pulpit. It is just plain embarassing when a full grown man talks about making kids cry. Seriously? This has to be explained?

Get over yourself and develop a sesnse of humor.

This is a comment made in the context of a relatively strong OTB chess club with a very good coaching program. The current club champion is, if I'm not mistaken, 12, and rated 2300 or so. He laid waste to plenty of adults in achieving that.

mattyf9

Jun 15, 2013

0

#48

Taking it easy on lower rated opponents does them a disservice. Getting destroyed for making mistakes is how you get better. Play the best you can every game. Your opponents dont need your sympathy. As waffle already stated, keep taking it easy and one day this lower rated opponent will beat you.

billyblatt

Jun 16, 2013

0

#49

Kingpatzer wrote:

billyblatt wrote:

Oh for the love of god man, get off the pulpit. It is just plain embarassing when a full grown man talks about making kids cry. Seriously? This has to be explained?

Get over yourself and develop a sesnse of humor.

This is a comment made in the context of a relatively strong OTB chess club with a very good coaching program. The current club champion is, if I'm not mistaken, 12, and rated 2300 or so. He laid waste to plenty of adults in achieving that.

I thought the justification was going to be more sophisticated. oh well...

billyblatt

Jun 16, 2013

0

#50

Estragon wrote:

The sissies who think you should "take it easy" or show "mercy" on weaker players miss the point entirely. If you aren't going to play seriously, why play at all? Take up Tiddly-Winks instead, where you can concentrate on style points.

'the sissies' - lol anything that opens with that you know is just going downhill.....

btw anyone remember this:

varelse1

Jun 16, 2013

0

#51

All depends on how good looking she is!

chasm1995

Jun 17, 2013

0

#52

varelse1 wrote:

All depends on how good looking she is!

I've played a very, uh... distracting game against a girl before. Twice, in fact, against the same girl. The thing is, she hated me after our first game, and the next year, she remembered me, so I stayed loyal to the team.

waffllemaster

Jun 17, 2013

0

#53

More often it's the kids showing no mercy to the adults.

chasm1995

Jun 17, 2013

0

#54

Define kid.

ClavierCavalier

Jun 17, 2013

0

#55

varelse1 wrote:

All depends on how good looking she is!

That depends on how much she's into chess. Throw the game and she might just leave, making you twice the loser. :-p

ClavierCavalier

Jun 17, 2013

0

#56

RandyRhoads wrote:

Kingpatzer wrote:

At our club we have a saying "A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to make a small child cry."

There's no mercy in OTB chess.

i'm gonna be sick.

I've been thinking about this slogan. To me it seems like the point is that it's better to teach the kid rather than to foolishly let them erroneously think they're a great player.

waffllemaster

Jun 17, 2013

0

#57

chasm1995 wrote:

Define kid.

I think the youngest person I've lost to was 9. He was rated about 2000. I call that a kid.

The winner of my last tourney was a 13 year old 2100 who's over 2200 now. 13 is a kid to me too, don't know about you.

ClavierCavalier wrote:

I've been thinking about this slogan. To me it seems like the point is that it's better to teach the kid rather than to foolishly let them erroneously think they're a great player.

Who brought up kids? The OP is not about kids. In fact more aptly it mentions older players. Kingpatzer's quote was (obviously) not literal.

The slogan "no mercy" (to me at least) is about giving your maximum effort. If there were one thing that rivals this game's unforgiving nature it would be your tournament opponent. One missed line, one sub-par move and the evaluation can change for good and you've thrown away a draw or win. If a player is honestly spending time worrying about their opponent then as Pfren is fond of saying, they should go play marbles.

ClavierCavalier

Jun 17, 2013

0

#58

waffllemaster, due to the quote, I thought it was clear that I was expressly refering to the slogan about making the children cry.

OMG, after a year in a few months, I just noticed you have 2 "L's" in your username.

CMRudy

Jun 17, 2013

0

#59

If there is an opportunity to teach then do so. But in a broader context I like "Honor your opponent with your best game."

chasm1995

Jun 17, 2013

0

#60

Waffelmaster, I mean define which age there is a transition from kid to adult, that way I know whether i fall into the kid or adult part.