I play softball.
Ratings is the sole reason we play
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Never mind then. I know even less about sports than I thought I did.
"Men play hardball" (quotes) does turn up 129 google hits. 
Hardball itself gets 3 million.
socket2me wrote:
Twarter369 wrote:
Ratings don't matter. period. I play people as opposed to machines because people are prone to mistakes while computers follow there programming without fail. You would know the strength of your opponent just like you would playing people in a park, if they beat you a lot then they are better, if not then you are. Really just because you take the pointless number so seriously doesn't mean everyone does.
I'm not saying people are fanatical about ratings. (most aren't) What I'm saying is ratings is the only judge of improvement, competition, placement, and incentive to play your best game. This site is nothing like playing in a park... there would be no honest game if not for ratings. I am not a high rated player, but having ratings gives me a challenge to keep reaching higher and higher. It eliminates people playing easy and uninspired. If not for ratings, people would have no problem with timing out, because NO PERSON is watching. Get it?
Suddenly without ratings, the person would no more than a person with the makeup of a computer and have no personality behind the computer.
My guess if you don't like the ratings, play a computer and roll with the boredom.
You are again siteing YOUR view on the matter. It seems to me if there were no raitings YOU would have no reason to play. I play to play, to win or lose, not to improve an imaginary goal. If I didn't I wouldn't play unrated games in Live chess. I have no concern for my rating on this site or any other. If I wanted a rating that meant something I would go compete for the USCF, at least there ratings mean something. You are arguing that people NEED the system for anything other than a gauge useful only on this site.
May 31, 2009
0
#46
richie_and_oprah wrote:
ozzie_c_cobblepot wrote:
At that point I could even play 1.e4 e5 2.f4 from the black side against Gonnosuke in a USCF tournament!
I'll take it up against him anywhere, anytime so long as I can see him when we play and he isn't wearing some goofy centaur costume just to rattle my fragile psyche.
Unnecessary.
Plus, I never play e4. I never play e5 against e4. I would get creamed if I played the black side of a KG. But with my FM that never disappeared, it wouldn't matter! :-)
May 31, 2009
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#47
playing softball once, i hit a homerun that hit a passing car on the road just past the right field fence. no lie.
socket2me wrote:
You can't deny it. Ratings is the only incentive to win here. If you played a 2500 player, would it matter if you won unless there was a "best win" to showcase the accomplishment? If there was no ratings, how would you know how strong your opponent is?
Plain and simple: If you don't think ratings matter, than why don't you just play a chess program instead? So with that said, if you think your putting a halo over your head because you think ratings don't matter.... I think your just trying to pad and soften the blow of lost rating points. But yes, we also play for enjoyment too...(which also stems from ratings)
Plain and simple. I don't think you put much thought into this forum post. I play unrated with friends. Who said we don't play chess programs? Anyway, I don't but still, I don't play chess programs because I know I'm going to lose. Yes Rating does matter ALOT, but it's not the sole reason.
Jun 1, 2009
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#49
ozzie_c_cobblepot wrote:
I want a FIDE 2300 rating so I can get a nice shiny FM next to my name. Forever. No matter how bad I play.
At that point I could even play 1.e4 e5 2.f4 from the black side against Gonnosuke in a USCF tournament!
In all the ranting, I missed how funny this is. "Forever. No matter how bad I play." hehe. Shiny little maroon FM? or can you put it on stationary,driver's licence, business cards, and everywhere? :)
Is it actually possible to lose NM status?? I know that you keep FM and above forever, but I suppose NM could vary from country to country...
richie_and_oprah wrote:
Nytik wrote:
Is it actually possible to lose NM status??
It is a life title. You only "lose" it if you get/achieve the next higher title.
I would hardly consider upgrading to a better status losing a title! 
Thanks for answering my question, though.
Ratings are not that important. It's just a guideline for approximately strong your game is. Your rating is not going to matter with each new game. You can still win or lose no matter what your rating is or what your opponents is. Some people get too fanatical about ratings, that it controls them. Would it matte rif there were no ratings? Would you not play chess if there weren't any? In real life if someone asks if you want to play a game, you do not ask them what their rating is before you play, you just play them for the fun of playing chess. I never concern myself with ratings, only concern myself with trying to play the best possible game I can play at the moment no matter how weak or strong my opponent is.
Jun 1, 2009
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#54
Rating on this site really does mean that much to me, I use the games for study for national rated games
Jun 1, 2009
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#55
Back in the good old days there were no ratings. For instance, in the Soviet Union hardly anyone had ratings before the 80s, but there were titles. E.g. being the champion of the country gave you a lot of respect, while no one cared about being 2600 or smth. For example, Botvinnik never had a FIDE rating.
Jun 1, 2009
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#56
Nytik wrote:
richie_and_oprah wrote:
Nytik wrote:
Is it actually possible to lose NM status??
It is a life title. You only "lose" it if you get/achieve the next higher title.
I would hardly consider upgrading to a better status losing a title!
Thanks for answering my question, though.
You can lose NM status since it is not a Title and a rating of 2200 in most countries however the Fide = is CM Canidate Master which is a Title
Jun 1, 2009
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#57
richie_and_oprah wrote:
Nytik wrote:
Is it actually possible to lose NM status??
It is a life title. You only "lose" it if you get/achieve the next higher title.
This is not my understanding.
If I ever no longer qualify for the NM title, I can take comfort in my Candidate Master status, though it is not really comfort.
I just want the FM title, which is a real title, especially OTB. Bill G never puts "NM" before anybody's name, but always puts "FM" if applicable.
I believe that although we deny it we 're living in a world of chess dominated by ratings. I try not to care about my ratings but I'm not sure whether I have been able to do so...
Jun 1, 2009
0
#59
Richie, that's awesome.
All the same, I don't want to be the 2150 NM, know what I mean? For some reason I don't have a problem at all being a 2250 FM.
Anyways, thanks for the info.
My USCF rating floor is 2000. Pretty ominous.
Ratings are relative, and most of my relatives don't matter, either. (LOL) I mean, ratings do not really reflect anything definite. Everyone has their good days and their bad days. I made a booboo in a move earlier in a Danish Gambit game where the first five moves were preset and we were going to move on from that point...but after the booboo, I resigned so we could restart the game and do it right (from move 5 on). My rating dropped seven hundred points. But I am not worried. I am still as strong a player as I was before my rating drop. What does this say about ratings? I do not rely on them or even pay much attention to them. Unless a person maintains the same rating over lots and lots of games with different people, their rating is only a small reflection of their abilities.
Cultural differences got in the way. Softball is not played much in Morocco. And... um, softball is opposed to baseball, in the U.S., as the edition for girls and children. "Men play hardball" is not an exact phrase I have heard, but I'd be surprised if it's never been said.
Peter dear, it's not a phrase anyone has ever heard. I know Americana and Americanisms better than our little socket friend. Morocco having nothing to do with it. :)