I think people should use the phrase "I've been playing chess while they've been playing checkers" constantly, at the slightest hint of relevance to the discussion
That will make it cool!
I think people should use the phrase "I've been playing chess while they've been playing checkers" constantly, at the slightest hint of relevance to the discussion
That will make it cool!
i live in ocean county. there are clubs north and west of me. east is the ocean. nothing really south of me. clubs are 60 minutes from me in any direction, and morristown is 1hr 40 mins from me. I love to play chess, but with school and kids, i don't have the liberty to plan an entire day to play chess otb.
I have tried contacting Toms river, but not much luck. And i heard about Nakamura, but I read about the event a couple months after it had happened. I was surely disappointed lol
I don't think it is necesarilly unpopular. It would be if it were not for the media pratically force feeding the minds of young and older generations full of mind numbing bullcrap. They don't advertise chess on television for one so to most it's just some board game, but they constantly advertise bloodbath video games with a infinite try again/redo option. So..with the cool new graphics and the next new device and et cetera on down the line it seems to me why would most of these people who are sucked into televisions hypnotic money machine want to learn some "old board game". The question I ask is... Why are some drawn to the game in the first place? For me it was always in the back of my mind, and for years I never pursued anything about it. It knew it as some old board game. It wasn't until I became very poor, lonely, going crazy seeing the repetitive cycle of reporting some kind violence of television, and it's repetitive shows. Nothing new. So I turned off the television. Thankfully I did have internet, so I went and tried to find some information about this game. I found chess.com.
For a few years I basically played aimlessly with no knowledge. Constantly getting beat over and over. Until recently I never had enough money to get a membership. So I deleted my old account, and started this one. I decided to get a little more serious about it. So everday I'm on here playing games, I decided to try a tournament. I do puzzles, watch the videos, read articles, and etc.. If it were not for this site I would have never learned this wonderful game. I AM A ADDICT to chess. Not very good..but yes addicted. I have two friends that I know that can play. One of them I opted out of my life due to his serious drug addiction. The second is his son. He is on here but we don't play together. I'd absolutely love to be able to play chess on the board. Guess what? No one I know wants to learn to play. Video games yes they do play. So how do I play on the board? I set it up and play the computer and move its moves accordingly on the board. Then play the game on the board. Also due to disability I wasn't allowed to drive for 15 years. That inhibits getting around a lot also. My circumstances and where I live kept me cooped up in a house doing nothing but playing chess and guitar for years. I hardly ever watch television anymore. Television and video games are not good for the human race. God Bless Chess.com much thanks.
Martin, that was nice to hear about your story. And i agree with your assessment of america. 1 is the fact that media does not cover it, and 2 the fact that all americans care about is sex, machine guns, and explosions. I only watch forensic files and sporting events on tv.
But if you think you could improve, send me a friend invite and i will teach you everything i know.
I live in NJ. I live in such an area where any club is 60 minutes away from me in any direction. But I can not find anyone who plays near me. Online is good, but OTB is even better. Why is it that chess is so "not cool" in america, as opposed to other countries who seem to cherish the game and where there are many players it seems?
60 minutes is a very reasonable distance. But I wouldn't say chess is considered uncool in the US, just unpopular. There's a very big difference. I can't think of a single country that holds chess above anything else, unless that's their only claim to fame (like Armenia). Chess is intellectual and most people just aren't. It's also a very isolating experience, you vs one other person, to whom you usually don't talk to. That makes many of the frequent players socially awkward. I have played some very awkward people OTB. It's uncomfortable. And to follow top ranked tournaments takes a lot of knowledge. Anyone can sit down and follow a soccer game. But even people who play chess frequently won't grasp what's actually going on.
There's also the issue of accessibility. Most people have very brief encounters with chess in their lifetimes. It would take a very concerted effort to introduce chess in schools (as Maurice Ashley is doing a great job of) and to have people like Rex Sinquefield to pour money into growing the sport.
Spend one day at the United States Amateur Teams East tournament at the Parsippany Hilton every President's Day weekend and then tell me chess is unpopular. You will see a hotel crammed to the bursting point with enthusiastic teams, with players ranging in age from six to eighty-six.
This is a big country, and chess isn't the NFL, but there are tens of thousands of people who love the game
I wouldn't consider tens of thousands to be popular in a population around 320 million. Even hockey, the least popular of the major sports in America boasts millions of fans.
I'm wondering if any of you guys would like to make a comment to the one who told me it's just a board game, stop putting it on a pedestal.
Spend one day at the United States Amateur Teams East tournament at the Parsippany Hilton every President's Day weekend and then tell me chess is unpopular. You will see a hotel crammed to the bursting point with enthusiastic teams, with players ranging in age from six to eighty-six.
This is a big country, and chess isn't the NFL, but there are tens of thousands of people who love the game
I wouldn't consider tens of thousands to be popular in a population around 320 million. Even hockey, the least popular of the major sports in America boasts millions of fans.
Is hockey even considered a major sport in the USA ? !
Of those 10s of 1000s, how many would be actual Americans and not naturalized or born here of Naturalized Americans?
Chess is not just a board game, its a hobby, maybe even a sport to some of us. To the person who lays 5 times in their life, or to a tv junkie, chess is like checkers or sorry or even candy land. But to the intellectual mind, its something more. Its a way to figure out a solution to a problem where there is no immediate answer(excluding engines). Its a way to create a gameplay to achieve something as your opponent is not only trying to stop you, but trying to do what you are doing to him.
For those of us that prioritize our intellectual ability over our social standing or our materializations, chess is more of a way of life. In a way, it proves our intellectual ability and intelligence.
Chess still may not be considered "cool" in the US but the number of young folks playing has increased dramatically since I was a kid. The USCF has done a very good job promoting chess among young children, and the scholastic program has brought hundreds of thousands of new players into the game. I would be willing to wager that 90% of suburban schools have some sort of chess club or other organized chess program, and many urban schools do as well. Many local libraries also host chess programs.
I don't know where the OP lives in NJ, but if he lives in northern or central NJ, there is certainly a chess club within 25 miles of his home. If you join the USCF, you will get notices of local chess club tournaments and other events. The Westfield club is quite active with at least one tournament per month, and there are probably 5 or 6 in the Princeton area.
Indeed, if the OP lives near me, I might be willing to meet him occasionally for an OTB game.
That's such a coincedence I live in southeasternn Pennsylvania I've been to the westfield club once
I asked that question because you look at the field during the US Chess Championships, both men and women's. You saw mostly naturalized Americans or those born of naturalized Americans. Yes, still Americans but of a different culture, who put emphasis on the pursuit of Chess because it was a part of their culture. Most natural born are not as enthusiastic about the game.
Luckily i live in Sacramento, Ca. where we have a weekly club to meet at. Bay Are Chess puts on monthly 1 day tournaments in Rancho Cordova. There is the Auburn Chess Club which is about 40 minutes from Sacramento.
Very bless to have many choices.