What meaning do you give to chess-based friendship ?

There are plenty of opportunities to build connections around the chessboard, through words, a game, a feeling, a shared opening, an approach to the game, the recognition of a talent, an article, a blog...

And you, what do you expect from a chess friendship, and how far are you willing to go to build and maintain those bonds ?

Looking forward to reading your thoughts

To accompany you with music around the chessboard of your dreams:

Promise, I don't bite !

(Picture by Bridget Henderson)

Thank you for sharing. Personally, I wasn't familiar with this quote from Capablanca.

NONE ... it's the internet.

Go meet real people at a Chess Club....

Good luck

I completely agree with your opinion. Nothing beats real life. But I simply opened the debate to allow different opinions to be expressed.

Absolutely, if the players share mutual interest, besides chess, then a friendship is worth building

or if they are seeking study partners in preparation for a local tournament - that’s a bond worth maintaining

Friendship is a genuine smile between two Knights ⚔️🏇🏼

"To be effective, a knight needs outposts! Knights make the best "blockers" of passed pawns."

Aaron Nimzowitsch

✮⋆˙

But perhaps a Knight can also prove to be a good friend depending on his position on the chessboard.

When I fall sick, alone in my hospital bed, I really hope a friend would come and visit. Something like what Tal had when Fischer was the only one visiting him in the hospital, as he fell ill during the Curaçao Interzonal in 1962.

A truly beautiful testimony, and surely one of the most beautiful definitions of friendship. Thank you for this wonderful thought ! ❀˖°

🐦‍🔥

"Friendship doesn't make misfortune any lighter, but by offering presence and devotion, it allows us to share the burden and opens the doors to peace."

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

I agree. In theory. Reality is far different. Not everyone can do that. For some, 'internet' and books is all they have because of physical limitations. So in response to your "NONE", I would reply "USUALLY." It depends ... just as I hear all the time when I ask questions about a chess move.

I don't believe it has to be either/or ... it can be BOTH. I guess I'm greedy!

"The essential difference these days between online and street chess is that most players behind their keyboards no longer want to take any risks."

- Jan-Krzysztof Duda

Well, I can't argue with that (not that we were arguing). I've never played tournament and not really OTB so there's that. True - the only 'risks' are for those OTB (traffic getting to the venue, sunburn, lightening etc). Indoors ... always correct temp. And I, like many, have no choice.

Truly, we can have it all.

ADDED: As far as online chess, I take lots of risks. You can check my huge blunder numbers for proof.

We only have one life to discover almost everything, and the most important thing is certainly not to deny yourself the pleasure. Thank you for this exchange, and I wish you many enjoyable games around the chessboard, whatever happens and in whatever format suits you best. ♞

Significant meaning. I root for my friends. Nice story about Fischer. A knight is always a friend.

"I wouldn't hesitate to travel miles to see a friend rather than wait for news from him, slumped in an armchair in front of a chessboard empty of his absence."

- Bobby Fischer

The people I like the most don't play chess and I feel a bit sad because chess is very important to me and they don't understand enough about chess to know what I'm saying about it

Same with lower rated players. So I do make chess friends and I can talk for hours about chess with them but I wish my closest friends played chess too