Re: What I'd Like
- From: David Richerby <davidr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 27 Mar 2006 14:19:24 +0100 (BST)
Big Easy <bigeasy@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
I would like a site or a book where I can learn a few good openings
and principles that will carry me through games, a "system" of
knowledege that's clear and helpful.
There have been plenty of recommendations for beginners' books here --
you should be able to find them with google but, if not, yell and I'll
dig them out for you. Don't worry too much about the opening: you can
get a long way just playing the opening on general principles.
I'd like, for instance, a computer chess game that doesn't brag
about beating the backside off grandmasters and so on, but one that
will let me play, learn, and grow as far as I am able (which may not
be far!)
Hobbyist programs are the only ones that don't brag about beating
grandmasters but they're usually not easy to adjust in strength and
will be much, much stronger than you (probably). If you relax the
no-bragging criterion, Chessmaster is the usual recommendation to meet
your second requirement, though I've not used it myself. The latest
is version 10 but version 9 will be much cheaper and almost as good.
Live flesh-and-blood players aren't really an option for me, as I
see it. I suspect the group here in Austin are light years beyond me
and I think I'd progress better with the above -- a good basic grasp
of the game and a way to practice through playing with, I guess, a
computer.
Sure, the top players wherever you are will be much stronger than you
but there are plenty of weaker players around. You can always find
other beginners to play to boost your confidence, while playing games
against stronger players (and discussing them afterwards) to learn
more about the game.
Online, I'd recommend FICS -- http://www.freechess.org/ -- as a good
place to play against opposition of all levels below, say,
International Master.
Dave.
--
David Richerby Accelerated Surprise Tool (TM):
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ it's like a handy household tool but
not like you'd expect and it's twice
as fast!
.
- References:
- What I'd Like
- From: Big Easy
- What I'd Like
- Prev by Date: Re: Asking your chess opponent to resign
- Next by Date: Re: To Fathers of Daughters
- Previous by thread: Re: What I'd Like
- Next by thread: New Women's Champion
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
