HOW e4 AND EC3 ARE UNITING THE WORLD
by
Bill Meetze
While there are many that will argue that there is less agreement in the world today as in the past, there is a growing trend of harmony in the simple algebraic symbol of e4 or of Nc3. These are only two of the more than 18 opening moves in chess games played worldwide by men and women from all walks of life in all sections of the world. The internet service has provided what the postal and travel systems could never accomplish, the ability of so many people in so many geographic locations to play chess together at one time.
People who have neglected the game for years are now coming back to the competition by the thousands. Novices are now finding competition at the beginning level all over the world. Players are not only improving their game skills but are making friends in different cultures with each game.
The game of chess is played worldwide with the same rules and regulations. People from all over the world have a common denominator in email chess. They can challenge each other and at the same time experience different cultures.
Chess itself is the cool thing to do according to many high and middle school children. I have taught over 50 different people to play and I have found that children under age 12 learn the six basic moves rather quickly. Older folks have this image that chess is hard, but the only difficulty is different strategies. Ron Marshall, a leading chess player and chess organizer for the IECC ( Internet Email Chess Club) said it so aptly, " Chess has a human side, where personality comes to the fore. Many matches are won, or lost, due to the forcefulness of the personalities involved." I have found this true even at the beginning level, where the strategies take form.
As stated above, chess itself is rather simple to play. There are only six different pieces to learn the moves of and the rest is up to your imagination and your particular style, which you will develop. One of the easiest ways to learn chess is to get a computerized game. This will allow you to begin at the beginner's level and advance to the degree you wish. Not only will you develop your own style and strategies, but pick up some very helpful tips from the computer. Most computer games have explanations on why or why not a move is illegal. After you play a few games with the computerized opponent seek out friends or family members to challenge. Then you are ready to go worldwide with your play. This use to mean contacting an organization and sending the moves via postal mail. Now there is the new way called the internet email.
The old way of playing chess with someone in another area of the country, or world is not of much interest to most because of the postage cost and time. I played a game this past year with a Doctor in the UK. The game went 84 moves, an extremely long game even when making one or two moves a day. If we had not been using email the postage alone would have cost each of us over . Mail time would have resulted in only one move per message, which would have taken 1 1/2 years to play !
I have sent inquires out to over 10 people world wide and each have responded with the same comment: "Email chess is my dream come true." Each response expressed the desire to play other opponents from different parts of the country, and with email they have that opportunity. Richard Fischer, an avid player on the IECC, expressed it best, "I am only speaking from my own experience and the Internet to me is my vehicle to reach places that were beyond my grasp from a financial standpoint. Therefore, chess on email gives me the opportunity to compete."
The Email game of chess is played by algebraic notations. This sounds complicated but in reality is the easy form of playing, except for actually sitting across from your opponent. Bill Wall, another member of the IECC supplied the history of algebraic notation. According to Bill, algebraic notation was first used in a French manuscript in 1173. The notation was borrowed from Muslim players. At that time the numbers were reversed from what we use today. In 1737 Stamma, a chess guru, wrote several chess books and manuscripts with the algebraic notation we use today. That caught on except for players in England who continued to use the descriptive notation. Algebraic notation was introduced in Chess Life in 1969. The first American chess book with algebraic notation was published in 1974.
I have played up to 6 different people at one time with email chess using the algebraic notation. I had an opponent in the state of Washington, one in Canada, one in the state of Virginia, one in Italy, one in the UK and one here in my home state of Florida at one time. Each contest was a two-game match giving each of us the white players and the black. Sure, this is a total of 12 games going on at once, but I have up to three days to make a move. It is called a snail game if you only make one move every three days. The different cultures and ideas across such a large area gave me a good insight into different feelings, thoughts and ideas. Our main concern was the game at hand, but comments were made in the exchange of messages.
I have never had a reason to discuss religion or government issues. Our comments usually are general in nature. Weather, family and our jobs are the main things we talk about. If there is a disaster, such as the earthquake that struck Italy, then concern for the opponent's safety is expressed. I found that some are very talkative and leave messages with every move, while others won't comment about anything and only answer questions I might ask of them.
When playing email chess I use a computer program that allows me to save games in progress. I will make the opponents move and then study the board and make my move and save it until I get a responding move. When I first started playing I set up two chess boards and made the moves. There isn't enough room in my house to have 12 chess boards set up. There is always the problem that a board might get knocked over, heaven forbid!
When playing 12 games the hardest problem is getting myself back in the same state of mind with each game. I have those games set up in the computer program that allows me to return to the last move. Sometimes it is hard to rekindle the aggressive or passive mood I may have been in on the last move in a particular game. More than once I have made a move and sent it off, then suddenly remembered what I had originally intended to do in that particular game. Once I had an opponent check-mated with only one more move. When it came my turn to make the move, I completely began a new attack and lost the opportunity to check-mate. Notes on games are very helpful when you have many going.
There have been some to ask about the chess game with Big Blue. They wonder if the game of chess can be a challenge with computers able to map out every possible strategy and counter with the appropriate moves. You only need to play one game and you will realize a win with a computer game is fairly meaningless. Ron Marshall, the IECC organizer, said, "Chess is a game to be played by people. Personality enters into the equation, as well as memory and intellectual ability. Push it to the extreme, and what do you have? Two computers playing each other?". The whole object of playing another opponent is to learn and share the challenge with another human. The computer is a great teacher, but without feelings. I don't believe I would enjoy playing a computer from England and not have a relationship at the same time. That would resemble two countries conducting a war with only buttons and not soldiers.
In any part of the world, a victory sign and a smile are accepted as symbols of peace and friendship. Now, with the internet weaving it's way through our society, the simple algebraic notations of e4, or Nc3 are opening doors to friendships worldwide. Learn the moves, practice on family and friends or a computer game and then go worldwide. The outcome of the game doesn't matter; the opening of your mind to other worlds makes you the winner.
