Correspondence Chess
CMN 170
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
A HISTORY OF GAMES
- Accumulation is more common than replacement.
- Existed as far back as recorded history itself!
- Prioritization of enjoyment and entertainment.
- Evolves to incorporate new technology.
We still play games today that were invented hundreds of years ago.
Can you think of any games you've enjoyed that have survived the test of time?
What about games that have taken new forms due to digitalization?
Can you think of any games you've enjoyed that have survived the test of time?
What about games that have taken new forms due to digitalization?
Photo by John-Morgan
CORRESPONDENCE CHESS
- Played with rules identical to chess or chess variants, but with an element of spatial and temporal separation!
- Traditionally, players will send each other moves by mail.
- After receiving the opponent's move, one has a considerable amount of time to respond compared to over-the-board chess. An entire game may take months or years to complete!
- (Pictured here is a simple postcard used to play correspondence chess.)
- For more info: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correspondence_chess
These days, people play correspondence chess through a variety of communication methods: post, email, text messaging, online servers...
Photo by arellis49
DEATH OF DISTANCE
- With the advent of near instantaneous communication (telegraph and phone), normal paced chess games can be had regardless of distance.
- With the addition of internet, over-the-board games can be held between players any distance apart, as long as they're online.
Due to the death of distance, correspondence chess is generally not the only way to play chess across vast physical distances now.
Photo by Val Vesa
ALGORITHMIFICATION: A.I.
BOOKS AND DATABASES HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN A PART OF CORRESPONDENCE CHESS, BUT WHAT ABOUT CHESS ENGINES AND COMPUTERS?
ALGORITHMIFICATION: A.I.
- The chess community is often divided on the issue.
- Some are in favor of enforcing "no computers allowed" play, often with the belief that use of chess engines devolves the game into a battle between computers, not humans.
- Others prefer the use of chess engines to augment and enhance their play! (Human-Machine merger)
- Garry Kasparov, a world chess champion has said that a human+machine 'centaur' could outplay both a computer alone, and a human alone.
Garry Kasparov; remember this guy? He was in the class lectures regarding A.I.
POLY-DIRECTIONALITY
- Correspondence chess is traditionally a one on one game.
- With online chess servers and messenger type group chats available, the possibility of 'many vs many' and 'many vs one' games opens up!
- Garry Kasparov himself played such a game in 1999...
Photo by Luiz Hanfilaque
1999 - "KASPAROV VS THE WORLD"
50000+ PEOPLE FRON ALL OVER THE WORLD VS GARRY KASPAROV
Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJyJCdU6Fh0
For more info on this game...well, go google it. You can find the entire game record with commentary in video and text form!
For more info on this game...well, go google it. You can find the entire game record with commentary in video and text form!
THE FUTURE OF CORRESPONDENCE CHESS
- Games, like everything else, change with the available technology of the world.
- People will continue to play any game that holds entertainment value.
- As more and more games are added to the 'library of the world', games must evolve to hold people's attention.
- Effects of digitalization, such as crowdsourcing further this evolution.
Have you ever played a digital version of an old game?
Have you ever funded a kickstarter for an indie game?
Have you ever funded a kickstarter for an indie game?
Photo by Mukumbura
