Ever fancied correspondence chess? It's not like in the old day's when I used to play using snail mail!!! I remember the anticipation (sometimes dread)of the arrival of the postman with my postal chess cards. I once played a guy who was in prison, for murder. I agonised for weeks about his reaction should I go on to win. Luckily ? I lost. Games lasted months, sometimes over a year. With the price of postage now though you would need to be a lottery winner to afford it :)
As with most other things, the internet has improved chess greatly. Now games can be played at any pace you like from 1 minute a game bullet play to 40 moves in 40 days and anything in between. My 1 min days are long behind me but I can still find play to suit my pace. I play 10 to 15 minute stuff on playchess.com but recently I have gone back to correspondence games, but now using the internet. With the advent of chess engines (I use Fritz 10) you might think it's a waste of time as it is likely you will be playing another chess engine and not a human. That is of course very likely. But is that at all bad?? I admit to using Ftitz,the site where I play allows engines. What I have found though is the use of Fritz has helped my OTB chess greatly. I have not played chess for over 10 years and have just re-started again. The combination of correspondence chess and the use of Fritz to analyse my games has brushed away a lot of the cobwebs faster than playing in the club. Of course I have the last say, I do not allow the computer to play my games for me, just to explain what is happening. So why don't you give it a try? You never know it may improve your game as well. Free correspondence chess can be played at FICGS....link on the right. Below is one of my recent games.
Cheers
Dave Graham
