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Chess?

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TaoPhoenix:
hi Tao, do you have any sites to recommend?
Do you play online?
-tomos (September 28, 2017, 04:17 AM)
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Yeah I was sayin' in chat that was a bit of a "phone in post" the first time, just to prove I'm inching back into watching the board.

I have Arena and I'm pretty sure that's it too, without firing it up.

I do play online, and I play on several sites. I have official accounts on Chess.com and LiChess and Playchess. I've played on ICC (Internet Chess Club) for decades, but I let that one lapse.

As for Contro's question, "best free chess software" goes all over the map. "Strongest free chess computer player" is probably Stockfish. But I used to have a small hobby of playing weaker older chess programs because it can be less dispiriting if you actually have a chance. Also, if you can get an engine to more accurately mimic what you might actually see (to a point), that's sometimes "better".

What that complex statement means comes up in a now decade long famous discussion of "what is a computer move". After people stopped laughing at computers about 1997 (Kasparov) and up to about 2003 (Kramnik was about the last one to reliably hold draws in a big match), what transpired is everyone and their chess playing insects under the floorboard started cranking computers at the 8,000 older chess books and discovered they didn't need the old days of $70 an hour lessons anymore.

Then came the rise of the "computer move". One of the most famous is "conventional wisdom" says if you "fianchetto" your Bishop, which is sticking it on the longest diagonal "sitting next to the king" that was nearly the 4th strongest piece on the board after the Queens.

Then came the computer who ditched it for "no reason for a crappy little knight" ... to create this fantastic result where exactly every square was somehow radioactive for the opponent, then you win because you have a hazmat suit and your Russian girlfriend is wearing a bra designed for ex Chernobyl survivors and the bra can unhook into two face masks!
(Not kidding!) Then you win. Then your opponent whines. Then you shrug and drink another redbull and watch more Naka.

So sometimes older computers still don't "drop pieces" "inhuman" but the moves are almost recognizable.

tomos:
^ I kind of followed that lol

So sometimes older computers still don't "drop pieces" "inhuman" but the moves are almost recognizable.
-TaoPhoenix (September 28, 2017, 05:18 AM)
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meaning inhuman in the sense they willing to sacrifice a lot?

Contro:
What is the best free chess software ?
-Contro (September 27, 2017, 03:54 PM)
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Arena looks nice.
I suspect it is what is used in the video above -- but amn't sure about that.

Chess?
-tomos (September 28, 2017, 04:17 AM)
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Downloading and installed. Look good !!!!!!

Chess?

Contro:
I download also StockFish https://stockfishchess.org/download/ , but I don't know how to manage
 :-[

Note : It seemed I will need something else : What you're getting: just the Stockfish engine. You will need to use your own UCI-compatible chess program.

What is it ?

TaoPhoenix:
^ I kind of followed that lol

So sometimes older computers still don't "drop pieces" "inhuman" but the moves are almost recognizable.
-TaoPhoenix (September 28, 2017, 05:18 AM)
--- End quote ---

meaning inhuman in the sense they willing to sacrifice a lot?

-tomos (September 28, 2017, 05:49 AM)
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Not exactly, there are several classes of "inhuman".

The lowest level is simply that without sacrificing, you attack and they simply don't lose a piece or get checkmated either. You might have a good chance against a living player but it keeps finding these "how the hell do you do that" moves and escapes.

The next level up is sorta in the middle of the game yes, those sacrifice combos, that "only make sense on the final two moves".  The first two moves have you going "yeah, so... show me" and then it's kinda neat.

The one I am talking about is with no special combo it just DOES things, some of which overturn 100 years of "established wisdom" except it just somehow works. Besides the weird one I mentioned, a famous category is insane combos that somehow just all amount to getting one piece. Then you just lose from level 1 see above.

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