1 e4 GAMBITS AGAINST FRITZ 12

[Peter Webber]

As there seems to be nobody left in the UK who plays face-to-face chess any more, I thought I'd try training against Fritz to keep in shape. I've been told by two teachers that as an inexperienced player, it would be in my best interest to develop my game by playing gambits. I'm finding it very difficult to make any headway on the 'Friend' level where I usually play, (and am rated by the computer as '89' - what does this mean?) as the computer is very sharp tactically . Can anyone offer any ideas how I could best use this as a method to improve, please?

[Barry Sandercock]

Maybe try setting it on Infinite analysis and use the move now button to let it play against itself and see how it plays ?

[Michael Farthing]

As there seems to be nobody left in the UK who plays face-to-face chess any more, I thought I'd try training against Fritz to keep in shape. I've been told by two teachers that as an inexperienced player, it would be in my best interest to develop my game by playing gambits. I'm finding it very difficult to make any headway on the 'Friend' level where I usually play, (and am rated by the computer as '89' - what does this mean?) as the computer is very sharp tactically . Can anyone offer any ideas how I could best use this as a method to improve, please?

Of course people play face to face! The ECF has a list of clubs throughout the country - or tell us where you are and maybe a local club member on the forum will happily guide you to the world of real chess!

[MJMcCready]

Try something like Lucas chess, which has more customization and is free.

[Peter Webber]

Regarding joining chess clubs for competitions, I would refer the reader to my previous posting of 26 February entitled Vanishing Chess. Not all of us are good or ambitious enough to play at County level - we all have to improve somewhere! There really seems to be a general malaise towards chess out there, very few chess books nowadays in bookshops or libraries, no TV coverage (OK, so we have the internet), but what about the social aspect of meeting people and actually playing together, discussing and analysing afterwards etc? My local town has a very active leisure group with more than 30 current activities, but they're struggling to find 1 or two other players interested in forming a chess club!! How and where can we drum up support for chess nowadays?

[Clive Blackburn]

Peter, you don't say where you live but have you had a look at the map of English Chess Clubs on the official ECF site?

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... 97MoNcSLBk

[Dewi Jones]

Try something like Lucas chess, which has more customization and is free.

I just downloaded it. That's a very nice piece of free software.