English Chess Forum

I have just come across http://elitechessleague.com/ and wondered if anyone here has tried it out.

They claim:
ECL is the pioneer in esportifying chess… EChess

ECL, is a 100% digital league with the most revolutionary format for chess...
With in-game Surprises, LifeSavers, and PowerUps,
we’re making chess incredibly fast and exciting for everyone from newbies to pros
It’s the biggest tech evolution to chess in 150 years !
ECL is much more than just a cool game…
With leagues, rankings, and ECL titles such as our own 'Elite Master' ™
Online play qualifies one for face to face esports competition,
for fame and prizes, played on screens…
No more wood pieces !

"With in-game Surprises"

I have enough of those already...

Neill Cooper wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:43 pm

ECL is the pioneer in esportifying chess… EChess

Online chess is perhaps 25 years old and counting.

I'm not sure of the appeal of some chess variant where random things happen. Again that's not new as social events at the British used to feature a well known arbiter and organiser periodically changing the rules of play.

"E-sport" is a little different than simply "online". But Greg Shahade's PRO Chess League has esport-ified chess already.

You can't treat chess as expansion-pack-able. The basic gameplay mechanics of chess are chess's greatest asset. They're the one aspect of chess that doesn't need selling. If you're going to try and make chess better, improve literally everything else about it before you improve the basic gameplay mechanics.