Chess on the Net
Information For Amateurs
By R.R.Vasudevan
The homepage announces that this chess site was created by a chess enthusiast for chess enthusiasts, especially those new to this fascinating game. And it advises to explore the sections where one can hope to find something of interest.
By itself the site has quite a number of interesting links to catch up with. The homepage scroll lists a series of links from where one can take a detour. In the learn chess link, the Q & A between Boring Bob and Sexy Susan makes a clear impression that there it more to chess than that meets the eye. The simple question of "Why Chess" has been nicely handled. The elementary things in chess, which goes move by move in the site has been well listed and a rank beginner can navigate without much ado.
Starting with the rules of chess, the learn chess page passes through the topics of notations, simple checkmating patterns, openings, chess tactics and quotes. The simple explanations along with chess diagrams show meticulous professional work. After the elementary comes the intermediate chess links, which deals with forks, pins, skewers to start with. Then the link page further extends to improving tips, winning tips, tactics etc.
The best move quizzes takes you to a big list of puzzles mate in ones, which are both simple and hard. A nice step by step take on for a beginner, who can move about and learn his bit of the game. Following it up with a series of links on the brief survey of openings, the site gives a bit of everything. To the chess enthusiast, the opening from Albin to Vienna or Grunfeld to Reti, all finds a place.
The world champions’ gallery carries a photo of the famed 1936 Nottingham event along with a table of past champions and announces that updating is due. The photo of Capablanca, Lasker, Alekhine all in one place, is a connoisseurs delight for the collector and the chess lover together.
For a wealth for chess information one can go the chess columns which has a number of articles on the past and the present. The topics range vary from the very interesting to the funny ones. The specific fun section in the homepage holds a bit of excitement for the amateurs. It has greeting cards, quotes, problems, puzzles, etc., Watching the world clock can be good fun for kids, as it carries the prevailing times of dozen cities in one go.
A brief survey of openings is given as a separate link, in addition to the earlier one in the learn chess page. Here external links to deeper opening studies are provided for juniors, along with basic links for openings.
The software page is a bookmark link, as it plays a vital role in chess preparation these days. For, chess software has become a great support system without which any preparation is bound to have some loose ends. The site has categorized the software links under various heads, viz., playing, teaching, databases to name a few.
The chess quotes link is also categorized under reflections, planning, analysis etc., and makes a good variety reading. The online play chess is more like correspondence chess of yesteryears; it needs registration and a login. The site announces more than fifty thousand registered members, showing the popularity it enjoys with online. Games collections, ecard centre and book store complete the chess corner, which holds a wealth of information for amateurs and chess lovers alike.
The author is a Chennai based chessplayer, banker and regular columnist. E-mail: chessvasu@yahoo.com
INTERNET WATCH-www.chesshouse.com
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