Most of us chess lovers start playing chess at a very early age, lead by our parents, friends or peers. Even the grandmasters have had their beginnings in some quiet corner of their homes. The interest in the game of chess is often created by a loving grandpa, an enthusiastic father or a dear friend. As one matures and picks up advanced skill in the game of chess and learns the chess strategies, the desire to play chess against other competitors, and thereby to gauge the acquired skill, grows stronger and stronger. With the advance of technology and the growth of IT, chess can now be played against a variety of opponents – who does not necessarily need to be humans. There are chess computers, chess software, Internet chess (or online chess), and email chess. A number of chess clubs have spawned up for giving free access and encouragement to the chess aficionados.
Chess Computer
Chess computers provide you with the maximum flexibility and choice. Chess Computers are standalone electronic devices that do nothing but play chess. All you have to do is to switch it on and you are ready to play chess. You can play, leave or resume the chess game at any time YOU want. Being a mechanical device – the chess computer is absolutely under your wishes and choices.
Chess Software
Chess software runs on general-purpose electronic devices like personal computers, cell phones (GSMs), PDAs, and other handheld devices. You can use these chess software to play chess at any time you want. This too is a flexible device that gives you an able opponent as well as ample freedom of choosing the right time and place to play your desired game of chess.
Online Chess Online chess has revolutionized the chess game. With online chess coming up, you can play chess anytime you want, with any player anywhere in the world. With these web based chess resources, you are free to take your decisions as to who you want to play with, for how long and when. The physical boundaries of time and place have been obliterated by online chess games. Generally the online chess sites require you to register with them, but there are also those sites that offer free chess online.
Chess Clubs
Almost every region in the world has one or the other chess clubs – where you can go and play chess against a real, human opponent. Playing chess on a chess computer, chess software or online chess has their specific advantages, but in fact, nothing compares to playing chess against real live opponent. It's a different kind of a challenge, with mistakes, blunders and friendship at the end. Finding a chess club is quite easy with many national federations maintaining lists of affiliated chess clubs, and the internet having chess clubs lists online. For example, the FIDE (World Chess Federation) Directory lists all FIDE member federations in alphabetical order. Most entries have the national federation's postal address, phone/fax, email, president, and FIDE delegate, as well as the International Arbiters from that country. The address of the federation's website happens to be the key to finding clubs in that country. The United States Chess Federation (USCF) website has a prominent link to Clubs on all pages. The Directory of Affiliate Clubs has 52 entries covering the 50 states, D.C., and Foreign The Chess Federation of Canada (CFC) also links to Chess Clubs from all pages.
Postal and Email Chess
Presently there are three kinds of correspondence play – postal chess, email chess and email chess play via server. Postal play is the traditional method of chess by correspondence, where moves are sent on postcards through national postal services. Most postal chess organizations existed before computer and network technology became widespread. Email play is an evolved from postal play and became popular in the 1990s. In email chess, moves are sent and received using regular email, eliminating long delays between moves. Tournament pairings and other administration are also done via email. Email play via server is a further evolution of email play. Here moves are made using a Web interface, which are then transmitted to the opponents via email. Notification via email of the opponent's moves is also sent.
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