If you are talking about Curtains, he was first and foremost a chess player

to be honest, I don't know any poker pros-turned chess pros.

You can learn poker in like a matter of months - and if you are talented enough - can go pro. Chess would take many years to become a professional chess player.

Right, I agree there is def more mental stimulation to be had in the sense of reaching pro but just odd imo because poker players tend to obv be money-driven and gambley obv, none of which are present in chess

Yeah but it's still a mentally stimulating game and puzzle. It's not like people who make money at poker aren't stimulated by other things. Chess has been around for hundreds of years and will be for hundreds more. It really is a terrific game. It's not hard to understand why anybody - poker player or otherwise - would get bit by the chess bug.

Less variance in chess.

And anyone know how to turn off the damn signature my phone keeps putting in posts so I don't have to delete it every time?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using 2+2 Forums

just go to your settings in your phone app - it's pretty easy

if playing on chess.com is free why the hell am I on fics?

Thank you!

chess.com is free but they sure are annoying with their incessant pleas for your premium membership.

because chess.com sucks and fics is pretty darn good (and no ads).

(imo)

I can never win on FICS lols

Ah sweet I'll stay there. I have some skin that's pretty good and thought I was doing it wrong.

I like chess.com b/c it seems like most of the players in this forum have an account there so it's fun to play matches against them.

I play poker professionally and started out in chess.

Chess was a hobby I was never going to be anywhere near good enough to make more than pocket change from it.

I didn't play to make money I played because its an amazing game.

Poker well its also an amazing game but being both a better poker play than chess player and that well you don't have to be anywhere near elite to make money at it led me down that path. But, I didn't start out playing poker to make money as silly as that sounds.
I started because I was drawn to the strategy of it, early on it seemed obvious that there was more than basic strat to the game.

I still play chess (not at all competitively and after a long break) but again because its fun and mentally stimulating same reason most smart people are drawn to games of strategy.

So seems pretty clear chess players would be drawn to a strat game which also can make you money.


Also lol at that thread which is harder chess or poker. Chess and its not even close to be honest, not really sure how anyone could really be arguing the oppostie.

YouKnowWho had a great post about playing more dynamically a few months back, and I've been trying to do so...apparently, my interpretation of this results in regressing to my patzer days of early queen sorties and running the h-pawn. (Sometimes with great results, sometimes looking ridiculous.)

Here's a recent OTB game where I'd like to hear some thoughts, especially about the middlegame plans.
My comments:

This part of your post made me smile, because I've had a very similar experience trying to do the same thing. As with anything, trying out new concepts often leads to the pendulum swinging too far both ways. When trying to "play more dynamically", I found myself trying to force things in quiet, equal positions or starting unjustified attacks on the king. It's an ongoing, painful process

I'll put my comments about your game in a spoiler as to not influence anyone else with my worthless thoughts.

Thanks, Tex. Not sure whether 6.Qa4 is standard (never studied this opening); it was aimed against Black's Qa5. It didn't help that I was trying to work all this stuff out over the board...next time I might just avoid the mess with 3.e4.

I just put the position after 5...f5 into Chessbase, and here are the most commonly played moves.

6. Nf3 - 201
6. h4 - 198
6. e4 - 147

Those are the main ones, and then g3, g4, f3, and Bf4 have all been played between 40-80 times each.

I don't think you have to worry too much about black playing Qa5, because you can play Bd2 and then black's queen is the one that is misplaced.

This opening sort of reminds me of some strange hybrid of the Nimzo (for the doubled c-pawns) and the Dutch (for f5, obviously) and it's surprisingly difficult to play against. I think the most promising plans are those with an early e4, that move is scoring the best in the database.

Fyp

Sholar, do you remember what thread my post was in? I cannot locate it. Definitely need to read it myself, maybe I will remember how to play dynamically

Thanks, agree that Bh6 didn't amount to much, and maybe simple development was better. After 6...e5 7.Nf3 Qc7 etc. (8.g3 Nf6 9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 d6) Black's position seems much easier to play.

Thanks, Tex, although I don't totally trust popularity here. With respect to Qa5...maybe...but then Black gets pressure on c3 with the option of Nxd2 at any time. Not saying it's bad, just felt very passive at the time.

Vegas, baby.

He's my favorite chess personality. His most recent slate of three- and five-minute games has been quite the romp. One of them, a loss that ended a streak, finished with a demon-like war cry to which his cat must have responded "Silly human, why are you so emo?" Today's game doesn't have the commentary theatrics of the last few,

I keep winning games. It's almost inexplicable. Still dropping pieces. When it happens I don't fret and try to counter attack and it's been working. Just hit 1310 right now on Chesscube, first time ever over 1300. Chess.com is a different story since I decided to play a lot of games on my phone last night. Breaking news: you will lose under tight time controls playing on a phone. Haha. I don't think I've ever won a game on my phone. Probably doesn't help that I'm usually playing at 5am under the influence of sleeping meds. Oh my I lost 7 in a row on my phone last night, lmao.

Here's my latest winning position...



I don't need no stinkin' material!

For newbs like me:

https://www.youtube.com/user/STLChessClub/playlists

I feel like watching several of these lectures have helped me more than anything else. I've tried to read about chess online a few times but it neither captures my attention or sinks in (these seem related) but videos where I'm seeing positions evolve and ways to counter attack where multiple lines are discussed, yeah I think there's SOMETHING rubbing off here. I don't know what video specifically. Even the 'advanced' lectures seem helpful. I just started watching them for fun. Not even to 'study' the game. It was interesting to watch. And hell I must've picked up something in the process.

Those lectures are very good. I recommend the ones by ronan his very watchable