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Computers have literally killed chess

No matter who you are or what your doing someone in this world hate's that your are alive. It's a sad truth. And as tech only progresses it's only going to get worse. We can use tech for good or bad, but a lot have used tech and the free ability to harm others emotionally online.

Computers haven't just killed chess, they have killed pretty much everything we can enjoy. As long as someone with bad intent has free access to something we will always be hated.
Dayna and so many other non/popular chess players have received hate at some point in their life.

No matter who you are or what your doing someone in this world hate's that your are alive. It's a sad truth. And as tech only progresses it's only going to get worse. We can use tech for good or bad, but a lot have used tech and the free ability to harm others emotionally online. Computers haven't just killed chess, they have killed pretty much everything we can enjoy. As long as someone with bad intent has free access to something we will always be hated. Dayna and so many other non/popular chess players have received hate at some point in their life.

I don't think computers have killed everything enjoyable, but chess has become so social-media obsessed that its difficult to (if you'll pardon the extremely mixed metaphor) disentangle it from the circus it actively courts.

I don't think computers have killed everything enjoyable, but chess has become so social-media obsessed that its difficult to (if you'll pardon the extremely mixed metaphor) disentangle it from the circus it actively courts.

Ah, indeed, I too remember the previous era, when social media wasn't applying pressure and when computers were mere tools. I continue my brigade writing about monoculture... and yet by publishing online, I have lost whatever kind of argument I could be making.
https://youtu.be/26SMJH6ff0g

Ah, indeed, I too remember the previous era, when social media wasn't applying pressure and when computers were mere tools. I continue my brigade writing about monoculture... and yet by publishing online, I have lost whatever kind of argument I could be making. https://youtu.be/26SMJH6ff0g

Great blog, it feels real and heartfelt, and I agree with it a lot
But technology has ruined many other things, and other peoples lives, and it has definitely ruined chess

Great blog, it feels real and heartfelt, and I agree with it a lot But technology has ruined many other things, and other peoples lives, and it has definitely ruined chess

Agreed. Anyways, wanna have eggs? I made eggs!!!

Agreed. Anyways, wanna have eggs? I made eggs!!!

@ZugAddict said in #1:

Comments on lichess.org/@/zugaddict/blog/computers-have-literally-killed-chess/6mIyVwMS
Great blog. Personally, I haven't played chess for a long time, and if it wasn't for Lichess, I wouldn't have found my love for chess. However, I get what you are trying to express here. It feels very human and heartfelt to me, and although I rely on Lichess to play 99% of my chess games, I do agree. Thanks for this.

@ZugAddict said in #1: > Comments on lichess.org/@/zugaddict/blog/computers-have-literally-killed-chess/6mIyVwMS Great blog. Personally, I haven't played chess for a long time, and if it wasn't for Lichess, I wouldn't have found my love for chess. However, I get what you are trying to express here. It feels very human and heartfelt to me, and although I rely on Lichess to play 99% of my chess games, I do agree. Thanks for this.

@LibreChessChicken said in #7:

Great blog. Personally, I haven't played chess for a long time, and if it wasn't for Lichess, I wouldn't have found my love for chess. However, I get what you are trying to express here. It feels very human and heartfelt to me, and although I rely on Lichess to play 99% of my chess games, I do agree. Thanks for this.

You're right - there are wonderful and special things about lichess and the ability to play chess here. There is also a cost and a consequence of virtualizing the bulk of our chess experiences and I think we are going to see that cost go up over time, as it already has.

@LibreChessChicken said in #7: > Great blog. Personally, I haven't played chess for a long time, and if it wasn't for Lichess, I wouldn't have found my love for chess. However, I get what you are trying to express here. It feels very human and heartfelt to me, and although I rely on Lichess to play 99% of my chess games, I do agree. Thanks for this. You're right - there are wonderful and special things about lichess and the ability to play chess here. There is also a cost and a consequence of virtualizing the bulk of our chess experiences and I think we are going to see that cost go up over time, as it already has.

Excellent blog. I've been reflecting on similar themes myself lately.
Thank you.

Excellent blog. I've been reflecting on similar themes myself lately. Thank you.

You make a valid point that mass entertainment and online chess changed the game, sometimes to its detriment, but also how can you complain that millions of people now routinely play it? As everything in human culture, it has ups and downs and risks to get corrupted by money and influence at any point.

The trick is to keep going and find your own way. A "statistical chess" does not exist, it is fundamentally a two player game. Choosing the proper partner is one of the core issues of humanity, after all, it's not just chess. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I agree with you that the addictiveness of ultra fast controls is an issue. I would rather see chess sites and apps remove them altogether. Yet I am not an arbiter of truth and I couldn't tell the droves of people playing ultrabullet that they should stop.

As for computers... Ouch! I am a software developer. How can I say something against them? But I tell you something: the computer science required to build a modern chess engine is more cerebral and fascinating and nerdy than chess itself. Most of software is simple stuff, like a web site and some buttons and how to monetize it.

In conclusion, I find that the problem you are describing comes down to human nature and StockFish. If people would get into the beauty of chess engine programming as they went into chess, with millions of people actively trying to outdo the others, the range of computer engines of every flavor and idea possible would be astounding. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and the area is very niche, just like chess would be if it weren't for online chess, video entertainers and computer engines.

You make a valid point that mass entertainment and online chess changed the game, sometimes to its detriment, but also how can you complain that millions of people now routinely play it? As everything in human culture, it has ups and downs and risks to get corrupted by money and influence at any point. The trick is to keep going and find your own way. A "statistical chess" does not exist, it is fundamentally a two player game. Choosing the proper partner is one of the core issues of humanity, after all, it's not just chess. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I agree with you that the addictiveness of ultra fast controls is an issue. I would rather see chess sites and apps remove them altogether. Yet I am not an arbiter of truth and I couldn't tell the droves of people playing ultrabullet that they should stop. As for computers... Ouch! I am a software developer. How can I say something against them? But I tell you something: the computer science required to build a modern chess engine is more cerebral and fascinating and nerdy than chess itself. Most of software is simple stuff, like a web site and some buttons and how to monetize it. In conclusion, I find that the problem you are describing comes down to human nature and StockFish. If people would get into the beauty of chess engine programming as they went into chess, with millions of people actively trying to outdo the others, the range of computer engines of every flavor and idea possible would be astounding. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and the area is very niche, just like chess would be if it weren't for online chess, video entertainers and computer engines.