STW Chess Returns

i play on spark chess, on the lowest level.  so anyone playing me would not have much of a challenge.

I’m keen

hopefully do a bit better this time

dtcaban on chess.com

Count me in. It’s kprook on chess.com.

Count me in please - KevinPhilipsBong on Chess.com

Go on then - i'll give you someone to beat easily...  pkgelliott on chess.com

I've never played a person on Chess.com so this will be an easy win for someone - I'm whitefieldrouler

I'm in  was never great on chess.com 

Aye, count me in again - aide46 

Cheers

Bump for the evening crowd.

In so far.

irc1979

dtcaban

kprook

KevinPhilipsBong

pkgelliott

aide46

@RamseyNeil - Chess.com username?

I'm in, username is nicholasnjh

My chess.com name is wasnevergreat.  Sorry for the confusion

in again please, vince2638.

Thanks for organising again.

I'm up for it: marzipan1994

I'm in, been missing longer format games! stevo_mcd

11 players so far. Up to 12 and it's all one group. Past twelve and it spits into two groups. Top 3 from groups going through to a final.

irc1979

dtcaban

kprook

KevinPhilipsBong

pkgelliott

aide46

nicholasnjh

wasnevergreat

vince2638.

marzipan1994

stevo_mcd

Pablo-chr on chess.com

Oh lordy here goes...cje222 on chess.com

yes please -

tomhine82

richwales - cheers

Now up to 15. I'll wait until the weekend for any last minute players before seeing how many groups we need and setting it up.

irc1979

dtcaban

kprook

KevinPhilipsBong

pkgelliott

aide46

nicholasnjh

wasnevergreat

vince2638.

marzipan1994

stevo_mcd

Pablo-chr

cje222

tomhine82

richwales

JeremyDog also in.

irc1979
dtcaban
kprook
KevinPhilipsBong
pkgelliott

aide46
nicholasnjh
wasnevergreat
vince2638
marzipan1994

stevo_mcd
Pablo-chr
cje222
tomhine82
richwales

JeremyDog

you missed me 🙂 whitefieldrouler

@edhornby  My mistake. Now on the list

irc1979
dtcaban
kprook
KevinPhilipsBong
pkgelliott

aide46
nicholasnjh
wasnevergreat
vince2638
marzipan1994

stevo_mcd
Pablo-chr
cje222
tomhine82
richwales

JeremyDog

whitefieldrouler

@edhornby  Presume your Chess.com is whitefieldrouleur and the above is a typo?

Invites now sent. If you don't get an email alert you will find the invite in  your Chess.com messages.On the home screen hover the mouse on the pawn at top left and messages is the second option.

Format is 3x groups of up to 7 players with top 3 going through.  So space for a few more players.

After first round I will create a second tourament for those who don't go through in the top 3 if there is any interest.

Plan to start on Monday if everyone has accepted their invites by then.  Tournament link is

https://www.chess.com/tournament/stw-clocks-back-2023

Duplicate - deleted.

Hi @irc -- I am sorry for the late reply but I wonder whether it's too late to join?

I've only just started playing as my daughter started, so am basically rubbish but would like to learn.

No worries if it's a massive pita to slot me in at this point (or to be honest if it'll spoil things for everyone else having a total noob wandering about): my fault for being late to the party.

However if it's no bother I am "motnikrap" on chess.com.

Cheers!

@tomparkin  Plenty spaces left.

Should be an invite in your Chess.com messages. Click to join tournament.  Still spaces left.

A few people in the list above still to accept invites.

Don't worry about ability. There is a wide range. Everyone starts somewhere.

Thanks @irc -- I have accepted the invite so I'm in 🙂

Still several players to accept invites to the tournament.

This link may workrather than going to Chess.com messages

https://www.chess.com/tournament/stw-clocks-back-2023/join/28fc57

Some players still to accept invitations.  I'm starting the tournament on Tuesday.  After that entries are closed.

Still some players to accept invite in Chess.com messages.

Late to the party. Again if too much hassle don't worry.

TomL76 on Chess.com

I appear to be in but can't see any invite to accept so assume I'm sorted.

I’m starting the tournament on Tuesday

Thanks irc! 🙂

How does notification of the games work? Do we just need to keep an eye on chess.com messages tomorrow, or does it appear under
https://www.chess.com/tournament/stw-clocks-back-2023
?

sorted it now. i'm in

Have registered 😁 thanks for organising 

@tomlevell Yes you are in. List of players currently on board at

https://www.chess.com/tournament/stw-clocks-back-2023/players

@stevomcd still to accept invite.

As has @paule (chess.com Pkgelliott)

The tournament is a manual start - IE there is a button for me to click. I'll wait another day to give steveomcd and paule a chance to join.

8pm tomorrow.

Tournament is started! Good luck everyone!

Wow, 5 games underway I've not played more than one game at a time, so this will be fun. 😀

Is it a league? Or knockout? Or something else...

Wow, 5 games underway. I've not played more than one game at a time before, so this will be interesting.😀

Is it a league? Or knockout? Or something else...

Not done one before but looks like 3 leagues of 6 with top 3 going through.

Think you play everyone twice in your league.

I "may" have blundered early on in one of them. Need to learn to slow down.

Tomlevell is correct. You play each other player as both black and white.  Top 3 in each group go through.  

The groups are seeded according to rating. Hence StevoMcD, Me, and Wasnevergreat, the highest graded are in different groups. Groups are here.

https://www.chess.com/tournament/stw-clocks-back-2023/pairings

Gradings? For a detailed explanation you can use google but basically you are graded according to your results against other players. On average if you play someone graded 200 pts higher you can expect to score ).24 . IE if you played 2 games you would lose 1 and draw one.  Once the rating difference is 366 the higher player scores 90%. All statistical averages. It can vary according to poayers style of play etc.

After all groups are completed if interested I will do another tournament for the runners up so nobody is going weeks without games if they want to carry on playing. You would then have more players closer to your ability. 

Apologies chaps but I'm out, I really haven't a clue what I'm doing

I really haven’t a clue what I’m doing

I only got back into chess a couple of years ago after years of not playing and the first STW tournament that I played in was very much getting back into it - after that I progressed quite quickly although equally quickly I met my glass ceiling where my ranking would go up, I'd meet players with equal/better ranking and get thrashed then drop back down again.

Then last year my account got corrupted during a really glitchy period at chess.com and I lost the lot. Set up a new account but nothing carried over so I never played it so once again I'm back at square one. I did consider signing up for this but maybe I'll try the next one if @irc keeps it going.

I've forgotten most of what I learnt from the endless YouTube chess video tutorials I was watching 1+ year ago!

Yeah - I've only started recently and I now realise how much I don't know (47 yo bloke decides to have a go at chess) I never played as a kid so I need to learn about openings and avoiding early blunders etc so a tournament is run before walk 

Another option is to play games against the computer on chess.com. Play as much as you want.

A lot of good stuff on YouTube as well where you can hear the thought processes of good players.

It's like anything else. You can learn and be taught a certain amount. After that practice helps. Beyond a certain point you either have the ability or you don't.
Back in the 80s I was in a club with one member ranked about 25th in Scotland. Driving down to England for a competition we had a board in the back of the minibus. He could play while driving without seeing the board. He would call out his moves. We would reply. He'd call out his next move and so on.

This is getting hard...it was ok in the openings, but trying to remember the plan on all 5 games now is tough ,,,

remember the plan

What's this I hear?

There's a plan???

I did wonder why I left a Bishop to get taken this morning in one game when it could have been easily moved away. After eventually deciding what my move was realised why I had to let it happen. Hint the other Bishop would have been taken instead...

I was/am assuming being fairly clueless was all fine and good 😀

I've only recently started playing as an adult, having loved chess as a child but only ever dabbled since. My 10 minute rating on chess.com is around 300 :-/

I feel as though things are going a bit better with the "two days per move" tournament game format where you can spend a bit longer thinking rather than having the clock forcing panic. Although people actually playing me right now may have a different perspective!

In any case it should be a learning experience.

Does anyone know whether the post-game analysis tools on chess.com work for tournament games?

Yeah, you can use the game analysis on tournament games. Only once per day though unless you're a Chess.com member.

Seeme like a good idea at the time. Signed up for more daily tournaments.  I overlooked the fact the one with groups of 10 starts both games against each opponent at the same time. So another 18 games to watch. Current total 27 games.

So another 18 games to watch. Current total 27 games.

I need to figure out a way to strategically leverage this insider info to lose less comprehensively than I did in game 1 🤔😂

Well that's all my games finished off, looking at the group I was in I'm sat in 4th, hadn't played for a good 5 or 6 months so getting back into it was a bit eye opening, made quite a few big blunders and took a few full games to feel warmed up.

Bit devastated I won't be getting through to the next round if it's the top 3 of each group going through as I've really enjoyed it, can't wait for the spring 2024 tournament 😂

@eatmorepizza I think the intention is for there to be two subsequent competitions, one for the top three in each group, the other for the bottom three. Which should make for a lot of close games. 

I’ve really enjoyed all my games so far, even the ones where I’ve blundered. Am sitting mid table so might scrape into the “top” competition. Been great getting back into it. 

Would have come last if someone else hadn't bailed out immediately! Enjoyed it though.

For those who haven't checked all the settings the Board & Pieces option includes a 3D option right at the end of the list.

As KennyP says. This tournament continues with the top 3 in each group.  Thereafter I will set up a new tourament for the bottom  half.  No need to wait until the next tournament.    More even games.

Thanks for organising 

the blunder bus has left the station 

My group has finished, good luck to the folks going through, and thanks everyone for playing. It has been most enjoyable!

Any idea when the next round is likely to start? I really enjoyed the first round, apart from terribly slow playing in one game.

In a few days. One game still in play.

ttps://www.chess.com/game/daily/585952043

still in the opening stages, it will run for a week.

I’m in the last game - whoever I’m playing has gone on vacation as nothing has happened for a week. Is there a time limit on the tournament?

@richwales No official time limit but as per the comments - I requested that vacation should be used sparingly. I have messaged the other player on Chess.com

https://www.chess.com/tournament/stw-clocks-back-2023

@vinnyeh Message for you on Chess.com

I would suggest that anyone who finds they are unable to get the time to play due to other circumstances either resigns or offers a draw depending what stage the game is at rather than goes on vacation for more than a few days.

I know it's summer and we should all be out playing in the sun, but for those days when it's too hot to go outside (England) or too wet to go outside (Scotland), is it time for another chess tournament? Been ages since the last one.

I would be interested 😊

Im in

My memberships has lapsed. After vets bills, car tax, car insurance etc this month I don't have the £44 annual Chess.com membership before the end of the month.  So unable to create tournaments.  I'll see how things look next month. Failing which if anyone else is currently a member and wants to start one  I'll come in to any tournament.

Currently got 19 daily games going anyway.

I'd be up for playing again. Although I am in England and I've not noticed it being too hot for anything so far this year.

I have a gold level membership. I’d be happy to set a tournament up if that level allows me to.

@kennp

Yes.  Go for it. Easy to do. Just need to opt for private option and choose group size etc.  I'm in. Chess.com user irc1979

https://www.chess.com/tournament/create

Other variables are time limit and yes/no for vacation.  My preference would be 2 days and no vacation but your choice if you set it up.