When I wrote about chess resources in the Internet five weeks ago, never did I realise that I was going to be smittened with the Internet Chess Club.
I have become so fascinated with the ICC that I log into the ICC server almost daily, sometimes for only a few minutes, just to hang around and watch games being played, but more often to play a few games myself.
The advantage of the ICC is that I am no longer separated by distances. My opponent will most likely be a player from another part of the world and we are linked together in a chess game played on-line and in real-time mode.
Games can either be of the blitz variety or they can be of a longer time control. But mainly, blitz tends to be the most popular genre here.
However, unlike normal blitz games that you will find in any physical chess club, the Fischerian time control is the absolute norm. For example, one player can challenge another to a blitz game using a "3 15" time control. This is a three-minute blitz game but after every move, 15 seconds are added back to your chess clock.
In theory, if you can move fast enough, taking less than 15 seconds per move, you may actually end up with more time on your clock than what you had started with. This is a most novel situation, but it hardly occurs in practice. Well, not with me, anyway.
But the time added on to your chess clock can mean a big difference between continuing your game and losing on time. If you make some moves rather quickly, you can gain back a bit of extra time for the remainder of your game.
And of course, there is nothing to prevent you from challenging someone to a blitz game with normal time controls. In this case, just propose a "5 0" time control.
If you are a paid-up member, all the games that you play against other members are rateable by the ICC. You will be given a rating based on the games you play, and these ratings change instantaneously upon the conclusion of every game. This is quite a neat feature.
Once you log into the ICC, typing "who" at the aics% prompt will list all persons who are logged on at the same time as you. This command led me to my Singaporean friend, Fide master Chia Chee Seng, who helped me a lot in the ICC initially. By the way, you can also type "help" at this prompt for some on-line assistance.
Chia is an ICC administrator and it was he who persuaded me to join as a member. All members are identified on-line by their handle which is something like a nickname. Mine is, of course, "SSQuah" which identifies me to everybody.
Not everybody's handle is that obvious, however. All sorts of nicknames are used and usually, it is impossible to know who is at the other game of your game. For all you know, he may turn out to be another Malaysian internet chess player.
The ICC used to be free but it has been almost a year since it began charging an annual membership fee. A six-month membership costs US$29 (about RM74) while a one-year membership is US$49 (about RM125). Student or youth membership costs US$14.50 (about RM37) for six months and US$24.50 (about RM63) for a year.
Non-members are also welcome to log into the ICC as guests. Although you can also play games with other players, such games are unrated by the ICC.
Who, then, are the people who hang around the Internet Chess Club? More often than not, they are just amateurs with a keen interest in the game. But the number of Fide-rated players is increasing, especially titled players like American grandmaster Roman Dzhindzhihashvili. Chess-playing computers are also on-line, and they are ever ready to meet your challenge.
So how do you log into the ICC? First of all, you will need an Internet account and this is provided by the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) through their Jaring network.
Next, you will want a Telnet programme such as Ewan, CommNet or Qvtnet. The Telnet address for the Internet Chess Club is chess.lm.com and once you are connected, you will be required to log in using your username and password. Guests should log in as g and follow the on-line instructions accordingly.
Unfortunately, the problem with these Telnet programmes is that the chessboard is displayed in ascii mode. This is very confusing when you are playing or observing a game.
My recommendation is to use slics22f which, to me, is the best windows-based graphical interface for the ICC. This programme, written by Don Fong, can be downloaded from the ICC.
To retrieve this file, ftp to chess.lm.com using "anonymous" as the username and your e-mail address as the password. The sub-directory is pub/icc/interface/win3 and the name of the file is slics22f.zip.
You will have to unzip the file and customise the settings before using, but all the instructions are available in the zipped file.
Slics22f has its own Telnet application and once the programme is run, the user sees a chessboard on the screen. Moves are made by dragging the pieces around with a mouse.
If you have an Internet account and are in Penang tomorrow, you may wish to see a short demonstration of slics and the Internet Chess Club at the monthly meeting of the North Malaysian Internet Society meeting at the Universiti Sains Malaysia's Pusat Teknoloji Maklumat at 3pm.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Selection of games from the recent Asian team chess championship in Singapore.
Dao Thien Hai (Vietnam) - Wong Meng Kong (Singapore)
1. d4 d5, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nc3 Be7, 4. cxd5 exd5, 5. Bf4 c6, 6. e3 Bf5, 7. Nge2 Nd7, 8. Ng3 Bg6, 9. Be2 Nf8, 10. O-O Ne6, 11. Bg4 Nf6, 12. Bh3 O-O, 13. Be5 Ng5, 14. Bf5 Nge4, 15. Bxe4 Nxe4, 16. Ngxe4 dxe4, 17. Qb3 b6, 18. Qa4 b5, 19. Qc2 Bd6, 20. Bxd6 Qxd6, 21. Ne2 Rfe8, 22. Rfc1 Rac8, 23. Qc5 Qb8, 24. Rc2 f6, 25. Rac1 Bf7, 26. b3 Be6, 27. Ng3 Bd5, 28. Nf5 Rc7, 29. Qxd5+ cxd5, 30. Rxc7 Kh8, 31. Nd6 Rf8, 32. R1c6 h6, 33. h4 Kh7, 34. Nf5 Rg8, 35. h5 b4, 36. Re7 Rc8, 37. Rxc8 Qxc8, 38. Rxg7+ Kh8, 39. g4 Qc1+, 40. Kg2 Qd1, 41. Rg6 Qf3+, 42. Kg1 Qd1+, 43. Kh2 Qf1, 44. Rxh6+ Kg8, 45. Rxf6 Qxf2+, 46. Kh3 Qxa2, 47. Ne7+ Kh8, 48. Kh4 Qxb3, 49. h6 Qxe3, 50. g5 Qe2, 51. Rf8+ Kh7, 52. Rf7+ Kh8, 53. Ng6+ Kg8, 54. Rg7+ 1-0
Alexander Nenashev (Uzbekistan) - Rogelio Antonio (Philippines)
1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nc3 Bb4, 4. e3 O-O, 5. Nge2 d5, 6. a3 Be7, 7. cxd5 exd5, 8. b4 c6, 9. Ng3 Bd6, 10. Bd3 Re8, 11. O-O Nbd7, 12. Qc2 Nf8, 13. b5 Bd7, 14. a4 Rc8, 15. Ba3 Bb8, 16. Rfc1 Ng4, 17. Nf1 Qg5, 18. Qd2 Ng6, 19. a5 Nh4, 20. f4 Qh6, 21. a6 Nxe3, 22. axb7 Rcd8, 23. Nxe3 Bxf4, 24. Ncd1 Rxe3, 25. Qa5 Nf3+, 26. Kf2 Qh4+ 0-1
Ruslan Irzhanov (Kazakhstan) - Cerdas Barus (Indonesia)
1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nc3 Bb4, 4. e3 d5, 5. Bd3 c5, 6. Nf3 O-O, 7. O-O dxc4, 8. Bxc4 cxd4, 9. exd4 b6, 10. Bg5 Bb7, 11. Qe2 Bxc3, 12. bxc3 Nbd7, 13. Bd3 Qc7, 14. c4 Rfe8, 15. Rfe1 Ng4, 16. Be4 Bxe4, 17. Qxe4 Ngf6, 18. Qe2 Rac8, 19. Rac1 Qc6, 20. Qe3 Qa4, 21. Qb3 Qa6, 22. a4 h6, 23. Bf4 Qb7, 24. h3 Rc6, 25. Nd2 Rcc8, 26. Qb5 Red8, 27. Nf3 Nf8, 28. Be5 Ng6, 29. Bxf6 gxf6, 30. Qh5 Kh7, 31. g3 Rg8, 32. d5 Rc5, 33. Nd4 Qd7, 34. Nb3 Rc7, 35. dxe6 fxe6, 36. Qf3 Qf7, 37. Nd4 Ne5, 38. Qe2 Rd7, 39. Rcd1 Rgd8, 40. Nf3 Nd3, 41. Qc2 Kg7, 42. Re3 Nc5, 43. Ra1 Rd3, 44. Rxd3 Rxd3, 45. Ne1 Rd7, 46. a5 Qg6, 47. axb6 axb6, 48. Rb1 Qxc2, 49. Nxc2 Rd6, 50. Ne3 f5, 51. Rb2 Kf6, 52. Kf1 Ne4, 53. Ke2 Ke5, 54. c5 Rd8, 55. cxb6 Rb8, 56. Rc2 Kd4, 57. Rc4+ Ke5, 58. Rc6 Rb7, 59. f4+ Kf6, 60. Nd5+ Kg6, 61. Rxe6+ Kh5, 62. Kf3 Nd2+, 63. Kg2 Nc4, 64. Rc6 1-0
Nasib Ginting (Indonesia) - Serik Temirbaev (Kazakhstan)
1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 g6, 3. Nf3 Bg7, 4. g3 O-O, 5. Bg2 d6, 6. O-O Nc6, 7. Nc3 a6, 8. h3 Rb8, 9. e4 Nd7, 10. Be3 e5, 11. Rc1 h6, 12. b3 Kh7, 13. Qd2 b6, 14. Rfd1 Bb7, 15. dxe5 Ncxe5, 16. Nxe5 Nxe5, 17. f4 Nc6, 18. Qf2 Qc8, 19. Nd5 a5, 20. a3 Re8, 21. g4 Ne7, 22. Bd4 Ng8, 23. g5 Bxd4, 24. Rxd4 Rf8, 25. Qh4 Bxd5, 26. cxd5 Qd8, 27. Rdc4 Rb7, 28. Qg3 f6, 29. h4 fxg5, 30. hxg5 Ra7, 31. Bh3 Qe7, 32. e5 Rd8, 33. e6 Re8, 34. f5 hxg5, 35. fxg6+ Kxg6, 36. Bf5+ Kg7, 37. Rg4 Qf6, 38. Rxg5+ Kh8, 39. Rg6 Qd4+, 40. Kf1 1-0
Rogelio Antonio (Philippines) - Dashzeveg Sharavdorj (Mongolia)
1. e4 e6, 2. d4 d5, 3. Nc3 Bb4, 4. e5 Ne7, 5. a3 Bxc3+, 6. bxc3 c5, 7. h4 Qc7, 8. Nf3 b6, 9. h5 h6, 10. Bb5+ Bd7, 11. Bd3 Ba4, 12. O-O c4, 13. Be2 Na6, 14. Bf4 Kd7, 15. Nh2 Qd8, 16. Ng4 Qg8, 17. Ne3 Qh7, 18. Bg4 Nc7, 19. Bh3 Kc8, 20. Bg3 g6, 21. Qb1 Nc6, 22. Ra2 gxh5, 23. Rb2 Kb7, 24. Bh4 Rhg8, 25. g3 Raf8, 26. Bg2 f5, 27. f4 Kc8, 28. Bf3 Nd8, 29. Rb4 Qd7, 30. Qa2 Nf7, 31. Rfb1 Ng5, 32. Bg2 Rg6, 33. Qb2 Rfg8, 34. Kh2 Kd8, 35. Qc1 Kc8, 36. Qd1 Nb5, 37. Nxc4 Nxc3, 38. Qd3 Nxb1, 39. Nxb6 dxc4, 40. Qxc4+ Qc7, 41. Qa6+ Kd8, 42. Rb7 Qc8, 43. Qa5+ Ke8 1-0
Dao Thien Hai (Vietnam) - Alexander Nenashev (Uzbekistan)
1. d4 d5, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nc3 c5, 4. cxd5 exd5, 5. Nf3 Nc6, 6. g3 c4, 7. Bg2 Bb4, 8. O-O Nge7, 9. Ne1 Bf5, 10. Nc2 O-O, 11. Nxb4 Nxb4, 12. Bg5 f6, 13. Bf4 Qd7, 14. a3 Nbc6, 15. b3 cxb3, 16. Qxb3 Nxd4, 17. Qd1 Ndc6, 18. Nxd5 Rad8, 19. Bc7 Rde8, 20. Nxe7+ Nxe7, 21. Qxd7 Bxd7, 22. Bxb7 Nf5, 23. Rfd1 Rf7, 24. e4 Ba4, 25. Bd5 Bxd1, 26. Rxd1 Nh6, 27. Rb1 g5, 28. Rb8 Rxb8, 29. Bxb8 a6, 30. h4 Kg7, 31. hxg5 fxg5, 32. Bxf7 Kxf7, 33. f4 Ng4, 34. Kg2 Ne3+, 35. Kf3 Nc4, 36. a4 Nd2+, 37. Ke3 Nf1+, 38. Kd3 Nxg3, 39. fxg5 Nh5, 40. Kd4 Ng7, 41. Kc5 Ne6+, 42. Kb6 Nxg5, 43. Kxa6 Nxe4, 44. a5 Nd2, 45. Kb5 1-0
Saydali Yuldashev (Kazakhstan) - Cao Sang (Vietnam)
1. e4 c5, 2. Nc3 Nc6, 3. Nf3 g6, 4. d4 cxd4, 5. Nxd4 Bg7, 6. Be3 Nf6, 7. Bc4 d6, 8. h3 Bd7, 9. O-O O-O, 10. Bb3 Rc8, 11. f4 Qa5, 12. Qd3 Nb4, 13. Qd2 Na6, 14. Nde2 Nc5, 15. Ng3 Qc7, 16. Rae1 b5, 17. Bd4 Nxb3, 18. cxb3 Bc6, 19. b4 Qb7, 20. f5 Rcd8, 21. Kh1 Rd7, 22. Re2 e5, 23. fxe6 fxe6, 24. Be3 Rff7, 25. Rfe1 d5, 26. e5 Ne4, 27. Ncxe4 dxe4, 28. Qc3 Rd3, 29. Qc5 Bd5, 30. Rc1 Bxe5, 31. Bh6 Bg7, 32. Bxg7 Kxg7, 33. Nxe4 Qb8, 34. Ng5 Qg3, 35. Nxf7 Qxh3+, 36. Kg1 0-1
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