[Titan]

who here plays? I play several times a day with the WHOPR Joshua, and always lose. Anyone have strategies?

My opening it to castle the king ASAP, and then the pawn line on the other side. But by then, things start to disintegrate.

[redsniper]

ALWAYS start by moving the pawn in front of the king forward two spaces.

I'm not any good at chess though.

[Herra Tohtori]

who here plays? I play several times a day with the WHOPR Joshua, and always lose. Anyone have strategies?

My opening it to castle the king ASAP, and then the pawn line on the other side. But by then, things start to disintegrate.

Get your officers mobile and moving, and try to employ the rooks in a constructive manner rather than letting them just rot in the corners (or on the castle). Queen as well. Castling can sometimes work, sometimes you just build a nice trap for yourself with it. And by using it always, you make yourself predictable. If you insist on castling, try and alternate between Queen side and King side castles, and regardless of which side you take, use the officers' mobility to your advantage.

I don't really have much of a strategy for those rare times I play...

[Polpolion]

I played chess against a mac once.

It cheated.

I still won.

[Titan]

heh. Joshua (with speech recognition, and with the voice set on 'boing') is a mac... in fact, i'm using him now. And playing. And losing.

My early strategy is to make the most use of my nights and also get some good pawn formations up, using my other pieces if an oppurtunity arrises.

[NGTM-1R]

I can beat any non-computer player. Once.

It comes from using possibly the most basic strategy there is, and I think it surprises them on that account.

[Ghostavo]

http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=1903250

Meh...

Normally I play Queen's Gambit or whatever my opponent feels like playing against d4 as white, but I know enough of e4 openings to broad my opening choices.

As black the situation is rather confusing, as I play the Slav in it's various forms against d4 and am starting to get the feel for the French against e4. Other than that, irregular openings are rather easy to deal with once you've learned the basics of opening development.

Endings are theoretical enough to have sure ways of studying it while retaining the knowledge and gaining strength in that part of the game. Middlegames are another issue altogether with no sure way other than making lots and lots of exercises and playing games to try to increase strength, but with no real significant success.

Following more closely to the topic, I find playing against the computer doing more harm than good for our own playing strength. Although strangely enough using it as an analysis tool is somewhat encouraged to get the hidden tactical possibilities out in the open.

[Lucika]

I usually play blitz on FICS. Usually i play the QG with 3. e4 or 3. c5 if QGD. With Black, I tend to play the Italian with fast thrusts to the sides.

[Titan]

I find that if the other player has knights still around in the mid to late game, they can be a massive nuisance. The only counter i've found is to use your own knights, which effectively also prevents you from using the same strategy.

And by the most basic strategy, do you mean that thing (can't remember the name) where the queen jumps into the pawn in front of the king, and is guarded by the bishop? or however it goes?

[Pred the Penguin]

Anyone play Chinese Chess? XD

[Lucika]

I find that if the other player has knights still around in the mid to late game, they can be a massive nuisance. The only counter i've found is to use your own knights, which effectively also prevents you from using the same strategy.

And by the most basic strategy, do you mean that thing (can't remember the name) where the queen jumps into the pawn in front of the king, and is guarded by the bishop? or however it goes?

I guess you mean this:
1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Bc5
3. Qh5 (Nf6??
4. Qxf7#)

[Titan]

uhm... i usually don't play with the grid positions. In fact, the boards i play one don't even have them, since they're mostly CHECKERS boards.

[Inquisitor]

Chess notation is standard, doesn't matter if the board is marked. A checkers board is a chess board.

[Titan]

Well, I don't pay attention the coordinates.

[eliex]

Nor do I although you have to in a real tournament.
Have you ever tried out the 4-move checkmate, or other cheap tactics like that?

My main strategy is the diagonal fortress where you force all your troops to one half of the board diagonally - it's quite effective but costly if it fails. Finally, as a starter I always try to snipe out enemy rooks with my bishops at the beginning of the game especially useful if they don't notice.

[Mobius]

I use vast and agile moving units to irritate the enemy and sortie the Queen(the best of them all) to keep it up, but only if her safety can be guaranteed. I've also imagined a strategy to win in a matter of turns by sending in fast moving units to trap the king and win the game instantly... ,7

I rarely rely on pawns, anyway...

[Pred the Penguin]

Pawns can be rather devastating if used correctly.

They can get up close and do some personal damage. 

[JGZinv]

I used to love playing BattleChess...

Played a lot of Chessmaster on Gameboy back when we had 3(4?) colors of gray.

My strategy is to play 2 (better yet 3) moves ahead. Better known as before you touch
any piece, map out in your head if you move this - opponent has these options, but then
I can go here or there - then opponent has these options. That's 2 full moves of thinking.
If you can do 3, all the better.

Played chess since I was 3, finally got my father to a draw after a 2.5 hour game last month. 
It's only taken me 19 years to do that....   

[Nuke]

i know how to play chess, i just dont know how to win chess

[Titan]

i know how to play chess, i just dont know how to win chess

ditto.

Joshua beat me twice with a modified version of that early checkmate strategy with the queen and the bishop. He got me while i was try to figure out the best way to use a kingcastle.