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Old 02-21-2014, 03:52 PM   #8
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,276
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Re: Chess and Aikido

Quote:
John Robinson wrote: View Post
I tried out a few of their freebie videos, and then proceeded to trounce a 1700 player on the web. Whereas my rating is right now, low 1400s. So what's all that about? ;-)
Rating develops through playing, so early on it's not an accurate measure. The online ratings I've seen are inflated compared to USCF and what I remember of scholastic chess ratings. Online I'm about 1540, but my USCF rating was 1103 (based on 4 games, though) and my scholastic was around 1400 (based on dozens), and I was far more familiar with opening and end game theory back then. It's all relative.
I have never been a very strong chess player, but I once tore apart one of the state's top scholastic players...well, his opening at least (I love that Staunton Gambit!). I knew I had the advantage, but I got so worked up I missed the rook he had hung, and he was more than good enough to recoup the small advantage I did get out of it. It didn't help when I realized I missed that rook though....and I was already nervous enough being that this was the high school state championship tournament.
So the lessons I learned from that were not unlike some of the lessons I work on while practicing Aikido. Everything is training and learning to better refine my responses to things, whether in Aikido or chess, is part of the fun of them for me.
Timing, space, position, and strategy are crucial to both along with the ability to track multiple pieces simultaneously through a constantly changing interaction.

Quote:
David wrote:
...all the pieces were equal, all could move like the queen could.
That's what the box says, but when you open it that set has a king, a queen, and 14 pawns on each side.

Last edited by mathewjgano : 02-21-2014 at 03:56 PM.

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