🚀 go-pugleaf

>i'd say the future of chess is ... chess
>as Dutch GM Hans Ree stated, there are no cars involved in athletics, or
>boats in swimming, although it's pretty clear they're faster.
>Only thing is that cheating has to be prevented (watch-chess-computers etc)
>but again, the same applies to cycling where you're not supposed to use a
>motor.
Absolutely. OK, agreeing with a post doesn't make for interesting reading,
but such is life. I'm also a cyclist (the old idea of balancing the mental
with the physical is extremely important for me), so I know the joy of
competing in a sport where the world record for an hour is "ONLY" 55
kilometers, which is trivial for an automobile. For an unassisted human
being, however, that is almost insurmountable. (With apologies to Chris
Boardman, Abraham Olano, and Evgeni Berzin, who are the current most likely
assailants of the record. Jan Ullrich is there eventually if he lays off the
Bratwurst.) I feel the same applies to chess. I left the game a while back
feeling that it was going to belong to the computer, and tried many other
things. (The most interesting of which was Magic:The Gathering; a friend at
work involved me, and it IS a rather interesting card game. If you're at all
curious, I would recommend trying the Microprose implementation thereof; the
analog version of this game can get hideously expensive, whereas the
computer version will give you a lot to work with, including old collectable
cards that sell for between 100 and 350 dollars U.S.) I'm back now with the
realization that even though a computer may eventually be able to dominate
(not a statement of fact or opinion, just a base for this rambling post), it
doesn't matter when two humans get involved over a board and 32 wood pieces
at the local coffee shop/Church basement/lunchroom/etc.; joy and friendly
competition is the point. SO, don't worry about the eventual direction of
chess, just enjoy it for what it is. The point is the journey, not the
terminus.

Happily emphasizing the obvious,
Marty Power
East End Cycling Team, New York