Online chess games have changed the industrial standard of ‘learning chess’. Their programs run by artificial intelligence are reliable for beginners and advanced players. We shall take a look at how machines have impacted how we learn and understand chess.
There was no way of learning chess earlier without being guided by a human who was proficient at chess or at least knew the basics. People often relied on books and extensively read chess literature to master the game. If you wanted to break through and reach advanced levels, a chess coach was necessary. Only then could one dream of participating in a tournament with players of higher ratings. Learning chess as a self-taught player was quite difficult because you would need people of high calibre to practice with and that wasn’t possible without joining a club or an academy.
Not everyone was privileged enough to afford being coached. So there are chances that many people who could’ve been great chess players never got the chance to reach their prime because they did not have the resources for proper guidance. Playing chess online solves many problems faced by players of the old generations. Technology has contributed immensely to the development of chess learning techniques. One could only dream of having such advantages while learning chess and now it has manifested into a reality.
Here’s a glimpse of how online chess has impacted the learning process of chess:
Algorithms
Millions of gameplays and moves are stored in these computers. They can contemplate every move by this data. All the possibilities in a game are explored by a computer without hesitating like humans. The calculations are impeccable and it is astounding how much information and probabilities can be stored in a machine. Due to this exposure, a computer plays a plethora of moves that humans can learn from. Just analyzing the game between humans and computers can give you insights on how chess can be played by a near-perfect intellect. This gives us humans a great opportunity to learn from computers when we play chess online.
Human Vs Computer
One should also consider competing against computers instead of analyzing their gameplay. They come with different levels for new to advanced players. Playing against a computer can be frustrating at times but this is where you can learn the most. A computer never blunders and doesn’t give any chance to his opponent. It only waits until the human makes a mistake and then takes advantage of the situation to turn the game in its favour. In the chess community, attacking and ferocious playing style is praised a lot. A computer’s take is entirely different and it still manages to outsmart humans. We can definitely learn a thing or two from this approach and adopt this in our playing style.
Analysis
After each online chess game, usually, a report is provided to the player. This tells you about your blunders, mistakes and shortcomings of your gameplay. You get to see alternative moves and chess game strategies to win that were best suited for the situation. Sometimes these reports are very detailed and helpful for us to improve our game. You also get to see your best moves, winning moves, and missed wins. This is also applicable for your opponent and you can view an analysis of their gameplay as well. It calculates your accuracy and gives you an outline of things you must work on like opening strategies, defence or end game.
Portability
We’ve seen in this lockdown that learning is also possible through online mediums. Similarly, one can learn to play chess from their own ease and pace. Online platforms allow players to use practice almost everywhere where they have access to a device and the internet. Now you do not have to spend money on getting a special home tutor for chess or joining an academy. Even coaches use online chess as a tool to teach their students.
Final Thoughts
Anatoly Karpov said, “Chess is everything: art, science and sport”. It is beautiful how playing a chess game online still preserves these three building blocks. People often blame technology for destroying old traditions and introducing newfound ways to construct those. We can use a better word like ‘revolutionizing’ because that is precisely what it did for the learning community of chess. The features that come with playing chess online are a privilege for our old chess players. They could have achieved even more with such tools and enhanced their gameplay by establishing an even more robust understanding of chess. If anything, we should be grateful for this technology because it continues to do wonders for promising new players.
