| People, particularly chess players | | | | in games against the top humans. If, as some |
| themselves, say the darnedest things about | | | | experts think, computers are gaining 20 - 30 |
| chess and about chess players. Here are some | | | | rating points per year, the moment will soon |
| of our favorite misconceptions about the | | | | arrive when humans have no chance against the |
| royal game. Some of these sayings are | | | | best machines. It should not be overlooked |
| unquestionably off-target, some of them are | | | | that computers are always trained by teams of |
| uneducated impression, and some of them are | | | | human specialists who program them in |
| controversies that might or might not be | | | | psychological areas like opening repertoire. |
| valid. 1 ) Chess is difficult to grasp. Chess | | | | Removing this benefit would eliminate their |
| may not be the easiest game to pick up, but | | | | excellence. 5 ) Chess is a sport. Here we run |
| it is far from the most prohibitive. You | | | | the peril of upsetting the many meritorious |
| have to know the moves of the six pieces, | | | | chess organizers who have spent years trying |
| where the object with the slightest | | | | to prevail upon the International Olympic |
| significance, the Pawn, has the most complex | | | | Committee (IOC) that chess should be included |
| moves. Then you have to memorize the rules | | | | as an Olympic sport. Lifting light pieces of |
| about attacking and defending the King, | | | | wood or clicking rapidly on a computer |
| including castling. Then there are a few | | | | monitor is not physically challenging work. |
| rules about games where neither player wins. | | | | As any quantity of photos from foregone high |
| One side of this myth is legitimate - - it is | | | | level chess events will demonstrate, chess |
| difficult, very difficult, to learn to play | | | | players don't always cut a lean, trim, |
| chess well. One player in a hundred achieves | | | | muscular profile. 6 ) Chess isn't a sport. |
| supremacy. 2 ) You have to be brainy to play | | | | Here we try to make amends with those very |
| chess. There is some link between chess | | | | same organizers who nearly convinced the IOC |
| talent and general intelligence. Minimum | | | | that chess is a sport. Chess has been |
| smarts are required. Cats and dogs will | | | | included as a medal sport for the 2006 Asian |
| never make out the basics; no one has tried | | | | Games. A game between two extraordinary |
| giving lessons to dolphins and chimpanzees. | | | | chess masters is full of tension, where |
| Chess does involve, after all, using numerous | | | | superior nerves can make the difference |
| advanced compartments of the brain as | | | | between a winner and an also-ran. |
| skillfully as applicable. People from all | | | | Grandmasters have been acknowledged to lose a |
| walks of life have fun playing chess, several | | | | lot of weight during the action of a month - |
| attaining mastery. Some very clever people | | | | long contest. 7 ) Women can't play chess as |
| delight in playing but never progress beyond | | | | well as men. To date it is unquestionable |
| novice. 3 ) Chess is for nerds. In fact, this | | | | that women have not performed as well as men |
| isn't a misstatement, since chess is for | | | | in chess events. There are many possible |
| everyone. It is for nerds, geeks, eggheads, | | | | reasons for this. One may be that male |
| and boffins, as usually as it is for anyone | | | | players are often expert at making female |
| else. People who want to call other people | | | | players feel uncomfortable at chess events. |
| unpleasant names should better say, ' chess | | | | The Polgar sisters have gone a long way to |
| is only for nerds ', but this is plainly | | | | convince the chess world that women can play |
| untrue. Even if it was on target, so what? | | | | very well. Perhaps one day we will discover |
| Intelligent, awkward, quirky people have made | | | | that women can even play better than men. No |
| more contributions to the evolution of | | | | one really knows. |
| society than have the rest. If they want to | | | | |
| play chess, that ' s their business. 4 ) | | | | Azlan Irda is a co-founder of for the best |
| Computers play chess better than people. In | | | | sports equipment at the best prices. Visit |
| 2006, the finest computers play chess better | | | | us for all your sports equipment needs. |
| than 99.99% of people, but are evenly leveled | | | | |