# Any cubers who play chess/shogi?



## abunickabhi (Nov 17, 2020)

I have been playing a lot of chess since 2012, and seriously since the lockdown this year. I have played about 22k games mostly crazyhouse and ultrabullet on lichess and its super fun to explore and experience the super fast scala server (https://lichess.org/@/abunickabhi). 

There has been a new site to play shogi too, are there any cubers interested in shogi (https://lishogi.org/@/abunickabhi)

Happy Cubing and chessing!


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## 2018AMSB02 (Nov 17, 2020)

I play a bit. I won a county tournament when I was younger and I won a Colorado cubers tournament on lichens, I’m not as serious as you but I would love to play


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## MJS Cubing (Nov 18, 2020)

I play chess a lot, not too good but I’m okay.


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## 2018AMSB02 (Nov 18, 2020)

It would be great to get a lichess team going if we have enough people interested


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## Nir1213 (Nov 19, 2020)

abunickabhi said:


> I have been playing a lot of chess since 2012, and seriously since the lockdown this year. I have played about 22k games mostly crazyhouse and ultrabullet on lichess and its super fun to explore and experience the super fast scala server (https://lichess.org/@/abunickabhi).
> 
> There has been a new site to play shogi too, are there any cubers interested in shogi (https://lishogi.org/@/abunickabhi)
> 
> Happy Cubing and chessing!


i play chess but i kinda quit.


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## IisCuber (Nov 20, 2020)

I play but I am horrible at chess.


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## abunickabhi (Nov 20, 2020)

And does anyone play the board game called Go/Baduk?


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## 2018AMSB02 (Nov 21, 2020)

abunickabhi said:


> And does anyone play the board game called Go/Baduk?



Yeah, but I feel like it gets boring because you can easily calculate each move and always just do the best one.


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## abunickabhi (Nov 22, 2020)

PingPongCuber said:


> Yeah, but I feel like it gets boring because you can easily calculate each move and always just do the best one.


Calculation in Go is not that easy I think, S' L' F E F' L F' E' f .


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## 2018AMSB02 (Nov 22, 2020)

abunickabhi said:


> Calculation in Go is not that easy I think, S' L' F E F' L F' E' f .



Whoops! I was thinking of reversi. 

I just looked it up, Go looks fun


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## NacksSnack (Nov 24, 2020)

I play chess but I've never tried playing shogi, I do wish to have someone who can teach me how to play it.


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## abunickabhi (Nov 24, 2020)

NacksSnack said:


> I play chess but I've never tried playing shogi, I do wish to have someone who can teach me how to play it.


There exists less resources on shogi in the western media, but last week a really good site got released for playing shogi, lishogi.org
It is quite a good place to play tutoring games and learn shogi at various time controls.


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## Silky (Jan 5, 2021)

Do you watch Agamator ? He covers a bunch of chess stuff and does chess analysis. That's how I improved at chess mostly, although I never got quite good. I may start streaming and could do some lichess if you're interested, maybe if I got good enough I could play you. Also how good are you at Go ?


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## abunickabhi (Jan 5, 2021)

Yes I do follow agamator, but I prefer powerplaychess review of the games as they are more in depth. Good luck with your streaming. I do stream a bit of chess too, and I have the lichess streaming badge. 

About Go, I think I am still 15 kyu, you can challenge me for a game here, https://online-go.com/player/265747/

Also if you want to challenge me on lichess, here is the link, https://lichess.org/@/abunickabhi


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## abunickabhi (Feb 18, 2021)

Completed 500 games on lishogi.


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## abunickabhi (Mar 23, 2021)

Yay 33k games on lichess


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## abunickabhi (Mar 23, 2021)

Anyone wants to play a few games on lishogi? I am up for some shogi games.


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## DNF_Cuber (Mar 23, 2021)

Wow, I tried learning shogi, and I have some idea of how it works, but other parts confused me. Can someone explain why I can't put a captured pawn in a line with one of my pawns? Also I can't remember what each piece looks like.


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## abunickabhi (Mar 24, 2021)

DNF_Cuber said:


> Wow, I tried learning shogi, and I have some idea of how it works, but other parts confused me. Can someone explain why I can't put a captured pawn in a line with one of my pawns? Also I can't remember what each piece looks like.


In shogi, doubled pawns, pawns on the same file, are not allowed, so the position remains open throughout the game unlike chess and ZH. Its just a rule, and I think its a good rule, because pawn fortress won't exist, and other piece types, mostly silver, will be needed in a solid castle.

Getting used to the kanji to identify pieces takes a while, so I use international pieces to see the pieces, its much easier at first, and the transition to kanji can be gradually done.


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## abunickabhi (Mar 28, 2021)

PingPongCuber said:


> It would be great to get a lichess team going if we have enough people interested


https://lichess.org/team/cubers-who-play-chess

There is already a team moderated by me, it was made a year ago when the lockdowns started.

Few more cubing chess teams are (I do not have control over them):
https://lichess.org/team/speedcubers
https://lichess.org/team/lockdown-cubers
https://lichess.org/team/cyoubxs-friends


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## abunickabhi (Mar 28, 2021)

I have made a team for Crazyhouse Blindfolded, where playing ZH BLD is focussed on.

Lichess ZH team discussions: https://lichess.org/team/crazyhouse-blindfold


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## zslane (Apr 6, 2021)

I love chess, shogi, and go, although I am not very good at any of them.

I like the drop mechanic of shogi; it compensates for the lack of long range pieces and really adds another dimension to play. I found that it doesn't take long to learn the kanji, especially if you use 1-kanji pieces. But I also like the idea of specialized pieces, not just to make the game easier for us westerners, but also to add a different aesthetic to play.

To that end I designed and 3D printed a custom set of shogi pieces with a samurai theme.


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## abunickabhi (Apr 7, 2021)

zslane said:


> I love chess, shogi, and go, although I am not very good at any of them.
> 
> I like the drop mechanic of shogi; it compensates for the lack of long range pieces and really adds another dimension to play. I found that it doesn't take long to learn the kanji, especially if you use 1-kanji pieces. But I also like the idea of specialized pieces, not just to make the game easier for us westerners, but also to add a different aesthetic to play.
> 
> ...


Wow amazing, samurai themed 3D printed shogi pieces.

I have not played over the board shogi yet, I just play online on 81dojo and lishogi though.

I would love to play a couple of games with you on lishogi. I too like the drop rule in shogi, which makes the endgame very tactical.


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## Ravagerous (Apr 9, 2021)

I've played chess since elementary but from what I've experienced, it looks to me that Shogi was a lot of times more complicated than chess, and I'm worried it would take me a lifetime to score a win against any decent player out there.


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## zslane (Apr 9, 2021)

While shogi shares essentially the same game design as chess, the lack of long range pieces, plethora of strong short range pieces, and pawns that capture forward (i.e., they can't protect each other as in chess), means that shogi openings will be a completely different discipline than chess openings. Instead of "castling" as in chess--which is just a single move to either side of the board--you "construct castles", complex formations of pieces, around your king instead. This requires memorizing not only the layout of these castles, but also the optimal move sequences to building them. And then, the fact that there is only one bishop and one rook means that the game has evolved into defining the kind of game you're going to play based on where your first rook move goes, sort of the rough equivalent to deciding whether you want to play an open or closed game in chess.

So, yes, shogi mastery becomes an almost entirely new skill set, even if you are proficient in (western) chess. But it can be rewarding and fun, so just enjoy the learning process!


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## Ravagerous (Apr 16, 2021)

I remember watching Hunter X Hunter Anime, and the blind little girl there was playing Shogi with the Ant King, watching them play had me realized how hard was Shogi given there's a lot of combinations and loopholes you can get in just to win.


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## abunickabhi (Apr 22, 2021)

Ravagerous said:


> I've played chess since elementary but from what I've experienced, it looks to me that Shogi was a lot of times more complicated than chess, and I'm worried it would take me a lifetime to score a win against any decent player out there.


Yes shogi is complicated indeed because of the drop rule, and early promotion rule (6th rank), which leads to more creative endgame play. Shogi is tactical for the most parts similar to crazyhouse chess.

On a side note, here is an insane shogi game that I played:
https://lishogi.org/OpVL7Bw8iwnW


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## Ravagerous (Apr 23, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> Yes shogi is complicated indeed because of the drop rule, and early promotion rule (6th rank), which leads to more creative endgame play. Shogi is tactical for the most parts similar to crazyhouse chess.
> 
> On a side note, here is an insane shogi game that I played:
> https://lishogi.org/OpVL7Bw8iwnW



New with the online shogi game, but as I can see on your vid, you lost right? My brain stopped functioning in the late game lol.


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## abunickabhi (Apr 24, 2021)

Ravagerous said:


> New with the online shogi game, but as I can see on your vid, you lost right? My brain stopped functioning in the late game lol.


Yes I lost but it was a fighting game, I enjoyed the fight a lot.

On a side note, I had this crazy position in the correspondence game today,


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## qwr (May 28, 2021)

I played chess in middle school and was never really good at it. My peak was like 1600 on chess.com but I'm pretty sure the ratings were inflated back then and I was really like 1250. Also my blitz ratings were under 1000 which is basically unranked. 

Youtube recommended me some GM Hikaru videos which are pretty entertaining. I like to do the chess.com puzzles more than actual playing although you only get a few per day. This is also a good video


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## qwr (May 30, 2021)

@abunickabhi I recently discovered lichess which I see you have an account on. It's amazing because chess.com (which I've had an account for like a decade now) is always so pushy about buying their stupid premium subscription.


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## abunickabhi (May 30, 2021)

qwr said:


> @abunickabhi I recently discovered lichess which I see you have an account on. It's amazing because chess.com (which I've had an account for like a decade now) is always so pushy about buying their stupid premium subscription.


Yes seeing the chess.com ad every morning made me insane at one point so I quit the site.

On lichess, I can wake up, make my coffee, go to lichess TV and watch top class games, play a few puzzle storm/racer, and get ready for the day, without ads.

My chess has also improved, since I see ads for few seconds less per day, and focus more on chess. Also the UI of lichess is fast, many times, my internet is good, but still chess.com page takes eternity to load because of the bad frontend code.


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## qwr (May 30, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> Yes seeing the chess.com ad every morning made me insane at one point so I quit the site.
> 
> On lichess, I can wake up, make my coffee, go to lichess TV and watch top class games, play a few puzzle storm/racer, and get ready for the day, without ads.
> 
> My chess has also improved, since I see ads for few seconds less per day, and focus more on chess. Also the UI of lichess is fast, many times, my internet is good, but still chess.com page takes eternity to load because of the bad frontend code.



I'm rated like 1000, do you think I could ever make it to 1500 or 2000

also are the puzzles generated algorithmically? meaning the site analyzes played games and uses stockfish to find unique solutions to endings like mate in 2 and material gain plays


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## abunickabhi (May 30, 2021)

qwr said:


> I'm rated like 1000, do you think I could ever make it to 1500 or 2000
> 
> also are the puzzles generated algorithmically? meaning the site analyzes played games and uses stockfish to find unique solutions to endings like mate in 2 and material gain plays



You can even reach 3000 if your interests stays in chess for a long enough time.

The puzzle is generated automatically. They are generated from rapid games played on the site, and stockfish tries to see moments during those games where there is a huge spike in evaluation, with just one correct answer, hence making it into a puzzle. The puzzle is themed into various categories by patrons of lichess, and the puzzle rating is decided by a complex formula that I do not understand yet.


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## qwr (May 30, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> You can even reach 3000 if your interests stays in chess for a long enough time.
> 
> The puzzle is generated automatically. They are generated from rapid games played on the site, and stockfish tries to see moments during those games where there is a huge spike in evaluation, with just one correct answer, hence making it into a puzzle. The puzzle is themed into various categories by patrons of lichess, and the puzzle rating is decided by a complex formula that I do not understand yet.


I see; that's what I expected. But I should mention no human has ever reached 3000, maybe if Fischer kept playing or we brought back Morphy.

Can't the puzzle rating be generated using ELO the same way it is calculated for players? This is the most natural solution.


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## abunickabhi (May 31, 2021)

qwr said:


> I see; that's what I expected. But I should mention no human has ever reached 3000, maybe if Fischer kept playing or we brought back Morphy.
> 
> Can't the puzzle rating be generated using ELO the same way it is calculated for players? This is the most natural solution.


3000 in classical FIDE rating is hard, but I am talking about 3000 in online blitz which about 100ish strong people are. Also in over the board blitz, some people do have 3000+ performance sometimes.

Elo rating requires 2 people to play out and their ratings are considered, since puzzles is not a 2-player thing, we cannot use Elo directly to rate it.


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## qwr (May 31, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> 3000 in classical FIDE rating is hard, but I am talking about 3000 in online blitz which about 100ish strong people are. Also in over the board blitz, some people do have 3000+ performance sometimes.
> 
> Elo rating requires 2 people to play out and their ratings are considered, since puzzles is not a 2-player thing, we cannot use Elo directly to rate it.


Oh I see about the rating. That's why I saw some people in lichess at 3000. But that depends just one the player pool right. If lichess is 99% noobs then doesn't that inflate the ratings? When I used chess.com back in the day, people always said the ratings were inflated.

For the puzzles: I'm like 95% certain chess.com considers a puzzle to be a two player game: the player vs the puzzle. Both have a "puzzle rating".


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## abunickabhi (May 31, 2021)

qwr said:


> Oh I see about the rating. That's why I saw some people in lichess at 3000. But that depends just one the player pool right. If lichess is 99% noobs then doesn't that inflate the ratings? When I used chess.com back in the day, people always said the ratings were inflated.
> 
> For the puzzles: I'm like 95% certain chess.com considers a puzzle to be a two player game: the player vs the puzzle. Both have a "puzzle rating".



I think chess com has more lower rated players, as more beginners join there. Not sure if ratings get inflated or deflated by this. Lichess at the very top has less good players, so lichess ratings are yet to inflate like crazy.


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## qwr (Jun 1, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> I think chess com has more lower rated players, as more beginners join there. Not sure if ratings get inflated or deflated by this. Lichess at the very top has less good players, so lichess ratings are yet to inflate like crazy.


Since official ratings only consider a small subset of the top chess players, I suppose if a top player plays online, he will appear to be better than more people, so the elo rating will be inflated compared to official rating?

Anyhow I'm awful at chess and I don't really want to put in the time to learn at the current point in my life. I'm more passionate about cubing, though I would like to someday practice and learn to become decent at chess. Who knows how long it'll take.


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## abunickabhi (Jun 1, 2021)

qwr said:


> Since official ratings only consider a small subset of the top chess players, I suppose if a top player plays online, he will appear to be better than more people, so the elo rating will be inflated compared to official rating?
> 
> Anyhow I'm awful at chess and I don't really want to put in the time to learn at the current point in my life. I'm more passionate about cubing, though I would like to someday practice and learn to become decent at chess. Who knows how long it'll take.



Yes there are lot of online talents who are relatively unknown in GM level FIDE tournaments. but they are super good online and even beat superGMs in faster time controls.

Some countries like Indonesia and Nigeria have good online chess players who are super talented. Sadly, they do not have support from their local federation, so they cannot play enough strong FIDE tournaments. Also, lot of kids like Arjun and Nihal, who are 15 year old GMs, play superb online, as they do not have any psychological pressure when they face someone older and more experienced online, as we generally do not see the person's face or actions.

I am more passionate about cubing as well. Chess improvement is much harder than cubing, thats why I prefer cubing.


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## qwr (Jun 1, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> Yes there are lot of online talents who are relatively unknown in GM level FIDE tournaments. but they are super good online and even beat superGMs in faster time controls.
> 
> Some countries like Indonesia and Nigeria have good online chess players who are super talented. Sadly, they do not have support from their local federation, so they cannot play enough strong FIDE tournaments. Also, lot of kids like Arjun and Nihal, who are 15 year old GMs, play superb online, as they do not have any psychological pressure when they face someone older and more experienced online, as we generally do not see the person's face or actions.
> 
> I am more passionate about cubing as well. Chess improvement is much harder than cubing, thats why I prefer cubing.


I am addicted to doing the lichess puzzles instead of playing. Like competition math problems, they're pretty much all spotting the tricks and no long term planning. I recently surpassed 1800 on puzzle rating which took quite a few failed puzzles to do but they're fun and I'm addicted at the moment to puzzle storm too.


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## qwr (Jun 2, 2021)

https://lichess.org/training/IHOw4 I looked at this game and thought it looked high level and it's an Anish Giri game
to spot that tactic in a 1 minute game is insane

Edit: I just found out you can right click in this game. wow...


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## abunickabhi (Jun 16, 2021)

Completed 1k games on the lishogi server. I am quite satisfied.

Also there is the new tsume storm feature that I will be trying it out today.


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## abunickabhi (Jun 16, 2021)

abunickabhi said:


> Yes I lost but it was a fighting game, I enjoyed the fight a lot.
> 
> On a side note, I had this crazy position in the correspondence game today,
> 
> View attachment 15522



This is how the position looks now. The correspondence game is still going on lol.


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## ProStar (Jun 17, 2021)

I recently picked up chess (I've known how to play for forever, but haven't actually tried learning anything). I'm still an amateur at the moment (around 1200-1300), but I quite like it and it's overtaking my enjoyment of cubing right now


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## qwr (Jun 17, 2021)

ProStar said:


> I recently picked up chess (I've known how to play for forever, but haven't actually tried learning anything). I'm still an amateur at the moment (around 1200-1300), but I quite like it and it's overtaking my enjoyment of cubing right now


Chess has been super big the last year, probably the biggest it's been since Bobby Fischer. I'm like 1000 rated noob on chess.com but I still enjoy learning and doing puzzles.


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## abunickabhi (Jun 22, 2021)

I am surprised to see that the popular stream GM Hikaru knows about speedcubing.

He mentions he knows a few speedcubers. I wonder who they are?


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## Megaminx lover (Aug 20, 2021)

Before this forum I played chess in my free time.


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## hellocubers (Nov 19, 2021)

I play chess.


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## abunickabhi (Jan 1, 2023)

hellocubers said:


> I play chess.


What is your rating and lichess ID?


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## Filipe Teixeira (Jan 1, 2023)

I'm really bad at chess and wanted to get better but can't find motivation to practice.
I do chess puzzles on lichess from time to time but can't get any better than this
I have a friend that is very good at chess, he played professionally but I tried to learn from him but he is bad at teaching lol


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## ProStar (Jan 1, 2023)

Filipe Teixeira said:


> I'm really bad at chess and wanted to get better but can't find motivation to practice.
> I do chess puzzles on lichess from time to time but can't get any better than this
> I have a friend that is very good at chess, he played professionally but I tried to learn from him but he is bad at teaching lol



GothamChess is your friend. Basically the J Perm equivalent of chess except with much larger ego


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## Filipe Teixeira (Jan 1, 2023)

ProStar said:


> GothamChess is your friend. Basically the J Perm equivalent of chess except with much larger ego


hmm I've seem some videos of him
gonna watch more later
thanks for the tips!


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