I learned how to play chess way back in fifth grade, when a classmate taught me the rules. I’ve been playing off an on ever since; I’d never consider myself more than a novice, as I’ve always seen it as a game played strictly for fun. I have the utmost respect for those who play competitively; I could just never do that myself.

In recent years, I’ve been playing a lot more. I’m trying to noticeably improve my game, and with the wide variety of computer programs and online chess communities, it’s been easier than ever.

Recently, I played a game against Sigma Chess, a popular chess program for the Mac. I set the AI’s skill level to approximate an Elo rating of 1200 (which roughly translates to amateur), and sat down to play. I played White, and Sigma played Black. Over ninety moves later, I had emerged victorious; even though Black had one more piece than I did, I could’ve drawn out the game indefinitely or possibly cornered my opponent, so Black resigned.

I was happy with the results, and thus I posted a record of the game on a popular chess site’s forum. I often use that site to play chess by email with friends, as well as learn tactics and play rated games with new opponents. There’s a game showcase subforum which is specifically designed to allow players to discuss games they’ve enjoyed. I wasn’t bragging from the rooftops about my victory, but I was pleased, so I posted it to see what other users thought.

Well, holy shit, did the jerks come out of the woodwork. Instead of polite comments or even constructive criticism, I got responses like the following:

• “Worst game I’ve ever seen.”

• “[Sigma] seems to be set on a basic blunder mode, because at one point it was a rook, a bishop and pawn up, when you only had a rook and a pawn. A beginner playing against Kasparov could win with that much of an advantage.”
• “I didn’t actually bother going to the end of the game. I think this is some kind of chess joke.”
• “Aagghh!! I think I’m blind. I will never be able to see the beauty of chess. You have to learn to play chess. Black has played like a retard in random mode.”

Lovely, ain’t it? I don’t think I deserved the vehement comments I received, do you? I did end up receiving one bit of constructive criticism concerning my opening moves, and that helped. But overall, there was an air of snobbery and just overall douchebaggery in the replies to my post.

Suffice it to say, I’m going to be much more cautious when venturing on to those forums in the future. Perhaps I’ll only post human-versus-human games, if I post any at all. Let me reiterate the fact that I play chess for fun, and that’s all. When you see how arrogant people can act, even within the confines of a board game, it’s enough to push you away. Fortunately, I’m going to stick around, like an annoying pawn that just refuses to budge.