Mediaboss Marketing

The first half of 2022 is almost over, and what a start to the year its been. So much has happened over the last few months that it can be hard to keep track of all the amazing events, tournaments, and updates weve seen. Lets take this opportunity to look back at the first five or so months of 2022, as well as look ahead to exciting new Chess.com features, community events (including the Global Chess Championship), and more. Going forward, well be updating you on a monthly basis!

Here's what this update will cover:

Our Product team is working hard to bring you useful new features, as well as improve existing ones to make everything smoother, faster, and better than ever. The teams focus this year is on quality and performance. Here are some of the highlights so far:

Lots of the above wouldnt be possible without our hard-working engineers, who do so much of the heavy lifting in the background. Theyre always focused on maximizing the quality and performance of our site and app. In 2022 so far, theyve focused on things including:

Its no exaggeration to say that 2022 has had some of the most exciting events we can remember in recent history, as well as some BIG announcements.

Weve also had some excellent new additions to our broadcast coverage team:

Call us biased, but we think Chess.com has the best community on the internet. But its not just one gigantic chess hivemind (now theres a terrifying thought); Chess.com is made up of many different sub-communities, all of which have their own unique contribution to what makes this such a special place to play, learn, and make friends. Here are some of the community-based highlights from the last few months:

Our Content team works hard every day to provide you with up-to-date news, insightful articles, and the finest chess memes found anywhere that isnt Lularobs Twitter profile.

Overall, were looking to create things that are as relevant and interesting to you as possibleso if theres anything you want to see, let us know. We're listening.

Finally, let's talk about Fair Play. Something you might not know about Chess.com is that we have a whole team of people who spend every day working to make sure your games are fair. If someone cheats against you, theres a very good chance we will catch them. If we do, they dont just get banned (for good), but we will give you back any rating points that you lost by playing them.

Fair Play doesnt just involve cheating to win. Playing fairly also means not being a jerk to your opponent. Sure, we all try some sneaky tactics every now and again when time is running out, but directing abuse and hateful comments towards your opponent (or other members of the community) is not acceptable. So far this year:

We really care about the quality of your experience on Chess.com. As a team, were always focused on improving, and we want to hear from the community when things arent working well! Instead of pushing out as many new features as possible, we want to make sure that all of the existing features are smooth, easy-to-use, and work the way they should. Our goal is to provide all of our users with a quality product, as well as a fun and welcoming environment for everyone to participate in.

Have any ideas? Is there something that you think could be better? Whether its a small issue like a minor bug fix, or a bigger thing that would really make life easier for lots of people, wed love to hear from you.

Lastly, we just want to give a huge shout-out to everyone who is playing in leagues, participating in clubs, playing variants, joining tournaments, sharing in our forums, analyzing their games, and streaming chess onlinewe appreciate you so much! Please accept our gratitude for making Chess.com the biggest and best place to play chess online.

Read this article:
Chess.com Update: Exciting Events, Fabulous Features, And 100K New Puzzles - Chess.com

The greatest tacticians of the world are those who think ahead. Chess grandmasters, famous generals, great world leaders, and mafia dons all share one skill: They are all many more steps ahead than their rivals.

We each have the ability to think ahead. In fact, its hard to imagine a functioning human who didnt think ahead at least some of the time. Youve probably planned what to do tonight, and you likely know the route youre going to take to get home. Thinking ahead is one hallmark of intelligence. Without it, were simply slaves to our instincts and reflexes a bit like a plant or a baby.

What about the role of forward thinking when dealing with others? Its something addressed in a recent study out of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. It shows just how far ahead we think when we interact with and manipulate other people.

The problem with the world is that its full of other people. Unlike you (of course!), those people are often unpredictable, independent, and infuriatingly unreadable. Theres no way we can get inside their head to know what they are thinking or what they are going to do. But given that humans are a social species, it is no surprise that we have developed ways to calculate what other people might be thinking.

This is known as theory of mind, the ability most of us have to put ourselves in someone elses shoes. (To varying degrees, people with autism may not have this ability.) Theory of mind is something that we learn as we grow up. Children will learn other people have their own mental lives their own desires, emotions, and so on around 15 months old, but they are still bad at compensating and adapting to that for a while. For instance, if a two-year-old sees another person in distress, they will seek to help them by giving them their toy or their favorite thing. They recognize someone has their own feelings but cannot step beyond that to think what the other person might want.

Subscribe for counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday

Most people have a hugely sophisticated theory of mind. Heres an example: Lets say you and I are talking about something, and you see me look up at the clock. What assumptions or thoughts now go through your head? Are you boring me? Do I need to be somewhere? Is there a spider on the clock? In fact, people who overthink things often get lost and trapped in this elaborate game of speculative theory of mind. As with most things, a useful brain habit becomes toxic when its taken too far.

What the recent study from Na et al. adds to the discussion concerns just how much we employ this theory of mind when trying to persuade or manipulate others. The team from Mount Sinai had 48 participants sit in a brain scanner and play a kind of ultimatum game. Essentially, they were divided into teams and told to split $20 with one another. In one version of the game, there were no rules whatsoever. They could haggle, negotiate, manipulate, and bargain as much as they wanted.

The study revealed two things:

First, after a computational analysis of all the finished games, they discovered that the results were what would be expected from people who thought two, three, or four steps ahead of others. In other words, if people were only thinking one step ahead, or from reaction only, the results would have looked completely different.

Second, the brain scans revealed that the choices made during the negotiations were accompanied by activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. This is the same part of the brain used in most forward-thinking decisions. So, at least in neurophysiological terms, manipulating others is much the same as any other plotting.

Theres a memorable scene from The Wire, where DAngelo uses the real world of drug dealing to explain the rules of chess. It works well, and now we might know why. What Na et al. show is that when we are trying to sway or manipulate others, our brain activates in much the same way as when were playing chess.

Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someones head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do. Its the bane of relationships, and the source of much conflict. So, what if we can be better at it? We know that chess gives us a whole host of benefits, but perhaps we can add makes you better at getting your own way to the list? Its time to dust off the chessboard, indeed.

Jonny Thomson runs a popular Instagram account called Mini Philosophy (@philosophyminis). His first book isMini Philosophy: A Small Book of Big Ideas.

Read this article:
Theory of mind: What chess and drug dealers can teach you about manipulation - Big Think

A board theme says a lot about a person... like, it says which color board you like. But more than that, it gives important insight into your personality and play style. We looked at some of the most popular and some of the most divisive board themes on Chess.com. Prepare to feel seen.

Jump to:

You totally knew you could change your board color (yup, you can, right here) but you kept it to the classic Chess.com green anyway. "If it's not broken, don't fix it" right? I bet you haven't changed your coffee order, haircut, or favorite pair of shoes for a while either. No. Your green board says you don't like to rock the boat.

Chess.com really said "what if we yassified Walnut or Dark Wood?" when they created the Brown board. Honestly, it's kind of an offbeat choice; the feeling of playing on a real board, but without the pesky wood grain that reminds you the offline world exists. It's the neo-classical choiceno really, please tell me about the new line you're learning in the Grunfeld.

As a true admirer of the classics, you probably prefer playing over-the-board chess, but acknowledge that this is as close as it gets. You think it's impolite to decline a rematch, and you prefer replaying through annotated games books to doing online puzzles. I won't tell anyone you sleep with Capablanca's My Chess Career on your bedside table.

Icy Sea has all the class of one of those frosted glass chess sets that people display in their homes, but without the constant worry that you'll drop a rook mid-blitz game and shatter it into a thousand pieces. Yet another case where online is just better... but you use the Icy Sea set, so you've known that for a while. Fancying yourself as someone who can play any opening, you're pretty cold-blooded in blitz, and you've banked way too many games of 3+0.

The dark green of the Tournament board gives the feeling of playing a weekend congress without having to be sat across from someone who kicks you under the table every time you make a good move. This is a nostalgic board theme, not used by anyone who learned to play the game post-Pogchamps. Reminiscent of the plastic roll-up sets at your local chess club, it's trying to be a serious board, just like you're trying to be a serious player.

Sitting somewhere between Green and Icy Sea, the Blue board is refined but plain. You didn't want the default, but weren't ready to stray too far from it. It's like ordering the same latte as always, but with an extra shot of vanilla. No one's judging you for it, don't worry.

Using the Bubblegum chessboard makes you the Elle Woods of your Chess.com league division. You know what they say, underrated board color... underrated player? Yeah, people definitely say that. You show up, blitz out 15 moves of theory (or at least, 15 moves of... something), and win on the board in style. What, like it's hard?

You picked one of the most dignified board styles on Chess.com. This design was practically made for longer games of 15+10 in classical mainlines. Every move played on this board theme feels kind of weighty, and even the Botez gambit comes with some heft and grandeur here. You definitely have a full bookcase of chess books at home, and you wouldn't be caught dead playing 1.b3.

The Glass board may be niche, but it's pretty sophisticated. You drink your coffee black and all of your phone apps are on dark mode. You're a 1.e4 player because you think it's "best by test," and I'll bet 10+0 is your favorite time control.

Players with the Lolz board should truly be feared. Anyone who thrives on this amount of glitter is a force to be reckoned with. Lolz board users have no regard for pawns or material in general, favoring activity and chaos. In this way, they are the opposite of Bubblegum board users. The silver sparkles of the Lolz board serve a Y2K aesthetic that reminds you chess is actually supposed to be fun, with a clear message that "I'd rather play 1.g4 every game than ever face a Berlin."

3D board users grew up playing Battle Chess on CD-Rom, and probably have Arcade Animations enabled for their pieces. The top-down view gives the full board game experience, while the board color is left up to the player (and although I'm personally biased towards Bubblegum, all the best board colors also look great in 3D). Plus, the knight pieces that come with this board style have no eyes, so at the very least they can't see when you blunder.

While the 3D look may not be the most popular choice, you can finally say you've found a way to play bullet chess "over the board" without knocking the pieces off the table.

Check out Lularobs on Twitch for more fun content! Be sure to comment below and tell us how you customized your board theme. Which one did you choose, and why?

View post:
What Your Board Theme Says About You - Chess.com

Vaishali Rameshbabu hasn't turned 21 yet, and come July she will wear the Indian colours at the Chess Olympiad 2022. In the same team as her, seasoned veteran, Koneru Humpy is also raring to go. In fact, both women feature as part of an all-women team that India is fielding at the Olympiad. Yet, their approach to the game couldnt be more contrasting.

"Im more excited than nervous the Olympiad is going to be great and Im looking forward to it," says the soft-spoken Vaishali, as she and Humpy sit down for a chat with CNBC-TV18.com, to discuss their teams preparations in the run-up to the Olympiad, to be held in Chennai next month.

"I dont have a fixed schedule or a routine, she adds while throwing light on her training, "My sleep cycle changes a lot too I play a bunch of online chess games at night so I end up having a checklist but never follow it."

Also Read:

Seated at the same table, Humpy smiles. "I have a proper routine and schedule," she says, "My daughter is only four and I cant help but ensure that everything is down a routine for me, even back at home. I keep telling myself today to play more training games so that I can stay focused."

Focus, among other skills, was pretty much the order of the day when 15 of India's finest chess players sat down with the newly appointed mentor and champion, Viswanathan Anand, and coach Boris Gelfand, to train for a tournament that India will host only for the first time.

India is fielding three teams comprising 15 players in all. Key Indian chess prodigies and young champions, including the likes of R Praggnanandhaa and Tania Sachdev among others will turn up for the country at the Olympiad.

Many would agree that with the support for chess stronger now than before, this is probably the countrys best chance to go for gold. Having a name like Viswanathan Anand around is an added advantage.

"When he (Anand) shares instances from his own experience, you tend to get some insight into his thought process, which ends up being more valuable to us than him saying 'do this' or 'do that'," says Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, who joins us in conversation and throws some light on Anands mentorship. "What was he thinking about while playing a tournament? How was he preparing? The answers to those questions give us more insight than specific advice ever would."

As simple as that might sound, the fact remains that training the mind comes with layers of process. This trio knows that all too well. Ive been analyzing positions and looking at end-games from a psychological perspective, says Vaishali, Ive also been preparing some new openings."

For Humpy, preparation involves brushing up on on-board, in-person experience. "I'm lacking a bit of on-board practice experience since I havent played in too many tournaments barring one in December," she adds, "So, I'm focusing on playing a bunch of training games as I acclimatize to the psychological side of on-board chess when compared to virtual chess."

The last two Olympiads were virtual affairs on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a relative return to normalcy in India has permitted teams from around the world to gather in Chennai to play the Olympiad in person, for the first time in two years. Players have had to adjust, accordingly, even equipping themselves with skills that on-board chess games demand. The pressure of representing the country in a big-ticket tournament, however, is ever-present.

"It (pressure) is more in the last couple of years because more newcomers have come into the world of chess," says Vidit, "When you root for someone, you want them to do well. There are people from all places who will travel to watch us perform LIVE. So, that means they come with expectations, and that is something that will weigh on our minds."

Humpy agrees: "Being hosts, everybody is expecting us to win a medal, but I believe we shouldnt think only about results. Its important to enjoy the game, and we should take risks only when the situation presents itself."

Vidit is currently in the process of working on his conversion rate, which he concedes fell upon hard times when it came to finishing games in the last couple of tournaments. "Outside of the preparation, Ive begun telling myself to say no a lot more these days," he adds, "Whenever Im to take an important decision, I ask myself whether the decision I make will help me with the Olympiad. As it turns out, you need to say 'no' to 99 percent of the things so that you can focus on the 1 percent that helps actually you."

Read more:
Meet the champions playing for India at the Chess Olympiad this year - CNBCTV18

After postponements due to COVID, the 44th FIDE Olympiad takes place in Chennai, India from July 28 August 10, 2022. The event, originally scheduled to take place in Russia, was relocated by FIDE following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Having earned the silver medal in 2018 after going gold in the Olympiad prior, the United States has assembled two teams of top talent, eager to leverage their massive skill to regain the top prize against more than 100 teams from around the world.

For the Open section team, IM John Donaldson reprises his role as captain with five of the strongest U.S. players:

GM Fabiano Caruana 2783 (FIDE)

1st in the U.S. / 4th in the world

GM Levon Aronian 2775

3rd in the U.S. / 5th in the world

GM Wesley So 2775

2nd in the U.S. / 6th in the world

GM Leinier Dominguez 2754

5th in the U.S. / 12th in the world

GM Sam Shankland 2718

6th in the U.S. / 25th in the world

Image Caption

IM John Donaldson, Captain of the 2022 Olympiad Open Team. Photo: STLCC/Ootes

For the Womens team, Armenian-American GM Melikset Khachiyan returns as captain, with GM Alejandro Ramirez serving as coach, to lead a roster of outstanding female competitors:

GM Irina Krush 2430 (FIDE)

1st in the U.S. / 33rd in the world

IM Carissa Yip 2418

2nd in the U.S. / 39th in the world

IM Anna Zatonskih 2387

3rd in the U.S. / 61st in the world

WGM Tatev Abrahamyan 2297

9th in the U.S.

WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova 2332

6th in the U.S.

With an average FIDE rating of 2763, the Open team will be one of the favorites, with only host India and China able to approach such team strength. (The Russian team would be a serious competitor, but they have been suspended from international play by FIDE along with Belarus.)

The American women clock in at an average FIDE rating of 2373, which, if historical precedent holds, would put them within the top dozen teams in Chennai.

Opening ceremonies begin Thursday, July 28, with first moves being played on July 29 at 3 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. Eastern).

US Chess gratefully acknowledges to the Saint Louis Chess Club and the Kasparov Chess Foundation for their generous, continued support of the United States Olympiad teams and their efforts.

Those wishing to contribute to the U.S. Olympiad teams may do so through our secure online donation form, and enter the amount in the box for Olympiad Teams.

View original post here:
2022 US Olympiad Teams Revealed | US Chess.org - uschess.org