[ List Earliest Comments Only For Pages | Games | Rated Pages | Rated Games | Subjects of Discussion ]
Rated Comments for a Single Item
I'd imagine capped knight or queenside odds to be very hard to win with, and capped pawn almost impossible.
It is also worth mentioning how different kinds of handicap affect play. Missing pieces have the most effect and time the least. A time handicap can also be adjusted over a range of severities. A draw handicap is an intermediate case, with little effect on the opening, but might encourage/discourage attempts at settling for a draw in the endgame.
At our chess club in Winchester MA USA we now have an annual 'Herbert Handicap' tournament which is run as a Swiss 4 round tournament with odds in every game, ranging from the weaker player having white to queen odds at 1000 rating points difference. Details on the web page at http://www.shawx.com/chess/winchester.html. We also incorporate the 'Herbert take back rule' that allows the weaker player one take back per game so long as it is before the other player moves. This rule was instituted as the donor of the trophy W. James Herbert has a habit of taking a move back in friendly games if he realizes it was a blunder! We also had an all Summer long team competition at our local Starbucks coffee house that used odds to even up the sides. We do this because we have about equal numbers of adults and young players and it is nice for the kids to have a chance against the more experienced players. It's a wonderful life! John Shawcross
I appreciate the offering. I wish the connection with these options were encouraged at clubhouses, or at least posted in some way. The opportunity to teach young players with the knowledge of these handicaps, so kids do not think that the only odds offering is one of time. 'Move odds' give the learning player an idea of measuring time in moves, not minutes.
5 comments displayed
Permalink to the exact comments currently displayed.