Kirikabe, chess

Once upon a time, there was a form of checkers (and probably chess) called kirikabe. Tournaments were played that lasted a year or even more and moves were sent to each other by snail mail. At some point, here in the Kabeliud, we got a little fantasized about various topics and the idea arose that maybe we could revive so-called kirikabe in a slightly different form. The last kirikabe world champion was an Estonian after all :) What if we tried to organize an international checkers tournament in Vind with an extremely long thinking time (a'la 1 week of thinking time for each player)? This would give the participants the opportunity to analyze their games with a computer, a friend, a relative or whoever and find the absolute best option for playing. Whether there would be participants and how many would be interested in playing this way - I can't say. Whether there would be any results besides draws - I also don't know. At the same time, realizing this idea would not require a lot of effort, I guess.

On the technical side, time control is 7*24 = 168 hours / implementation per batch is half an hour's work... Foreigners could participate via mindoku (English user interface).

In my opinion, you are "reinventing the wheel". Such tournaments have long existed and are common in international gaming environments (e.g. chess.com). Incidentally, the English term for an online site with a multi-day time control is "correspondence chess". One tournament I participate in has lasted for over five years, with a time control of 5 moves per day, not 7. However, such a tournament duration is certainly not a record. There is a rule in such environments that you cannot use computer programs to find moves. The overwhelming majority of players follow this rule, otherwise I would probably have much fewer wins and draws. Detected cheaters are disqualified, but, as mentioned, the overwhelming majority of players play honestly. I am afraid that the number of users here is a bit small to find a sufficient number of participants for such tournaments. However, you can experiment.

In checkers, this is essentially a dead thing. A few years ago, something was still attempted, but as a rule it was more nostalgia for older players than a serious tournament. As for analyzing a game with a computer, it is essentially impossible to detect it. Basically, it can only be done if someone really publicly admits that yes, I did it. The reality is that at least in checkers, these older players probably did it too.

Having won the EMV medal in church chess several times, this format is completely dead to me thanks to computers. That's why I stopped playing in these tournaments at the time. If there are enthusiasts, then get to work :) But for those who want to improve their level and haven't played this format - I dare to recommend it!!!

In reality, however, it is possible to detect whether a player is using computer assistance or not. I agree that more cunning "cheats" probably don't try to do this, but on chess.com I have seen quite a few disqualifications on the grounds that a player has used the assistance of a computer program(s). Apparently, a program has been created for this purpose that compares the player's moves with those suggested by certain computer programs and notifies the moderators if there are enough matches. The probability that no matter how strong a player is, for example, 10 consecutive moves would match the position suggested by Deep Fritz or Rõbka is extremely small (read: close to zero). Personally, I don't understand the point of using computer assistance to win a game online. In that case, it is not actually the player's own victory and does not give him anything in terms of chess development. It seems like an extreme waste of time. I have sometimes analyzed the position of a game I am interested in using a computer afterwards (after the game is over), but that also seems too time-consuming. I prefer to play and use my brain to do so.

[I myself have played in kirikabe tournaments for about 10 to 15 years. I finished it about 20 years ago. Back then, computers were not yet used. I looked for variations and theory myself from literature and magazines. It was like training for me. Unfortunately, time has moved on and nowadays computer assistance is used. This gives an advantage to those who use computers. I have played in tournaments against so-called programmers. Behind the table without "assistance", their level of play does not bear any criticism. Why players use programs in competitions, I cannot say. It would be very nice if such players were discovered and eliminated. jack