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I learnt to play chess at a young age but never fell in love with it. I am a competent if somewhat dull player. However, I do agree that the longer I have been programming the more I see the world through very different eyes than those of my younger self. Perhaps a function of age, I'm not sure. I certainly feel smarter than I was then (I know some who would disagree  )
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My quick reflexive 'thats the right answer' mentality I had with Engineering (as I said, I was in mech-aero) has gone, probably because of the number of times I have shot myself in the foot making such assumptions in software, so at times I feel very slow, but I think its just because I question everything so much more and take a long time to come to a decision.
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Munchies_Matt wrote: And I can only put this down to the years of brain exercise writing programs, where the same depth, complexity and interconnections of events i exists, gave me.
Or dealing with managers.
But then again, that might be more like poker. 
Marc
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A couple years ago my son (10 at the time) asked how chess was played. I had never played though I knew how. We setup the board and played. I won handily. He kept asking to play. Within a month I could barely beat him and rarely did. Within two months we had to quit playing because I could simply NEVER win.
I've programmed for 12+ years and am an inactive member of Mensa. Never considered myself stupid (unless car engines were involved), but he sure made me feel that way.
Tl;dr: Nope, programming hasn't helped my chess game. It did however allow me to afford a personal instructor for my son to nurture him and his ability.
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gardnerp wrote: Within two months we had to quit playing because I could simply NEVER win.
So you never considered entering the competition for Dad of the Year?
gardnerp wrote: an inactive member of Mensa
It's the ones who are active who worry me: "Ooh, I'm a genius because I spend my very waking hour doing silly little puzzles in my mother's basement!"
Two weeks of practicing silly little puzzles, and you achieve Grand Poombah status in mensa.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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After a few years of playing (including an incident where I beat a kid during our time at high school who went on to become a British Chess Champion. He resigned saying, "I know where you are going with this" which is extraordinary since I didn't know where I was going!) I ended up with a decent rating of 1800+ and took part in an international tournament in Cannes (in the beautiful South of France).
I was a member of a two-man team and we both had conclusive results from our six matches each. He (a master level player) won all six... and I lost all six! I haven't played since! 
Stupid, pointless game!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I have been breathing chess for 40+ years and programming for 30+ years.
Never felt that one was strengthening the other.
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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No, I was fairly good at chess as a teenager and even had an expert rating, but recently my granddaughter annihilated me. But it was only because she wouldn{t let me cheat, otherwise I could have won.
I think playing chess is good practice for solving detailed problems. When my children were young, we went to thr library or the chess club on alternating Saturdays, so they all learned to play and so have their children. Whrn theey stop by to visit, the first thing they ask is where is the chess set, then they play each ither all day. very quiet and well behaved kiddos.
CQ de W5ALT
Walt Fair, Jr., P. E.
Comport Computing
Specializing in Technical Engineering Software
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This thread is getting tedious....perhaps we should call it a knight.
Pawn intended.
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Mate, your attack is uncalled for.
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Nope. I can hardly remember my name and surname together. My thought moves around very fast and focuses, if may even call it that, on one thing at a time, but all quickly.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. - Liber AL vel Legis 1:40, Aleister Crowley
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If you like playing I invite you to join freechess.org I play it with an android client by Ian Pinto, it is simple an simple app. Since I frequently loose control playing my daughter restricted me from playing till december, so I envy you right now. I am at about 1400 point in blitz mode and the thing I like most is when I loose against players at 1700 points. I have the feeling I will never beat them, they are so good. I think 1700 points is my limit I can win against. What you think is your limit?
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Munchies_Matt wrote: Anyone else noticed writing programs having such an effect?
Not really: In games my mind works very differently from how I work. In games I tend to do quick, aggressive moves towards "victory or death"... that's why I usually get bored while playing with my missus, who is the kind whom can spend 15 minutes pondering if buying a Coke or a Sprite (or even between two bottles of the same kind of coke at the supermarket, searching the one with less defects on plastic/more filling inside).
What I noticed is that everything not game-related has improved, from doing adjustment/maintenance to my home electrical system to installing anti-theft devices or mounting furniture. In games I'm less than patient, in facts I kind of dislike Baldur's Gate kind of games whil I enjoy pen and paper RPGs.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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I do like playing aggressive chess when I do play it, maximum attack, trading pieces, its often quite unsettling to your opponent.
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In more situations and games than chess, by the way. In self defense, online shooters, negotiations... I admire those who can sustain "fire" calmly and then sack me at the worst possible time - I wish I could be also more like them.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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As a child, I was undersized for my age and had health issues; I was restricted to more mental activities than physical ones.
I learned chess and enjoy playing it; it is not about the winning, it is about the challenge of the game. I have no idea what 'level' I could obtain, nor do I care; I enjoy the game for the sake of the game.
Perhaps chess guided me into being a developer - interesting thought.
Programming then is much the same as chess; it's not about the 'win', it is about the challenge. How can I solve this problem presented to me in a timely manner?
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This[^] is a good approximation of me playing chess. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Anyone know of a decent chess engine?
I have been learning SignalR, and I think it would be a cool exercise to create a chess game.
I would use WPF for the front end, and SignalR for the two-player game. For single player I would need a chess engine.
Anyone know of a C# chess engine I could drop in?
Once done I would write an article and publish here.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
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Kevin Marois wrote: Anyone know of a C# chess engine I could drop in?
You could probably get some ideas from these[^] examples.
/ravi
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Translation: GIVE CODS PLSSSSS!!!!
You naughty boy, you.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I didn't ask anyone for code. A compiled assembly will do fine.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
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Hey!
This is the CP Lounge!
Never deny anyone's right to take the p1ss!
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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CODS!!
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