HYDERABAD, JULY 28: Since the advent of computers and internet the ancient game of Queens, Kings, knights and bishops has not been the same any longer. It is now more a cyber wrestling between the players than cerebral boxing. Across the table the players today reel out the moves what their ChessBase has analysed for them the night before.Unlike their counterparts of the yore the modern day chess players are computer-savvy and cyber-savvy rather than intellectuals and intelligent. But to put it in International Master DV Prasad's words, without computers today there cannot be a chess player of any standing.Agrees super Grandmaster Evgeny Vladimirov, who has an Elo rating of 2598. ``I don't use computers as often as my contemporaries. But it has become an inevitable necessity now. I cannot see a player without a computer although I strongly believe the standard of chess seen today is much lower than what it was 10 years ago.''Good or poor standard, computer is a necessary companion for the modern chess player in his busy world today. Thanks to the elephantine memory power of the computer, a click of the mouse, trots out thousands of variations, combinations and continuations from any position. For instance, a player gets to know all possible combination and continuation from an extremely complicated position.Though for a beginner these chess softwares may not be of much help, for a player of some standing, ChessBase is essential. Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov are known to be playing regularly with chess playing programmes called Fritz 6 and Hiarcs 7.32.With the spread of internet, secrets have practically gone out of chess. The games played in Brazil's National championship or in a tournament in Armenia find their way into the net. Unlike in the past, when players used to carry more chess books than personal luggage for tournament, today's players just come with a few floppies and discs.Says DV Prasad: ``There are many players in India and abroad who just play the moves suggested by their desk top or lap top computers.''There are also different chess discs available in the market which provide games of different players and places. In the Mega Base 2000, 13,70 000 games are available. There is another programme released by Chess Informator, a magazine brought from Belgrade. The magazine, which comes thrice in year, has so far brought out 77 issues each of which contains 750 to 800 games of different players. There is now a disc which contains games printed in the first 70 issues of the magazine.Vladimirov feels because of the computers and websites, the game of chess has lost its lustre. ``Creativity is at a premium today. Earlier chess used to be like poetry played with all creativity. Now a chess game is like an examination where a player reproduces mugged moves.''Besides making available the games of different players, there are programmes which show strengths and weaknesses of all the top players in the world. Computers can instantly flash the black/white games one has played in a particular opening besides providing the exact percentage of his success in different openings.Prasad feels a desk top, if not a lap top, and ChessBase are inevitable for a modern player. ``But one should use the computers to help one's game rather than influence it.'' Prasad then adds: ``For players like Harikrishna these programmes should be of immense help. After Anand and Barua I've found only Harikrshna and, to some extent Sandeepan Chanda, with original talent. They should be told not to be influenced by the computer.''In the context, it is interesting to note that even All India Chess Federation has started thinking in terms of holding a National championship on the Net.
