barnaby wrote on 05/16/17 at 21:12:31:
In addition, and more specific to the uniqueness of this site, the advent of powerful engines owned by everyone renders every thread moot once someone posts the BEST LINE BY SILICON and there is really nothing more to discuss there, is there?
OTOH, the main strength of the site, I really feel, has always been the HIGH LEVEL ANALYSIS in the individual sections.
First of all, I think engines have improved at such a rapid clip that it is getting much harder to correct them then it used to be. Back when I started posting here, very little effort was required to find holes in the engines. These days, I can spend days often to find tiny improvements over what the engine recommends.
This has led I feel to an increase in people even top level GMs blindly follow the engines. Indeed, the reactions I get from class players and masters alike at the reaction to my playing high level correspondence is: "Why? Like you just follow the engine right?" Indeed, I do not. Which brings me to my point, perhaps there is a way to engage the other high level correspondence players that don't follow the engines blindly. A way to make the conversations focus more deeply on spots the engines have yet to understand (which is usually the opening!). And most importantly, bring deep verbiage to explaining ideas and concepts in openings within our community which is something the engines can never do.
ErictheRed wrote on 07/03/17 at 00:31:19:
I think the question, Lee, is why members aren't posting enough.
I am guilty of this myself. I went back and read this entire thread. It took me awhile to pin point why exactly I drifted off. I guess it was due to a particular author who took a ton of analysis I produced on this very website and made an entire chapter of his book out it. I was never credited. I certainly didn't receive any monetary compensation. Sure, I have an easy lawsuit but I am not one interested in that. Yes, in the front of the book under sources, he listed "Chesspublishing.com and forums" which is as close as he got to admitting an entire 40 pages of his book was written by someone else on this forum. After this, I pretty much lost my taste for posting my analysis. Not consciously mind you, I wasn't really aware this incident was affecting me so much... but truly why would I post if my work will be lifted for commercial gain of another with zero credit to my hard work and years of testing my ideas in correspondence? This is different from the argument Nakamura and Kamsky regularly make about someone publishing a book about the players. They are not able to get the player's comments, analysis and thoughts without those players. Here, the author did just that. Anyways, the end result was I became fairly inactive and took roughly a 3 year break from posting (tho not moderating and silently lurking).
As to what eventually brought me back, the issue is two fold. First, I am interested in making a strong push again to improve myself and largely considered my discussions here with MNB and Markovich (RIP) to be a large part of my rapid improvement.
Second, I met an individual while traveling that I got into several interesting discussions with over the course of a tournament. I forget which night it was but perhaps the 3rd or 4th night with this man, we got to talking about external free resources of high quality. I mentioned chesspub forums. He said he already used them and asked my username. When I responded, he said "Oh! I have been reading your posts for years! They have helped me so much! Let me buy you a drink!" Tbh, this caught me rather flat footed. Undoubtedly, I would not be shocked to hear such a remark about Markovich but about myself... I hadn't really thought it possible and this was high praise indeed.
Keano wrote on 08/23/17 at 01:46:27:
I think in this day and age a lot of the "professional" stuff produced is simply drivel.
99% of chess books would be better off in the bin. And much of mine have gone that direction.
@Brabo makes a fair point.
Agreed!!