Choosing GameKnot for correspondence chess

At the end of last year I decided to try some online-server-based correspondence chess as a way to increase the number of slow games that I get to play. In a recent Chessville Forum thread, Jens Madsen recommended GameKnot, so I registered there and started four games. In one of the four games, another newcomer never played a move, but my other three games finished normally with me winning all three.

Other correspondence servers mentioned frequently in the Chessville Forum include itsyourturn.com and chessworld.net. Chessworld.net seemed to be getting favorable mentions more recently, so I also registered there and have one game in progress.

A friend of mine at work has been trying queenalice.com, but I found pretty slow response times there and I didn’t bother exploring further.

GameKnot and ChessWorld have different kinds of annoyances for the nonpaying user. The GameKnot interface is covered with ads until you pay, and I found the ads to be “noisy” and quite irritating. Most of them are dating service ads with scantily clad models pictured with come-hither expressions. I also didn’t like the default board; I found it to be too dark, with insufficient contrast. After all my games were finished, though, I found out how to use a higher-contrast, diagram-style board that I liked much better.

I had a much better first impression of ChessWorld, because its interface had no ads and its board was easier to see. But as my game proceeded, I got more and more annoyed. Almost all of the ChessWorld features are disabled for nonpaying users. Even basic stuff, like viewing a list of moves in the game you are currently playing! Also, there are some strange “social” features going on there, like the exchange of “icons,” such as graphical handshakes, between players.

Earlier this week I decided to go with GameKnot, and I payed for a year of premium service. I can now confirm that the GameKnot interface comes up ad-free once you’ve paid.

And I’ve found that I like correspondence play. It gives me much more practice than I’ve been getting in looking at positions and choosing the best move. There’s no clock pressure, so I can practice thinking routines, such as always asking early “is it safe” for my candidate moves.