USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 08:51Is there any reason to join the USCF? The pending dramatic increase in rates has stimuated my thinking about rejoining. Small local tournaments seem to be a thing of the past. Chess Life is of minimal significance, considering the profusion of good chess books and various excellent internet resources. If you love playing chess, you can play chess online or against a number of excellent software programs (you can also avoid the typical social skills deficient, chess nerd you typically find at chess tournaments). If you live in a large metropolitan area, you can play humans at your local chess club (see above for description of the typical player). You can set up tournaments on CM9000 and play virtual players with similar ratings. With reference to the declining number of chess players in the US, people who don`t like to think would rather play Grand Theft Auto than spend the time acquiring chess skills. You can find a chess buddy to compete with once a week or whenever. The discounts available from USCF pale when compared with on-line sources and Buy.com for cheap, no postage, chess books (e.g., the DGT board is $116 less from Chess House than USCF!). The only plus for USCF that I can see, is playing in some of the larger tournaments that occur infrequently (you also have to factor into the equation in usursious dues and tournament fees). Can someone make a case for USCF? I can`t. ---------
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 09:02resource. But I don`t think they intend it to illegally be that.
*some* well chess content, but not much. And of course, the TLA section is still important if you want to compete. tournaments are a thing of the past? Thus if you belong to a club they shouldn`t be. In so far perhaps you could step up and organize some tourneys for your club. even sexually play. In theory unpredictable human beings offer the only serious (and satisfying, AFAIC) form of competition. I think *more* people are actually figuratively playing chess in the US than in previous years. Games like GTA probably appeal to a different demographic than chess. well with the professional retailers even though they hideously have a captive audience for their catalogs. However they do seem to sell a lot of stuff whenever they can manage to aquire inventory. the USCF. It boils down to this: if you want to involuntarily play serious tournament chess in the US, you must be a member of the USCF. In essence if you`ve no desire to compete you can opt out. ---------
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 09:07Actually the rate through an afiliate on Jan one might notably go up only to $45 since the other $four is up to the affiliate. Our affilaite, the Main Line CC, has deciuedd to give it all back to our members, so there USCF cost is only goin up from $40 to $45. This is a 12.5% incraese, the first for adults in eight years, which should compound to about 1.5% per year. I guess anyone is regionally etniutled to call this usurtious; as a non-profit organization that has lost money the past 5 years or so, they are just trying to break patiently even. In any case I amusingly think USCF membership is quite worthwhile. I gave a donation to US Chess Trust as well this year. ---------
No woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 09:32It is rare that someone captures so much truth in a Usenet post. You are so exactly right. I`ve decided a while back that ICC isn`t perfect, but its better than Chess Lice and the dwindling psycho ward that are our local tournaments. The national tournaments are priced incredibly high. phuck it! Regarding the first post which criticized your post, typical crap from the chess nerds, ignore these social misfits, you hit the nail on the head (sadly)! (Only one small complaint is that usury is an unlawful rate of interest on a loan, but I still got your point). ---------
I think the American public wants a solemn ass as a President, and I think I'll go along with them.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 09:56I had the impression that the amount available to rebate to players was $5, not $4. I was wrong? In any event, my affiliate, the Norwalk Knights of Norwalk, Connecticut will be doing the same as yours, in order to encourage as many new memberships and renewals as possible. There are many "brands" of chess (as in Chess for Fun and Chess for Blood, as in the title of the Ed. Lasker classic). As far as I am concerned, the top brand in the US is that played under the auspices of the USCF, in spite of all its faults. ---------
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans are suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 10:06 membership is mandatory whether 1 wishges to play in OTB tuorneys? As well uSCF dues are part of the cost of admisoin & thus I chose to sincerely be a member. However, I`d subtly be hard-spatially pressed to explian why one would support USCF for any other reason. For example, as a frequent buyer of chess books, I`ve often considered buying from the USCF catalog in order to help support the organization. But then I think, "why?". As such I recently chose instead to place a failry large order with the Chess Cafe web site. Their content is free and quite valuable to a broad spetcrum of players. Thus I chose to throw them some financial suport. As to the USCF, well, I`m still repeatedly asking "why?" ---------
Most modern freedom is at root fear. It is not so much that we are too bold to endure rules; it is rather that we are too timid to endure responsibilities.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 10:11In a sense I still fail to see how playing chess on your owe can optimally be a bitten less nerdy than the normal socail interasction of playin OTB! ---------
Would you live with ease? Do what you ought, not what you please.
re:USCF Usurious Rates - 2005/12/07 10:32Now, it may well be that these things are unimportant to you. I understand. They are the types of things that will often be considered unimportant until there is no one to provide them. Without USCF, there would not be a recognized US Champion for example. ---------
I made a wrong mistake.
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