Tournament Links Chess Players Via Computer

Roy Feinson has organized what he calls the largest chess tournament of its kind from the den of his unassuming Huntington Beach apartment. And he has never seen, or even talked to, any of the more than 220 entrants.

With the help of Compuserve Inc., a Columbus, Ohio, computer company, Feinson launched the tournament on Monday. “What is unique is that this is the largest electronic chess tournament, I believe, ever held,” said Feinson, 29, a discount store operations manager.

“Chess is a natural for computers,” he said. “It is the start of something I think is really going to catch on.”

Compuserve’s subscribers learned of the tournament through a sort of electronic bulletin board titled “What’s New on Compuserve.” It was here that Feinson first asked if anyone was interested in participating in a chess tournament.

“People were excited about the tournament,” he said. “Pretty soon more than 220 people expressed an interest.”

Here is how it works: There is no entrance fee to participate in the tournament, but players have already purchased a $39.95 Compuserve kit that gives instructions on how to log on to the company’s main computer.

“What subscribers are really paying (for) though, is an ID and a password that comes with the kit,” explained Compuserve spokeswoman Jan Bowers. “There is really no software involved, but rather an on-line data base service.”

Compuserve charges $12.50 an hour for computer time during business hours and $6 during off hours, holidays and weekends. Any personal computer can be used.

Subscribers interested in the chess tournament contacted Feinson on their personal computers, and he in turn matched them with an opponent.

The parties then play a game of chess on the computer by alternately typing in their moves. Feinson keeps track of the winners and losers. The losers are immediately eliminated.

To make the game more realistic, players can program chess graphics on their computers while setting up an actual board next to it.

“There are some limits in a live tournament because of the physical limits. A lot of people don’t want to travel and be away from home,” Feinson said. “But there is really no limit to this. Realistically, 500 people could play next time.”

All communication is done through the computer. That’s only fair, he said, because the computer firm agreed to sponsor the event and offer prizes.

Compuserve is offering $120 in “free connect time” and a membership to the U.S. Chess Federation to the winner, said spokeswoman Bowers. There’s a second-place prize of $90 in free connect time, she added.

“People are attracted to this because it gives them access to people from across the country,” Bowers said. “They may never meet or even talk with one another but they will be sharing.”

Frank Elley, assistant director of the U.S. Chess Federation, said computerized chess tournaments will continue to grow. “It’s in its infancy now,” Elley said. “Many chess players will be interested in this. There is something inherently interesting about being in Texas and playing someone in Massachusetts.”

Some players in Feinson’s tournament will have the opportunity to play two players in Canada, one in Buenos Aires and one in Mexico, who have signed on to the tournament. Most are based in about 30 states in this country.

The games will be played to completion, Feinson explained. “There will be a winner and a loser. In the event a game is not completed in time, I’ll have to be the adjudicator and decide who was winning at the time.”

The competition is expected to last nine more weeks.