Lately chess is experiencing competition mainly not from other board games, but from PC games, especially MMORPGs (massive multiplier role-playing games) like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Lineage, etc. As I like both the pastimes, today I will try to decide what is better: chess or MMORPGs?
 

Competing and being a fighter. Most chess players hate losing. One always wants to offer rematch and prove to himself and everyone else he is capable of performing better. Similarly, after a terrible 1 vs 1, failing to beat a strong boss, or getting ganked by a group of foes, one feels like grinding his teeth, leveling up and kicking the enemies' butts.
 

Result: draw
 

Team Spirit. To be truly successful in MMORPGS, one has to cooperate with other players. Go raiding, share items and craft them for the members of your clan, fight shoulder to shoulder. Chess players rarely compete in team events, and one can become a World Chess Champion without being part of a large community. Of course, having a few assistants is beneficial, but it's not a must-do. 
 

Result: 1-0 in MMORPGs' favor
 

Level of entertainment. At first glance it seems that venturing within the beautiful landscapes in 3D is more exciting that staring at a 2D chess board online. However, a lot depends on the person's taste. I've seen many chess players who get lots of adrenaline playing online blitz, while being indifferent towards PC games.
 

Result: draw



Ian Nepomniatchi (on the left) is not only a 2700+ GM, he is also a strong DOTA player; nickname - FrostNova

Finances. Chess is an evergreen game with rich traditions. Of course, it's hard to become a pro, but, given a certain determination and ability to work hard, pretty much anyone can find a way of making one's living doing something chess-related. In MMORPGS there is also a market where gold, items and characters are traded. In China alone thousands of people are living off farming in WOW. Nonetheless, chess is a more stable and attainable source of income.
 

Result: 1-0 in chess' favor
 

Searching for your significant other. According to the public perception, both chess players and online gamers are nerds. Also, in both industries girls are strongly underrepresented.
 

Result: draw




 

Opportunities for self-development.  Online games teach us to manage our budget well, cooperate with other people, develop our ability to work hard and reflexes, etc. Nonetheless, numerous PhD dissertations and articles dedicated to the utility of chess will convince us that playing chess is more beneficial for self-development. Also, MMORPGs have a significant shortcoming: your character is usually getting stronger and stronger over time. Of course, if you don't intentionally equip second-rate gear/slot the wrong traits/etc. It is also important to progress faster than your competitors. Chess is more like real life: sometimes you will discover that today you are worse off than yesterday in absolute terms, not relative.
 

Result: 1-0 in chess' favor
 

So, my half-serious review ended in a 3.5-2.5 victory for chess. Naturally, if one chooses different criteria and asks someone else to express his opinion, the result could be the opposite. It's up to you to agree or not!



The author is a lvl 75  (max) Champion in LOTRO, server - Riddermark, nickname - Otdanon

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 16:42 15 îêòÿáðÿ 2011 ã.
	Reading that post with a big smile

	2. Written by Andrey on 17:21 15 îêòÿáðÿ 2011 ã.
	Ha-ha     Let me share my little experience here.    Recently I've decided to continue one well-known RPG after one-year absence.     The result is rather disappointing: I don't remember what 'WaterBar' does, which is the best perk to defend from 'Lightning Avalanche'... Considering ELOs, I've dropped from like 2000's to 1000's     However, having being separated from chess in the past for comparable period of time, I haven't experienced this. I am still able to convert some endgames(even rook ones!) or sacrifice the bishop on h7 at right occasion... Even some of Vladimir Kramnik's moves are certainly within the reach.    So I would give (as much as conscience allows) - 0 for chess here.     P.S. Predicting Natalia' or Nadezhda Kosintseva' moves is considerably if not prohibitively harder than VK ones... :-)

	3. Written by Jacques Delaguerre on 21:38 17 îêòÿáðÿ 2011 ã.
	Minimalism Chess possesses one attribute lacking in modern games ... that is that Chess has been refined down to the minimum necessary to attractively represent its game theory. When the life points - strength points - speed points type of games have achieved minimalism, they will be true competition for chess.

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