- The first online chess game was played over telegraph lines in 1844.
- Telegraph hardware was simple but required constant monitoring to ensure its accuracy.
- Grandmasters later used ticker tape and online platforms to play remotely.
On November 26, 1844, two chess teams faced each other 60 kilometers apart, as the Washington Chess Club played a team in Baltimore using the newly constructed electric telegraph.
Three consulting members played on each side, transmitting moves over the cable. Washington opened with a pawn in the center and Baltimore mirrored it.
This method allowed for a complete game without either team being physically present, marking what is considered the first online chess game.
Organize telegraphed play
Alfred Vail and Henry Rogers developed a system for assigning numbers to each of the 64 squares, converting traditional descriptive notation into numerical codes.
Moves such as “pawn to queen’s bishop four” became “11 to 27,” simplifying transmission via telegraph.
The system meticulously recorded every play, including real-time corrections.
Although records of all games are incomplete, some sources report that 686 moves were transmitted without interruption.
From time to time, spectators watched the process and operators recorded the number of people present.
The telegraph itself was simple, consisting of a battery, a switch, and a magnet.
Despite its apparent simplicity, signals weakened with distance, cables broke, and early equipment frequently failed, so constant monitoring of the line was necessary to ensure accurate reception.
The Baltimore-Washington telegraph ran along the railroad tracks, and an insulated copper cable replaced failed underground attempts.
Even though Congress funded the initial line, daily practical use remained minimal and most activity consisted of curiosity-driven demonstrations and experiments.
Telegraph chess inspired similar experiments abroad, including matches between London and Gosport in 1845.
Later, American grandmaster Bobby Fischer transmitted moves from New York to Havana in 1965 via teletype.
In a 1999 promotional game, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov played an online game against “the world.”
Today, the Internet has taken telecom chess to fabulous new heights, with a single site, chess.com, hosting up to 20 million games daily, sometimes exceeding server capacity.
Chess is particularly compatible with telecommunications because it can be transmitted in the form of concise and precise information.
Why have technologists seized the opportunity to play chess using so many generations of telecommunications?
This is probably because chess is popular and intrinsically suited for long-distance play.
“There are similarities in thought processes. [between] engineering design and the kind of puzzle solving that a game of chess involves,” says Case Western Reserve’s Kazdan.
However, this connection may be one-sided. “A lot of engineers like chess. I’m not sure many chess players like engineering.”
Via AOL
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