Chess at Facebook

Happy New Year Everyone! Begin this year by honing your chess skills (or picking up your game again) right in the heart of your favorite social networking site, Facebook. What, you don't know there is chess in Facebook? Well, I wouldn't have known myself if I didn't get curious enough one day to check what will come out if I type "chess" in Facebook's Search. Unlike most games that at least advertise itself in the sidebars, the developers either thinks demand isn't there and decided there's no way they can drum it up or maybe thought you would look for it if you really want it. In both cases, the full potential of the application didn't get to be utilized.

But enough with the whining. As it is, there's a correspondence-type chess is in Facebook and it's being run by Chess.com. Time controls available are 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 days per turn, with no time increments. Meaning, you have to move within the specified time allotted or you forfeit the game (if your opponent choose to claim it). You can, however, see if your opponent is online and so sit out the game, with the board refreshing everytime a move is made. You can either challenge your friends in Facebook, or play with other people outside of your contacts by either making or accepting Open Challenges. In addition, you can also play real-time against a computer opponent. Resources to help you improve your game are also available.

Having chess in Facebook can allow more of your friends to at least try out the game, with none of the intimidating feeling of playing in a dedicated chess site. It also helps that they can play the game while going about their usual Facebook routine. So, give it a try! We might even see each other across the board in one of the Open Challenges.