WHERE TO PLAY?:

Over the net there are many different places to play atomic chess but I
think at the moment the main 3 sites for live atomic are the
Internet Chess Club (ICC), US Chess Live (USCL) and Free Internet Chess Server (FICS).
I have tried to give a little insight into atomic on these servers from my experiences with each.

ICC:
This is where I learnt to play atomic and until recently I did not feel it
necessary to try out any other sites. I feel it has become harder to find
atomic players who are willing to play here, especially at the higher
levels, but thankfully there are still some left. I can especially recommend
the ICC to players who prefer fast bullet time controls, 0 1 or 1 0, as
these seem to be almost obligatory for atomic and to those who will play a
lot of normal chess online, as many strong players including world class GMs
also play here. Like on many sites playing on the ICC is not free. Here are
the current costs of subscription:

Two year Regular $89
One year Regular $49
6 months Regular $29
One year Student $24.50 (ID required to prove you are under 21)

Each computer is allocated 2 free trials, each lasting a week, every year in
order to try out the ICC before making any payment. During this free trial
you will have all the benefits of a paying member. In order to access these
free trials only the Blitzin interface can be used and only after becoming a
paying member can other interfaces, such as Thief and Icarus, be used.
(Note that the check rule DOES NOT apply on the ICC)

USCL:
As I only joined USCL on a free trial as a royal member I only got 2 weeks
of rated games in order to check out the atomic scene. From this trial, and
from playing unrated occasionally since it expired, I got a reasonable
impression from this site. I felt that although the very top players are not
as strong as those on ICC there were more fellow atomic fans to play or
analyse with and so I did not have to wait so long in-between games/matches.
Like on the ICC playing here is not free, rates are currently as follows:

Basic:
One Year $19.99
Junior Royal (under 21):
Every 3 months (auto renewing) $6.95
Every year (auto renewing) $24.95
1 year $29.95
2 years $49.95
3 years $59.95
Royal:
Every 3 months (auto renewing) $11.95
Every year (auto renewing) $39.95
1 year $49.95
2 years $79.95
3 years $99.95

I think that usually free trials on USCL do not allow any rated games, mine
was some sort of special deal that I was lucky to stumble across, so you
would have to stick to unrated games before making the decision of whether
to pay or not.
(Note that the check rule DOES apply on USCL)

FICS:
At the time of writing I have only been playing on FICS for a short time but
it has already become my main playing site. I find the atmosphere,
generally, quite friendly, the atomic channel (99) is reasonably active and
I have not often had to wait very long if I have been looking for a game.
Unlike on the ICC fast bullet time controls seem to be quite rare, although
they still have their supporters, making way for blitz time limits, 3 0
seems to be the most popular but slower is not uncommon. Of course another
main attraction of FICS is that, unlike most other sites, it is FREE!

On FICS duplicate accounts are not allowed, to avoid abuse, so pick your
handle wisely as you cannot change it later, which is the case on either the
ICC or USCL.
(Note that the check rule DOES apply on FICS)


I have also recently joined both Scheming Mind (SM) and BrainKing (BK) that are both correspondence sites where atomic can be played (SM DOES use the check rule and BK DOESNT).
Of these 2 I think that BK is much better. Personally I much prefer playing atomic
at live time controls as although the quality of play tends to be much lower
it is more exciting.
However it is still interesting and worth checking out, especially for
players who are looking to improve.





Copyright Tipau, 2005