Chương 205: Worldchess 1
"Come try out this website, www.worldchess.net." Byron invited the boy over to the television/monitor screen that displayed the website that he was talking about.
The old man wanted to get Sato involved immediately in the world of online chess.
"This was the website I used back then." Sato sat down beside Byron as his eyes was curious as to how much the online server had changed.
"If you have not played on Worldchess since two years back, then there are some pretty big changes to the game that I should inform you about," Byron remembered the biggest change that had happened, not only in the website, but the entire chess community. "The website, Worldchess had been officially recognised as the new rating system for the professional chess community."
"It has been recognised?" Sato was surprised by what Byron had said. After all, in the past, Worldchess was more of a play zone for casual to pro level players. It was not hailed as a proper rating system. So, although Sato had been rated 3000 by Worldchess, back then, he was still not counted as anything.
"Yes, indeed. The Worldchess rating is now globally recognised and is able to accurately rank every player that comes in touch with the game."
"Has the rating system for Worldchess change then?"
"Mm, it has changed to be more comprehensive as a whole. Just talking beyond 2000 points, going up by 200 increments, the ranks are as seen here," Byron clicked into the global ranking leaderboards, showing Sato the types of ranks available now.
From 2000 to 2199, the rank 'Expert' was given to the players. From 2200 to 2399, the rank 'National Master' was given to the players. From 2400 to 2599, the rank 'Senior Master' was given to the players. From 2600 to 2799, the rank 'International Master' was given to the players. From 2800 to 2999, the rank 'Grandmaster' was given to the players. Lastly, from 3000 and beyond, the rank 'Grand Champion' was given to the players.
"Grand Champion… Wow." Sato was indeed surprised that the world had finally created a common rating system. They had even introduced a new tier of chess players. He was sure that his old 3000 point rating was definitely not accurate anymore. Since most pro chess players now use Worldchess as their main platform to climb the chess ladder, there could not be a single fluke in any of the games.
"Worldchess now has two types of rank modes to differentiate casual and professional players. The first rank mode is where anyone can test out their rating. The games played in this mode is not regulated and so, people can help others play on their account. The second rank mode is called Challenger Grounds, where only players above the Expert rank can pit themselves against other professional chess players. In these places, the AI system of Worldchess must be given rights to monitor your computer so as to prevent cheating."
"Interesting. So does this mean that official tournaments could now be held online?"
"You are correct, little Sato. For the past two years, ever since the introduction of the new system, the players that are rated Grandmaster rank and above are able to take part in official tournaments to earn titles and cash prizes." Byron was especially enthusiastic when talking about his favourite hobby, "So, doesn't this make you want to play chess again?"
"It does, though I do not think I will as good as previous rating."
"I do not believe so. Little Sato, when I played with you, my sixth sense tells me that there is more to unearth in you than meets the eye. If you were to give the game a try again, I am sure you will go far." When it came to Byron's sixth sense, the old man was never wrong. He had an uncanny ability to predict situations and its likelihood on success. It was thanks to his innate skill that allowed him to build his family up from scratch into the empire that it was today.
Sato did not take long to think about it. He was going to be visiting Country Y for at least a week. Seeing that Gray's grandfather was super enthusiastic about him playing chess, he decided he could just pick up this game again just for the old man's enjoyment. "Alright then, I guess I will give it a shot."
"Perfect! Let's play some rank games now."
"Now?"
"Why not? I have a perfectly great setup for you to start your climb today." Byron got up on his feet and moved to grab a remote control. With the press of a button, the main living room table had started transforming. The top surface of the table was replaced with a different surface. On it, was a unique looking chess set. The chess board itself seemed to have numerous wires that led under the table and into the ground. The pieces of the board was made of metal, a unique design different from the normal wooden feel.
"What is this?" Sato asked with a curious expression.
"This is the virtual chess board," Byron clicked the remote, which lifted the table surface up and towards Sato. "Any move made on this board will be reflected on the screen. The same will go for the opponent's moves. The board will move the opponent's pieces for you."
"Wow, that is fascinating."
"This board was actually produced by the Worldchess company. At any high tournament setting, all players are required to use a virtual chess board so as to prevent cheating."
Indeed, as Byron had said, the virtual chess board prevents the players from using any external software to make moves or even third party assistance. The chess board has numerous sensors, such as visual, audio, temperature and several other useful applications that monitor and keep track of the player's surroundings.
"So, do you remember your ID?"
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