Avatars, slick drop-shadow-full interface. Pop-up ads, natch.
Have these designers ever played chess? The first interface back in the late 1990s was simple and completely adequate. Nothing to distract–you just played.
I don’t know if I can even stand to play on this thing any more. What do you think?
I wouldn’t play there. If you haven’t before, you can try freechess.org, playchess.com, or ICC.
I like gameknot.com
Do any of these have real beginner areas? I don’t play on Yahoo as much because I’m tired of being in the beginner area and getting whipped by someone who is probably a grandmaster in Russia!
Have you considered the possibility that you are just really bad at chess?
Wow, that seems pretty harsh. Aren’t beginners usually bad?
They have chess and tons of other games. You can play for free or get a membership. There are lots of rooms to choose from, beginner included, and you can play against the computer if you like.