Instant chess

When I was at college, I used to play a lot of competitive chess. I was never a great player, I had little knowledge of opening theory and practically no end-game technique, but I used to really enjoy playing.

What I loved about the game, and still do, is its fathomless diversity. Particularly in the middle-game, where a myriad of variations compete for attention and tactical possibilities abound.

I gave up playing league chess years ago - right about the time I realized how much work I was going to have to put in if I wanted to keep on improving. Nowadays, I rarely play at all and when I do it's strictly for fun.

Recently, I've been playing at Instantchess.com which, like the name suggests, is quick and easy to access ("cup of coffee compatible" as they say). And you can play for free, at least initially.

If you like an occasional game of chess, you might want to give it a whirl.