@mkubecek said in #18:
> How about the opposite question: why would an amateur player want to play against a GM? [...]
It's not an easy question to answer. We could say that it's for the wonderful "lesson" or something, but I'm not sure that's quite right. And as you say, any much stronger player would provide a similar function.
I can say that the several times during my teenage years that I played against a master player (no GMs for me, but a couple of IMs and another minor master) in a simultaneous display, the only likely opportunity which ever presents itself to amateurs, I found the experience absolutely thrilling. Quite why, I can't say.
> How about the opposite question: why would an amateur player want to play against a GM? [...]
It's not an easy question to answer. We could say that it's for the wonderful "lesson" or something, but I'm not sure that's quite right. And as you say, any much stronger player would provide a similar function.
I can say that the several times during my teenage years that I played against a master player (no GMs for me, but a couple of IMs and another minor master) in a simultaneous display, the only likely opportunity which ever presents itself to amateurs, I found the experience absolutely thrilling. Quite why, I can't say.