It would be very nice to play without computers, but it is only possible for tournaments played between friends. Now it is a new era and we can't disallow computers. I know - It is ANOTHER discipline, but it can be also beautiful.
Please read: http://blog.chess.com/piotr/correspondence-chess---ivar-bern
I was never the one to subscribe to the "everybody's doing it, so let's just make it legal" argument. What you do is enforce the rules just as in any other sport. If you hold a tourney that disallows computer assistance and you have evidence that someone did use a computer, you nullify his victory and prevent him for participating ever again. In other words, you have to put the fear of God in the players that if they cheat, they will be caught and punished severely.
Furthermore, what ever happened to a code of honor? The expectation that players will abide by the agreed upon rules of the game? This idea that cheating will be the norm is poisonous to say the least. We shouldn't be validating bad behavior.
Nah, as I see it, going with the flow will only lead to a degradation in the quality of chess and the ruination of serious competition. As Reb pointed out, CC will ultimately de-evolve to who has the better program and who can manipulate it better. I might as well start playing World in Warcraft if that becomes the case.
That is exactly what I thought about correspondence chess with computers a few years ago. Now I just see it is a new discipline. And it is not true that it is only "who has a stronger computer and/or program". An experienced human player with a weak computer is ALWAYS STRONGER than a strong computer alone.
But you are right. The old-fashion correspondence chess is gone. I just try to tell you there is something interesting about the new CC. Please read the article and the comments to know what I mean.
I just read this article:
Postal games in the Computer Age
"Alik Zilberberg of San Diego, one of only seven correspondence grandmasters in the country, scored an undefeated 8-6 in the 20th World Correspondence Chess Championship. Final results in the tournament, which began in 2004, are not known yet. Two players have scored 8 1/2 points, and a few games are not finished....
Another change, less welcome for some players, makes it legal to use computers to analyze positions. At the championship level, humans can see further than computers, and victory does not depend on software. The game below shows a precisely calculated attack that is beyond the power of any computer. Black's early resignation may be attributed to the computer age; once the human achieves a winning position, his computer assistant will help him steer clear of pitfalls."
I hope the allowance of computer analysis in a top-level tourney doesn't become a trend! CC chess is probably the last hold out for classical chess (i.e., human chess with long time controls) . I don't want to see computer analysis corrupting CC chess too! I think it was a big mistake to allow the use of computers.
Also, is it true that people can see further than computers? I've never heard that before. If that is the case, why are computers always winning?