Chess is one of the most popular two-player strategy games. It has survived centuries of strategical analysis and continues to thrive amongst players of all skills and ages.
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1answer
97 views
What is the appropriate way to snipe a king that castles through check?
In lightning chess matches (matches with time controls of 3 minutes or less on each side), some players play with the rule of "king sniping" - that is, to save time, if the opponent played a move that ...
15
votes
2answers
508 views
Was the blind chess match between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty in the movie Game of Shadows real/plausible?
I saw the movie and was wowed by two things: the blind chess match in which Holmes wins with the move Bishop-Bishop 8, discovered check; and the mental fist fight they have in their minds. It's such a ...
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vote
2answers
143 views
Can a pawn move to the last line in chess as part of a promotion even if the square is blocked by an opponent's piece?
My reason for asking is I believe the promotion to be instant: As the pawn's toe crosses the line into the square, it transforms into the promotion piece's toe...
Meaning that even though the route ...
7
votes
1answer
84 views
Methods for handicapping chess
My four-and-a-half year old son is learning chess. He's got the moves of the pieces down and understands how to checkmate with two rooks (or rook and queen).
I've read some good suggestions in this ...
11
votes
1answer
132 views
What form of chess was played in seventh-century Arabia?
In Islam, there are a number of reports (of variable grades of authenticity) that the prophet Muhammad either forbade or explicitly disliked the playing of chess. As is known, he was centered in what ...
8
votes
1answer
144 views
How can I learn to play chess blindfold?
I'm an intermediate-level amateur chess player. How would I go about learning how to accurately play a complete game of chess, blindfolded? What skills are needed, and how are they practiced?
In ...
3
votes
3answers
195 views
Database of chess games for evaluating ranking systems?
I would like to test my ranking system based on information theory.
I need a database of games with outcomes and ranks of the single players.
Where can I find this?
9
votes
6answers
2k views
What is the best way to learn chess strategy and tactics?
I am interested in learning chess. I am already familiar with the rules of the game, but I am very weak when it comes to tactics and strategy.
I am afraid that if I just register at chess.com and ...
9
votes
2answers
842 views
Restrictions around promoting a pawn
I have tried to read the Wikipedia article but it is too confusing on what the current accepted standard is.
My questions are:
If a pawn makes it to the last row can they stay as a pawn?
If a pawn ...
25
votes
2answers
667 views
Is pawn promotion to rook or bishop something that is seen in play?
Reading What is the proper Algebraic Notation for a pawn being promoted? made me wonder whether pawn promotion to rook or bishop ever happens. The only time I can think this might happen is when ...
6
votes
2answers
423 views
What is the proper Algebraic Notation for a pawn being promoted?
Are you supposed to use an arrow → or not.
Pe8→Q
Pe8Q
Where 'P' is the piece being moved (Pawn) , 'Q' is promotion to (Queen), 'e8' is the file ('e') and rank ('8')?
4
votes
1answer
413 views
Developing Chess Game After 20 moves
Suppose I start out a chess game in this manner: http://goo.gl/reCxP
From this advantage, I have a few questions:
Which item should I sacrifice so I can gain better ground position?
Should I ...
8
votes
2answers
180 views
Chess - Learning to Sacrifice Pieces for the Greater Good
I have trouble with learning what pieces to sacrifice when. Any good examples or playable scenarios on the web to help guide with that? My biggest problem is in the early game, learning what to ...
10
votes
4answers
294 views
New idea in Sicilian for white?
I was wondering if someone could explain why this may be bad for white. Engines say white is a 0.5 of a pawn down after this line, but other than stunted development, I do not see a clear way in which ...
10
votes
3answers
486 views
Can a single player have all nine potential queens in one game?
I would like to know whether it is possible to, in a single game, convert all eight pawns of one colour into queens while retaining the original queen.
Presume that we are both playing chess ...
4
votes
1answer
181 views
Chess (and variations) Endgame Complexity
My understanding is that the game of Go with Japanese Ko rules is, like most such games, EXPTIME-Complete, but that ladders are PSPACE-Complete and that Go endgames have been analyzed independently as ...
10
votes
2answers
340 views
Opening strategies in Chess 960 (Fisher Random Chess)
I had a go at Chess 960 the other day, but whereas I thought I might do better against the computer as it didn't have an opening book, in fact the opposite happened as it quickly found holes in my ...
5
votes
1answer
443 views
Solid openings for Blitz Chess
Is there an accepted repertoire of openings that are solid in Blitz (3-5min per side) Chess? I guess the primary factors should be:
reasonably solid
simple structures
minimal number of tactical ...
5
votes
3answers
331 views
Best way to improve ourselves when playing against a computer
It's often said by world-class Backgammon players that the best way to improve one's play is to analyse one's games with a computer program such as gnubg, JellyFish or Snowie.
gnubg has a "tutor ...
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votes
0answers
200 views
Good places to purchase a hexagonal chess board (or materials to build one with)? [closed]
I am interested in getting a hexagonal board to play the ImmortalStarMasters chess variant on (it allows you to have six players playing on the same board). Does anyone know where to get one?
5
votes
4answers
233 views
What are good resources or techniques to improve one's offence or finishing game?
I'm a moderately skilled chess player; I can beat most casual players and survive quite a while against class A, expert, or master players. Unfortunately, virtually all of my skill is in control of ...
27
votes
9answers
2k views
What techniques should I use to teach my 5-year old to play chess?
The other night while playing checkers with my 5 year old, he told me that he wanted to make up a game using the checkerboard which had different pieces that could do different things. I told him that ...
8
votes
4answers
380 views
Chess variant that allows humans to be competitive vs computers
It seems that computers can beat the majority of chess players out there, and at the current rate in which distributed computing is going, it seems like the #1 chess player out there will be computers ...
1
vote
4answers
646 views
How Can I Identify How To Beat My Computer At Chess? [closed]
This is an embarrassing question to have to ask, but here goes. Recently I've gotten a new Mac laptop which has a chess program on it. I'm not a chess expert by any means: I can beat casual players ...
14
votes
1answer
442 views
How are numerical chess rankings calculated for different ranking systems?
I know there are several different ranking systems for chess, but how do they work in general? How exactly do they approximate your skill and how you will fare against other players? How can I figure ...
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votes
4answers
444 views
Go, MahJong, and Chess. Together?
Do you think these games have enough in common to start a serious, competitive club focusing around them? There's definitely enough between Go and Chess, but what about MahJong? I know there is plenty ...
11
votes
3answers
444 views
What is the repeated move stalemate?
I've heard of a rule where if the same move sequence is repeated 3 times (6 moves total) the game ends in a stale mate.
Is this a de facto rule or a convention adopted outside the formal rules?
5
votes
2answers
340 views
What are the standard time settings in chess
What are some of the most popular game times today as well as historically.
12
votes
3answers
943 views
Can a king capture an opposing queen?
A Beginner's Scenario: I castle kingside prior to ever being in check. Then, my son positions his queen and on a subsequent turn, takes out the middle pawn of three (see diagram below), thus exposing ...
9
votes
4answers
360 views
In Chess, Why Does Black Sometimes Play “Cramped” Openings?
I'm referring to openings such as d6 (Pirc Defense) or e6 (French Defense) in answer to say, e4. These openings often make it more difficult to develop pieces than say, c5 or e5. In particular, the ...
8
votes
4answers
419 views
In chess, when is it appropriate to resign?
I know I should not resign after losing the exchange, or a piece, and probably not even if I lose a Rook. But how about if I lose a Queen for a Knight? Would it be expected of a player to keep ...
4
votes
1answer
155 views
Where can I find Bobby Fischer's debut game?
Once I saw the game in an encyclopedia, and I remember being impressed. Now, I'd like to find it again. Is there some inventory of famous games I can find it in?
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votes
3answers
117 views
Is there a variant of chess such that in the starting position Bishops and Knights are switched?
White's back row would look like this: RBNQKNBR and Black's would undergo an equivalent change.
Where can I learn more about this variant/play this variant with someone experienced?
8
votes
4answers
428 views
Are there any reputable chess openings which begin a4, b4, g4, or h4?
I have heard of 1 b3 and 1 g3, but never any of those in the question title. Is this because they do not work in practical play?
I've tried 1. g4 d5 2. h3 e5 3. d4 Nc6 etc. with a good chance of a ...
3
votes
1answer
244 views
How far can a knight travel without visiting the same square twice?
How many Knight moves is it possible to execute on an empty chess board before the Knight lands on a square it has already landed on in its previous moves? The most I've ever been able to land on was ...
7
votes
4answers
445 views
Does anyone use the P-K4 type of chess notation anymore?
I have several chess books, all of which use the P-K4 type of notation rather than the e4 type. I am still more used to the older form, since those books were my first introduction to chess ...
3
votes
2answers
267 views
In chess, why is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 rarely visited?
This opening begins by copying the Ruy Lopez/Morphy Defense for the first three moves, but White branches off with 4 Bxc6. I've read that 4 ... dxc6 5 Nxe5 Qd4 is effective for Black to recover his ...
6
votes
3answers
756 views
Is there a way to point chess moves?
I know there are points for each chess piece, but is there a way to - imprecisely, for sure - measure/point chess moves?
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3answers
291 views
Which castling method is superior?
Chess has two types of castling: kingside and queenside.
Which one is more advantageous near the beginning of the game?
7
votes
1answer
226 views
What chess-opening does this cat play
I just saw this funny cat video where the cat gets beaten in chess by a trick opening. It is not the well known fool's mate, but I guess it is a famous opening too. Can anyone identify the opening ...
10
votes
3answers
633 views
Did tactics training improve your chess significantly?
There are quite a few sites for training in chess tactics. For those having experience with using any of these, how did these affect your rating? Is there a strong correlation between e.g. ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the “En passant” rule in chess?
How useful is that rule and how many times we can use that in one game?
Under what conditions can the en passant rule be used?
How often does it come up and is it a good idea to use it?
8
votes
1answer
377 views
Is it possible to position all chess pieces on the board such that all pieces defend at least one piece and attack at least one piece?
Is it possible to position all chess pieces on the board such that all pieces defend at least one piece and attack at least one piece?
9
votes
2answers
330 views
What is the name of the following chess opening? What are its pros and cons?
At some point, when I was young, I learned an opening that involves the following moves: possibly after moving queen's pawn to the centre (d4), move out king's knight to above the bishop (Nf3), move ...
28
votes
7answers
3k views
Are Bishops more valuable than Knights?
Bishops and Knights are both traditionally considered to have a similar value, worth roughly three pawns each. However, I have heard arguments that under certain circumstances they are not so closely ...
13
votes
5answers
404 views
What is a positional game in chess?
What does it mean to have a positional game, or to play a positional game?
What is the opposite?
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votes
4answers
582 views
Why is it of high importance to control the center of the board in Chess?
One reason for this is that from the center of the board, your pieces
have quicker access to the other parts of the board. Another is that
your pieces often attack a larger number of squares. What ...
12
votes
1answer
403 views
What factors should be considered before doubling pawns?
I know the basic strength of double pawns is that it may open up a rank for a rook, and that the weakness is that the pawns can no longer defend one another. Other than an obvious material advantage, ...
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votes
10answers
2k views
Are There Any Real-Life Applications of Chess?
Chess seems to develop a specialized skill set that in my experience is mostly irrelevant to everyday life. However, I would like to know of any real-life applications that I have overlooked. I am a ...
13
votes
4answers
435 views
When is it a good time to offer a draw in chess, and when should I accept one?
Professional players often offer draws in chess and accept them. While draws can be very common in professional play, they appear to be very rare in casual play. Naturally, if you're winning, ...
