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1500 questions
23
votes
9 answers

Is it beneficial to play chess against yourself?

I tried it when I first learned chess, and it was fascinating, because I had no ideas about strategy or tactics. But now that I have some experience, it seems pointless, as I know what my "opponent" is thinking all the time, and what my main ideas…
chubbycantorset
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23
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7 answers

How to recover from a blunder?

I have been in a situation where I have not been paying attention and suddenly I move my queen to an unprotected square and it is taken. My initial thought is: Oh $*%! :) But if the blunder is mediocre or not devastating, how does one get into the…
xaisoft
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23
votes
6 answers

Why do some openings have Indian in their name?

Why are a few chess openings named King's Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense, Nimzo-Indian defense, and so on? What is the significance of Indian in all these opening names? What's India's contribution to it?
Rook16
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23
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7 answers

How do you know when a FEN position is legal?

I am making a research on validating FEN positions, at first it is obvious the basics things to look for, such as checking if there are only two kings and making sure the rows or columns add up and those kinds of things. But what other checks should…
ajax333221
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23
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2 answers

Is it permitted to stare at a blank chessboard during a tournament game?

Long-winded Motivation I have recently noticed during my own tournament games that I am not infrequently closing my eyes, or at least looking away from the board, when engaged in in-depth calculation (or what counts as in-depth for me). This isn't…
ETD
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23
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4 answers

Is there any position where not promoting (illegally) would be the best move?

Is there any position, where moving a pawn to last rank but not promoting it to any piece would be the best move? By the way, I know this is an illegal move. Assume it is legal. Edit: Now we have a nice answer from Dag Oskar which ends with…
ferit
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23
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1 answer

What is the solution to this mate in 2 puzzle?

What could be the answer to it?
Arun Bertil
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23
votes
13 answers

What are good YouTube channels for improving chess?

What are good YouTube channels that help to improve our chess? Channels which are analyzing their own games (Blitz, standard, OTB) or discussing tactics, strategies, etc. I list some of these channels in the following. Please share your…
Saeed Amiri
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23
votes
4 answers

Does elo rating have a limit?

The highest Elo rating to date is 2882, which belongs to Carlsen, while the last Elo rating of Kasparov is 2851. Could I have an Elo rating of 2950 or maybe 3000? Does the Elo rating have a limit?
non been being
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23
votes
4 answers

Can a pawn put a king in check?

I am only an amateur player, but have been playing for many years. Every now and then I come across people who are adamant that a pawn cannot put a king into check. The last person who I discussed this with was a high school student who played…
going
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23
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4 answers

How to get out of "Hope" chess into "Real" chess

I read this article by Dan Heisman on playing 3 different types of chess: "Flip-Coin", "Hope", and "Real". I think I am stuck in "Hope" chess, where I make a move that I think is pretty cool and hope it works instead of playing a move based on…
xaisoft
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22
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10 answers

What are the things that a 2000 player knows that a 1800 player doesn't know?

I'm stuck at 1600-1800 in chess.com. My rating fluctuates within that range. There must be something that I still don't understand that is already understood by a 1900-2000 player. So I am asking for tips. How can I reach elo 2000? Should I focus on…
user1764381
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22
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5 answers

How quickly must a move be completed?

I was playing in a tournament once, during a sequence of captures, my opponent could recapture my Knight about 4 different ways. He just removed it and carried on thinking. What should I have done?
AndyM
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22
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7 answers

Why is the King's Gambit not played often?

I have observed that the King's Gambit is usually not played at international level. Is there any specific reason for this?
Binoj Antony
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22
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5 answers

Good resource for annotated games

I'm finding annotated chess games very handy to increase my level of chess knowledge. Are there any recommendations on good online resources for annotated games? I've found a few, but the annotations are either not very good, or the ratings of the…
Cameron Castillo
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