Most Popular
1500 questions
22
votes
3 answers
White to play and checkmate in two moves
It’s White to play and checkmate in two moves.
This puzzle was created by Frank Healey, and published in 5 Family Herald on 7/17/1858.
7R/1B1N4/8/3r4/1K2k3/8/5Q2/8 w - - 0 1
Marinel
- 237
- 2
- 3
22
votes
3 answers
Why did Garry Kasparov not play under the flag of Azerbaijan in his comeback tournament in the summer of 2017?
Garry Kasparov was born in 1963 in Baku, Azerbaijan, at the time part of the USSR, Soviet Union.
According to the news he has also acquired Croatian citizenship.
In his comeback tournament in the summer of 2017 he still used the Russian…
MOLAP
- 557
- 3
- 9
22
votes
1 answer
Why was 50 chosen for the 50-move rule?
The reason for the 50-move rule, along with the triple-repetition rule is to make chess definitely finite. How did one arrive at the number 50? What would change if it was 40 or 60? Is the number 50 chosen carefully?
Armen Tsirunyan
- 789
- 1
- 6
- 9
22
votes
9 answers
Resources on chess variants
While posting this question, I stumbled on this list of variants from Wikipedia, which I must admit is totally awesome.
I know a few online servers allow a few variants, but am not aware of places where many variants players would gather, which…
Nikana Reklawyks
- 2,465
- 19
- 34
22
votes
4 answers
How to relax when playing chess?
I always tend to be tense when playing. I guess you could say I find chess somewhat stressful? I see it as a fight to win as opposed to some ordinary board game like Monopoly. I really can't relate to well with people who just play chess because…
user10265
- 221
- 2
- 3
22
votes
7 answers
How much time should be spent playing versus studying?
I have been learning fairly rapidly lately (will probably go about 400 points in about a year), although I am sure that pace will slow with time.
However, my learning is actually slowed down because I like to play too much. That sounds silly because…
Jeff Davis
- 1,732
- 1
- 17
- 19
22
votes
7 answers
How can one improve their over-the-board analysis skills?
I think of analysis as the ability to mentally move through variations, recognize tactical ideas in those variations, and draw accurate conclusions regarding the fitness of the resulting positions.
I have heard it said that the ability to perform…
Robert Kaucher
- 2,644
- 21
- 26
22
votes
1 answer
What is the theoretical consensus on the Roscher Gambit?
Edit: My mind played a trick on me after the fact. As Akavall notes in a comment, the Chadaev-Carlsen blitz game that I mention below actually proceeded 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nf3, a different gambit than the one my question asks about. So please…
ETD
- 23,452
- 4
- 96
- 169
21
votes
1 answer
What should an arbiter do if a player has illegally stopped notating?
Situation: a standard game, 1 hour 40 minutes for the game with 10 seconds increment per move. FIDE rules. White has two minutes left and has stopped writing down his moves, as he is allowed to because he has less than five minutes. Black has an…
RemcoGerlich
- 27,974
- 80
- 122
21
votes
4 answers
What is the theoretical limit for the number of consecutive checks?
The known record for the longest sequence of consecutive checks (i.e. white checks, then black checks on the next move, white checks next, and so on) in a legal position without promoted pieces, is 37. See this article on Tim Krabbe's site entitled…
Peter
- 3,399
- 17
- 31
21
votes
2 answers
What is the origin of this breakthrough combination?
If you've spent enough time in the world of chess, it's not unlikely that you've come across the following position, with white to move and win, or an essentially identical one. You'll see plenty of hits for it, for instance, if you google: chess…
ETD
- 23,452
- 4
- 96
- 169
21
votes
4 answers
Can it be proven that 11. 0-0-0+ is legal in this position?
Because the chess site this was on takes its puzzles from real games and gives the move numbers, potential solvers knew that the following position was reached after exactly 10 moves by each player.
[fen…
user2668
21
votes
3 answers
Will quantum computers solve chess?
The theory is that there are more that 10^40 positions, and a computer that works with an atomic scale has to be impossibly large(As in galaxy-scale large), and well beyond our current level of knowledge.
But now, quantum computers will soon be…
MikhailTal
- 3,281
- 4
- 24
- 50
21
votes
4 answers
Is it allowed to prepare for a game after the round has started?
At the recent US Open I started the tournament well and was paired against a GM in the roped-off area. I had worked out the pairing well in advance and was able to do some fairly heavy openings preparation before the game. The official pairings,…
Cleveland
- 7,584
- 1
- 28
- 39
21
votes
8 answers
When is it the right time to resign?
Most advanced players know when it is time to resign, but many beginners don't. What factors do you consider when it is time to resign?
xaisoft
- 16,753
- 10
- 72
- 140