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1500 questions
21
votes
3 answers
Ambiguity in notation resolved by +
In the board position both knights can move to e4. To distinguish which knight moved one would normally write Nce4 or Nfe4. However in this special situation only Nce4 is check.
Would it be sufficient here to write Ne4+ (meaning Nce4) only (i.e.…
user1583209
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21
votes
2 answers
The Game of the Century - why didn't Byrne take the rook after he forked Fischer?
I'm guessing that there's a pretty simple explanation for this, but I can't seem to see it.
[White "Donald Byrne"]
[Black "Robert James Fischer"]
[fen ""]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. d4 O-O 5. Bf4 d5 6. Qb3 dxc4 7. Qxc4 c6 8. e4 Nbd7 9. Rd1…
Brandon_J
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21
votes
3 answers
What are "full piece" and "half piece" in chess?
I'm reading Kasparov's Deep Thinking and I came across this sentence:
In one computer championship, a machine blundered a full piece early
in the game but its opponent declined to capture it.
When I googled it I also saw the term "half piece" but…
Dennis
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21
votes
2 answers
The history of the 175-move draw rule
The U.S. Chess Federation piloted a 175-move draw rule in the fourth edition of its Official Rules. This interesting rule ended a game automatically after 175 moves, whether or not either player had claimed a draw. (The rule also included some…
thb
- 4,539
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21
votes
4 answers
Why is it a good idea to fianchetto above the castled King? If I do that, should I make sure to leave the Bishop there for a while to guard the hole?
I understand why fianchettoing can be helpful, even deadly to an opponent, but should it really be done on the side which the King castles into? I realize that the King's Indian Defense/Attack involves fianchettoing on the kingside as well as…
Daniel
- 6,172
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21
votes
3 answers
How to deal with an opposing pawn storm?
During some recent games I played, I have lost because my opponent advanced their pawns very far, attacking my pieces and forcing them to retreat. In some cases the pieces became trapped as well. Although these pawns may have been overextended, the…
lily
- 1,167
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21
votes
16 answers
Should you always try your best (play as if your opponent is a grandmaster)?
Should you always play with your "best" skills no matter how (un)skilled your opponent is?
Is there a situation where intentionally not playing to the best of your abilities is a good strategy? Like, let's say you're playing against a chess noob.…
clickbait
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21
votes
6 answers
What is a good, aggressive response against the Sicilian Defense?
I would like to learn a good response against the Sicilian defense (in your opinion), for both blitz and slower games.
I am looking for a more aggressive response, since it fits best my style. Currently I am trying to learn the Grand Prix attack. I…
dreamcrash
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21
votes
5 answers
What is 'space' on a chessboard?
I know, I know, this sounds like a ridiculous question, but bear with me.
As an example of my lack of understanding, let's take the advanced variation of the French defense.
[title "Advanced variation of the French Defense"]
[fen ""]
1.e4 e6…
Dave H
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21
votes
1 answer
Are Elo ratings adjusted after each match, or after each tournament?
I'm aware that the FIDE ratings list is only published once per month. I'm interested in how often the ratings are recalculated internally to FIDE without being published.
Are ratings adjusted match after match, or after every tournament? Even if…
Myungjin Hyun
- 1,120
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21
votes
5 answers
What's the correlation between FIDE rating and online rating?
I'm wondering if there's any way to get an approximation of my FIDE rating by using one of my online ratings, say ICC or chess.com rating? If not, is there, at least, a correlation between how well you rank on those sites and your eventual FIDE…
Soufiane Hassou
- 1,468
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21
votes
2 answers
Why can't the king castle in this position?
In a video I'm watching (requires register), it has this setup.
[FEN "r3k2r/pp1qn1pp/2p2p2/8/3P4/5N2/PP2QPPP/2R1R1K1 b kq - 0 1"]
[startflipped ""]
The instructor says:
The king cannot escape, he cannot castle kingside or queenside,
because of the…
garci560
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21
votes
9 answers
Why do chess coaches encourage their students to play stronger players?
I am a 1400 rated player. We have 4 players in our club rated 2000+. If I sat down and played 100 games against one of them, I would lose 100 games. So, how does losing 100 games against one of these strong players EVER make me a better player?…
Dave H
- 579
- 4
- 10
21
votes
5 answers
Why do some players consider it rude not to accept a rematch in online blitz?
I play a lot of online blitz, and frequently my opponent would offer a rematch after a game. Although I sometimes accept, I usually am more interested in analyzing the game to see if I can learn from my mistakes, so I usually decline.
Reading some…
firtydank
- 5,767
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21
votes
6 answers
Is it beneficial to play blindfolded chess?
I've played only two blindfold games so far, but it was against someone who was maybe at a 1000 uscf rating strength, and hence was fairly easy to beat, and once against my friend, who's also rated about 1650, like myself. I also managed to beat him…
chubbycantorset
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