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1500 questions
16
votes
5 answers

What are the biggest free chess game databases? Is it legal to download games from them?

Are there some free chess game databases where it is possible and allowed to download games? Is it possible to use this information for my own purposes? For example, would be allowed to make a machine learning app that learned from the downloaded…
Superluminal
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What is the average age to become a grandmaster?

On average, what is the age of people when they obtain the title of international master or grandmaster? I also wonder how the age distribution looks like.
Maxwell86
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15
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5 answers

Is it possible for a white piece to deliver check to the black king, but for black's counter move to result in white getting checkmated?

Is it possible for a white piece to deliver check to the black king, but for black's counter move to result in white getting checkmated? Has this happened in games between top players?
Bravo
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15
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7 answers

What are the best chess blogs?

I enjoy reading about chess and there is a number of blogs that I follow. And I do toy with the idea of starting a chess blog myself in a distant and uncertain future. So I want to tap your combined knowledge: What are the best chess blogs you…
BlindKungFuMaster
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15
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3 answers

Why are there no more exhibition games between top players and computers?

The 1997 match between Kasparov and Deep Blue is likely the most famous chess match in history. This is because it was ground breaking - for the first time ever a computer had beaten the best player in the world. The complete history of man versus…
EPN
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15
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4 answers

What are the best openings in Antichess?

I am experiencing Antichess and it's more forcing than normal chess. What are the best openings for white ? Is there any winning opening whatever the black does respond? Antichess, according to Wikipedia: Losing chess (also known as Antichess,…
BigOther
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4 answers

Why do some (many!) grandmasters play the opening so slowly?

I know it is never good to memorize opening lines and play them without understanding the plans and ideas, but still, I see so many grandmasters play moves from #5 to around #10 so slowly as if they've never seen the position before. But we know…
prestokeys
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15
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5 answers

Are there positions which cannot be properly analyzed by any computer?

Are there positions in chess which every engines is unable to analyze properly ? Maybe calm positions with a positional advantage the engines do not recognize ? Or positions won in the long term but with no concrete winning moves ?
Peter
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15
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5 answers

When are pieces worth more (or less) than their nominal value?

Which are the most common situations in which pieces are worth more/less than their value, in point? For example, I know that a protected Knight on 6th rank (3rd for Black) of columns d and e may be worth at least as much as a Rook (thus 5 points).…
javatutorial
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3 answers

Is the result in mini-chess known with perfect play?

I do not know, if "mini-chess" is the official name of the game I am talking about. In mini-chess, the players only start with the pawns (In particular, there are no kings!) The players play the moves alternate, as in the usual chess. If a player…
Peter
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5 answers

He has two queens. I have one. Is it proper chess etiquette to check him non stop just to avoid losing?

I am losing a game. My only option is to check my opponent non stop. I have no chance to checkmate him. I am only hoping to force a draw. Is this proper chess etiquette?
nathan triplett
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15
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6 answers

What would be the elo of a computer program that plays at random?

What would be the Elo of a computer program that plays random moves? For the sake of simplicity, assume that he never asks for a draw or resigns and never accepts a draw offer.
fotipute
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15
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14 answers

An aggressive opening for Black against 1. e4

I am a novice at chess. I am around 1400-1600 chess rating. I have struggled to find any sound aggressive openings for black against E4. As white I play the Scotch Gambit which I have great success with. Can anyone recommend any sound openings for…
Stash
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15
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4 answers

What book should I refer to to begin learning chess?

I'm a highschool student and want to play chess seriously. A friend of mine taught me the basic rules of the game. What book should I refer to to begin learning chess? I tried Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals but got stuck in the first chapter due…
Soham
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5 answers

Always losing to the same opponent?

I am just asking if anyone here suffers a problem of always losing to the same opponent. This problem occurs to me so often against one particular player. Well, the story goes like this: When I first played chess, I met a chess player, let him be A.…
Brass2010
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