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1500 questions
12
votes
6 answers
Should a beginner move from fundamentals to opening theory?
After learning the fundamentals, should one start learning openings or should there be something else in between?
xaisoft
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12
votes
4 answers
Ruy Lopez Main Line - Why not Be7 before Nf6?
In the Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defense Main Line,
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
after 4.Ba4, the engine suggests Be7 as one of the best moves, tied with Nf6. The opening book Perfect2021 confirms this. Yet, there's no…
Wood
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12
votes
4 answers
Playing chess with a mentally demanding job?
For those with mentally demanding jobs, how do you manage to play/study chess after work? I am a software engineer and I'm deep thinking pretty much all day long at work. I feel mentally exhausted after work, but I would like to play chess. What are…
hexaquark
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12
votes
5 answers
Why is this position -6.2 without a big material difference?
In one of my recent games, I got to the following position, Black to play:
[FEN "2rr2k1/1q2bppp/p3pn2/np1p4/4PQ2/P1N2P1P/BP1R2P1/2R1B1K1 b - - 1 21"]
While playing the game, I analyzed d4 and it looked good even after Ne2 saving the rook but I…
Minot
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12
votes
8 answers
Longest chess game possible (maximum moves)
What is the longest chess game possible in terms of chess moves? I read somewhere that there is a theoretical maximum of 5949 moves. But I don't see any proof and I don't think it is correct.
Can it be infinite?
Source
Quaxton Hale
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12
votes
6 answers
Why do I need to notate the file when capturing with a pawn?
As we all know, in algebraic notation, we usually suppress the notation for pawns. That is, unless they are capturing something. Then, for some reason, we must notate the file of that pawn. For all other moves, you only need to notate the file (or…
Gaussler
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12
votes
2 answers
Is it the case that in practice making moves only decreases your positional score according to computers?
It occurred to me that presumably every chess engine's score is based on the best available continuation move, and thus every other move must be worse (or at least no better).
i.e. if there were a move that the engine could immediately assess as…
Brondahl
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12
votes
3 answers
Are knights more powerful in Duck Chess?
In the chess variant Duck Chess (full rules), each player moves the shared blocking "duck" piece to any free square on their turn, taking away one or more moves for the opponent.
One immediate consequence of this is the failure of "distant defence":…
SE - stop firing the good guys
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12
votes
3 answers
How often do Super GMs achieve 100% engine correlation?
There has been speculation that anomalous values of a correlation metric1 may hint to the use of outside assistance.
Example
Examination of Hans Niemann vs Matthieu Cornette surprises:
Hikaru Nakamura:
this looked like a perfect game
Yosha…
stevec
- 2,087
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12
votes
3 answers
Position where neither player can force a win and neither player can force a draw
One sometimes sees the claim that in every chess position, either White has a forced win, or Black has a forced win, or both players can force a draw.
While this claim is "morally" correct, it is technically not quite correct. To be pedantically…
Timothy Chow
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12
votes
2 answers
Rock, paper, scissors of chess players
Chess players are typically rated by a single number, their Elo rating, which suggests that their skills are totally ordered and thus transitive. But I am wondering if there have ever been three (well-known) chess players A, B, C such that,…
ajd
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12
votes
1 answer
How to improve my blitz skills?
As far as casual chess goes, I'm a fairly average player. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I'm generally able to avoid obvious blunders, think a move or a couple forward, etc.
However, since I've taken up chess, I've tried my skills in some…
Maciej Stachowski
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12
votes
1 answer
When did FIDE's attitude towards boycotts change?
First off, don't get me wrong. I fully understand and back FIDE's removal of competitions from Russia and Belarus. When one country is invading a neighbour the last thing you want to do is hold a tournament there. I also get the banning of official…
Brian Towers
- 96,800
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12
votes
5 answers
Objectively, do playing styles exist?
I think nobody here will disagree to call Tal a master of attack and Petrosian a master of defense, or Kasparov more tactical and Karpov more positional. But then, such differences would be moot for a hypothetical 32-piece tablebase. Can, what we…
Hauke Reddmann
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12
votes
2 answers
Need Techniques for Bishop and Knight Checkmate
I understand the process for how to checkmate once in this position:
[fen "7k/8/5K2/5B2/5N2/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
But I need a technique for reliably getting into that kind of position from, say, here (or any other arbitrary position), while under time…
Adam Gluntz
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