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1500 questions
10
votes
1 answer
Opponent replies to a half made move - what should the arbiter do?
In round 1 of the recently concluded 4th EJCOA IM norm tournament this game was played:
[Title "Rajat Makkar vs Neil Berry 4th EJCOA IM Norm 2022"]
[fen ""]
[Startply "36"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. c5 c6 8.…
Brian Towers
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10
votes
3 answers
Is the 2...g6 Dutch automatically winning for White?
I was trying to recall what the Dutch Defense looks like (I hardly know anything about it), so I opened up Stockfish to put in
[Title "Dutch Defense"]
[FEN ""]
1. d4 f5 2. c4 g6
and I was surprised to read from the engine analysis that 3. h4!…
Chris Sanders
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10
votes
2 answers
Do you lose/gain rating if you withdraw in the middle of an OTB tournament?
Magnus just withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup. Does that affect his rating at the end of the tournament? Will he gain or lose rating based on at the time he left the tournament in the next fide update?
Side question - Does that also mean that Nepo's…
cmgchess
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10
votes
5 answers
Why does Black get away with giving White so many free tempi in the Sicilian?
Every child learns that piece activity is the most important principle in chess, which is why we should develop quickly in the opening and avoid unnecessary pawn moves (and start with 1.e4 or 1.d4, because we can then develop a bishop and take a…
Hauptideal
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- 36
10
votes
2 answers
Do I have to make a move on a DGT board at the start of the game when opponent is not present?
In a situation when you are playing on a DGT board as white and your opponent has not yet arrived at the board, should we still make the move on the board after the game has started?
Let's say your opponent is still on the way to the tournament and…
cmgchess
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10
votes
3 answers
Why after 1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 is so common but after 1. c4 Nf6, 2. d4 is so rare?
I am using Lichess's master database and after 1. d4 Nf6, 71.63% of the game continues with 2. c4. However, after 1. c4 Nf6, only 5.22% of the game continues with 2. d4. Are they not essentially the same opening?
My question is:
Why after 1. d4 Nf6,…
Zuriel
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10
votes
2 answers
How many openings should I study simultaneously?
I want to start studying a few openings. Say I am currently most interested in the King's Gambit as white, and want to play it as often as possible. (This isn't particular to the King's Gambit, I just had to name something.) Since I want to practice…
Arthur
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10
votes
7 answers
What is the purpose of 3...a6 in the Ruy Lopez?
It doesn't kick the bishop off that diagonal, and playing ...b5 later puts the bishop on another great diagonal and is supposedly bad for black (an explanation of this would be great too). So why is 3...a6 in the main line for black?
[FEN ""]
1.e4…
user1839
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10
votes
4 answers
How would the min max algorithm of a chess engine work in the case of 3 player chess?
I understand that for 2 player chess if an engine is playing white, then the engine uses a min max algorithm, which assumes that black will always make the move that is best for black, or worst for white, and that white will always make moves that…
Anders Gustafson
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10
votes
1 answer
At the Candidates, are players allowed to discuss the tournament situation with each other?
As I write this question, Ian Nepomniachtchi is leading the ongoing Candidates tournament by a substantial margin. Since it's a winner-takes-all tournament, everyone else needs Nepomniachtchi to lose.
Are the other players allowed to discuss how to…
Allure
- 26,534
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10
votes
4 answers
Is it possible to estimate my ELO without joining an organization or anything?
I would like to know if it's possible to get a rough idea of what my ELO is and how accurate those methods are.
For example, I did one of those "chess tests" and the results it gave me didn't quite seem right. I did the one on ELOMeter.net, and got…
M1976
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10
votes
2 answers
History of physical fitness in the world championships
Who can forget this picture from Kortchnoi's preparation for his 1981 match against Karpov?
More on Kortchnoi's physical preparation for the match in Merano in this 1986 documentary made by English IM William Hartson from about 22:40 here.
I…
Brian Towers
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10
votes
2 answers
How is it possible for a player without 2500 ELO to obtain the GM title?
I recently came across a GM who has a peak rating 2495 and has obtained the GM title after completing three norms.
From my understanding, in order to become a GM one must
Achieve a FIDE rating of 2500, and
Earn three GM norms.
Is this some kind of…
cmgchess
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10
votes
6 answers
What strategies should I be thinking about at the beginning of the game?
In the middle and the end of a chess game, there are visible consequences to almost every move you can make, there are more constraints limiting what is logical to move, and it is fairly straightforward to see what you did wrong when you analyze the…
Peter Olson
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10
votes
4 answers
Can I move a piece somewhere else if I left it but didn't press the clock?
Can I move a piece somewhere else if I left it but didn't press the clock?
Suppose I touch my queen and then move my queen, keeping it on a square, and take my hand off. Then, before I press the clock, I realize that it's a wrong move. Thus, I move…
Vivaan Daga
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