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3 answers

Why are there no more adjournments?

I keep reading about adjournments in books, but why don't we use them anymore? They seem like cool analysis sessions.
user21006
10
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2 answers

What makes a contemporary chess problem decent?

One can set up some pieces and concoct a situation that has, say, a mate in 3 (yes, I know it is not straightforward, but if you sit for a few hours you can do it). Such problem would probably not be accepted for a competition because the modern…
yrodro
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11 answers

Losing to low rated players

I’ve been having this problem for a while and every answer on the Internet I see is "Oh just dont be too confident.” But that’s not the issue I have as I try my hardest in all my chess games. I’m rated 1600 on average. Lately I’ve been swinging to…
Scott Crowell
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3 answers

Why is Bf5 good in this position?

I would like to know why playing Bf5, allowing White to exchange the white-squared bishops, doubling Black's pawns is good for Black. In such situation, castling on either side seems quite unsafe for Black given its weaknesses of b6, h6 and probably…
Maths64
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6 answers

Moving into check for a draw as black, why is it illegal? Comparison to Racing Kings

I am confused why you cannot move into a check when it can force your opponent to capture your king and expose theirs. In such a case why is there no extra move to result in a draw? In the "Racing Kings" variant, if white reaches the end of the…
lbragile
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11 answers

Is a Finite State Machine a good way to model chess?

A very common model in programming is the Finite State Machine (FSM) (see here for a great worked example.) Is a FSM a good way to model chess? What are the best ways to go about it? What chess features can be put in; what should be left out? I have…
A. N. Other
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10
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6 answers

What are some games I can watch to become better in playing chess?

I have just started learning to play chess and I find it really interesting to learn. I would like to learn as much as possible in order to become a good player. I looked on Youtube, trying to find games to watch that can teach me how to play. In…
J.D.
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Uniquely Satisfying Puzzle

Here is a fun puzzle I found some time ago. It was created by Karl Fabel in 1952 and published in Rätselstunde. Goal [title "White to move and NOT checkmate in one!"] [fen "B5KR/1r5B/6R1/2b1p1p1/2P1k1P1/1p2P2p/1P2P2P/3N1N2 w - - 0 1"] This is…
lbragile
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Which titled players (IM or GM) have also been successful politicians?

Garry Kasparov has been an unsuccessful politician and there have been several successful politicians who have also been quite good chess players, but have any of them achieved the IM or GM title? Some candidates who didn't quite make it - Nathan…
Brian Towers
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4 answers

Advance of d4 in the Ruy Lopez

I was White in this position, and Black had just played f6. [FEN "r1bqkb1r/ppppn1pp/2n2p2/1B2p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 1"] I played c3 to prepare a push of d4 and strike the center. When analyzing this position later, the engine…
Nicolas Appriou
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1 answer

Puzzling phrases

While reading about Paul Morphy's games I have come across several instances of phrases like "playing his fellow townsmen at odds of Knight or Rook" or "he extended his offer of Pawn and move to any member of the club" or "Morphy extended the…
KAYK
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5 answers

How to study endgames?

There are lot of recommendations on what endgame books you should read and study. But reading is just passive learning, and not so efficient. If the book doesn't contain exercises, what is the best method for active learning and doing exercises?…
Msiipola
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5 answers

Why do players attack one apparently unimportant square?

I've noticed one thing players tend to do in chess is concentrate on building up pressure on one square. I can understand early in the game if it's a central square like d4 or e5 and the king is central, but for example what about this game:…
Jez
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Exact definition of a blocked pawn

What exactly is a blocked pawn? Is it a pawn with any of the opponent pieces in front or does it have to be an opponent pawn? Will the pawn be considered blocked if it can capture? Add any other criteria that defines a blocked pawn.
bytefire
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Why is 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 almost never played?

Why is [fen ""] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 almost never played? Isn't it a logical opening move? OK, it goes against the rule of "Knights before Bishops in the Opening", but is a general rule enough for this move to be virtually never played at…
A. N. Other
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