Questions relating to the rules of chess
9
votes
1answer
151 views
Why is it illegal to move into check?
In chess, it is against the rules to move into check, or to not move out of check. But why? Obviously, if you went against this rule, you'd immediately lose. But it seems strange to make it illegal to ...
6
votes
1answer
64 views
Why do they keep the scoresheet in classic chess?
In the beginning I thought that players were keeping scoresheets for themselves, just in case of disagreement for claiming stuff like threefold repetition or fifty-move rule or even just knowing the ...
6
votes
1answer
35 views
What are the time rules in Candidate Tournament?
So I'm following the London Candidate Tournament and I'm a bit confused regarding the time and why some games are getting an extensions and some are not and you are eventually losing because of time.
...
6
votes
4answers
223 views
Why are the golden rules in chess openings true?
I was reading this Dutch article on chess openings, which basically states the following about openings:
Don't play the edge pawns
Don't move your knight to an edge
Don't use one piece too often
...
6
votes
1answer
87 views
Best pseudo-chess game for kids to learn the basic?
My kids are 5 and 3 years old. I would like to teach them chess by playing alternative mini-game. Where can I find those mini-game instruction?
8
votes
2answers
182 views
Can doping increase/decrease a player's level of play?
The reason I ask this is because according to this article, Magnus Carlsen is going to participate in FIDE's pilot project on doping test. FIDE says the reason behind it is that the organization ...
5
votes
2answers
140 views
Bizarre pin rule: pinned pieces do not attack
I found this guy who likes playing chess, but not enough to bother reading the rules; he only plays using a physical board with his sister (she doesn't know the rules either).
The made up rule was ...
11
votes
1answer
410 views
Is it permitted to stare at a blank chessboard during a game?
Long-winded Motivation
I have recently noticed during my own tournament games that I am not infrequently closing my eyes, or at least looking away from the board, when engaged in in-depth calculation ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
Are the board positions of the 4 players of each country determined by Elo rating in chess olympiads?
Are the board positions of the 4 players of each country determined by Elo rating in chess olympiads? Or is this something arbitrarily decided by the countries?
By board positions I mean, 1st ...
1
vote
2answers
231 views
Why can't I place the rook in front of the queen?
I was playing chess this afternoon on my mac, as human vs computer. In the position below:
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/2p3bp/pqP1P3/2R3P1/PPQ5/4K3/8 w - - 0 24"]
I tried to place the Rook in front of Black's ...
3
votes
2answers
360 views
Is it possible to checkmate with knight and king against king?
I would like to clarify two things:
Is it possible to checkmate with only a knight and a king against a lone king?
What will happen in a situation like this?
Does the game have to be drawn due to ...
4
votes
2answers
181 views
Why can't a dropped pawn deliver checkmate in Shogi?
In discussion surrounding another recent question, the fact came up that a "dropped" pawn in Shogi isn't allowed to deliver immediate checkmate, whereas any other type of piece can be dropped to ...
10
votes
3answers
797 views
Can a pawn put a king in check?
I am only an amateur player, but have been playing for many years. Every now and then I come across people who are adamant that a pawn cannot put a king into check.
The last person who I discussed ...
13
votes
3answers
309 views
How quickly must a move be completed?
I was playing in a tournament once, during a sequence of captures, my opponent could recapture my Knight about 4 different ways. He just removed it and carried on thinking.
What should I have done?
13
votes
2answers
282 views
Rules: en passant and draw by triple repetition
A question of rulebook pedantry:
One can claim a draw when the same position occurs the third time, the same player having the move.
Two positions are not the same if the earlier allows a capture en ...
-1
votes
4answers
125 views
Enthusiastic about learning to play chess [closed]
Is there a quick way to learn to play chess? How did you get started playing chess?
9
votes
3answers
278 views
Is it a draw by insufficient material if the board is K vs K, N & N?
It isn't possible to force checkmate with King vs. King, Knight & Knight. A checkmate position, however, is still possible to achieve, so does that mean the 50 move rule applies, or does ...
5
votes
1answer
155 views
How did castling originate?
Castling to me has alwayes seemed like such a huge leap in terms of game play that I've always wondered how it came to be.
Does anyone know the history behind how and why castling came to be?
4
votes
1answer
63 views
What are any USCF tournament rule changes since 1990?
I have not played competitive chess since 1990 and I plan to start playing tournaments again. Are there any rule changes I need to know about?
16
votes
2answers
529 views
Is taking the opponent's king an illegal move?
In competition blitz games, making an illegal move and then pressing the clock forfeits the game if the opponent claims the illegal move as long as he does not make a new move, as a new move would ...
5
votes
2answers
232 views
What are the rules of blindfold chess?
Forcing players to maintain a mental model of the positions of the pieces by using blindfolds seems interesting, but I've been unable to find any official rules for playing blindfold chess.
What are ...
10
votes
1answer
127 views
Delay clock with delay not set
Over the past few years of tournament play, I've seen three games where the delay was not enabled on a digital clock. In all of these cases, the clock was a Chronos set to display HH:MM until the ...
1
vote
1answer
133 views
What is the most debated, or frequently unfollowed, FIDE rule, and why? [closed]
The rules governing the play of the game of chess are just that, rules that attempt to make the game better, not worse.
What is the most debated, or frequently unfollowed, FIDE rule?
Please provide ...
14
votes
2answers
327 views
I made an illegal move. What happens?
Especially in blitz or bullet games, it is possible that a player makes an illegal move, for example castles through check.
If the opponent does notice the illegal move, then as far as I know the ...
11
votes
4answers
261 views
When and why was the notation changed from descriptive to algebraic?
When I was young I used to play chess with the the old form of notation KB (King Bishop square number), even books used to have the same notation, then later found that everyone was using algebraic, ...
21
votes
4answers
478 views
Is castling possible if any of the squares involved in the castling are under attack?
Is castling possible if any of the squares involved in the castling are under attack, or is this a problem only if the squares moved through by the king are under attack and not the ones moved through ...
9
votes
3answers
478 views
With the King as last piece, how can you get a draw?
Let's say my last piece is the King.
I've read several rules and posts of people saying there is a limit to the number of moves your opponent has to check mate you in, but there are some ...
