All Questions
6,877
questions
0
votes
0answers
8 views
Have there been brilliancy prizes awarded to the losing player?
Have there been brilliancy prizes awarded to the losing player?
Preferably at a grandmaster level.
1
vote
0answers
20 views
Winning percentage in chess 960 in 2021
Same question as this but now in 2021 and for both computers (no need to answer again for computers, if it's about the same as the answer before, I guess) and humans, and I don't care about sample ...
1
vote
1answer
23 views
How to install stockfish on winBoard 4.4.5?
I want to install stockfish to winBoard 4.4.5. But winBoard 4.4.5 doesn't seem to have the same protocol as stockfish. Is there a way to do it on windows 10? I would like to install the latest version ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Why is 12… d4 a blunder?
I recently played a game featuring the Old Sicilian with a bit of a branch-off. White played 3. Bc4 after 2. Nf3 Nc6, which I don't deal well with. I ended up playing 12... d4, attacking the White ...
3
votes
0answers
70 views
Is there a solution to this puzzle in Clive Ke's “How to improve in chess” book? [closed]
I am wondering if there's a solution to this puzzle anywhere.
[FEN "3r4/p4k2/1p2bb1p/2p2pp1/5P2/1NP1B2P/PP4P1/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
Here's the description of the puzzle in Clive Ke's "How ...
1
vote
2answers
150 views
What's the point of the Two Knights French?
According to lichess, if Black simply goes 3...Nf6 against the Two Knights Variation, then the main line is 4.e5 Nfd7 5.d4. This is the exact same position as White would have reached if they'd played ...
-5
votes
1answer
73 views
An incredibile endgame
Is the following position
[FEN "8/P1R5/K3p3/4k3/B3b3/8/8/1r6 w - - 0 1"]
a win ( for White) or a draw? The position above is derived from a variation of Stockfish vs Komodo TCEC Season 19 ...
2
votes
1answer
124 views
Longest pondering in a standard-time control game
Inspired by the LiChess "French leave" question:
In a standard time-control you can think almost two hours about your move, and even two-and-a half or three if you blitzed beyond the 40 move ...
1
vote
2answers
159 views
Is there a chess program that can detect if someone has left the game?
I was playing a game with someone and they left because they knew they were going to lose. This is a really annoying thing that has happened to me. I would like to know if there is a chess program ...
3
votes
0answers
106 views
Are there any computer vision chess programs which can be used for online games?
I want to play online chess with a real chess board. I learned that lichess can read the opponent's moves out loud, so I don't have to stare at the screen, which is a good start. Now I need a way to ...
5
votes
2answers
989 views
Does the King's Indian Attack need the e5 pawn push to attack on the kingside?
So from what I understand, a kingside attack can be started as long as the centre is closed.
I very recently started looking into the King's Indian Attack as an opening for white against the French ...
-1
votes
1answer
57 views
Unable To Communicate with UCI through Java Program
I am writing a java program to connect to the Stockfish Engine and get the best move for some FENs.
My Connection code is :
public class connector {
private Process engineProcess;
private ...
3
votes
2answers
158 views
+100
Most common tactic motifs in the opening phase of chess
On analyzing my games, I found that I usually miss tactics in the opening than during middlegame and endgame. To supplement my study by solving tactical problems based on motifs, it would be helpful ...
13
votes
11answers
6k views
Do chess programmes keep a history of the full board for each move?
I am creating a chess GUI for UCI engine as a hobby. I keep the history of moved positions (e.g., (4,6) -> (4,4) for the pawn in front of the white king moving forward 2 squares) and the type of ...
3
votes
1answer
153 views
Chess in comics
Not sure if this is the right place...
I would need no help in compiling a list of chess movies or even chess literature scenes. Comics, though, are a more fleeting medium, and here a list would be ...
3
votes
1answer
246 views
How to calculate corresponding squares
I saw this question, but it does not answer my question. I was following a Dvoretsky endgame manual and came across this diagram.
Now, I understand why c5 and c7 are corresponding squares and also ...
0
votes
0answers
151 views
Where are all 100 block-board and pieces, excavated from Indus valley kept?
There are 100 square block-based stone boards that were excavated from a 5500 year old site. There were some pieces and broken stone board recovered. This ancient game it for was called Shadyantra. I ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Create a list of discs from PGN file with a lot of comments [closed]
I need help to generate structured data from the PGN file as discs into a list in Python, or similar.
For example, say that I need to read this PGN file.
###############################################...
3
votes
5answers
378 views
Is blocking a check with a check an illegal move?
Say my opponent puts me in check. If I move my queen to block the check and it also puts my opponent in check, is that legal?
-4
votes
1answer
161 views
How did I get a checkmate in this game?
This is a position from an endgame I played that I do not understand. How did I get a checkmate in this game? Is this a glitch? I ask this because I am pretty sure that Black's queen could take my ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Black's tools in the Caro-Kann Advanced Tal Variation
What are Black's plans to play for an advantage in this variation?
[FEN ""]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h5 5. Bd3 Bxd3 6. Qxd3 e6
The kingside development seems so slow, allowing ...
26
votes
9answers
9k views
How has chess managed to remain a competitive sport despite engine dominance?
As much as people fear losing their jobs to machines that can do them better, Chess has seen the exact opposite take shape. There have been extremely strong chess bots since Kasparov's time, and more ...
2
votes
2answers
287 views
In chess.com analysis, why is a rook promotion better than a queen promotion?
I was analyzing a game on chess.com and it showed me that, in the below scenario, it is better to promote to a rook instead of promoting to a queen. It also shows that it has a mate in 6 with the ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Which of the pawns in front of the king should be moved in order to prevent a back-rank mate?
Assuming we're playing white and a bank rank mate is being threatened. Which one of the pawns (f, g, or h), in most cases, should be moved? Is there a general rule for this?
-2
votes
1answer
92 views
White's 'aggressive' attack after Sic. defense opening [closed]
Searching for the Mackenzie(?) or Mcallister (?) attack: White King’s pawn opening led to good center control with Bishop and both Rooks at d1 and e1.
Can’t the replay on Chess.com because I wasn’t ...
-5
votes
4answers
177 views
Why won't elite players like Nakamura play a (fair) game against AlphaZero just to see how it goes? [closed]
You know, both for entertainment and to analyze what moves he made were blunders/sub-optimal?
Like, the handicap thing is not a real game, and also humiliating for the grandmaster.
Like how would a ...
13
votes
1answer
2k views
Is acceptable to consult with your team during a match break?
The context
I am not into chess, but The Queen’s Gambit revealed its interesting world, and something got stuck into my mind.
As shown by this article the movie had to make compromises, especially ...
2
votes
3answers
162 views
Tools to analyse weaknesses based on Lichess history
Are there any tools that can find weaknesses in your games based on your Lichess history (eg, you often play a particularly bad line in a certain opening, or often fall for a certain trap), and then ...
6
votes
2answers
499 views
Why, in online chess, is it that the shorter the time control, the higher the world leading elo is?
I noticed on lichess.org that the shorter the time control, the higher the world-leading elo is. Is there a simple explanation for that?
I also noticed that, in the meantime, the shorter the time ...
3
votes
1answer
623 views
Using Stockfish in Commercial Apps
Stockfish uses a GPLv3 license, which requires you to release your source code if you use it. This then makes your own code GPLv3. However, chess.com, chessable and decodechess all use Stockfish.
So, ...
19
votes
3answers
6k views
Undetectable semi-cheating?
I bet I would play already 200 ELO better if I'd only check if my move isn't a complete tactical blunder. This obviously begs the question if engine cheating can be as easily detected if
I'd only use ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How many moves needed for a knight to go from any square to any other square?
I want to find a sequence of knight moves that has a given origin and destination squares, preferably with the minimum number of moves. I can iterate over knight moves and collect visited squares, ...
3
votes
1answer
261 views
What is the negative thinking method in chess?
A long time ago, someone told me about the negative thinking method. There is a saying that in every position there is a move that will not worsen it. The method goes as follows.
You chose n candidate ...
11
votes
5answers
10k views
Why does the engine tell me to sacrifice a queen for bishop after a failed Scholar's mate?
I am a beginner. Recently I have looked at the computer-generated analysis of one of my games and I found a surprising recommendation. Why is it best to sacrifice my Queen in this situation, as the ...
15
votes
2answers
4k views
What does “White is down a rook for a pawn” mean?
I am not a native English speaker and I'm learning to play online chess.
I often find a sentence with this pattern.
White is down a rook for a pawn.
What does it mean? Could you elaborate on this ...
2
votes
1answer
249 views
What does an engine do if it has found the shortest mate?
For example, take this famous position from Kramnik vs. Deep Fritz, 2005:
[FEN "5N1k/6p1/7p/4P3/pp2Q3/4q3/1P4PP/2b4K w - - 0 1"]
Obviously White wins with Qh7#, and equally obviously, there ...
4
votes
1answer
65 views
Transposition Tables Bug, implementation produces different results
I've been writing my chess engine for 2 months now, and I've come across this bug that I can't manage to solve. Basically, when I disable my transposition table, the engine plays fine and the minimax ...
0
votes
3answers
415 views
Worst ELO ever in history
I have a lot of questions about ratings, which are sort of connected, but I think I better split them. This is pair 1.
I googled a bit: By definition, ELO>100, and someone said (chess.com) he ...
1
vote
2answers
176 views
What is the earliest known appearance “Fool's Mate”?
A quaint question I had lately; what is the earliest known appearance to "Fool's Mate"? I refer to both the name and/or the move sequence.
A quick search with Google Books revealed a ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Is there some online chess board where you can teach a kid how to play?
A family friend wants to teach her grandchild how to play chess. The problem is that, due to the pandemic, they live apart from each other, so she has to do this online. Is there some website where ...
0
votes
0answers
50 views
Is there a rarely known rule about Pawns eating indirectly? [duplicate]
The game analysis tool of chess.com tells me I should have done a move which looks impossible to me.
Obviously my move, e1, was very stupid. But what the game tells me seems impossible. Is it a bug? ...
25
votes
3answers
6k views
Are chess players getting better, given the same rating?
Chess ratings are a relative thing at a particular time, just like boxing. It is not absolute, compared to weightlifting for example, in which the records keep getting broken. How would say a 1700 ...
2
votes
2answers
135 views
Why is …d5 the best move for Black?
I am learning chess and came across this position. Stockfish 11+ HCE (Depth 32/99) and Stockfish 13 (Depth 31/47) both says ...d5 is the best move for Black. But the next move is exd6 e.p., leaving ...
-1
votes
1answer
46 views
How to parse PGN string from an API with PHP?
I'm sending a request to the chess.com API to https://api.chess.com/pub/player/hikaru/games/2021/03
It will return all the games played by Hikaru in March of 2021, the interesting data is in the PGN ...
3
votes
0answers
92 views
Kramnik vs Topalov 1996
Kramnik vs Topalov 1996 King Indian Bayonet Attack. After a ferocious Attack Kramnik did gain a pawn indeed on move 29, but failed to increase his advantage further and only drew the game. According ...
11
votes
1answer
2k views
What do these game durations mean?
There are different game duration on chess.com. What do options 1|1, 2|1 etc. mean?
1
vote
1answer
143 views
Number of distinct checkmate positions
What is the number of distinct checkmate positions in each of the following categories given the following conditions?
We are not interested in whether the position can be forced or not or even what ...
-3
votes
1answer
118 views
Quick you have 5 seconds on your clock, what’s your move? [closed]
Here is the position:
What would you do if you only had 5 seconds on the clock?
6
votes
1answer
202 views
Upside down diagrams
In the good old days when I saw a chess diagram I didn't have to guess which way the pawns were going; there was a convention that the white pawns moved up the board. When and why did upside down ...
2
votes
2answers
208 views
Karpov vs Kasparov, Game 41
In the common literature, it appears as truth that Karpov missed the winning a6! instead of Rxd1 on move 33, Game 41, in the first Karpov vs Kasparov match. But is the following position, derivate ...