Thread: Ask me about chess

what is on passon

Originally Posted by 27

Skysaw, what is a grand master, how do you become one and who determines who is a grand master?

The title Grandmaster is awarded by FIDE (Federation International Des Echecs). FIDE is the worldwide federation for chess (vs. USCF, which is just for the US). I believe you have to have a FIDE rating of at least 2500, but you also must qualify by winning certain tournaments. By ratings, the titles go like this:

2500 Grandmaster
2400 International Master ("Senior Master" in USCF)
2200 Master
2000 Expert
1800 Class A
1600 Class B
1400 Class C
1200 Class D
100-1199 Class E

Master and below are earned by rating alone (at least in US... not sure about FIDE). Ratings are determined by a fairly complex system involving your rate of success vs. other players using the current rating of each as a guide. If you consistently beat someone with the same rating as yourself, your rating will go up. Until you play 20 rated tournament games, your rating is "provisional" and jumps around a lot. Provisional ratings are not a good measure of strength.

Originally Posted by Carôusoul

what is on passon

I believe you mean the "en passant" which is French for "in passing."

This is a capture of a pawn by another pawn under very strict conditions. The captured pawn must have just moved two squares from its first position. The capturing pawn captures the pawn as if it had only moved one position. This move is legal only if done immediately, and is no longer possible on the next turn.

It may be a little hard to visualize, so I recommend taking a look a the wikipedia entry here.

Hey skysaw.
I did not know you were into chess. I have a few threads about it myself.

I'm sure you heard Fischer died?

I have some Qs that have pondered.

I used to play online. Aside from idiots giving games for rankings and all that crap, do you feel that chess can only be experienced to it's best when played in person?
The reason I ask, I'm sure you have done both. I find that Chess has a comparison to poker that is never mentioned. Body gesture, hesitation, eyes, etc. etc. All the same things that good card players use can also be used in chess. Do you think that it takes something away when played online?

What are the rules for timed/untimed games? I have played in some small local chess clubs in my area. The games are not timed. But we kind of have an understanding that you just do not take too long. I don't know how too long is. Does that make any sense? Does a game with no time clocks make it illegitimate? Is that a requirement for professional tournaments?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Carôusoul

what is on passon

En passant?
Not something you get to use to often but damn good when the situation does arise. Then you usually have to argue that it really is a rule.

Skysaw could explain it more concisely.

Never mind --he already did.

I messed up the quotes, sorry.

Originally Posted by Howie

I'm sure you heard Fischer died?

I heard about that. I guess they all have to go sometime. An awesome player in his prime.

I have some Qs that have pondered.

I used to play online. Aside from idiots giving games for rankings and all that crap, do you feel that chess can only be experienced to it's best when played in person?
The reason I ask, I'm sure you have done both. I find that Chess has a comparison to poker that is never mentioned. Body gesture, hesitation, eyes, etc. etc. All the same things that good card players use can also be used in chess. Do you think that it takes something away when played online?

Without a doubt. Actually, it's not really "never mentioned," a lot of players emphasize the psychological aspects of chess. There was this GM named Mikhail Tal who was famous for staring down his opponents, breaking them down. He played great, but dubious, sacrifices that worked only because his opponents were scared shitless by him.

What are the rules for timed/untimed games? I have played in some small local chess clubs in my area. The games are not timed. But we kind of have an understanding that you just do not take too long. I don't know how too long is. Does that make any sense? Does a game with no time clocks make it illegitimate? Is that a requirement for professional tournaments

Thanks.

All professional games have some time limit. The limits are getting faster nowadays, since everyone is in a hurry to get a lot of games in. You know the deal - more players, less space. Anyway, long time limits might be 120 minutes for the first 40 moves (something like that), 40 minutes for the next 20 (something like that). It really depends on the tournament. Some only give you half an hour for the whole game. Others give you five minutes (blitz rounds).

There is correspondence chess if you don't like time limits, where people play by mail and you usually have from a day to a week to make your move and send it.

En passant?

Not something you get to use to often but damn good when the situation does arise. Then you usually have to argue that it really is a rule.

Skysaw could explain it more concisely.

Never mind --he already did.

En passant comes up rather rarely. It's a must-know move though.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

I don't know where he's copying that from, but all it takes is a quick look at his recent posts to find out that he's a troll.

Edit: Also he pretty much says exactly the same thing as in my post above.

OK let's put you in your place.

I'm not copying my info from anywhere. Hard to believe that I know things you don't?

I'm not a "troll," if I am that just makes you look even worse.

And your edit is wrong.

What's the best first move or first two moves?

Originally Posted by Howie

I used to play online. Aside from idiots giving games for rankings and all that crap, do you feel that chess can only be experienced to it's best when played in person?
The reason I ask, I'm sure you have done both. I find that Chess has a comparison to poker that is never mentioned. Body gesture, hesitation, eyes, etc. etc. All the same things that good card players use can also be used in chess. Do you think that it takes something away when played online?

I've done a lot of both online and over the board. Online can be annoying with the wrong opponent, and it definitely misses something from a face-to-face encounter. And of course you always wonder if you're really playing only against a human, or if they're getting "help."

What are the rules for timed/untimed games? I have played in some small local chess clubs in my area. The games are not timed. But we kind of have an understanding that you just do not take too long. I don't know how too long is. Does that make any sense? Does a game with no time clocks make it illegitimate? Is that a requirement for professional tournaments?

Tournament games are always timed. USCF assigns two different ratings: one for quick time periods (30 min. per side or less) and one for standard time periods (anything longer). Titles are always based on standard time periods. A typical standard tournament game might have something like 90 minutes per side for the first 40 moves, and another 60 sudden death, though there are many ways to set up the time structure.

The longest tournament game I've ever played was four and a half hours. That can really tire you out!

Originally Posted by M-Cat

En passant comes up rather rarely. It's a must-know move though.

En passant may be played rarely, but its influence is felt in many, many games. Just knowing that the possibility is there changes strategy in many positions. It's a rule that often is felt mostly in the "lines that weren't taken."

Originally Posted by Stevehattan

What's the best first move or first two moves?

There is no best first move, but some are certainly better than others. In the early game, the best plan is to control the center and activate your pieces. The easiest ways to do this are:

1. e4 --> This occupies a center square and controls another (d5). It also opens lines for the King's Bishop and Queen. The most common reply is e5, though d5, Nc6, and Nf6 are not too rare either.

or;

1. d4 --> This occupies a center square and controls another (e5). It also opens lines for the Queen's Bishop. The most common replies are d5 or Nf6, though many other replies are also good, including c5, e6, g6, b6, and others.

Many players spend time learning the ins and outs of an opening, and try to remember common moves as far as they can. This is probably not the best course of study until you get highly rated. It's always best to first learn why certain moves are often played, and the principles behind good early development.

Other common opening moves:
1. c4
1. Nf3

Less common:
1. d3
1. g3

The worst opening moves would probably be:
1. a4
1. h4
1. f3
1. Na4 or;
1. Nh4

Very contrary to good development.

Originally Posted by M-Cat

OK let's put you in your place.

I'm not copying my info from anywhere. Hard to believe that I know things you don't?

I'm not a "troll," if I am that just makes you look even worse.

And your edit is wrong.

Uh huh, funny how the staff hates you then.

Oh, and so I can add something constructive here... What do you find more valuable, a bishop or a knight?

Thanks for the info on the time limits.

Originally Posted by skysaw

I've done a lot of both online and over the board. Online can be annoying with the wrong opponent, and it definitely misses something from a face-to-face encounter. And of course you always wonder if you're really playing only against a human, or if they're getting "help."

Yes, "help" Having played chess vs my computer program I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes an online opponent will show a striking similarity that you see with the systematic computer's moves.
How the hell would you ever get any gratification out of that?

anyways.. that brings me to another question.
How do you get over loosing. In some games like you describe -hours long, in defeat there is a pit in my stomach that is horrible.
I mean that's what I have heard.

The longest tournament game I've ever played was four and a half hours. That can really tire you out!

Probably more calories burned than had you been walking. Shit jogging for that matter.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Uh huh, funny how the staff hates you then.

I'm not the one with inferiority issues here, Spartiate. Now cease your pointless, immature flaming.

Oh, and so I can add something constructive here... What do you find more valuable, a bishop or a knight?

Depends on the situation. Overall though, bishops generally are worth slightly more.

Originally Posted by Howie

How do you get over loosing. In some games like you describe -hours long, in defeat there is a pit in my stomach that is horrible.

Well, that's not really a chess question, more one of psychiatry. It's best to try to learn from the loss. Always go over your game and analyze it afterwards... best if you can actually do this with your opponent. Learn where you went wrong, and work that kink out of your system. Our losses are more beneficial to us than our wins in terms of becoming better players.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

What do you find more valuable, a bishop or a knight?

Originally Posted by M-Cat

Depends on the situation. Overall though, bishops generally are worth slightly more.

Actually, it depends only on the situation. To say the bishop is slightly better simply shows a preference for one over the other. Most people have a slight preference for one, and the bishop is easier to understand, which is why you get this opinion sometimes.

The first factor to look at is the pawn structure. If your pawns mostly sit on the same color as a bishop, that bishop often has limited movement. The situation can get very bad if the two walls of pawns completely block in a bishop trapping it and keeping it away from the action. In this sort of situation, the knight reigns supreme, since it can hop over the wall.

The rule of thumb is that open boards favor bishops while closed positions favor knights. But this isn't always the case either. The knight is at its strongest when you can find an unassailable outpost in the center or in the enemies territory. The bishop gains in strength when few pieces are left and there are pawns on both sides of the board, because it can zip back and forth to support/threaten them.

Another thing to consider is the "bishop pair." Since each bishop is confined to one color square on the board, the two together can be quite a powerful team, since they cover all the squares. One bishop can only cover 50% of the board by the nature of its move. It is often considered an advantage to maintain the bishop pair if your opponent does not.

The most important thing is to know which positions favor knights and which favor bishops. When trading one of your bishops for an opponent's knight (or vice versa) you should first consider what sort of position will result. The best strategies often are to foresee a possible condition that favors one or the other, then trade and press on to create that board. For example, trade your bishop for your opponent's knight, then promptly close off the board with a sealing pawn move or two.

I think officially speaking the knight and the Bishop are worth the same point value. 3 or 4.

They're both worth 3, but the point system can only be used as a rough guide. Sometimes you can have a positional advantage, like say a passed pawn, which makes up for a loss in material. And though three minor pieces may, according to the system, be worth as much as a queen, they actually are more powerful than a lone queen. Understanding the point system is as important as understanding its limitations. And remember, points don't win - checkmate does

Once I played someone for several hours because we got in a complete gridlock,I won in the end.

Would you say it is best to avoid gridlocks or try to form them?

Depends on your playing style. If you are a slow positional kind of player go for "gridlocks" but tactically-minded people like open, volatile positions.

Actually, gridlocks sometimes are interesting, and sometimes they're not. A completely blocked position where no one can do anything may seem dull to a novice, but good players know there's a lot of strategic, subtle maneuvering going on. The position doesn't even have to be blocked - an invaluable chess strategy is "maintaining the tension," where players forego making trades or hasty decisions and instead try to keep the balance in the position.

Originally Posted by Barns

Once I played someone for several hours because we got in a complete gridlock,I won in the end.

Would you say it is best to avoid gridlocks or try to form them?

The simple answer is to form them if it helps your position, avoid them if it hurts. Forming blockades may be a good strategy if your opponent has an advantage, to make it hard for him to crash through and win.

That is always a tense position in imo. You know the shit is going to hit the fan.
You wait and wait for the opponent to make that one mistake. Whomever makes the mistake at that stage, middle to end game? - develops into a slaughter.

Originally Posted by Howie

That is always a tense position in imo. You know the shit is going to hit the fan.
You wait and wait for the opponent to make that one mistake. Whomever makes the mistake at that stage, middle to end game? - develops into a slaughter.

This actually ties into the conversation about tactics vs. strategy. Usually a closed off "slow" position will favor the player who has a solid strategic plan. An treacherous open position with lots of potential blood usually favors the player with stronger tactics... all other things being equal, of course.

Originally Posted by skysaw

This actually ties into the conversation about tactics vs. strategy. Usually a closed off "slow" position will favor the player who has a solid strategic plan. An treacherous open position with lots of potential blood usually favors the player with stronger tactics... all other things being equal, of course.

What do you mean when you say - "An treacherous open position with lots of potential blood." ~Like protecting the middle of the board?

An open position is one in which the pawns are not blocking play and bishops, knights, and queens (sometimes rooks) can enter the play actively. Usually open positions result from an early trade of central pawns, like 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4. because so many pieces are in play, these kinds of positions are notorious for tactics, simply because there's so many opportunities for tactics.

Ok here's my question.
I love chess and I enjoy it, but it is really frustrating. I started more about 8 months ago, and have improved from about 700 to 1200ish (Chess.com approx rating).
I just find I cannot improve any more, and even though I probably play at about a 1400 level, but I make the most dumbest blunders ever. I just find that I over think the situation. How would you say I could improve? Theory is easy to learn, but not blundering can't really be found online.

Thanks,
TMN