Daily Chess Musings

A Plan for Adding New Chess Openings

Question: How do I manage my desire to learn multiple chess openings (I play 1 e4 and suddenly I want to learn the Catalan from a book I bought)?

Answer: Perhaps restrict yourself to playing online blitz games with your e4 repertoire on days that start with S and T and attempt to play the Catalan on the others. There is no harm in experimenting … https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-manage-my-desire-to-learn-multiple-chess-openings-I-play-1-e4-and-suddenly-I-want-to-learn-the-Catalan-from-a-book-I-bought/answer/Chris-Torres-13?ch=10&share=062f7db4&srid=i4Sz

Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 53

White to move and mate in 7 (Aron Nimzowitsch, My System).

Backwards Chess

Question: Who can play chess backwards?

By playing “chess backwards” I assume you are referring to retrograde analysis chess puzzles.

The individuals who appreciate these bewilders enjoy intelligent reasoning yet are exhausted by standard chess puzzles. A well conjured retrograde chess puzzle presents a harmless looking chess position and an apparently difficult to-respond to address about it, for example, “What was White’s past move?” or “On which square should the White pawn be found?” … https://www.quora.com/Who-can-play-chess-backwards/answer/Chris-Torres-13?ch=10&share=dbf37a93&srid=i4Sz

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 116

White to move and win.

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 115

White to move and mate in 5.

Chess: Super Computer Against Itself

If you had two identical Deep Blue machines playing chess against each other, would each win half the time?

No, there still would be a first move advantage for white. I once created an experiment pitting the same version of stockfish against itself in a match consisting of 100 games played with equal amounts of time. Both engines had access to the same opening book and endgame table bases. At the end of the match, White had…

https://www.quora.com/If-you-had-two-identical-Deep-Blue-machines-playing-chess-against-each-other-would-each-win-half-the-time/answer/Chris-Torres-13?ch=10&share=5bf6f216&srid=i4Sz

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 114

White to move and draw (D. Lolly, 1763).

Two Hands Aren’t Better Than One

Was playing with both hands ever allowed in chess?

You can play chess with either hand or both if you choose. The standard that you need to press the clock with the same hand that you use to move the pieces is there to keep players from touching the clock before they have finished the move….

https://www.quora.com/Was-playing-with-both-hands-ever-allowed-in-chess/answer/Chris-Torres-13?ch=10&share=892dc98a&srid=i4Sz