Chess thread. Recommended reading >My System - Nimzowitsch

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White to move and win.

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Black to move and win.

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Not really useful, but still interesting.

>>8068629
Rg1-h1
Rh2-h8#

>>8068635
Why the fuck would white do that?

>>8068629
Rgh1?? gets you mated.

>>8068657
Do what? Threaten mate?

>>8068664
Rgh1 nigga. Checkmate. How do I get mated?

>>do what? Threaten mate?
uh heheh, yeah I guess there is that..

>>8068677
Rgh1?? Ra1+ Kxa1 Ra7+ Kb1 Ra1+ Kxa1 Qa3+ and mate.

>>8068682
motherfucker..

>>8068694
/sci/ has by far the best chess threads

>>8068629
Rh8+ Kxh8
Rh1+ Kg8
Rh8+ Kxh8
Qh1+ Kg8
Qh7#

>>8068625

Qb2+ Kxb2 (if Ka4, then Ra7+ Ba6 Rxa6#)
Nxc4+ Kb3 (not sure what is best)
Nxe5

From there, black is slightly ahead, but it's still a tricky endgame. The pawn on g4 won't last, but neither will black's c and b pawns.

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>>8068775
>>8068798
Both correct.

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White to move and win

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White to move and gain a decisive advantage

>>8068625
Queen checks king. King takes queen (or else checkmate in two), knight takes bishop, forking king and queen, king moves somewhere, knight takes queen. Black is up a knight with the white king totally exposed and it should be an easy win from there.

>>8068682
Been a while since I've played, what does Rgh1 mean?
I would have thought that it meant Rook on g to h1, but there's no rook on g and already a rook on h1.

For a low elo scrub, is chessacademy any good?

>>8068846
Nf7?

>>8068842
1. Kf6 Kh5
2. g8=Q Bxg8
3. Kg7 Kg5
4. h3 Kh5
5. h4 Bd5
6. h7 Kxh4
7. h8=Q+

>>8068826
1. Rxd5 cxd5
2. Bb5 Qf7
3. Qxf7+ Kxf7
4. Bxa4

Is that it?

>>8068890
The chess term for a scrub is 'patzer.'

>>8068629
Rh8+

>>8068846
Nc6

chess is for fucking simpletons. There's nothing special about being "good" at chess it's just a calculation game. It requires no high level abstract thinking like maths does. It's basically the same as being good at multiplying numbers in your head.

>>8068846
1. Nc6, Qxc6 to avoid the mate on c7
2. Nxa7+ for the king/queen fork

Used to play chess a lot as a teenager, but I kinda got bored of it for a while. I was around 1600 though. I reckon if I picked it back up and actually practiced hard I could get back to that level fairly easily, although that seems to be where I hit my plateau.

>>8070365
Rg7 avoids the mate

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>>8070325
>chess is for fucking simpletons. There's nothing special about being "good" at chess it's just a calculation game. It requires no high level abstract thinking like maths does. It's basically the same as being good at multiplying numbers in your head.
Chess is quite a bit like mathematics, once you are beyond the basics of calculating where games aren't won with simple combinations it's all about abstract thinking. Depending on the style of player, they strive for simple positions with miniscule advantage where abstract thinking is everything or complicated positions where calculation takes precedence over positional principles. Take the following classical position, for example (white to move). Brute force calculation will take you nowhere. Instead you need to understand what makes black worse here and play to that end.
>isolated pawn needs protection at all times
>Bishop is limited by its own pawn
>you need to limit it further, attack the pawn and try to use your superior mobility to create and try to exploit another weakness on the kingside in order to overload the bishop
There are several layers of abstraction between knowing how to move the pieces and playing the moves. Black too needs to understand all of that and more in order to draw this difficult position.

My previous posts somehow failed to go through.
>>8068888
That's exactly what it means, look again.
>>8068897
Nope
>>8068927
Kinda sorta, but yep
>>8068940
Yes
>>8068890
Never used it, but it's supposed to be decent, nothing special.
>>8070241
>>8070365
Yep, but what after Rg7 or Rd6 though?

>>8068842
g8 Bg8
Kf6 Kh5
Kg7 Kg5
h3 Kh5
h4 Kh4
Kg8

>>8072446
and the rest is easy if I didn't overlook something

>>8068846
Knight to c6. Queen takes, other knight forks queen and king. Bishop takes or black ignores, Queen takes pawn, mate.

>ah, yet another chess thread on 4chan, I'm curious to see what they're up to today
>ctrl+f
>carlsbad
>0 results
dropped

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>>8070325
>it's just a calculation game
Are you one of those "chess is 99% tactics"?

>tfw in the 5th percentile of chess players

what's wrong with my brain? I understand fundamentals like protecting your pieces and basic tactics

>>8072610
>only understands the ideas that everybody else who plays chess understands
>>Why am I not better than everybody else?

>>8068842
advance king near end pawns
acquire queen(s) and proceed to rape

Any other book recommendations or advice for people who are terrible at chess?

>>8068846
b5 to a7
king forced to b8
e5 to d3
ITS YOUR MOVE
terrorize the fuck out of the queen, by constantly with the knights

>>8070554
>>8071384
Hmm, didn't think about that. I suppose then just Nxa7+(not quite sure which knight is better to take with, although if I had to guess it would be with the knight on b5). After Kd7 I have no idea, although white clearly has a dominant position.

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>took a group of chess grandmasters and gave them boards with random/irrational movesets
>chess grandmasters performed as poorly as chess novices in solving them
>found chess is almost entirely dependent on rote memorization rather than intelligence

>chess is the biology of strategy games

how sad for you

>>8073964
After kd7 it seems like ur knight on a7 is gonna get trapped.

Any good books for those beyond above 2000?

>>8075028
*above 2100

>>8073946
ummm Qa5 thanks for the free knight

>>8073971
not a chess nerd but no one gives a shit that games are pointless you dumbfuck

>Endgame manual - Dvoretsky

This is only useful for IMs 2400ish IM's to break the 2500 barrier and get a GM norm. Don't waste your time.

>>8075023
Yeah maybe, although white has some opportunities to throw a counterpunch, such as attacking the now hanging rook on g7 with Qe5, which starts to generate a lot of threats. Although maybe just immediately getting up the exchange with Nxd8 is better. Either way, I wouldn't want to be black in this position.

>>8075146
What threats? I'll just move my rook and ur not winning a exchange because your knight on a7 is trapped

>>8075254
I'm not just threatening the rook though. If say Rg8, then I have Rxd5+, and suddenly you're getting mated. Not sure what the best defense for black is here desu.

>>8068625
Do those recommendations apply to someone rated ~1300?

>>8075375
No.

Get these. http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/docs/14/artur_yusupovs_awardwinning_training_course/

You can find them on Amazon. They're a good price for what you get out of them, which is from where you are now to above 2000. The books OP recommend are for players around 2000.

>>8075406
*it can get you from where you are now to ~2000 Elo.

>>8075406
Thanks. Will look into that. I have a few more questions if you don't mind.

Is it true that at lower levels chess is 99% tactics?

Would you recommend starting at the very beginning of the book series you mentioned even though I'm familiar with most of the motifs in the book (from looking at the ToC) for completeness' sake, or skip to a level that's challenging?

Also what do you think of stuff like chess.com lessons/tactics trainer?

>>8068846
Nc6.

Qxc6 leads to a King/Queen fork with Na7+.

Rg7 to protect c7 fails to:
Nxa7+ Kd7
Qxc7+
It's decisive for White.

Rd7 fails to Nxa7++. Rd6 to block Queen's diagonal is tricky for me.

>>8075375
OP here, I second the Yusupov books recommendations, you can torrent them. When you are around 1500, read My System.

>>8075140
That's just bullshit you read from some 1300 on chess.com. It's a 1800+ book and not to be read as your first endgame book, but IM level? Come on.
>>8075457
>Thanks. Will look into that. I have a few more questions if you don't mind.
>Is it true that at lower levels chess is 99% tactics?
Well, yes and no. More accurate is that 99% of the games are decided by a blunder that can be exploited by tactics. Obviously, it's very good to learn tactics, but it's meaningless without other stuff (how to win with a piece up, basic opening principles, how to win a pawn endgame, etc). You need to practice tactics.
>Would you recommend starting at the very beginning of the book series you mentioned even though I'm familiar with most of the motifs in the book (from looking at the ToC) for completeness' sake, or skip to a level that's challenging?
I'd recommend going from the beginning. If you already really know it, it'll take just a little. If you don't, you'll realise that.
>Also what do you think of stuff like chess.com lessons/tactics trainer?
I've been a huge on chesstempo when I was getting started, but if I could, I'd tell my past self to drop it and go for ct art. Go through every difficulty level at least 5-10 times. You want it burnt in in your mind.

>>8068635
Qxh5 is it?

>>8070365
>>8075476
>Nxa7
You mean Nbxa7 right?

Also if 1…Rd6 try 2. Rxd5

>>8075496
Yeah, Nbxa7. Rxd5 seems strong. Good find.

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> sorry

>>8075494
Thanks a lot. I downloaded the first 4 Yusupov books. Should keep me occupied for a while.

>>8070325
>Chess is just a calculation game.

So how do you explain humans beating computers in the past even though computers calculated more?
It's not just calculating. There was a study that pointed out how GMs calculate less than nonGMs by average (breadth and depth) and still win more.

>>8073971
You idiot. That was performed to study if GMs have superior memory and it proved the opposite.

>found chess is almost entirely dependent on rote memorization rather than intelligence
That's just your conclusion and not from the study. Fuck off with your shitposting.

>>8075593
>The mathenatical essence of the game.
>How humans play.
They are not the same thing

>>8075601

That's my point. Our approach to the game as humans is different from how a turing machine would try to win. A turing machine approach would be just calculation which would be dull if the game was just that.

That other anon said.
>>There's nothing special about being "good" at chess it's just a calculation game.

>>8075622
It is a calculation game . Computers only calculate more moves because their candidate moves are every single move possible whereas humans eliminate pointless moves or moves from peices that aren't involved in the action when they're considering possible moves. If you think that's intelligence you should kill yourself.

Computers can beat humans at regular chess but can they win at Chess960?

>>8075628
>humans eliminate pointless moves
Do you call this calculation aswell?

Where the fuck do I start out if I want to learn? I know all the basic rules of the pieces but I have no idea how the game is actually played, the "meta" if you will.

>>8075806
i guess you really gotta start out using the pawn well if you wanna move on with the other pieces. he's the starter pack for a reason, and with the appropriate items and stats you'd get a quality build, being able to use most weapons and all. i recommend the "Equine's Estoc" or EE as the community calls it, high capture damage, set piece agility, and diagonal move sets. you can get it after beating the first black Rook you see in Bürd Area in the Dünker village. i recommend killing the Dünker merchant to get the passive ability when you're on an even numbered tile.

>>8075633
Arguably they are even better at 960 because it's not as popular and humans aren't as good at it.

>>8075806
When I started out, I read a lot of Dan Heisman, he has this chess beginners article series. For a structured approach, Yusupov books mentioned in this thread are pretty fucking good. It takes a lot of work and time if you want to get decent though. You need to learn common tactics motifs (series of moves that win material), structure your thinking a bit (checks, captures, threats). My biggest tip is to play as slow as possible games. Blitz is fun when you are already a good player and you have a lot of the game automatised, but it's completely useless for improving.

>>8075806
>>8075817

Nonono

You start with the endgame.
First you need to learn the value of the pieces.

Queen 9 points
Rook 5 points
Bishop 3 points
Knight 3 points
Pawn 1 point

These aren't fix value as it's all dependent o the situation. For example 2 Rooks might be more valuable with 10 points than a Queen but Rook's are pretty limited when the board is too loaded and the opponent can quickly compensate.

Also two light pieces are still better than a rook and a pawn especially early in the game but these tradeoffs are things that can go either way.

Just always keep the value of pieces in mind when playing. If you've got the piece advantage trade EVERYTHING.

This is the easiest way to win. And for that purpose you need to learn how to mate with a single Queen, double rook, single rook, double Bishop and Bishop and Knight (Don't worry if you don't manage the last one. Very few people actually know how that's done)
Forced mate with knights is impossible.

Then you need to learn pawn endgame. Oh the pawn endgame is the most essential of learning how to win. Read books for that. You need to learn a lot of king and tempo tricks to learn howo to bring your pawn to the other side.

And then after you mastered all that you can start learning openings.
And middle game is just whatever hope you don't do anything stupid

>>8075839
>double rook
Redundant. If you can do it with 1 you can do it with 2. Remove that and you get the 4 elementary checkmates.

>Forced mate with knights is impossible.
Forced mate with 2 knights against lone king is impossible. 3 is possible with king's help. 4 is possible without king's help.

However, two knights vs 1 pawn is perfectly winnable in most cases and is an important aspect to master.

>>8075123
The first move was to put the king in check and save the knight
My writing is shitty I'll reformat;

Ka7
Kd3

now wut :^)

>>8076257
Na7
Nd3

>tfw you don't play online chess with muh abbreviations

>>8075073
GM preparation by Aagaard, serious study of Dvoretsky's Endgame manual is also a very good idea.

>>8075844
>However, two knights vs 1 pawn is perfectly winnable in most cases and is an important aspect to master.
I'm not even sure it's technically winning, but it isn't by any means important.

>>8075476
what if your opponent responds to Nc6 with his bishop?

>>8076286
Thanks, I actually just ordered the Grandmaster Preparation series and Dvorestsky's Analytic Manual before I saw your comment. So, you would recommend Dvorestsky's Endgame Manual as well?

>>8076288
I consider anything at least as frequent as bishop and knight checkmate important.

If the pawn is sufficiently far behind, it's a sure win for the side with 2 knights.

>>8076288
It's not even usually winnable, but it's the only way you can win with two knights. Happens much less often than a knight and a bishop mate and you all know how useful that is.

>>8076323
My advice would be to go calculation - > positional play - > strategic play. Skip last few exercises as they are graded by difficulty and the last few are usually hellish.
I'd definitely recommend Endgame manual, it's fucking amazing. It could keep a man busy for two years of work. Here's a screenshot, if you want I can post excerpt from any chapter.

>>8076323
It never happens. Really, it's study material. Pic related, Dvoretsky on KNNvsKP.

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>>8076345
My bad, quoted the wrong guy.

Hey /sci/, I have a few questions:
1) What kind of exchanges are usually favorable in the middlegame?
2) How does the piece value depend on its position?
3) What are the most common strategies to get from the ending of the middlegame to the endgame?

>>8078615
>Hey /sci/, I have a few questions:
>1) What kind of exchanges are usually favorable in the middlegame?
You exchange if you can get something in return. Exchange pieces when you have little space, when you can exchange your bad for opponent's hood Bishop, when you can get a strong outpost square from which a knight can't be ever removed, etc. Avoid exchanging when you have more space and avoid exchanging your good for his bad piece.
>2) How does the piece value depend on its position?
Uhh, better position, more valuable, shitty position, tall pawn? Not sure what are you asking.
>3) What are the most common strategies to get from the ending of the middlegame to the endgame?
Look for moments when you can force a series of exchanges and evaluate if you can win the resulting position. Check this video out https://youtu.be/aX4EkEmWTcs

>>8078615

Trade your bad pieces for their good pieces.

Activity.

Trading.

>>8078615

Usually try to avoid trades unless you have to to avoid an attack or if you get a downright advantage.

1) Your pieces are in a more better position the more fields they can access. So usually the center of the board is what you wanna control.
2) Try to get all pieces out as quickly as possible direct them towards the king.

3) There is no clear line seperating them.
But rule of thumb is that it's endgame when you're only left with 1 or 2 big pieces each and a bunch of pawns

>>8080516
Not the same guy but
>Usually try to avoid trades unless you have to to avoid an attack or if you get a downright advantage.
It's this also true when playing for a draw?

>>8080529

Always depends.
If you trade all your active pieces against passive pieces of the opponent then your opponents attack is gonna be stronger than your defense.
If you trade all your pieces and your opponent has the better pawn structure he's gonna win even though none of you have any pieces.

And finally usually if you're the one inititing the trade it's usually the opponent's pieces that retakes leaving him with an developed piece and you gave up one of your developed pieces for trade losing both tempo and position advantage

>>8080529
Depends, like the other guy said. Can you draw it, how's your technique? Draws are usually hard against stronger opponents. You know that rook and pawn vs pawn is a draw, but you can bet that your opponent will try every trick along the way. Even fucking pawn endgames get tricky. Numerous times I've won (and lost) dead drawn endgames.

I've found a really good way to practice though, go through Dvoretsky's and whenever you learn a position, put in a database on your pc and play against the computer dozen times. Unless you can win/draw easily 5 times in a row, you don't understand it as well as you think. Repeat daily.

>>8068682
okay so queen is at a3 and king is at a1 and it's whites turn. why can't white move king back to a2 and just finish with the two rooks like was originally posted?

>>8080712
Kb1 Qb2#

http://lichess.org/aASrdHay

3+0 random colour

don't bother cheating, i fucking suck

new game

http://lichess.org/htaBiKRK

cmon m8s

i got rekt

http://en.lichess.org/Ed4cBaOR

>>8080822
Fug, my pc froze. Sorry about that anon.

>>8080845

np

joint this 1 >>8080845

What's the best way to get a positional advantage?

>>8081467
There are many kinds of positional advantages. Read up on them.

>>8081467

Opening: get your pieces out
Mid game: have them all face towards enemy king, move pawns forward
End game = pawn game

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>>8075817
Thanks for the tips! But now I've reached this position, how do I proceed?

>>8075839
Lots of good advice.

>Bishop and Knight (Don't worry if you don't manage the last one. Very few people actually know how that's done)
I won my first tournament by fighting my way back from a rook down to a KBN-K ending. Most satisfying win of my life! The tournament director said it was the first time he'd ever seen it played out over the board.

I would add KRP-KR endings to your basic ones. That comes up a lot in master games, and it can save your life knowing which ones are draws and which are wins and how to convert them. Example: the Lucena position.

>>8075457
>Is it true that at lower levels chess is 99% tactics?
At all levels. But this really means accurately analyzing many moves ahead, even normal moves not just flashy tactical moves. You must practice visualization in order to improve.

This is one thing that following computer chess over the years has taught me: a program that can look deeper will always dominate a program that evaluates smarter. It is only when two programs think ahead about the same depth that the smarter one starts winning more. You can see this effect pretty clearly in the unofficial world championship going on right now: the Top Chess Engine Competition at http://tcec.chessdom.com

>>8083290

I'll disagree with this, tactics is around to 60%.

Humans are incapable of analyzing 50+ moves ahead with all the pieces on the board, so you'll have to learn theory. In fact, over 1/3rd of all moves played at the top level are memorized theory. A lot of their calculation also relies on their memorized theory of endgames.

Tactics are only sequences that limit your opponent's options. Positional play is more strategic, where your opponent has many decent replies. You can't really go 1. E4, tactical! There are plenty of positions where the best move(s) don't really threaten anything, and even though tactical calculation will prevent you from blundering in these positions, positional play will help you choose the most precise move.

>>8083290
>>Is it true that at lower levels chess is 99% tactics?
>At all levels. But this really means accurately analyzing many moves ahead, even normal moves not just flashy tactical moves. You must practice visualization in order to improve.
When will this meme die?
It's like you niggers haven't seen a game of Karpov in your life or played a positional game. Tell me, when I keep a pair of bishops because they are good in the endgame(amongst other things), how many moves am I calculating? When I blockade a isolated pawn with a knight, keep my pawns on the opposite color of my bishop, put my knight on a good outpost, make my rook active, make your rook passive, put my bishop on a long diagonal, centralise my pieces, occupy the center, yadda yadda, how many moves deep am I calculating exactly? All those things require little to no calculation to make sure you aren't blundering material or position.
You are confusing human chess with computer chess. We can't brute force calculate most of the game, so we use efficient shortcuts to play surprisingly well and we don't have the horizont problem. We also play against human opponents with same limitations. Computer may say the position is equal because out of many millions variations, a single one equalises. That one may be obvious or near impossible to find for a human. Defences to some of Tal's sacrifices were found with computers after decades of eluding grandmaster analysis.
My point is the following, chess is fucking hard. It's not a calculating competition and calculation is only useful to a point. Get a reasonably good human to play with a computer limited to 6 ply depth and you'll see what I mean. Hell, find videos of carlsen playing that chess app of his and listen to him comment how a reasonably strong engine plays long lasting positional blunders.

>tl;dr "we made cars faster than humans thus marathon running is all about who has the best engine" is a meme

>>8083866
Somewhat related, what happens when somebody who doesn't instablunder plays an engine:
https://youtu.be/rlxHusHfpck

>>8083866
I stand by what I actually said. If you can't look ahead, not all the positional knowledge in the world will save you. If you had actually read through any of Karpov's annotated games (or any master really), you'd see he was one hell of an analyst. But his goal was to analyze his way via quiet moves to great dominating positions, as opposed to Kasparov, who preferred flashy combinations.

You need both chess knowledge and fluent analysis to progress in strength. It is pointless and frustrating to focus on one without the other.

>>8083272

My biggest fear is that I'm in a big tournament against a renowed player and actually manage to go KBB-K or KBN-K and then... fuck it up

>>8084147
https://youtu.be/YFF5ibgB6eA

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>>8084166

>>8084166

JUST

>>8084166
Holy shit

>>8084147
KBB is easy enough to figure out over the board with some time, but KBN, you're fucked

>>8084965
I got the hang of KBN-K in a few days, it's not as hard as people put it out to be.

>>8083866
Are you seriously implying that positional knowledge is going to save you after you blunder your Knight on move 17 because you couldn't spot a 3-move combination?

Why is this /tg/ thread on /sci/?

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>>8085122
Because it's science

>>8068854
nice one

>>8085149
I haven't seen a chess thread on /ic/ before.

Then again, I rarely go there to begin with.

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>>8085166
This is easily a work of art though.

>>8085168
White or Black to move?

>>8084965

I fear KBB more because with KBN it's slightly embarassing if you don't manage to do it but people will eventually admit that it's fucking hard and it could happen to anyone.
However if you fuck up KBB you're forever the retard who could've won but fucked up

>>8085168
white to move, Short vs. Timman, I think. For this one, you throw out everything you were taught about king safety, thanks to the bind on black's pieces. Truly, a great work of human ingenuity.

>>8085171
White to move. The way the game played out it was a mate in 6 (though black resigned after 4 moves).

It's a fairly famous game.

>>8085191
Correct, Short vs Timman.

Is there anyone who could beat Uchiha Madara in a chess match?

>>8085110
>All those things require little to no calculation to make sure you aren't blundering material of position.
Again, once you learn not to blunder material, chess gets a lot more depth beyond mere calculation.

>>8085168
Ooh, is this the one with the king march?

>>8085175
>However if you fuck up KBB you're forever the retard who could've won but fucked up
Kek
Seriously though, I doubt I'd ever end up in a position where I have two fucking extra pieces against a master.

Who KBB-KN here?

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I'll just leave this here

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>>8085917
2ez

>playing a watered down version of go
i mean to each their own i guess

Could people post more games that have a wealth of literature on them? I'm trying to get some new ones in my repertoire.

>tfw friends always want to play cards, monopoly, settlers of catan, etc.

I'm personally a huge fan of strategy games where you face off against others with very little chance related elements to them. I'm a fan of Chess, Go, Risk, and Catan but Catan is pushing my limits on how much chance until a game stops being fun for me.

Anyone have any recommendations?

>>8086104
Mahjong

>>8085917
Numbering just from the image, x axis first, y axis second and counting from left to right and top to bottom.

Black plays on (6,5)

And that is life.

If White goes first then White plays on (6,5) and that is kill.

>>8085917
Make the 2nd b2 bomber

>>8086104
* Shogi - far wilder than chess, since captured pieces are reused, like bughouse.

* Chinese chess - more players than international chess!

* Makruk - Thai chess, closest living relative to the original Chatranj that came out of Persia a thousand years ago.

There are some modern strategy games which are nice, but I doubt you'll find strategy guides:
* Terrace
* Abalone
* Kensington
* Blokus
* Hive

>>8086125

I was under the impression that Mahjong was just a Chinese version of Rummy with tiles instead of cards and a bunch of extra tile combos with what would be the 'face cards' I wasn't very impressed by watching videos of it being played and looking over the rules very much. Seems like a lot of chance and not a lot of strategic content, not moreso than a game of Euchre or Rummy anyway.

When there is a lot of chance to a game there is a lot less that you can do to improve your strategy. Like Poker, there is little that you can do to improve your strategy.

>>8086159
I play Japanese Mahjong (Riichi), there's a lot of strategy in what tiles to keep and hands to go for as well as what to discard. But there's not much that one player can do to drastically put the odds in their favor.

I like it because even the try hards lose more than they win. Everyone has a chance which makes it fun for everyone.

>>8068625

This thread has inspired me to get into playing Chess. I've always known the rules and played quite a few times, but basically just made random starting moves with no strategy until mid-game, then I just did whatever I thought made logical sense/non-sensical moves that would throw the opponent off.

This thread has opened my eyes to all sorts of stuff honestly! I'm totally thrilled! Watching random youtube videos of great games, analyzing pawn end-game, opening move encyclopedias, ect ect. I'm blown away.

If you were to recommend just one book that would give me all the basics of opening/mid/pawn endgame well enough to get me started all from a single source, what book would you all recommend?

Not really interested in the 4 or 5 book series that someone else posted earlier, I just want one book that I can gleam all the basics from, as well as anything that you have to say to an absolute beginner!

>>8086037
go is too "muh heuristics". if you make a game too small then decent players could draw masters forever. if you make the game too large then worse players can scrape games off better players more often. chess is in the perfect middle imo. otherwise, crazyhouse is the king of them all.

>>8086646
>some things are too small and some things are too big so this thing I like is the perfect middle
wew

>>8086673
>he doesn't know what imo means
the first three sentences were the only things i said in a matter of fact way.

>>8086680
you're a real fucking idiot and your points are thinly veiled good sounding empty bullshit

imo

>>8086691
My points are right though...you can only get so good at tick-tac-to but at the same time y9u add an element of chance if you make the game too complicated. also, go is highly heuristic. you've said nothing to counter those points but you're free to have any shit opinion you want.

>>8086704
>my simplistic, too lighthearted to be wrong points at right

NO SHIT
imo

>>8086707
great, at least we can agree i'm right.
go is shit

File: Tsumego3 solution.png (1010B, 211x211px) Image search: [Google]

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>>8086023
>>8086136
close

>>8086146
this guy won

>>8075375
L0Lno

>>8086606
OP here, glad we helped. As far as one book in particular... My System is absolutely amazing book for me, but it might be a little too advanced for you at this moment. I wish I could get you the book I used when starting out, but I doubt it has an English translation. What I'd definitely recommend is that you get the first book of the Yusupov series and go through it. It has all you need to get solid fundamentals in all areas without any holes that might come and bug you later.
>>8086931
Do you go asshole have a site like lichess.org? Because I've wanted to learn to play it but no idea where.

>>8086931

1. F6? E5

Black dies.

1. F5 (E5? E6) (E6? E5)

Black lives, E5 and E6 are miai.

>>8086973
My bad, it is translated, amazingly enough.
https://www.newinchess.com/Chess_School-p-1500.html
No idea about the translation and yusupov is probably better, but I learned the basics from this, so it can't be that bad. No idea if there's a torrent out there or if it's on gen lib

>>8086606
Oh yeah, drop openings as soon as possible (ie when you learn to connect the rooks as soon as possible). Spend time learning tactical motifs because you don't know any and they are one of the basic blocks. Play games longer than 15 minutes so you can think, blitz gets you no XP. Always think about checks, captures and threats so you make it automatic.

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>>8086973
use this to learn to rules
http://playgo.to/iwtg/en/
the play online (on KGS for example) as much as you can, for further reading there is http://senseis.xmp.net/ but this won't help you unless you have a basic idea of what you're doing

>>8086978
bomber > life, faglord

Holy shit, longest lasting thread ever.

>>8083259
Sacrifice a pawn to activate your pieces and gain the initiative. The resulting queenless endgame should be fine for you.

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>>8088963
It's been hijacked by gofags tho. Why don't you post something on topic?

Here's an endgame puzzle. White to move.

>>8084973
That is if you use the easy triangle method
>>8084965
KBNK KBBK KQKR etc are all easy once you know how to win, KBBKN and KRBKNN are hard

>>8089228
I don't see a win for white family, I've been looking at b6+ Kh1 (Kg1? loses) g7 h1=Q g8=Q+ Bb8 and whatever white does black has a lot of checks, probably a perpetual.

>>8089305
My bad, I meant Ka8 (Kb8 loses).

>>8089261
I found the triangle method harder.

>>8089228

b6+ Ka8
g7 h1=Q
g8=Q+ Bb8
b8#

>>8089228
>>8089431

Alternatively:
b6+ Kb8
g7 h1=Q
g8=Q+ Bf8
Qxf8#

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>>8089431
What's b8#? Do you mean b7+? Then Ka7 and you're far from mating, in fact Black is probably better.

>>8089228
not fair, this one is really, really hard! I had to look 17 moves deep to make sure I could really avoid all the queen checks in the worst line and I'm still not sure I got all the side lines. You've got to manipulate black into putting the knights in just the wrong spots so they interfere with future queen checks.

>>8089458

Shit, you're right!

so this variant:
b6+ Ka8
g7 h1=Q
g8=Q+ Bb8
Rxe5
and Black is left to permanently check the white King and if once black can't, Re7 threatens Checkmate on a7

I haven't played out all the variations, but I feel it is the strongest possible moveset that white can do in this severely limited starting position.

>>8089228

1. b6+ Ka8
2. Re1(!) Nxe1
3. g7 h1=Q
4. g8=Q Bb8
5. a7 Nc6+
6. dxc6 Qxh5+
7. Qg5(!!) Qxg5
8. Ka6 Qa5+
9. Kxa5 Bxa7
10. c7 Kb7
11. bxa7 Kxc7
12. a8=Q

2. Re1 wasn't hard to find because nothing else can stop any of black's perpetual threats.

7. Qg5 was fantastic, I spent a lot of time figuring out how black draws if the King moves out of check instead.

>>8089516
That's fine, but there is a winning sequence, too.

>>8089523
Nice, family.

>>8089534
Nice problem senpai, even the computer doesn't see it right away. Is that a composition? Got a source?

>>8089565
Yes, it was composed Leopold Mitrofanov around 1967. It's featured on his wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_Mitrofanov#Famous_study

>>8089228
>>8089523
>>8089565
Oh, this puzzle. I only recognised it once I saw Qg5.

But it's been refuted. Black can draw if he ignores the rook with
2...Nc4+
3. Kb5 Nxb6
4. g7 Ka7
5. Kc6 Be7!!

It would make for a good study if we started off with Black making a mistake with 2...Nxe1 though.

>>8089593
Why would you play Kc6 instead of g8=Q? It's a soon to be mate and black can't do anything.

>>8089593
The compose made a mistake in the original version where the black knight was on f3 and Black had a forced drawing line. This is the fixed version that has a winning line for White.

The continuation you gave can be refuted simply by queening instead of 5.Kc6 and Black can't avert checkmate.

>>8089607
>>8089608
Ah, right, the knight got fixed to g2. I forgot about that.

5. g8Q doesn't work because Black draws with perpetual check with 5...Nd4+ 6. Ka5 Nc4+ 7. Ka4 Nb6+.

>>8089615
in the unfixed version*
The fixed version has yet to be refuted.

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>>8089615
Bruh

>>8089593

What? After 5. Kc6 Be7, white takes the bishop with check. After both pawns promote, black is down material and getting mated.

Even stronger is after 4. g7 Ka7 is to simply play 5. g8=Q. The threat of mating black with Qg7 to Qb7 is unstoppable.

>>8089629
>>8089631
Forget it, the fixed study has no refutation. In the unfixed study perpetual check was possible.

>5. Kc6 Be7, white takes the bishop with check
And still fall just short of a win.

>>8089593
the long side-line I was looking at was Nc4+ Kb5 Be5! Rxe5 Nd6+ Kc6 h1=Q Kxd6 Qh2 g7 Qg3 h6 Qa3+ and it took a long time to convince myself that White can eventually avoid all the checks. (Queen endings are a pain in the butt, generally.) But the main line is really nice, with both the Rook and Queen sacrifices.

Composers who can come up with problems like this are impressive!

>>8089647

6. Rxe7+ Kxa6
7. g8=Q h1=Q
8. Ra7+ Kxa7
9. Qg7+ Ka6
10. Qb2 Qc1+...

>>8089674
>h1=Q
Zwischenzug 7...Nd4+. What now?

>>8089682

Nd4+ is illegal. Even if allowed, then

1. Kd6 Kb5
2. Qc8 Nf5+ (black is just sacrificing material to prolong mate)
3. Qxf5 h1=Q
4. Qd3+ Ka5
5. Ra7+ Kb4
6. Rb7+ Ka4
7. Qa6#

>>8089697
I said in the unfixed version. It wouldn't be allowed in the fixed version.

Also in the unfixed version Black would play h1Q right after playing Nd4+.

>>8089228
there is NO forseeable winning line for white, tis been refuted senpai

1.b4 Bf2+ 2.Kh5 Ne6 3.Rd7 Nbd8 4.g5 Kxh3 5.g6 Nc6 6.g7 Nxg7+ 7.Rxg7 Nxb4 8.Rc7 Kg3 9.Rc4 Nd3 10.Rc3 Kf4 11.Rxd3 Kxe4 12.Rd7 Bd4 13.a5 Bc5 14.a6 Ke5 15.Kg5 Ke6 16.Rd1 Ke5 17.Re1+ Kd5 18.Rb1 Kc6 19.Rb3 Kd5 20.Kf5 Kc4 21.Rb7 Kd5 22.Kg4 Bd4 23.Rb1 Bc5 24.Kf5 Bd6 25.Kf6 Bc5 26.Rb5 Kc6 27.Rb3 Kd5 28.Rb1 Bd4+ 29.Kf5 Bc5 30.Rb7 Kc6

>>8089977
i meant to say

1.b4 Bf2+
2.Kh5 Ne6
3.Rd7 Nbd8
4.g5 Kxh3
5.g6 Nc6
6.g7 Nxg7+
7.Rxg7 Nxb4
8.Rc7 Kg3
9.Rc4 Nd3
10.Rc3 Kf4
11.Rxd3 Kxe4
12.Rd7 Bd4
13.a5 Bc5
14.a6 Ke5
15.Kg5 Ke6
16.Rd1 Ke5
17.Re1+ Kd5
18.Rb1 Kc6
19.Rb3 Kd5
20.Kf5 Kc4
21.Rb7 Kd5
22.Kg4 Bd4
23.Rb1 Bc5
24.Kf5 Bd6
25.Kf6 Bc5
26.Rb5 Kc6
27.Rb3 Kd5
28.Rb1 Bd4+
29.Kf5 Bc5
30.Rb7 Kc6
etc

Hidden moves

Ragnarok
>Flip the board over and declare cataclysmic victory

Russian Despot
>King now can fly to any spot on the map

Revolting Peasant
>Spin a pawn on it's side, if it knocks into any pieces, they're taken

Dark Knight
>Black Knight declares war on the corrupt White pieces; get 2 moves in a row

White Knight
>Beta nerd declares war on free speech to protect the Queen; can instantly transport next to the Queen

>>8089985
I forgot the contingencies:
Ragnarok
>When there is a Sole King and more than 3 moves have been made by the opposition

Russian Despot
>When there is a King with two pieces left and opposition has at least twice as many pieces left on the board

Revolting Peasant
>Can only be done once, at any point in the game

Dark Knight
>When a Black Knight is surrounded by pawns of the opposition

White Knight
>When a Queen is surrounded by pawns of the opposition

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>>8089977
Keep telling yourself that.

>>8089999
refute it then

>>8090012
I can't tell if you're trolling or genuinely retarded.

>>8090050
Not anon, but if you're making a claim, you have to prove it.
He posted his proof. Do you have counter-evidence or are you using the argument from ignorance?

>>8089977
The moves don't even make any fucking sense, if you're gonna spew engine lines at us, at least set up the fucking board right, how the fuck are you gonna play b4, do pawns move backward in your universe or what.

Oh yeah, just finished analysing the game Nimzowitsch - Alekhine Zemering 1926, come at me. I usually can't remember games, but when spending two hours on a game I fucking know it by heart. I'm at 15 or so memorised, all from Chess Praxis.

>>8090057
He's making a claim, the onus is on him. First of all see >>8090077

>>8089228
from stockfish 7:

29 [+19.88]
1.b6+ Ka8
2.Re1 Nc4+
3.Kb5 Be5
4.Rxe5 Nd6+
5.Kc6 h1=Q
6.Kxd6 Qh2
7.g7 Qg3
8.h6 Kb8
9.Kd7 Qg4+
10.Kd8 Qc8+
11.Ke7 Qc5+
12.Kf7 Qf2+
13.Ke8 Qg3
14.a7+ Kb7
15.Re7+ Ka8
16.Kd7 Qg4+
17.Kd8 Qg6
18.Kc7 Qc2+
19.Kd6 Qg6+
20.Re6 Qf7
21.h7 Qf4+
22.Kd7 Qa4+
23.Ke7 Qh4+
24.Kf8 Kb7
25.Re7+ Kxb6
26.a8=Q Qf6+
27.Rf7 Qd6+
28.Kg8 Kc5
29.Qa3+ Kxd5
30.Qb3+ Kd4
31.h8=Q Qd8+
32.Rf8 Qe7
33.Qb2+ Kc4
34.Rc8+ Kd5

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>>8090265
Hey, that's very useful. Thanks.

:^)

>>8068625
QA5, takes with pawn, h5#

>>8068636
bishop b1, than pawn forward , rook forward multiple times and when the b7 pawn goes to b6 bishop b4

>>8089977
>>8089979
You have the board backwards, mate. Understandable, but this is a famous composition, not a real game.

>>8090376
clever, but if you read the pic, it is black to move, not white to move

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>>8068625
1.I'd make the white pawn eat the black one on the right side

2. id use the castle to eat the black pawn beside the king

3. then id eat the horse with the queen putting the king in check so he has to move

4. id eat the black castle with the queen

5. id move the white hat up one to the middle column to put the king in check again

6. then its game over when the queen moves in and checkmates

this is interesting but i think itd be more fun if black could fight back

I want /tg/ to leave.

>>8090079
Yes you idiot, but he provided his proof.
You did not correct his proof.
See:
>>8089977

>>8090792
Hey, I'd love to have a nice chess thread like this in /tg/, but all they want to talk about there are "traditional" games like RPGs and Warhammer. You only get good chess threads with /sci/entific thinking.

>>8090792
/tg/ is for time-wasting hobbies
/sci/ is for wanking about iq
chess is split between both, but i think most would agree /sci/ is the better place.

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>>8090830
The board is playing Street Rules.
If you can't take heat, getcho ass out of the court... board... whatever.
*Crosses Arms and Shrugs Back*

I've always wanted to git gud at chess. I could only play to a reactionary level and see maybe two moves ahead at best but never past that.

>>8090844
its pure memorization, very little intelligence involved. you'll often hear that most grand masters can play an entire game (or multiple games) in their head without needing to look at the board.

they did a study once of grandmasters vs novices, by arranging strange/illogical situations (piece positions that you wouldn't normally encounter) on the board and having them get a checkmate in as few moves as possible.

the novices ended up performing as well as the grandmasters, showing chess is almost entirely based on rote memorization and experience, and not intelligence.

when the pieces were out of position or some other factor was changed, such as piece behavior (its rules on how it can move), the grandmasters played at a novice level.

i'd pick a game like Go if you want something that relies on pure brainpower rather than on experience.

>>8090853
you were going so strong until you ended with the go meme

>>8090857
lol you probably havent seen even a single game of Go and know nothing about it

>inb4 you are a actually Go expert and you have an IQ of 140

>>8090798
Read the fucking post I linked, the moves aren't even valid. There's nothing to disprove. It's like claiming 1 + dog = ur mum. It's not a valid statement.

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>>8090853
>masters at a game perform poorly at a different game
wew lad

>>8090853

go on lichess and find the best standard players

then look at their ratings on all variants

spoiler: they're similar

anyone want to play on chess.com? im only 1500 but im looking for more peoples to play with im on lichess.com too

>>8091596
Correspondence OK?

>>8091730
ye

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There's also a 4chinz group on lichess. Feel free to join, faggots: http://en.lichess.org/team/4chan

>>8091767
My name's eggheart. Challenge me and I'll accept as soon as I feel like it.

>>8091779
>eggheart
whose that clora dora aglora on your profile pic? >_>

>>8091809
I-I'm a girl btw :3

>>8091833
L O N D O N
O
N
D
O
N

>>8091833
B A R Ç A
A
R
Ç
A

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White to move and mate

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White to move to gain an advantage

>>8093785
Oh yeah, no need to give line until mate, just until it's obvious he'll be mating soon.

>>8093785
Cute. With the right move, there is no way to avoid queening and a skewer no matter what black does.

>>8093791
I like the look of e4 fxe4 f5 exf5 Qxd5+

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What should I read as a complete 100% beginner?

>>8094040
The rules.

>>8094041
I know the rules, but that's it

>>8094020
Yeah, that's idea for the first, wrong for the second one though.

>>8094050
'Logical Chess Move by Move' by Irving Chernev

Sicilian a best

How does one get better at chess? I've been doing tactics on lichess and playing fuckloads of blitz/bullet games, but I can't seem to improve. My rating is constantly around 1400.

>>8095245
>playing fuckloads of blitz/bullet games, but I can't seem to improve
Color me surprised

>>8095251
Playing longer matches is so fucking boring, though.

>>8095253
That's okay, but only thing you'll improve by playing bullet is your bullet play. You'll click faster and maybe see some tactics faster, but you'll never improve at the game itself. That takes deliberate practice and you don't have time for deliberate practice at time controls below, say 30 minutes (you can analyse master games, but the same thing applies, you need to put in time).

>>8093785

Am I blind? I've even played it through, and the best I can see for white is forcing a draw. I see no way white can force a win unless black blunders terribly.

>>8093785
>>8096814
b8 knight+
to take the Queen on the next move

>>8096842
the pawn can't move silly willy, is pinned by black's queen!

>>8096851
I suck
Thank you for pointing that out

>>8096842
The pawn can't be moved because the king would become open.

>>8096814
You're right, op is wrong.

>>8096842

I may be blind but I know that b8 is an illegal move.

Plus he said white could mate, you can't mate with just King and Knight. Especially, as the Knight would fall the move after that.
Which is all irrelevant as b8 is illegal

>>>8096814 (You)
>You're right, op is wrong.

Huh, weird. I was going to set Fritz on it when I get home, as it was really bugging me.

>>8096864
>>8096842
>>8096851
>>8096859

Fritz says White will win eventually with really strong play on both sides, but there is not one clear solution that forces it in less than 5 moves.

>>8096940
>but there is not one clear solution that forces it in less than 5 moves.
So that means there's a 5 move mate?

>>8096986

It is mate in 18 with Qb4. All other moves draw or lose.

>>8097003
>mate in 18
Welp

chess is for cucks, play checkers its a REAL intelects game

Chess is for imbecillic simpleton cookies

>>8090853
>very little intelligence
Magnus carlsen first rating was 2064 when he was 10 years old and 4 months.
There are literally people playing their whole life and maxing at 2100.

your whole post is retarded, I hope you're baiting

>>8095253
Play blitz and try to calculate as much as possible while also thinking strategically. Go over your games with lichess engine. It takes like 1 minute and it's worth it.

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Are there still people that play standard chess? Rofl, you must really want other people to think you're smart for memorizing moves of a board game. You might as well play tic tac toe

At least play Fischer Random chess if you insist on playing a game that's been pretty much mathematically solved already

>>8096986
>>>8096940
>>but there is not one clear solution that forces it in less than 5 moves.
>So that means there's a 5 move mate?

No that was meant as a 'there is no mate that a normal player can calculate in their head'. At least nothing that Fritz can find.
And I had been probing the situation the entire day yesterday and tried playing through it as well, with no forced conclusion.

>>8097938
Then Fritz sucks. Even my dedicated chess computers can find this solution in a couple minutes. It's also a five piece endgame tablebase position!

Also, I hope you read the correction here: >>8093791
>Oh yeah, no need to give line until mate, just until it's obvious...

>>8096814
>>8096864
>>8096859
>>8097003
>>8097017
>>8097938
>>8098851
OP here, after first move black is in zugzwang and must pick his poison; let white Queen or trade Queens. Mate sequence itself isn't that important, maybe I fucked up the wording but you are definitely fucking autistic. Exact mate sequence is not that important when you are a whole queen up.

>>8099146
>but you are definitely fucking autistic
Did you just forget where you are?

>>8099156
Oh, right, my bad.

>>8099146
>>8099162

You said white to move and mate? You are fucking retarded.

In literally every chess problem that means give the line until black is checkmated and is used often even when white is way ahead in material so that you practice finding the fastest checkmate (IE: good move, but you can do better).

It is like you've never done chess problems and you look really stupid calling people autistic.

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>>8099226
There's literally a clarification post below that. Even then, it's trivial to calculate the mate itself once you find the first move, no matter how deep it is. Are you the guy who was whining because you couldn't find it?

White to move and gain significant advantage which will inevitably end in a mate, barring a horrific blunder by white. You do not need to find the entire line until mate, just the idea, and demonstrate it by posting the first few moves, you fucking autismo king.

>>8099320
bf4

>>8099320
>>8099460

was thinking Bf4 as well, for the simple reason that it blocks the triple pawn on the f file and allows the a pawn to march through and queen without the black Bishop able to interfere.

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>>8099460
>>8099570
Yup, pushing the pawn allows black to stop the queening.

Black to move. Should I post more difficult ones, by the way?

>>8099951
I can't get used to the board being flipped when it's Black to move.

1...Bc4 is it? Only way to stop 3...Qg2# in 2 moves is 2. Kh1 (preparing for Rg1) then 2...Bxf1 3. Qxf1 and Black has won the exchange. If there's a forced mate I can't find it.

>Should I post more difficult ones, by the way?
I doubt you should. Too difficult and no one will reply.

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White to move

>>8101078
Yup.
Not even sure what constitutes difficult though, except 2-3 problems all are difficulty 40 and below in CT Art.

>>8101107
1. Qg7+ Kxg7 2. Rh8 and Black can only stall for so long before the inevitable Rh7#.

>>8101107
>>8101125
Oops. R1h7#

>>8101107
>>8101125
>>8101137
Okay, forgot 1...Ke7 is also possible but then White just wins a bishop for free.

>>8068625

Thanks for the reading recommendations, OP. I have always played chess, but would consider myself a layman in the sense that I know how to play effectively (relative term) but lack the ability to think more than three moves ahead. Would you have any suggestions on how to git gud for someone at my level? I've picked up chess manuals from the library, but reading the charts didn't help me much.

File: PawnEndgame.png (150KB, 523x505px) Image search: [Google]

150KB, 523x505px

How about an endgame puzzle? Only one move wins.

I would have won money at a US Open if I had solved this over the board.

>>8101304
h4 to break up the kingside pawns. Black can choose to either triple the f-pawns or double on the h-file, but these two clusters are then extremely weak either way. He doesn't have to take, but I'm sure there's something strong then, too.

>>8101235
OP here, my recommendations are for a bit more advanced player, they'll be over your head if you try they now. Try "Logical chess move by move" for casual improvement and Yusupov series for systematic, hard work hard gains approach. Practice easy one or two moves tactics first, they are the building blocks which you need to see and "get" first. There's no quick way really, it's a lot of knowledge that needs to be learned, internalised and automatised in order to be a good player.

>>8101304
Holy dick this was challenging. I might give lines later if it really is h4. How much time did you have to solve this?

>>8101487
I'm also pretty sure that it's h4, but have you figured out what happens after h4 g4? Pretty amazing to see all of this.

>>8101518
I think after h4 g4, White can go h4, h5, maybe even h6 if Black doesn't put his pawn there, and Black is in zugzwang very soon. Then you can break with the b pawn.

>>8101553
>break with the b pawn
s/ b / c /

>>8101487
right! that locks up the pawn majority and threatens to break on either the king or queenside. There are now two options:

1. Lock up the kingside with g4. Then you have to have to triangulate with your king and time cxd5 just right to invade on c4.

2. Trade pawns with h6 hxg5 hxg5 c5+ Ke6 g4! and invade on the kingside instead. This works because black has to keep the c-pawn from queening.

>>8101518
I only had 20 minutes for the next 11 moves, and I was suffering from last round drag.

Most of my best moves only came during analysis after the game was played.

>>8068625
I don't know if there's a checkmate here, but queen to b2 and then knight takes bishop and queen would probably lead to a win.

>>8102308
> Qb2

response: Qa5#

>>8101748
Yeah, it's really a nice problem, it takes actual understanding to solve. Computers are rubbish with these positions, takes them quite a while to get the solution, I remember playing a similar position, sacrificing a pawn to open up the way for my king and lichess marking it as a blunder in a drawn position for a couple of moves until it realises I'm queening, it was quite funny.
Oh yeah, was this like a problem solving competition or in an actual game? What kind of money?

>>8102767
>checking your opponent while you're still in check
wew lad

>>8101304
Close the kingside, win on the queenside.
1. h4 h6 (after any other moves you close the k-side and win on the q-side thanks to zugswang)
2. Kd2 Kc6
3. Ke3 Kd6 (now c5 comes with check)
4. c5+ Kc6
5. hxg5 hxg5 (fxg5 is the same)
6. g4! and white collects all the kingside and wins.

I hope there aren't any flaws on my analysis.

File: levon aronian.jpg (132KB, 1280x853px) Image search: [Google]

132KB, 1280x853px

Who is your chess waifu/husbando? I like Levon Aronian desu.

>>8103428
My actual game, starting from a drawish Caro Kann, just trying for a class prize.

>>8103683
The zugzwang line is also instructive:
1. h4 g4
2. h5 h6
3. Ke3 Ke6
4. cxd5 Kd6
5. Ke2! Kxd5
6. Kd3 K-any
7. Kc4 and wins

>>8103713
I really liked that position. It's the typical you can work out all the lines in less than 10 min, but in an actual game you may ignore it was even winning. My rating would be 200 points higher if I had the same cold-bloodiness in my games than in /sci/.

>>8101304
I saw h4 instantly - but only because the 'v' formation of the pawns is the way white cripples black's pawn majority on the q-side while trying to exploit his majority on the k-side in the Lopez Exchange. The black pawns cannot break through without assistance from their King so long as white doesn't initiate an exchange. (If the black g pawn takes, white retakes and all pawns are blockaded, white never captures the g-pawn.). In your position, you can force a passer on the q-side, just a matter of timing whether b-pawn captures or pushes.
So for those who say 'Chess is just rote memorisation' - well, yes it is, but you memorise ideas, not moves!

File: Screenshot_2016-05-27-22-48-43.jpg (702KB, 1059x1080px) Image search: [Google]

702KB, 1059x1080px

Black to move and win

>>8104354
g6

the white queen is trapped

>>8104367
g6? Qxh6+

>>8104370
oops i meant bg4

>>8104562
Oops, I meant Bg4? Qh4

File: 1221876491044.jpg (65KB, 625x438px) Image search: [Google]

65KB, 625x438px

>>8104568

>>8104354
Rh8 threatening g6 Qxh6+ Kg8 trapping the queen.

Where to start with chess?
My father had a 2200 something ranking and I never really learned how to play /well/

File: Pawn_Breakthrough.png (3KB, 225x229px) Image search: [Google]

3KB, 225x229px

The left side of the board illustrates >>8103772. on the right side, assuming the kings are out of the picture, it's white to play and win. "every Russian schoolboy knows this one" they say... can you beat a Russian schoolboy?

>>8105414
Left side not sure. Right side I know.

1. g6 hxg6 2. f6 gxf6 3. h6 and White queens.
Or 1...fxg6 2. h6 gxh6 3. f6 and same thing.

>>8105428
Yes. the left side is illustrating that the superior force cannot break through (unassisted). The right side illustrates whites advantages are 1.deeper penetration of enemy territory 2. therefore doesn't require superior firepower, just need 1 pawn that will promote.
Chess is cruel; unlike real warfare, attrition and suicide attacks are legitimate tactics.

>>8104748
Yep.

>>8105414
Left is ruy lopez-ish pawn structure on the queenside where black can't force a passed pawn without help. It would be a better example if the position on the right was black to move and win, because that's the only exception to the position on the left.

File: Screenshot_2016-05-28-22-25-59.jpg (617KB, 1095x1080px) Image search: [Google]

617KB, 1095x1080px

White to move and win

File: 00604969.jpg (156KB, 580x342px) Image search: [Google]

156KB, 580x342px

>>8106583
Rxg7

File: chess1.png (26KB, 494x490px) Image search: [Google]

26KB, 494x490px

What would you have done, /sci/?

Black's move.

>>8068635
... Bxe2
Ng6+ Qxg6
hxg6 Bxc4
Rxh7+ Kg8
0-1 i think

>>8068629
Rh8+... Rh1+... Rh8+... Qh1+... Qh7++

>>8068636
Bb1 b2
Ra2 etc. etc ...
Ra5 a6
Be4++

File: ts3.png (30KB, 610x218px) Image search: [Google]

30KB, 610x218px

endgame prob, black to get smth

>>8107733
*white, obv.

here's another (easier) one, this time it really is black to move

File: Jan-A-tsumego.png (157KB, 307x430px) Image search: [Google]

157KB, 307x430px

>>8107739
forgot pic >_>

>>8107720
>>8107723
>>8107728
Yep.
>>8107187
Nope

>>8107693
Re8.

>>8106583
Rf6 threatening Qxh6+

>>8107693
Calmly move Kg7 and regroup. Black controls all the checking squares and is already a rook ahead.

>>8108231
And after Nf8?

>>8108655
>>8108231
And also after Ng5

>>8108655
>>8108659
Not him but:

Nf8 can't stop anything because White's bishop also attacks the h7 square. So 2. Qxh6+ gxh6 (if 2...Kg8 3. Rxg7#; if 2...Nh7 3. Qxh7#) 3. Rxh6+ Nh7 4. Rxh7#.

It's Ng5 that's the big deal. I guess the best move against it is 2. h4, maybe.

>>8108659
Rf6 Ng5 Rxg5! hxg5 Qxg5 Kg8 Qh5 and black is still getting mated or giving back material.

File: e4.png (33KB, 490x490px) Image search: [Google]

33KB, 490x490px

What's your favorite way to play this, /sci/?

I always opt for the French defense, but I hear the chess masters always go for the Sicilian because it's statistically better.

How do I into Chess?

>>8109009
The French is somewhat unfashionable these days but still a viable option (personally I love it, and as Fischer said "I always had trouble cracking its tortoise-shell like carapace"). Masters don't "always" go for the Sicilian, but it is arguably Black's best counter-attacking option. The King-pawn game is evergreen; today the Italian game is enjoying a resurgence as a means to avoiding the dreaded equalising "Berlin endgame". And then there's the Caro-Kann - as Reti put it "1. e4?? c6!"... yes Reti was guilty of the same dogmatism he accused Tarrasch of.
If that answers your question albeit without use of statistics ;)

>>8109121
Same as you into anything - be gobsmacked by what you love about it.

>>8109164
Thanks. I had never heard of the Berlin endgame. Is that just where the queens are gone?

>>8109121
>Object is to capture the king. [You actually can't capture the king. You can only put it in "checkmate" - where the king can not avoid capture in the next move]
>Each piece has different moving abilities
>If a pawn (the weakest piece) makes it to the other side of the board, you can exchange it for a superior queen/castle/bishop/knight.

After that, it's really just opinion.

>>8109203
I know how it's played, how do I get good at it?

>>8109194
Hmmm.... "just" might be an oversimplification, But yes, it's a Ruy Lopez with the Queens off and Black has a (theoretically) unassailable pawn structure. It's what Kramnik used to "guarantee" a draw with black (so as to win with white) when he beat Kasparov in the 2000 World Championship, and has been hotly disputed ever since.

>>8109210
The same as you get good at maths or science; it must be a labour of love, and you must pray that Caissa (the Chess Goddess) smiles upon you, Even if she does not, although you will never be good, it can still make you happy. And the same as maths and science, if it is 'work', you will never be more than a journeyman.

>>8109226
Thanks. I'll have to watch the simulation.

>>8109210
>how do I get good at
1. Practice
2. Read all of Hitler's works, spend time on /pol/ and try to absorb to absorb the Jewish conspiracy theories.

>>8109237
Pretty much this. I was the happiest when I was 1600ish and just playing for fun. Stay away from "getting better" crowd, it's filled with bitter people trying to prove their self worth via chess. If you really want to improve, hang out with people who are already better. They know if better than people who spent the last 15 years on the ok plateau.

>>8109009
g6

>>8110823