Do you play Chess?

[Kyng]

Yeaaaaaa @Kyng of chess
Oh wait, do I mean you’re amazing at chess or you’re head of the army on the chess board?


Same (as for playing online and on my phone). My chess.com rating remained steady between 600-700. See @Kyng I suck compared to you 😿

Awww, thanks !

Probably just that I'm the head of the army on the chess board XD. I have just hit a personal all-time high rating (1540), but I still have a lot to learn .

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Awww, thanks !

Probably just that I'm the head of the army on the chess board XD. I have just hit a personal all-time high rating (1540), but I still have a lot to learn .

Chess, just like software development, is one where you can never stop learning and improving

 

[Arantor]

I'm actually not good at it, my spatial awareness and reasoning is lacking (but I'm that way away from the chessboard, can't navigate, can't judge distance)

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I'm actually not good at it, my spatial awareness and reasoning is lacking (but I'm that way away from the chessboard, can't navigate, can't judge distance)

my spatial awareness is lacking too, i get confused with directions easily and struggle to understand sequence of moves.

 

[Kyng]

my spatial awareness is lacking too, i get confused with directions easily and struggle to understand sequence of moves.

Yeah, especially with those bishops sneaking up on you from the other side of the board!

Even Magnus Carlsen missed one once:



(I'm not one to talk, though... I've missed these long-range bishop moves countless times before!)

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Yeah, especially with those bishops sneaking up on you from the other side of the board!

Even Magnus Carlsen missed one once:



(I'm not one to talk, though... I've missed these long-range bishop moves countless times before!)

For me it’s more the having to think through multiple possible scenarios

 

[Kyng]

Well, I think this might be one of the best moves I've ever played:

After 1...hxg5 2. Qxg5 (threatening Qxg7#) Ne8 3. h6, my h-pawn marched up the board and gobbled some pieces .

(According to the engine, the immediate 2. h6 would've been even better: would've come with a deadly mating attack that Black couldn't stop without giving up copious amounts of material!)

 

[Tyrsson]

From there it shouldve been checkmate in two

 

[Tyrsson]

Well, black probably would not have been that dense and pulled the knight back, but for sure a hard spot to be in for black there. My playing style would have had me focused on the knight there.

 

[Mike30]

From there it shouldve been checkmate in two

If it's black's turn, I don't see mate in two. By moving the knight to e8 after taking rook h6-g5. I can also see other moves that is not mate just yet.

 

[Tyrsson]

Well, black probably would not have been that dense and pulled the knight back, but for sure a hard spot to be in for black there. My playing style would have had me focused on the knight there.

 

[Tyrsson]

Also, bare in mind that I only recently started back playing after a years long break on chess.com. So far Im playing at around a 900 (give or take a little). I'm rusty but it's coming back to me.

 

[Kyng]

I had the above position yesterday. Black attacked my bishop; I could simply have moved it out of the way, but instead, I played a sequence that I'm quite proud of (see spoiler below):

Spoiler

1. a6!!

I completely ignored the threat on my bishop: instead, I just wanted to promote my pawn!

1...Rxf4 2. a7

Of course, Black decided to bite - and I pushed my pawn again, so it was now only one step away from becoming a queen.

2... Bc6

This is really the only way to cover the a8-square, and thus stop my pawn from promoting. But I wasn't giving up so easily...

3. Ba4!!

I'd already sacrificed one bishop for this pawn - and now, I'm sacrificing the other one as well! Once again, I'm threatening to promote, because Black's light-squared bishop is now pinned. The only way to stop this is with:

3...Rxa4 4. Rxa4

Now, I've picked up the rook, in exchange for my two bishops. And there's no way to stop the promotion: if 4...Bxa4 then 5. a8=Q+, and if 4...Ba8 then 5. Rb1 with 6. Rb8+ to follow.

4...g5 5. a8=Q+ Bxa8 6. Rxa8+

When all was said and done, I had won a bishop and a rook, in exchange for two bishops and a pawn. And Black was completely busted: I brought my other rook into the attack, and achieved checkmate just 8 moves later:

Of course, most of my games are significantly worse than this - but, it's worth suffering through all the blunders to get the occasional game that makes me feel very smart !

 

[otis booard]

i know the rules but i'm no good at it

 

[Shortie]

I was never someone who could fully get into chess as I always struggled to learn how to play. My brother loved chess and he managed to get the hang of it quite easily but despite him trying to teach me, I could never get into it.

My eldest son also enjoys chess but again, not many of us in the house can get into it so that is a shame.