3 ms·
>It's not like Chess is some weird, esoteric game where there is a gray area of whether or not moves are legal or not. Actually it is exactly like that. If yo
by slm_HN 12y ago
>It's not like Chess is some weird, esoteric game where there is a gray area of whether or not moves are legal or not.
Actually it is exactly like that.
If you play tournament chess, like USCF tournaments, then there's no doubt what the rules are. However if you play casual chess, like with some random guy in the park, then be prepared for some misunderstandings.
Some things casual players think are rules:
Pawns move two squares only on the first move of the *game* not the first move of the pawn
You can't promote a pawn the move after it arrives on the 7th rank, you have to wait a move
Perpetual check is illegal (somewhat like the Ko rule in go)
Capturing En Passant is generally not known
So when I'm playing a stranger I always ask if they've played any tournaments, not to gauge how strong they are, but to see if they'll know the rules of chess.
- Buttons840 12y agoI haven't played in any chess tournaments, but I started doing this myself after my cousin captured my bishop with an en passant. The game was ruined by the ensuing argument...
- SeanDav 12y agoYou can only capture a pawn En passant and only if the pawn moves 2 squares in 1 go.
- gamegoblin 12y agoPerhaps an en passant lead to a position in which the bishop could not avoid being captured. If not, OPs cousin is indeed wrong.
- Buttons840 12y agoYeah, my cousin thought if his pawn was on the 5th row he could capture any piece next to it by performing an "en passant". Of course, it wasn't a proper en passant, but the way he moved his pawn was the same, it's just he was capturing a bishop instead of another pawn.
- true_religion 12y ago> Capturing En Passant I actually did not know this one, and I thought I played enough Chess to know all the rules.
- Tloewald 12y agoI've known the rule since i was a kid, but i've never seen it in an actual game.
- gamegoblin 12y agoEn passant is a bit funny in that, once you learn it, it's tempting to use it when it would actually be better not to. When I played tournaments in high school, most players knew about it, but most players were still quite amateur, so one could offer up a position in which the opponent could perform an en passant, but the en passant was actually fairly detrimental, and more often than not the opponent will take it, because "hey cool I can do that weird pawn move".
- girvo 12y agoOh good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who did that in tournaments when I was in school!
- nebulous1 12y agoYeah, but it isn't a grey area, the rules are well defined and actually pretty easy to understand. I've had people not know the rules before, but they wouldn't call themselves experienced.
- baddox 12y agoI don't know if I would consider people being blatantly ignorant of the rules evidence that the rules are a "grey area." I learned how pieces move and capture from a children's book in third grade, and I distinctly remember it covering those rules, except for the third, which I have never heard of. As far as I know, these rules are extremely standardized in most or all areas of the world where chess is known. I have heard about some special rules for competitions that can differ, like timing limitations and end-game rules. I'm also aware of many variations of chess, but those are always clearly discussed as variants.
- ketralnis 12y ago> Pawns move two squares only on the first move of the game not the first move of the pawn Can you elaborate on this? I've never seen any claim to this effect, only that a pawn on its starting rank has the option of moving two squares (but cannot use that to jump over or capture a piece) (e.g. as stated http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_(chess) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_(chess)). Are these different claims or am I misunderstanding? > You can't promote a pawn the move after it arrives on the 7th rank, you have to wait a move Same here. "The new piece replaces the pawn on the same square, as part of the same move" (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_(chess) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_(chess)) I'm only showing wikipedia cites to indicate that if these are wrong they are widely spread, and hoping that you have better cites.
- SeanDav 12y agoHe was demonstrating a misconception. The truth is pawns can move 2 squares on their first move at any point in the game.
- datashaman 12y agoNot understanding the rules of something, doesn't make the rules a 'gray area'. That makes the understanding a gray area. The rules are very explicit.