tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.comments2024-02-20T07:50:13.558+01:00Chess960 (FRC)Mark Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comBlogger390125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-42326856725354969682024-02-19T13:00:27.714+01:002024-02-19T13:00:27.714+01:00https://lichess.org/broadcast/freestyle-chess-goat...https://lichess.org/broadcast/freestyle-chess-goat-challenge/final-2/x49Zp6dLUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126309055546699227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-53763009371889993642024-01-16T11:03:31.702+01:002024-01-16T11:03:31.702+01:00Thanks, Harry. It's been a good run. Happy 202...Thanks, Harry. It's been a good run. Happy 2024 to you! - MarkMark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-12017913880733857062024-01-08T11:31:11.591+01:002024-01-08T11:31:11.591+01:00Have an enjoyable break playing Chess 960 (FRC) Ma...Have an enjoyable break playing Chess 960 (FRC) Mark! I try to play rapid 960 every day and focus on enjoying the unique story and scenarios that happen in nearly every game, which is only possible with a lot of practice. All the best for 2024! Harry O.HarryOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971894954907592580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-3669584658278598962023-09-06T22:36:23.550+02:002023-09-06T22:36:23.550+02:00Nicely written post and I fully agree that "t...Nicely written post and I fully agree that "the 'bizarre castling rules' add an extra dimension to the opening strategy in a game of chess960".<br /><br />These days I only play correspondence chess and I do find that with Chess 960 (or the interesting and highly tactical Three Checks 960) I often need to keep a prominent note in front of me as to whether castling is still possible for either side. Also I've thought that it would be helpful to have this marked in diagrams - has that idea ever been raised? It's obvious when the king is closer to the side than any rook, but otherwise not always so clear without scrolling back through moves. (In a single OTB game though, this would doubtless be less of an issue.)<br /><br />Many thanks for all your interesting 960 thoughts over the years...Malcolm Hornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12823994100461379776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-6997161082341068582023-08-13T17:07:53.771+02:002023-08-13T17:07:53.771+02:002nd thing
MARK & HARRY O I HAVE A HUGE UPDATE...2nd thing<br /><br />MARK & HARRY O I HAVE A HUGE UPDATE. I actually knew this before, but I totally forgot it.<br /><br />https://mathematiciowned.wordpress.com/?p=5958<br /><br />a user named chesscrastination said 2021Dec<br /><br />'Currently the opening is played by computers, not humans, which is part of the problem. When you have the top players in the world giong, “I have no idea what Kf1 does, it must be the computer” that is no fun for a spectator.'<br /><br />and<br /><br />'To me it’s obvious, not an insight. I just found it absurd when I was watching former world champ Vishy commenting on the game going, “I have no idea what Kf1 does, it must be the computer” 38:41 here: https://youtu.be/q1XFLBJmd0Y?t=2305' - This is when Vishy Anand & Anna Muzychuk were commentating on Game 1 of the 2021 classical WCC between Magnus vs Nepo ( where Magnus cheats Nepo in Game 9 https://mathematiciowned.wordpress.com/?p=1205 )<br /><br />So that means 'Commentators have a hard time explaining what’s happening' is wrong? Or maybe it's not hard ... it's just different?<br /><br />In chess - Commentators can't explain the computer moves.<br /><br />In 9LX - Commentators have no prep.<br /><br />Actually no I think it's really the opposite - when a player makes a move, they are doing it based on their understanding of a new position ... similar to as if they're making a move in a puzzle. This way the 9LX opening phase is like a 'strategy version' of puzzles, which are all about tactics. A player isn't going to make a move based on some fancy computer prep...<br /><br />...They can do sorta prep w/c the commentators wouldn't understand like Peter Leko maybe didn't quite understand the same level as Wesley So & Hikaru in the INAUGURAL 2022 rapid not classical WFRCC finals - see this video '9LX WCs Wesley & traitor Hikaru PREDICT the 1st 3 moves of the final armageddon game. (2022Oct)' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3J5SsYVAyk <br /><br />But like ... it's the same opening principles like control centre, prepare to castle, open a diagonal, etc ...<br /><br />I think there are many only like a few new concepts here<br /><br />1 - target a hanging pawn since no pawns are hanging at the start in SP 518<br /><br />2 - chess90 vs chess870 - The commentators might miss that in chess90 you have to give up castling rights on 1 side to castle on the other side and hence the commentators might miss that 'oh that's why X moved a rook early. -It was to clear space to castle on the other side.'<br /><br />https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/37082/how-many-chess960-positions-exist-in-which-castling-on-one-side-does-not-require<br /><br /><br />So yeah idk Mark & Harry ... I think I kinda disagree w/ both of you guys & Fabi. What do you think?Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-8006349276939983402023-08-13T17:07:48.572+02:002023-08-13T17:07:48.572+02:00Fabi started it. Lol. But don't mind me Mark. ...Fabi started it. Lol. But don't mind me Mark. You're like Professor X. I'm like Magneto. Btw, it's funny you should say Earth. Magneto doesn't live on Earth exactly. E lives in Genosha. Lol.<br /><br />1st thing<br /><br />Anyway, I can't imagine a superGM would actually criticise 9LX (rather than its application)...unless the superGM is highly reliant on opening preparation?<br /><br />1.1 - Fabiano: "this all prep thing is like a meme at this point: every time I win a game, it's prep"<br />He said in the last C-Squared podcast. He also probably read some post of chess uneducated here and somewhere else in the web, that claim he win or even is at the level he is, just because of his opening preparation<br /><br /><br />https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/13kvsad/fabiano_this_all_prep_thing_is_like_a_meme_at/<br /><br />1.2 - 'Play the opening like Caruana, the middlegame like Dubov and the endgame like Carlsen.' --> an update to 'Play the opening like Kasparov, the middlegame like Tal, and the endgame like Capablanca.' What do you think? Got it from some agadmator youtube comment.<br /><br />https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/tov44b/play_the_opening_like_caruana_the_middlegame_like/<br /><br />I mean what's the other explanation? Well maybe middlegames but Magnus who sucks at middlegames still likes 9LX, so I don't think superGMs not so strong in middlegames will not love 9LX. I think it's superGMs who are really strong in openings that will not love 9LX.<br /><br />Note - I say 'not love 9LX' instead of 'hate 9LX' because obviously they won't hate it, but I can't believe they are still like on-the-fence or whatever like Sam Shankland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAJl5zldeE , Hikaru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rmYE6TX1AQ , Fabi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxjehVA6tgg , et al as opposed to Magnus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJ100arAbw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmHrZ2mT6bM , Wesley So https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awnFTUCACeM , Levon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnl-j6gNSiU (I can't even believe I'm putting Magnus on the same side as Wesley So! https://mathematiciowned.wordpress.com/?p=1453 )<br /><br />And Wesley So I'm told is top 3 in opening preparation w/ Anish & Fabi. So what's Fabi's excuse? Fabi must be HIGHLY reliant on opening prep to talk like this then? Lol idk.<br /><br /><br />Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-72776939848607991412023-08-07T23:47:54.507+02:002023-08-07T23:47:54.507+02:00Cool my new(ly activated) wordpress is actually se...Cool my new(ly activated) wordpress is actually searchable<br /><br />Classical Chess960 statistics in 2019 WFRCC: Magnus & Hikaru are lowest? Nepo top 2!<br /><br />https://mathematiciowned.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/classical-chess960-statistics-in-2019-wfrcc-magnus-hikaru-are-lowest-nepo-top-2<br /><br />Btw Mark did you do anything to make your blog more searchable or something? Or does google just eventually add them? Any idea if blogger / blogspot blogs are more searchable than wordpress blogs?Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-62682002481368578122023-07-25T10:36:36.420+02:002023-07-25T10:36:36.420+02:00@NicBentulan: Re your question, 'Any update to...@NicBentulan: Re your question, 'Any update to this?', I discussed it on the next post, 'Two PGN Challenges Met', which was the first post in June 2023. Did you do any research before asking your question?Mark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-30114069416185986182023-07-20T22:07:50.306+02:002023-07-20T22:07:50.306+02:00Any update to this?Any update to this?Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-3496929192982335652023-07-02T09:16:04.565+02:002023-07-02T09:16:04.565+02:00I got 3 puzzles actually
1
7-move puzzle
[FEN &...I got 3 puzzles actually<br /><br />1<br /><br />7-move puzzle<br /><br />[FEN "b1r3k1/4R3/5pp1/p5P1/4Pn2/1Np5/r6P/3R1BK1 b - - 0 1"]<br /><br />https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/zm8xv8/michael_adams_missed_7move_9lx_puzzle_vs_peter/<br /><br />2<br /><br />3-move puzzle<br /><br />[FEN "2r1n1k1/3q1p1p/R2P2p1/5p2/1Q3P2/4P3/4BP1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]<br /><br />https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/zhwz18/help_michael_adams_draw_vs_peter_leko_2001_mainz/<br /><br />3<br /><br />7-move puzzle<br /><br />https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/zi5t9v/retreat_trap_sac_and_dont_get_tricked_into_a_draw/<br /><br />[FEN "r3r1q1/kpQ3p1/5p2/3p4/3P4/bPBR2P1/2P5/1K3R2 w - - 0 1"]Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-16178968715277182672023-06-05T09:39:21.725+02:002023-06-05T09:39:21.725+02:00You can find all of the games on lichess broadcast...You can find all of the games on lichess broadcasts, starting from here:<br />https://lichess.org/broadcast/2022-champions-showdown-chess-9lx/round-1/01Kwg6mV<br />https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-world-fischer-random-chess-championship/day-1-match-1/Eij7M6Cb<br />If you click on any game, it will bring you to a lichess study, where you can download the games in PGN using the "Share and export" tab (below the board). There are inks there to "Embed in your website" as well. (If you want them all in one PGN, you have to download them one-by-one and merge them by hand.)<br />Regarding the parameters you can use for embedded iframes see https://lichess.org/developers<br />Here is a nice 960 blog using this lichess feature https://nine-sixty.netlify.app/Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126309055546699227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-52537596953240981772023-05-28T00:29:25.135+02:002023-05-28T00:29:25.135+02:00Mark do you know Gasai
Fastest Mirror Mate in Ch...Mark do you know Gasai <br /><br />Fastest Mirror Mate in Chess960?<br /><br />https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/12gu2r3/fastest_mirror_mate_in_chess960/Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-27364650689779252422023-05-22T23:49:56.867+02:002023-05-22T23:49:56.867+02:00Practical defects vs creative defects. Finally som...Practical defects vs creative defects. Finally some terms to distinguish chess960 aka FRC aka 9LX from just any variant like crazyhouse or whatever!Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-17977288236534867622023-04-24T12:31:48.305+02:002023-04-24T12:31:48.305+02:00Earth to Nic Bentulan: Your disrespectful attitude...Earth to Nic Bentulan: Your disrespectful attitude to the world's best players diminishes the impact of your other comments, which are often very good. Try sitting on your hands.Mark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-2736797587520007662023-04-21T15:08:13.359+02:002023-04-21T15:08:13.359+02:00LOL! How can anyone hate those bishop on corner se...LOL! How can anyone hate those bishop on corner setups? They rule! Even in the 2022 WFRCC that talentless patzer Magnus even pulled off a 1st move bishop sac vs that traitor Hikaru. Yet for some reason this sac wasn't nominated for 2022 chessc*m move of the year even though the knight sac by Wesley So (whom Bobby Fischer would consider THE REAL WORLD CHAMPION for 2019 Nov - 2023 Mar among Wesley So, Hikaru Nakamura & Magnus Carlsen) by MVL actually WON the 2021 chessc*m move of the year. https://imgur.com/a/iSB1jQd<br /><br />Actually Mark, do you have any blog posts about - or what do you think about - knights developing to b & g files instead of c & f files? Actually when my king is kingside / short side / h-side castled I prefer my knight on g3 than the usual f3.<br /><br />- Chess: If the f3 knight gets traded by a bishop then my g file is wide open!<br />https://lichess.org/analysis/rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/5N2/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKB1R_b_KQkq_-_0_1?color=white<br /><br />- Chess960: If the g3 knight gets traded by a bishop then ... it just got traded by a bishop! My castle isn't exposed or anything.<br />https://lichess.org/analysis/rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/6N1/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKB1R_b_KQkq_-_0_1?color=white<br /><br />And in either case the knight still guards the h2 squares.<br /><br />I asked some people about this and 1 person told me there's a problem with pawn pushes to h5, but I can play h4 too.Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-12674037851776821992023-04-21T14:03:17.379+02:002023-04-21T14:03:17.379+02:00re 'chess is a hard game, but chess960 is even...re 'chess is a hard game, but chess960 is even harder.'<br /><br />How is chess960 harder than chess? hans niemann says here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ_5LBvH6Do&t=3700s e has to pay 68k USD a year on renting cloud for engines. Lol. No more preparation. Just fun and enjoyment! Vidit says chess960 is just like most physical sports https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxIdCEj6_E8<br /><br />And other games even like poker. They don't really STUDY. They just TRAIN. I think it's a little different in a few 'physical' sports such as esports like csgo & valorant where you do indeed have to 'study' the maps. The equivalent of 'seconds' there are support players who throw grenades to prepare for the entry attackers.<br /><br />I don't think csgo or valorant were ever thought to have an 'opening' problem like whoever knows the map better wins or something though since of course the physical element is a huge part of it.<br /><br />I guess you mean it's harder in that it's like lower rated players cannot upset higher rated players as much by studying opening theory instead of actually getting better kinda like what sam shankland says re talent vs 'hard work' (yeah it's hard work to study openings. but it's also hard work to get good at tactics, middlegames & endgames...)<br /><br />for chess960 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAJl5zldeE<br /><br />and even for rapid chess & blitz chess https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzrLZ1ym8IcNic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-9783808187958661762023-04-21T14:01:15.249+02:002023-04-21T14:01:15.249+02:00re 'maybe preparation plays a big role in clas...re 'maybe preparation plays a big role in classical chess, but in blitz and rapid it doesn’t play much of a role at all'<br /><br />yeah mark I notice sam shankland says something similar both for chess960 of any time control and for rapid & blitz of chess<br /><br />Sam talks about 'talent' vs 'hard work'<br /><br />- in chess960 in 2:00 - 3:02 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAJl5zldeE<br /><br />- in rapid & blitz chess in 1:50 onwards in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzrLZ1ym8Ic<br /><br />I guess hard work = prep and that Sam is using the same definition of talent as what Bobby Fischer said eg in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A52UXLpplTw (clipped from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S4BU_AYJEs )Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-74816434571673395842023-04-21T13:31:57.349+02:002023-04-21T13:31:57.349+02:00So Fabi was a traitor to 9LX / chess960 / FRC even...So Fabi was a traitor to 9LX / chess960 / FRC even then? LOL. But yeah you can tell Fabi, Vidit and even Hikaru are traitors to 9LX. Sam Shankland too. You can tell those 4 don't love 9LX the way we, Bobby Fischer, Wesley So & Levon Aronian do. Sam & Vidit are kinda ok since they are below 2750 peak FIDE classical, but I expected more from 2800's Fabi & Hikaru. Since they won the 2 chess960 tournaments in 2022 namely WFRCC & Chess9LX (which had huge problems eg single round robin, armageddon with no bidding / auction, WFRCC final 8 was unfair to Wesley So in lower time controls & lower championship privilege, etc), that makes them even bigger traitors. And I don't care if I'm being ex post facto. Hehe.<br /><br />1<br />9LX talk by Fabi, Cristian, Vidit & Ganguly (2022Nov)<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxIdCEj6_E8<br /><br />from<br /><br />1.1<br />C-Squared Podcast #10 | Global Chess Championship, Fischer Random & more with Vidit & Ganguly<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGuUkfW_E_Y<br /><br /><br />2<br />(I didn't clip this yet.)<br />Caruana: Three Intense, but Successful Games | Day 1<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxjehVA6tgg<br /><br /><br />3<br />Hikaru says 'the opening decides everything' in 9LX? Really? (2022Sep)<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rmYE6TX1AQ<br /><br />from<br /><br />3.1<br />Nakamura: The Opening Decides Everything | Day 2<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiIZxBH7tGs<br /><br />4<br />(I didn't clip this yet.)<br />2021 Champions Showdown | Chess 9LX: Sam Shankland Interview | Day 1<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAJl5zldeE<br /><br /><br />Notice btw what huge HYPOCRITES Fabi & Vidit are.<br /><br />A<br />They're complaining that there were too many wildcards in the 2022 WFRCC top 8 and in the 2022 WFRCC qualifiers, but they didn't complain when THEY were wildcards in the 2019 WFRCC: Vidit in qualifiers and FABI EVEN IN THE QUARTER-FINALS! Yet Fabi had no problem being a wildcard in the 2019 WFRCC for being the 2018 WCC runner-up.<br /><br />B<br />Fabi even INCORRECTLY said that Magnus was was a wildcard in the 2022 WFRCC because Magnus is the 2021 WCC. That's wrong. Magnus was a wildcard for being the 2019 WFRCC runner-up, even if Magnus was the most pathetic runner-up in classical WCC / classical WFRCC history for losing 3 classical games in a row to Wesley So who got only 1 win the 2018 chess candidates. Similarly Nepo I'd like to believe was a wildcard for a similar reason. Nepo actually outscored Magnus in<br /><br />1. all the classical 2019 WFRCC games played (which happened only in the quarter-finals, semi-finals & finals) --> https://mathematiciowned.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/571/<br />2. all the classical 2019 WFRCC games played in the top 4 only (semi-finals & finals)<br />3. all the rapid 2019 WFRCC games played in the top 4 only (semi-finals & finals)<br />4. all the rapid 2019 WFRCC games played in the quarter-finals, semi-finals & finals<br />5. all the classical & rapid 2019 WFRCC games (weighted accordingly) played in the quarter-finals, semi-finals & finals --> https://imgur.com/a/hyzJApE<br /><br />C<br />And another thing, Wesley So after winning the 2019 WFRCC didn't get any kind of wildcard in the 2020-2021 or the 2022 chess candidates. LOL!!!! So the 2018 WCC runner-up gets a wildcard into what's essentially the 2019 FRC candidates yet the 2019 WFRCC winner gets 'NADA ZIP ZILCH THE BIG GOOSE EGG' (Xander from Buffy) in chess?!?! HAHAHAHAHA.<br /><br />Finally<br /><br />I wouldn't necessarily say Fabi & Hikaru are traitors to the US though like just because Bobby Fischer who created chess960 is American, but..........<br /><br />.....Hikaru coincidentally is a traitor to the US for baselessly siding with Magnus Carlsen over Hans Niemann re Magnus' accusations that are both BASELESS and HYPOCRITICAL since Magnus cheated Alireza Firouzja, Daniel 'Danya' Naroditsky & Ian 'Nepo' Nepomniachtchi. Just like how Garry Kasparov cheated Judit Polgar.<br /><br />Not only does chess suck but even its players like Magnus, Hikaru & Garry suck. Not only does chess960 rule but also do its players like Wesley So, Levon Aronian & Bobby Fischer rule.Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-51922689157434435092022-12-23T12:06:53.242+01:002022-12-23T12:06:53.242+01:00Merry Christmas to you, Harry. When Larry Kaufman ...Merry Christmas to you, Harry. When Larry Kaufman says anything, it's in reference to engines. For all I care, engines can continue playing draws until the cows come home. The limitations of engines don't diminish the pleasure of playing chess without all the tedious opening theory (no thanks to engines on that either).<br /><br />I hear you on *improvements*. It seems that everyone who starts playing chess960 has to get in their two cents about how to "improve" it. Who even asked them? - Have a great 2023, MarkMark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-61305064779870688302022-12-22T02:47:43.457+01:002022-12-22T02:47:43.457+01:00Enjoy Xmas 2022 Mark. Agree, it was an awesome eve...Enjoy Xmas 2022 Mark. Agree, it was an awesome event and most of the commentary was great. I'm surprised and relieved by the twist in the plot that the elite now think FRC is fairer to black than standard chess! The main issue now, is that some like Larry Kaufman think 960 is too drawish. What a twist in the plot! To me, his solution "Chess324" degrades chess because it does not tell the full story of Chess. Bobby had a *lot* more wisdom by leaving Chess fully intact with his 960 invention not being tempted by "improvements". If chess is drawish and 960 uncovers it through a general relativity theory somehow, isn't that wonderful?HarryOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971894954907592580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-78896176331060819872022-12-20T12:31:52.164+01:002022-12-20T12:31:52.164+01:00Some relevant comments by Nic Bentulan (@nicbentul...Some relevant comments by Nic Bentulan (@nicbentulan) against the Twitter anchor for this post:- <br /><br />https://twitter.com/bemweeks/status/1604467273695367168Mark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-7751770825544392292022-12-16T10:57:50.145+01:002022-12-16T10:57:50.145+01:00Re 'Magnus was never even the world champion&#...Re 'Magnus was never even the world champion', see...<br /><br />17 February 2018<br />2018 Carlsen - Nakamura<br />http://chess960frc.blogspot.com/2018/02/2018-carlsen-nakamura.html<br /><br />...'billed as "The Unofficial World Championship in Fischer Random Chess"'.<br /><br />Re '2022 Chess Candidates has ratings higher by 60 points and rankings higher by 92%', this is an apples to oranges comparison. The two events have little to do with each other.Mark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-36236504375969520812022-11-27T19:27:37.436+01:002022-11-27T19:27:37.436+01:00very nice. there's a 3-move endgame equality 9...very nice. there's a 3-move endgame equality 9LX puzzle for the last blunder of Peter Leko vs Michael Adams here https://lichess.org/WH2Ri5qN#63<br /><br />After 32. Be2<br /><br />https://lichess.org/analysis/2r1n1k1/3q1p1p/R2P2p1/5p2/1Q3P2/4P3/4BP1P/6K1_b_-_-_0_1#1<br /><br />[Variant "From Position"]<br />[FEN "2r1n1k1/3q1p1p/R2P2p1/5p2/1Q3P2/4P3/4BP1P/6K1 b - - 0 1"]<br /><br />1... Rd8 2. Bb5 Qb7 3. d7 Rxd7Nic Bentulanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790266733020794225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-672826787747084192022-10-18T12:24:06.891+02:002022-10-18T12:24:06.891+02:00Some good comments by Nic Bentulan (@nicbentulan) ...Some good comments by Nic Bentulan (@nicbentulan) against the Twitter anchor for this post:-<br /><br />https://twitter.com/bemweeks/status/1581942997750804481<br /><br />I'll reply as soon as I find the time...Mark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6011690536420808420.post-21652958918988659212022-08-29T11:49:08.091+02:002022-08-29T11:49:08.091+02:00Reply to nicbentulan comments in the Twitter ancho...Reply to nicbentulan comments in the Twitter anchor for this post (Twitter doesn't like long comments)<br />https://twitter.com/bemweeks/status/1563854543074791424<br /><br />[]<br /><br />Re having to move one Rook in order to castle with the other, it's an interesting class of related start positions (SPs). I've played several games with those positions and enjoyed playing them. I remember a Nakamura game where he lifted the obstructing Rook to his second rank. It was a creative solution. Castling gave him doubled Rooks.<br /><br />I'm always against eliminating positions because they create special difficulties not found in SP518. Some people want to eliminate Bishops starting in the corner; some want to eliminate Queens or Knights in the corner. Why eliminate a legitimate, although difficult, position? A player who can't improvise in unfamiliar situations with a creative strategy should stick to SP518. I call it the sandbox position.<br /><br />There's another class of SPs which requires undeveloping a Rook, e.g. ***KR*** castles K-side to *****RK*. Would you eliminate those as well?<br /><br />Re chess324, yes, that's right. See the Kaufman thread that I linked in the post. Three squares for one Bishop, times two squares for the other Bishop, times three squares for the Queen makes a total of 18 positions. Some people have proposed similar for chess960. Call it chess018? You might also allow the King to start on the d-file, but that prevents non-chess960 engines from playing.Mark Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10101044127493771263noreply@blogger.com