I submit Chess as a new off topic subject.

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

What notation are you using and how is it displayed, vertically in 2 columns...?

I once talked with a guy who was always wanting to play chess without a board, strictly mental game...he would simply begin calling out his moves and expected me to play along...and remember what the board looked like in my head...I never doubted he was serious, but I simply wasn’t very good at it: homey don’t play that game.. very well at least...

Yes, vertically. The format used in books is hard to follow for kids so my wife created our own. We keep the storage box with masters games at our Irving location, I'll snap a photo of one next week and post it.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

I’m starting to think that winning at chess is more a function of being familiar with all the openings, followed by remembering all the tricks and traps that could result from these distinct openings...

Bobby Fisher proposed a form of chess that went something like this.

1. Number the files 1 through 8, so that 1 corresponds to the 'a' file, 2 corresponds to the 'b' file, etc., etc., and 8 corresponds to the 'h' file. Now toss two dice. If the sum of the two is greater than 8 then subtract 8. This determines the file in which a white and black knight begin.
2. Renumber the files 1 through 7, skipping the file now occupied by two knights. Toss the two dice again, subtracting 7 if the sum is more than 7. This determines the file in which the other two knights begin.
3. Set one die aside, renumber and toss to determine, in order, the beginning files of the bishops, rooks and the queens.
4. The two kings begin on the last remaining file.

Fisher believed that this would do away with the opening and every game would go into mid-game instantly. He must have hated memorizing openings.

[VigorsTheGrey]

Originally Posted by Actor

Bobby Fisher proposed a form of chess that went something like this.

1. Number the files 1 through 8, so that 1 corresponds to the 'a' file, 2 corresponds to the 'b' file, etc., etc., and 8 corresponds to the 'h' file. Now toss two dice. If the sum of the two is greater than 8 then subtract 8. This determines the file in which a white and black knight begin.
2. Renumber the files 1 through 7, skipping the file now occupied by two knights. Toss the two dice again, subtracting 7 if the sum is more than 7. This determines the file in which the other two knights begin.
3. Set one die aside, renumber and toss to determine, in order, the beginning files of the bishops, rooks and the queens.
4. The two kings begin on the last remaining file.

Fisher believed that this would do away with the opening and every game would go into mid-game instantly. He must have hated memorizing openings.

This is difficult for me to understand Actor...sorry, but there is this, which says that Fisher approved of...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess960

[Actor]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

This is difficult for me to understand Actor...sorry, but there is this, which says that Fisher approved of...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess960

Thanks for the link. I had not realized that Fischer's proposal was not original, or that it had such a history.

[Buckeye]

Do what I did: join https://www.chess.com and start playing.

Take advantage of the feature "Tactics."
It's even more fun than arguing in Off Topic.

And if all that fails, go to the library.

Now I'm a 20!

[classhandicapper]

Coming up soon.

The World Chess Championship 2018 is an upcoming chess match between the reigning world champion since 2013, Magnus Carlsen, and challenger Fabiano Caruana to determine the World Chess Champion.

[Track Collector]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Coming up soon.

The World Chess Championship 2018 is an upcoming chess match between the reigning world champion since 2013, Magnus Carlsen, and challenger Fabiano Caruana to determine the World Chess Champion.

Thanks for reminding me!

I usually follow a few of these games in real time. Takes a lot of patience as games can last 5 hours or more. I find it interesting to watch the analysis programs which are running concurrently with the actual plan. They "assess" who and when a player is believed to have an advantage and by how much. Players are of course only human and sometimes end up making less than the most optimal moves.

I have followed Magnus from the time he first appeared on the World chess scene, so I will again be pulling for him. His last world championship match with Sergey Karjakin was very close and not decided until very late in the match.

[Tom]

I remember following Bobby Fischer vs Boris Spassky in the papers every day...in the SPORTS section!

[Actor]

Bobby Fischer once pushed a pawn and exposed it to immediate capture, puzzling onlookers. His opponent did not take the pawn. Afterwards the opponent was asked why he did not take the pawn. "I never even considered taking it" he responded. "Bobby Fischer does not give away pawns for nothing."

I wonder if the chess masters have examined the move. Was Fischer laying a trap? Was he psyching his opponent? (Play the man, not the board.) Or was it a blunder?

[VigorsTheGrey]

Originally Posted by Actor

Bobby Fischer once pushed a pawn and exposed it to immediate capture, puzzling onlookers. His opponent did not take the pawn. Afterwards the opponent was asked why he did not take the pawn. "I never even considered taking it" he responded. "Bobby Fischer does not give away pawns for nothing."

I wonder if the chess masters have examined the move. Was Fischer laying a trap? Was he psyching his opponent? (Play the man, not the board.) Or was it a blunder?

Probably not a blunder...he most likely would have worked out the consequences of taking versus not taking and the various counter-move set-ups that would follow...

[Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Actor

Bobby Fischer once pushed a pawn and exposed it to immediate capture, puzzling onlookers. His opponent did not take the pawn. Afterwards the opponent was asked why he did not take the pawn. "I never even considered taking it" he responded. "Bobby Fischer does not give away pawns for nothing."

I wonder if the chess masters have examined the move. Was Fischer laying a trap? Was he psyching his opponent? (Play the man, not the board.) Or was it a blunder?

Sometimes you just gotta trick em.

Never assume your opponent is not a dope.

[Tape Reader]

I was in a freshman Gym class with Bobby Fisher. (Erasmus, Brooklyn). Gym teacher was having about 100 students dribble, and sink a basket. Bobby refused.

Bobby Fisher never combed his hair, rarely tied his shoes, and never tucked in both sides of his shirt. He was fodder for the masculine Gym teacher, Mr. … (I do remember his name!)

Door opens and Mr. …, math teacher, walks through. Gym teacher uses Bobby Fisher as an example for the most stubborn individual he has ever come across.

Math teacher: Well, that is Robert Fisher, the smartest in my class. He is near genius.

[VigorsTheGrey]

Originally Posted by Tape Reader

I was in a freshman Gym class with Bobby Fisher. (Erasmus, Brooklyn). Gym teacher was having about 100 students dribble, and sink a basket. Bobby refused.

Bobby Fisher never combed his hair, rarely tied his shoes, and never tucked in both sides of his shirt. He was fodder for the masculine Gym teacher, Mr. … (I do remember his name!)

Door opens and Mr. …, math teacher, walks through. Gym teacher uses Bobby Fisher as an example for the most stubborn individual he has ever come across.

Math teacher: Well, that is Robert Fisher, the smartest in my class. He is near genius.

Why didn't he want to dribble and sink a basket...? Sometimes these brilliant types live breathe and eat their specialty... When you get them off their topic, they plunge into personal zeros...was Bobby like that...?

[PhantomOnTour]

Great chess player or not, in the end Fisher turned out to be a pretty despicable guy

[VigorsTheGrey]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Great chess player or not, in the end Fisher turned out to be a pretty despicable guy

How so..?