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Recent articles:
Tuesday, October 31. 2006
Author: BIG BAD WOLF
A couple times a month I see a new question about a game timing out, and users who don’t quite understand how some of the time limits for games work on BrainKing. Well hopefully this will help out.
There are 2 types of time controls on BrainKing. Time per move & Time per game. (Time per move has 3 options). I will go over each control & option, and also explain the time per game (also called Fischer’s clock) a little more in detail – hopeful it can help some users out.
Time per move: X days, X hours. This is the original time control, and pretty easy to understand. Once your opponent makes their move, and the game is again waiting for your move – you have X days, and X hours to make a move. For the Time per move option, you have 3 sub-options:
- Standard Vacation: And weekend days or vacation days you have set (along with auto-vacation) will extend the time of these games. So for example - 5 days, 5 hours is set. When the game shows up in your game sheet, it shows 7 days, 5 hours – because in this example, both “weekend days” are within the first 5 days so the game is actually extended for those 2 extra days.
- Fixed weekend only: NO VACATION DAYS. Plus no matter what “weekend days” you have set in your profile, only 2 extra days for Saturday & Sunday are accepted. Plus what some people forget, no mater if you have vacation days set or are using auto-vacation days, fixed weekend only games will time out over vacation. On your game sheet, you can find these games quickly because they will have a green dot next to them.
- No days off: This is pretty self explanatory – No vacation days, and No weekend days. If the time limit says 1 day, the game will time out in 1 day. No matter if you have vacation days set, or it falls on one of your “weekend” days. On your game sheet, you can find some of these games quickly because they will have a red dot next to them. (note: a red dot is next to the Fischer’s clock games also)
Time for game: This is the newest time control option for games. This is also called “Fischer’s Clock”. This is the control which confuses a lot of people, so I will spend a little extra time on this option. First thing to know is that there is NO VACATION DAYS and no weekend days for this time control. Like the “no days off” time option above, you can also find this quickly in your game sheet with a red dot next the time.
Controls look like: (example #1) Time: 7 days, Bonus: 1 day, Limit: 8 days
On tournament sheet, it will look like: 7/1/8
Time: 7 days – this is the amount of time you get to play the game.
Bonus: 1 day – this is the amount of time that gets added to the clock after every move
Limit: 8 days – this is the maximum amount of time the game can have.
So lets go through an example. 7/1/8
- Game starts, your turn. For sake of example (and to keep example in whole numbers instead of using minutes), lets say it took you ZERO amount of time to make your first move and submit it.
- Current time: 7 days
- Your opponent makes their move, and sends it back to you. On every move, the bonus amount of time is added to the time. So 7 days PLUS 1 day bonus – you now have 8 days to make a move before timing out.
- Current time: 8 days
- Again, for sake of this example, lets say it took you ZERO amount of time to make your next move and submit it.
- Current time: 8 days
- Your opponent makes their move, and sends it back to you. On every move, the bonus amount of time is added to the time. So 8 days PLUS 1 day bonus = 9 days. BUT the MAX amount of time is set to 8, so the time is automatically adjusted down to the max amount of 8 days.
- Current time: 8 days
- You lost your internet connection, and it took you 7 days, 12 hours to make your next move.
- Current time: 12 hours
- Your opponent makes their move, and sends it back to you. On every move, the bonus amount of time is added to the time. So 12 hours PLUS 1 day bonus = 1 day, 12 hours.
Current time: 1 day, 12 hours.
OK, new example:
Time: 7 days
Bonus: 0 (nothing!)
Limit: 7 days
THIS IS THE EXAMPLE WHICH MESSES MOST PEOPLE UP. The important thing to see here is the Bonus time. Most people quickly see the 7 day time, and think they will have plenty of time to make moves.
- Example (7/0/7)
- Current time: 7 days
- Game starts, it takes you 6 days, 23 hours to make your first move.
- Current time: 1 hour
- Your opponent makes their move, and sends it back to you. On every move, the bonus amount of time is added to the time. So 1 hours PLUS 0 bonus = 1 hour.
- Current time: 1 hour
- Well you are off-line, and the game times out. Opps.
So be careful when you sign up for fischer’s clock games. The most important thing is the BONUS time. (middle number) Since the bonus will always be added to the time left, you will always know that you will at least have this much time left in a game. If you sign on every day, then a bonus of 1 day will always make sure the games will have 1 day when they are sent to you. Also again, no vacation days.
Thursday, October 26. 2006
Author: iceninejkw
My hobby is Chinese culture and I’ve learned Chinese at least to the point where I can read newspapers and novels and handle most conversations (but not understand televised news reports or most TV programs which are fast, and packed with compressed grammar and words). I’ve also learned Chinese chess but was not interested in it too much until I found a couple of postal sites like brainking that featured it. The western symbols are a great innovation at brainking. At a park here in Shanghai or on a real time Chinese chess site, I get slaughtered quickly. I’m a big patzer and the kibitzers have a good laugh, “Foreigners can’t learn Chinese chess!” But in postal chess you can take your time and let the unfamiliar patterns soak in. What you can see in one minute in Euro Chess (let’s not say “International Chess” or “Chess” anymore) may not occur to you until after 10 or 20 minutes of contemplation in Asian chess. So now I’m taking down some Asian players. Their fast confident play will quickly kill you in a fast game but if you take your time you can spot any strategic or tactical mistakes and roll them back with a counter-attack. My Euro chess skills (my last USCF over the board rating was 2237 although that was about 15 years ago) come into play especially in the middle game if I survive the opening. “Hey! Is this guy using a computer? He plays like a patzer in the opening but a master in the middle game!!” No, I’m a Westerner with some transferable skills from Euro chess.
Continue reading "Chinese Chess"
Wednesday, October 25. 2006
Author: !Undertaker!
Russian Checkers
Russian checkers (Shashki) are mainly played in the countries that were part of the Soviet Republic and in Israel.
Board and pieces
8x8 draughtboard with lower right white corner. Each player starts with 12 men (white and black) placed on the first 3 rows. Dark squares are used.
Continue reading "Checkers Lover (part 3)"
Tuesday, October 24. 2006
Author: !Undertaker!
International Checkers
It’s one of the more widespread draughts variants in the entire world. There are two very similar variants, whose only difference entails in the size of the board and the number of pawns: Brazilian Checkers and Canadian Checkers.
Board and pieces
10x10 draughtboard with lower right white corner. Each player starts with 20 men (white and black) placed on the first 4 rows. Dark squares are used.
Continue reading "Checkers Lover (part 2)"
Monday, October 23. 2006
Author: !Undertaker!
There are some time ago, I wrote an article about classic checkers where I made known his rules, his history and his peculiarities. My article only fell upon this variant, because it’s the most played in my country, Portugal. However, I love checkers and I know play many variants, so I decided to write one more article, but this time about many others checkers variants.
Checkers games common characteristics and rules:
Checkers game was modified in different parts of the world, causing nowadays the existence of numerous variants that, even if they keep the main concepts in common, may be very different between them.
Origin
Though it’s not clear the origin of this ancient game, there’re some studies and publications about draughts strategy published in Spain dated from the 16th century. Nowadays there are many variants of the game.
Description
Checkers board is used and the size may be 8x8, 10x10 or 12x12 depending on the variant. Players have variable number of pieces, clear for one of them and dark for the other; only the squares in one of the colours are used (dark or clear squares, depending on the variant).
Continue reading "Checkers Lover (part 1)"
Sunday, October 22. 2006
Author: Servant
Chess is like a triathlon, their are three parts to it, the opening, middlegame and the ending, three stages that are different. You can start out well in a triathlon, the swim and bike ride but it is the final run that decides who wins. A person in the lead after the bike ride can easily lose if they are too tired to run fast, the same applies in chess as a person who has the advantage after the middlegame can still lose in the ending, this thought should boost ones confidence in their abilities when playing a tougher opponent. Knowing endgames can help you as you can then think ahead in the late middlegame and have a better idea if you are winning, drawing or unfortunately losing. This knowledge then dictacts how you play, if you swap of pieces or just keep a central knight, long range bishop or a file sweeping rook. If you want to be a strong player then you have to play the best move until move 70 or 80 and try not to make a mistake after that. This is the approach of the modern day Grandmaster who is a really competitve player. I have been following the ongoing Chess World Chamionship in Elista, Russia and have noticed the strong moves by both Topalov and Kramnik in their games. They both have played brilliantly in the endgame and have been able to win and draw when there have been little pieces left. I can see that they are very committed to their endgames, they know that the game is usually decided at the end. To add to that they seem to be very patient too at the table. Much of the endgame requires thinking ahead, perhaps up to 7 moves ahead if one can do that, one such situation is when there are passed pawns and you have to see ahead to see if you can deliver check when you promote to a queen, rook, bishop or knight. You have to see if the opponent can do the same thing to you as well. These days, chess endings are exciting and tend to get alot of focus in tournaments rather than the opening where people who finish their games early come and watch the top board players take each other on right until the last move. I read about endings in the Australian newspapers and there are lots of tricks worth knowing. I have eight positions here where the pawns are invovled. To be honest these foot soldiers can really make a difference in the ending.
Continue reading "Spectacular Endings - the foot soldiers"
Saturday, October 21. 2006
Author: nabla
An introduction to equity
If you have ever played backgammon, you are very likely to have encountered what we call beginner's luck. Your opponent plays a move which seems just terrible to you, leaving two vital blots when he could have left only one. And of course, you roll a double of the very number which would have hit if your opponent had played the correct move, but which now misses the two blots and loses the game outright. Well, a bit frustrating maybe, but luck is a part of the game, you think, and if your opponent plays such blunders you are very likely to do better in the next game. However you can't resist the temptation to explain him the mistake he did and how lucky he has just been. Now here is the big mistake of yours !
Your opponent bitterly disagrees with you ! What is that advice that you are trying to give him ? That he should have played the move which would have allowed you to hit, and filling your last gaps in the same time ? He is not that dumb ! It is absolutely obvious that his move was much better, as a simple look at the current position tells. From now on, he would very much appreciate if you could keep your comments for yourself.
What can go wrong when discussing checker play can get even worse when discussing cube decisions. The doubling cube is sometimes seen as a gambler's device, with cube decisions as well motivated as by "I was feeling lucky" or "What could I do but reject ? I know it is not my day". There is certainly no evil in resorting to such guesses if you don't mind winning or losing, but assuming that you prefer to win, couldn't your decision making be backed up by something slightly more solid ?
Continue reading "What is good backgammon play?"
Sunday, October 15. 2006
Author: gambler104
Nackgammon is a fairly commonly played backgammon variant on BrainKing as well as many other sites. The rules are exactly the same as backgammon; the only difference is the starting position. In nackgammon, a couple of pieces are moved back to your home area in comparison to a more forward position in backgammon. Naturally, nackgammon is a game itself and it is fun and exciting to play it as such. But I also believe nackgammon can actually help improve your backgammon game. The advantage of nackgammon is that it can help you learn how to play positions where you are at a disadvantage.
Sometimes early in a backgammon game, you can get a couple of your pieces knocked back Often times, people misplay these positions and end up losing rather easily. And while nackgammon doesn’t involve the pip disadvantage, you can learn certain strategies playing it which can help you compensate for this disadvantage. However, I think that the most important thing that nackgammon teaches is the lack of importance of maintaining a prime for the whole game. Some backgammon players excluding top players tend to try to hold on to all possible primes; they do not want to leave a piece vulnerable. In nackgammon this is practically impossible. First, it takes more and different types of doubles to advance the pieces from your home area without giving up the prime. And it is much harder to advance other pieces without eventually leaving one or two exposed. So you have you have to learn to become comfortable with giving up certain primes; it also allows you to learn what type of primes you should typically give up. And although it is easier to keep primes in backgammon, it is often not advantageous to do so. Ideally, you would like to keep all your primes for the whole game; however, this is almost always impossible. So to become a better backgammon player, it is useful to learn when to keep primes and when to give up primes to try to advance pieces. And I believe that a really good way to do this is to practice nackgammon.
Practicing nackgammon isn’t going to improve your backgammon game enormously; after all, you really don’t want to get into a position where you are playing from behind. And you would prefer to keep primes for the whole game. But in certain situations, it is necessary and advantageous to learn nackgammon strategies and apply them to backgammon. And I do believe it can help improve your rating by a few points, and in the worst case scenario, it will least give you a chance at having an exciting game.
Friday, October 13. 2006
Author: gambler104
In any gammon game, doubling is a vital aspect if you are playing a match. A well-timed double can help you earn extra points or more importantly save you from getting out raced at the end of the game. In fact the doubling cube may decide the match between two relatively equally matched players. In many of the gammon variations, doubling can be very obvious. It still requires some skill, but a pip count will more often than not tell you whether you should double or not (if you are late enough in the game). And most of the time, there is never a question of whether to double or go for a gammon or backgammon. However, one variation that is supported on BrainKing in which doubling is not so obvious is Hyper Backgammon. The game is a highly volatile game in terms of sudden swings of advantage. Take for instance the case where you have borne one piece off and have the remaining two on spots 3 and 1 leaving you with a pip count of 4. Your opponent may have pieces on 13, 19, and 19 (according to BrainKing setup). If it is your turn (and to a lesser degree if it is not your turn), you are almost guaranteed a gammon. There are only 2 rolls out of 36 in which you don’t get the gammon that turn, and even if you don’t, your opponent still has to roll certain doubles to prevent the gammon. But if you do happen to roll a 2-1 and your opponent rolls a 6-6 you lost the game. Fortune can change in the blink of an eye, so the question is, when do you double and when do you not double.
Continue reading "Hyper Backgammon and a Perspective on Doubling"
Tuesday, October 10. 2006
Author: Problemist
A horrible bad bishop for black, to be sure! In a game, the easy route would be of course to capture pawns and promote – but what if, horrors of horrors, Black finds some way to sacrifice the bishop for the promoted pawn and come to a 2N vs. K position? Not likely, but again, such things happen to us all, especially in quick time controls.
Instead, white can use the impotence of the bishop and use his knights to force mate – in one line, by sacrificing it.
Continuation:
1.Ng3! threatening Ne2(#3) 1...Bg7 2.Ne2 threatening Ngf4(#2) 2...Bh6 3.Kxc6 Bg7 4.Ngf4 Bf8 [if 4...gxf4 5.exf4#] 5.Ng6#
Interestingly, removing pawns b3/b4, and white knight on g2, leads to an even quicker mate – in 4! Can you find it?
1.Nd2! threatening Nb3(#3) 1...Bg7 2.Nb3 threatening Na5(#2) 2...Bh6 3.Na5 and 4. Nxc6#. Mate on the white square again, this time from the Q-side.
This line certainly shows that in blocked positions, the N, or in this case, a set of Ns, can severely overpower a bad bishop!
Monday, October 9. 2006
Author: Problemist
This article is the result of a training exercise by the author in determing the best ways to win or draw, down a piece, but with pawn compensation for that piece. Should readers doubt any anaylsis shown here, please feel free to contact me.
We have all experienced positions in which we are a piece down for one or more pawns, and know that the draw or win is just as much a matter of positional factors and calculation as it is the material on the board. Even a bishop for a pawn up for black, this position sits in delicate balance. Black does not win this endgame unless white falters in his attempts at combining defense and offense (the same will hold for black in some positions!). Both sides can win or lose from this initial position, but it is white to play and draw.
Continue reading "A Draw A Piece Down"
Sunday, October 8. 2006
Author: Problemist
Many Grandmasters and World Champions have shown their skill in the problem arena, especially in those days when there was less of a chiasm between the art of the problem world and the practical world of the chessplayer. Emmanuel Lasker, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Vassily Smyslov – all have been known for at least one well-regarded composition. Alekhine, who is suspected of doctoring some of his game scores for publication in an attempt to make them appear more brilliant or finished, had perhaps the most interesting reason for not continuing in the compositional field, especially given the rumors surrounding some of his more famous annotations. In a quotation widely attributed to him, Alekhine allegedly wrote:
"I am very much in sympathy with the idea of chess composition. I would be quite happy to devise problems myself. But, the opponent, that obtrusive partner! What disappointment does he bring to a real artist in the chess business, who wants not just another win but works of lasting value."
One grandmaster who dabbled in chess problems was Frank Marshall, who showed very good promise with his first composition. Marshall's first problem appeared in the Montreal Daily Star of June 19,1894 and the solution in June 26, 1894 column. That column also noted "Marshall's problem has baffled the entire corps of Star solvers. Most chess clubs have a mascot, or at least a tender juvenile who is exhibited to strangers as the local prodigy. Mr. F.J. Marshall occupied this position in Montreal until recently, but he is beginning to bite too hard to be played with much longer. Especially as he is blossoming out as a problemist. The Star has been favored with his first composition. It is neat and highly creditable, the more so as it is as sound as a bell.”
Continue reading "Frank Marshall, Chess Composer?"
Thursday, October 5. 2006
Author: King Reza
Another example:
I’m playing White.
Messy game! Just look at my King, exposed and unprotected. Luckily my opponent doesn’t have enough material to take him.
He takes the Knight on e7 with his Rook. I sense the mate and I have enough extra pieces. So I don’t bother taking the Rook. I go straight or a mate:
Continue reading "How to play Loop Chess (part 6)"
Wednesday, October 4. 2006
Author: Servant
One day i was outside watching the clouds for inspiration perhaps for a minute or two and came up with a novel idea that was profound.
What opening can put your opponent in a spin? When can you dream of excellent moves? What is recorded in magazines and newspapers as the starting moves of choice? In chess one of the best openings for Black is the Sicilian. Currently fashionable and trendy it is also one of the most popular openings ever. The Sicilian starts of 1.e4 c5 and then White has a choice of some different moves and the game can go in any direction, with names for certain positions like a najdorf, dragon, smith gambit, closed game, fianchetto game or a scheveningen. Black after starting slowly complicates the position, then heads into a great middlegame and then reaches an ending with chances to win. The Sicilian is used by the top players in the world. They seem to enjoy it in every tournament. I use it myself whenever i get the chance and have had some great results against the strong experts. In the Sicilian you will find subtle moves, sacrifices and unusual moves. A recipe for some deep thinking and excitement. I find that the centre of the board is critical since the central squares control the battle. King safety is also a huge priority, it can be left in either corner or stay in the middle. Consider the following games where Black moves first in all of them.
Continue reading "Sicilian Daze"
Tuesday, October 3. 2006
Author: King Reza
I could have mated him in another way too: First drop the Knight on f2 forcing him to take it by his Rook, and then drop a Queen on g1. But the first one looked more beautiful!
Here’s another example, this time more complicated:
Continue reading "How to play Loop Chess (part 5)"
Monday, October 2. 2006
Author: Servant
I have dived into my collections of chess games and found some gems and even gold!. I'm rich. Well not in a monetary sense, just rich at chess.
There were many brilliant games to choose from and very instructing were most of them. Games from the world's best including Kasparov, Kramnik, Karpov, Svidler, Topalov and Anand. Not to mention great Australian players that no one has heard of. I did learn much from these and are worth revising. There is nothing so as important in chess than going into favourable tactics once a winnable strategic position has been reached. Tactics will turn up in the chess game about 99% of the time. There will be opportunities in chess where you may need to sacrifice pieces to end up with a winnable position or winnable endgame. This requires a bit of bravery and daring, especially when there are clouds hiding things in the poition. Since the middlegame is before the endgame there should be alot of thought into making a capture, checking or getting passed pawns. You should also create space for your pieces and not have them cramped. There is also opportunities to have a bishop vs knight ending where the bishop is the better piece because it can travel to more squares. Also the pawn structure has to be taken into account because doubled pawns are easy food in the ending. I like to have my knights and bishops in the middle squares d5, d4, e5, e4 and my rooks on open files. King safety is a priority too. In fact there are lots of things to look out for in the middlegame. No shortage of thinking. Here are some games that one can learn from. They are also rather enjoyable.
Continue reading "Middlegame tactics - the ambition for more"
Sunday, October 1. 2006
Author: King Reza
And now, we come to endings. Basically, an ending is a mate or a draw. I personally like it to be a mate, and a mate of my opponent’s King!
I’ll show you through some examples how mates work in Loop Chess. I’ll start from an easy mate and will continue to more complex mates.
This is the position in move number 17 of a game of mine:
As you have probably guessed, I’m playing as Black. The White King is at the corner and is blocked by Pawns and the Rook. I have many pieces to drop and I’m sure there’s a mate. For you, well, you can assume that there’s one.
Continue reading "How to play Loop Chess (part 4)"
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Comments
Thu, 18.01.2007 17:07
Jasne
Thu, 18.01.2007 17:06
Tue, 19.12.2006 10:08
Anyone want to play anti-check ers?Comments ()
Tue, 19.12.2006 10:07
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Sat, 16.12.2006 16:54
Guess everyone gave up writing these neat articles, they wer e very helpful in games I have never played--thanks ev [...]Comments ()
Sat, 16.12.2006 16:39
Fri, 08.12.2006 15:45
tried this again-I am definetl y doing something wrong:(Comments ()
Tue, 05.12.2006 13:25
guess everyone is through writ ing articles--could have reall y used someone's expertise in some!Comments ()
Sat, 25.11.2006 15:09
what would be the best opening move?Comments ()
Fri, 24.11.2006 14:24
Anyone have any ideas/thoughts on jungle and lines of action ?Comments ()
Fri, 24.11.2006 13:53
Alot of ppl still are confused about this!Comments ()
Wed, 22.11.2006 13:44
played this and it was actuall y fun! thanksComments ()
Tue, 21.11.2006 07:54
Nice article!~Comments ()
Sun, 19.11.2006 21:00
ugh, didn't work for me #1Comments ()
Sun, 19.11.2006 13:41
Strange game! Maybe if the wh ites used the long castling...Comments ()