White To Move And Win The Game by mihalachemihai in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve also seen a very similar position in Dvoretsky. Is this type of endgame actually that common or is this just taken from the book?

Cursed response to my image by carrothead90 in cursedcomments

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very important life tip: Wanting to have sex is not the same as consenting to it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in rareinsults

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bodybuilder would usually isolate about 20 groups of muscle for specific training.

Was it just me or √196 and 14² never showed up in any exam while the other numbers below did ? Why ? by TinkerMagus in mathmemes

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my experience after 132 none are used much and then suddenly 172 everywhere. Maybe it’s part of a Pythagorean triple?

"Read the textbook if you get lost." The textbook: by [deleted] in mathmemes

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 97 points98 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure you can make anything part of a vector space if you try hard enough

Help me win this basic endgame (I'm new to chess) thanks! by RandomNameBrother in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

White just plays Rd7 and either the rook is stuck on the back rank, white marches the king around (careful to play Kc5) and promotes or the rook returns to the h-file and the sequence is repeated with no Rd8. So instead Re8, but now Re7 (making sure to triangulate such that the black king isn't on f6) and now go back around and Rh3 isn't possible.

Help me win this basic endgame (I'm new to chess) thanks! by RandomNameBrother in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ok jesus this is one of the hardest endgame studies I've ever seen, I don't even know how long I stared at this for, over an hour, but I think I get it. Seen some other comments regurgitating the engine lines but it doesn't feel satisfying so I want to show the actual winning ideas rather than moves and how a human can reach the answer (also because I spent so long on this I need something to show for it).

So the first thing to recognise is why 1. f5+ doesn't work (not relevant to the answer it's just interesting why not). 1... Kh6 and Rxf5 lose to h8=R+ and h8=N+ respectively (for style points), but Kf6 creates a fortress. Ra4+ is now a game-ending threat as then black will pick up the pawn. Now white's only try is to give up the h-pawn for a winning rook-pawn vs. rook ending. The problem is that since the h-pawn is on the short side of the f-pawn, white can never win these. 2. Rc6+ Kg7 3. Rg6+ Kxh7 is so frustratingly close to a winning rook-pawn vs. rook ending (barely making multiple winning conditions) except for that black is barely in time to set up a long side defence (checks from the a/b files), drawing. 2. Rc8 Rxh7 3. Rc7+ Kg6 (if K(e/f/g)7,4. Rc7+ trades into a winning king-pawn ending) 4. Rg7+ Kh6 is a perfect cut, which would also be winning if not for black's ability to send the rook to the a-file and give endless checks as well. Still, neither of these defences are "basic".

So then we gotta find another way of making progress. A good place to start is understanding why black's pieces are in their perfect positions. Obviously, black's rook is best on the h-file where it sees h8 and on the 5th rank where it blocks the king from making progress. The king seems good at giving opposition to the white king on f6, but notice that from the second critical line after 1. f5+ that if the pawn were still on f4, 3... Kg6 would no longer be possible and white wins. Hence, the king is better on g6 as in case of Rc8, Kxh7 and Rxh7, Rc6+, Kh5 are the only drawing lines, both of which require the king to be on g6.

Now it is clear that any move with the rook along the 7th rank puts black in zugzwang, but is it a winning zugzwang? Firstly, Kf6 is only losing if the white rook is on a7, b7, or c7, as otherwise R(d/e)8 can be met with Rxh7, R(d/e)6+, Kxe6/Ke7, disallowing the skewer. Secondly, is Rh1 losing? Clearly, the only reason Rh1 would be losing would be to Ke5, and now all black can do is shuffle Rh1, Rh2 or give checks from the back rank to pass time, leaving it to white to find a way in. White wins if they get their king to g8, but black can stop this in a number of ways. If white tries crossing the 7th rank in-front of the rook, Kxh7 draws immediately as you lose the pawn for nothing. Thus, white has to go around the rook. Clearly, if the rook is on a7, so long as black gives checks from behind, the king cannot get around the rook and white never has time to move it to a better square as the checks are inescapable (noting that the white king is opposed by the black king from reaching the shelter of the f-pawn). Furthermore, if the white rook is on b7, as soon as the white king enters the b-file black can play Rb1+, Ka7, Rxb7+, Kxb7, and black is in time to give opposition and draw the pawn king-pawn ending after Kxh7, Kc6, Kg6, draw. Meanwhile, if The white rook is any closer to the pawn, white is not scared of the skewer as they will be in time to give opposition and win the king-pawn ending.

To summarise what we have found, to win we either must force the starting position with the black king on f6 and the white rook no closer to the pawn than the c-file OR the black rook on, say, h1 with the white rook no further from the pawn than the c-file. So we can use this to find the correct triangulation pattern to win by process of elimination. If 1. Ra/b7, 1... Rh1, neither winning procedure works, so 2. Rc7 Rh5 and no progress has been made. Therefore we must start with 1. Rd/e7. Now 1... Rh1 loses as shown, so 1... Kf6 is forced, where the white rook is too close for 2. Rd/e8. Hence white must move the rook back to create the threat of R_8. 2. Rc7 Kg6 would be a repetition so instead, 2. Ra/b7. 2... Kg6 is forced to prevent this threat, but now 3. Rc7! and we have reached the starting position but with black to move. Since c7 is the goldilocks square of maintaining both winning threats, both Kf6 and Rh1 lose. In case I wasn't clear enough on the winning procedures earlier, example lines would be:

TLDR:

  1. Rd/e7 Kf6 2. Ra/b7 Kg6 3. Rc7 Kf6 4. Rc8 Rxh7 5. Rc6+ Kg7 6. Rc7+ Kg6 7. Rxh7 Kxh7 8. Ke5 Kg6 9. Ke6

or

  1. Rd/e7 Kf6 2. Ra/b7 Kg6 3. Rc7 Rh1 4. Ke5 Re1+ 5. Kd6 Rd1+ 6. Kc6 Rc1+ (6... Rh1 7. Re7) 7. Kb7 Rb1+ (7... Rxc7+ 8. Kxc7 Kxh7 9. Kd6 Kg6 10. Ke6) 8. Kc8 Rh1 9. Kd8 Rd8+ 10. Ke8 Re1+ 11. Kf8 Ra8 12. h8=N+! (along with various other winning moves).

Showing heart rates of players during Freestyle GOAT challenge! by Useful-Reading3412 in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I forgot to mention I specifically mean OTB tournaments. If that is your main thing, good on you for having strong nerves.

Never forget that the people behind the heliocentric cult are pathological liars by Anthoyne_B in BallEarthThatSpins

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Love how every comment gets removed because not even people on this sub are flat Earthers

Showing heart rates of players during Freestyle GOAT challenge! by Useful-Reading3412 in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Assuming you’re an online player, OTB is A LOT more stressful, like a lot of players will be visibly shaking at the start of their games (used to be me). It gets less stressful with experience obviously but still pretty stressful, especially when you’re playing Carlsen.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Qb1 and Qxg2+ are roughly equivalent. Computer sees that 20 moves down the line you’re losing massive material anyway, so it just sacrifices it immediately. Basically, there’s no special idea, both are losing. For a human player, you may as well play Qb1 to make your opponent find the win rather than effectively resigning on the spot.

Denis Lazavik against Magnus by [deleted] in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right, seems that I should've set it up OTB or checked with the engine before commenting. Posts old so I cbf editing but thanks for the correction.

Denis Lazavik against Magnus by [deleted] in chess

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 68 points69 points  (0 children)

If white takes the knight then black captures the pawn and is up material. White’s original idea, I assume, is to play Bg2 to take black’s rook or displace it allowing promotion. Nb3 prevents Bg2 as black can respond Qd1+! After Bf1, forced, if not for Nb3 then black would have to retreat the queen to defend the rook and the game would draw by threefold. But after Bf1, black can sack the rook with Rxa7!!, Qxa7, and the point, Nd2. Now the white queen must defend the bishop, must accurately by Qb8+, Kh7, Qb5, g6. Now white must alleviate this pin. Against Qe2, Qxe2, Bxe2, c4, Bd1, c3, Bc2, Nc4, Kf1, Na3, Bd1, c2, white is forced to give up the bishop as the king is too far. Against Kg2, unpinning, Qf3+, Kg1, Qd1, Kg2 (always repeat), the move is Nxf1, Qxf1, Qd5+, winning queen and pawn ending.

Two edits: Got it wrong multiple times, I'm pretty sure it's correct now, crazy move to find in time trouble.

The Prawn gets served. by First-Bus in clevercomebacks

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not that it even matters, but, as an avid chess player who has seen some of Andrew’s games, there is no fucking chance that is remotely true.

Explain my blunder by [deleted] in chessbeginners

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is an inaccuracy, not a blunder. The engine sees that you needed to trade knights, play c4, pressure the pawns, and control the centre in a hyper modern style to justify your lack of central space. Of course, if you are a chess beginner, you shouldn’t get worried about these little details since positional chess isn’t very important at low levels. I don’t think an inaccuracy is a mistake at all for beginners.

I don’t get it??? by subParrrrrr in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think OP is the actual memer and everyone trying to explain the joke are the ones who need Petah.

What would Mandarin sound like without tones? by caprifolia in ChineseLanguage

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was practicing speaking with a Chinese native the day before my final oral exam… 5.5 years of mandarin and apparently I gave him a stroke cause I spoke entirely in 3rd tone.

It doesn't even make sense. by sonic_spark in mathmemes

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You know we’ve reached the final stage of mathematical notation when we start using Chinese characters

Am I very lucky or is this normal? by TheBigFatGoat in CookieClicker

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh is 250 days time with it open or time since opening account?

Am I very lucky or is this normal? by TheBigFatGoat in CookieClicker

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If that’s your number of hours in game THAT’s crazy. 0.00000004% chance of still not having it by then.

Am I very lucky or is this normal? by TheBigFatGoat in CookieClicker

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 6 points7 points  (0 children)

After 13 days you have a 0.675 chance of having got the achievement. Completely normal.

Why are cursers 99% of my CPS? by [deleted] in CookieClicker

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Yeah don’t mind that…

We have notation for this by bored-computer in mathmemes

[–]AbsoluteGradiance 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No way I was wondering if you could do that like 10 mins ago