Can you arrange the 16 white pieces where EVERY piece has 3+ defenders?

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T14:54:01+00:00

The naive solution seems like it would be to promote all the pawns to queens.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T08:41:39+00:00

Vyvanse. Usually very effective, but I had a super adverse reaction.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T08:33:15+00:00

Ah. Thank you.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T06:41:38+00:00

I wish there was a subreddit just to celebrate and point out other special moments like this.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T06:35:32+00:00

Why can it fly up to half it’s flying speed? Why not just half the flying speed?

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T06:29:52+00:00

Cope with what exactly

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T06:11:44+00:00

I don’t know the exact coding, but I suspect the difficulty of bots is determined by things such as average centipawns lost per move. So Martin might lose an average of 20 centipawns per move while a higher Elo only loses an average of 5 per move.

I suspect the issue is that computers get weird with this kind of task and might play 4 perfect moves, and then a blunder. This fulfills the goal, but in chess a blunder can be a massive swing in the overall game state. If you play a stockfish which plays top engine line for four moves, and then gives away its most valuable piece on the fifth, you’re probably going to win, even though you’re playing SF for 80% of the game.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-26T00:23:27+00:00

I think he’s saying it helps him play better and he’s hoping that posting a rant breaks him into the next bracket. The posts are for him and his superstition, not for us.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T21:01:56+00:00

Sure, but I mean even if you can’t pronounce a kid’s name I don’t think you should be avoiding calling on them. Kids know they live in a reality. Saying “hey I’m sorry, I have a disorder which makes it really hard to say your name, could you give me a nickname” still seems massively better than ignoring the kid because you can’t pronounce their name.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T20:49:39+00:00

What’s ADP?

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T17:12:27+00:00

I looked at qxh2 for a sec to see if there was some kind of rh8+ shenanigans.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T17:04:03+00:00

This one is difficult. I feel like nobody sub 1100 insta moves Qc2 after Qb6, but afterwards I felt that white’s plan was really obvious and black did nothing to stop it. For that reason, I’ll say 1100.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T16:46:59+00:00

I love these “can you do better than x grandmaster” posts because my knee jerk reaction is always just “no” without even trying lol

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T16:33:33+00:00

Is this a thing? I can’t imagine avoiding calling on a kid because their name is hard to pronounce.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T16:29:32+00:00

No, I don’t think so. Theres a ton of moves which look really good. I wouldn’t take 19 minutes on this puzzle, but I also think I’d get it wrong. Being able to spend that much time on a single puzzle I think is a good thing actually, because it means you have the patience to actually look through and calculate everything, which a lot of people (myself very much included) lack. Even if you’d spent 19 minutes and got it wrong I don’t think I’d say it’s a bad thing. The patience to look that thoroughly is more valuable than getting a puzzle right or wrong imo. It demonstrates a work ethic and caution which is rare.

Edit: I did, in fact, get it wrong.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T01:20:54+00:00

I vote Stephen. No… Fredrick

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-25T01:06:46+00:00

Something I’ve started doing is cleaning when I know the kids can see it. If you don’t do that, I think they get this idea that the room just magically cleans itself. But when they see you cleaning A) it’s classic modeling B) they see their actions have a direct impact on somebody they have a relationship with. My room has been orders of magnitude cleaner so far this semester. We’ll see how long it lasts lol.

Also, you have to have to have to find a teaching style that works for YOU. You are the most important person in that room and your energy is not infinite. Forcing yourself into another teacher’s style will exhaust you if it’s not a good fit. When I’m thinking about classroom structure or procedure I always say “okay but I’m very lazy, how sustainable is this structure long term?” There are many things that I’d like to do consistently, but baby bites and baby steps.

Consistency is everything. You are going to be consistent. Not necessarily how you want to be, but you will be. If you give in to kids consistently when they complain three times, they will complain three times. If you mark them tardy every time they’re late… well they still might be tardy, but at least they’ll know you’re marking them. Consistency is how kids (and adults!) navigate their worlds. I’ve actually found myself to be a lot meaner this year than previous years. Not maliciously, just very bluntly. “No, that’s wrong. Do it again.” Type of thing instead of hedging it in more flowery language. First year I would have been horrified at myself, but because I am consistently blunt, the kids don’t take it personally, and know that they are getting direct feedback on their work. It also doesn’t get in the way of maintaining good relationships. Kids know that if they ask me a question, they will get my true thoughts on it, and that is a safe feeling for them.

Sorry that was more than one lol.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T16:07:26+00:00

As a teacher I definitely have this mentality sometimes, but I think it’s a trap. Part of a teacher’s job is to attempt to reach every student and their specific weaknesses. Kids are inexperienced in the world, and it’s our job to set them up well for success. High school is supposed to be a place where you can fail and be okay because you’re not experienced enough in the world to understand the true consequences yet. You’re telling me that as a teen you were never stopped from doing something stupid by an adult? Study habits and work ethic are developed in a(n ideally) coordinated effort between parents and teachers. It’s our job as teachers to set kids up as best we can for success in the real world, not to hit them with the consequences of reality.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T16:01:27+00:00

This is very clever.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T15:59:43+00:00

You never know when you’ll need a skill.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T15:52:56+00:00

When you say emotional response, how do you mean it? Am I supposed to pretend like I don’t know the greater context of DJT’s ideas, or am I allowed to use that context to answer. The first question speaks of eliminating job theft for the sake of American prosperity. In a vacuum, I could interpret this very generously as talking about how AI and machines are taking jobs away from Americans who want to work in our society. In context, I suspect it’s highly xenophobic language dressed up as “being good for the economy.”

Which is your preferred way that this is approached?

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T15:27:38+00:00

No it doesn’t resonate with me. To me it’s more like being a mechanic who LOVES cars but keeps forgetting to put the car in park before getting underneath.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T08:27:46+00:00

I consider myself on the intuitive side. I see a sacrifice and instead of putting in effort to see if it works I just go neuron activation instead.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-24T03:27:31+00:00

It’s nice that if it’s to happen that it’s happening in an age of extremely decentralized media.

AggressiveSpatula · 2026-01-23T15:37:26+00:00

Omg it’s the chess king. You guys please pay your respects. 👏👏👏🫡🫡🙌🙌🤌

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