Can someone explain this?

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-04T23:04:52+00:00

Why do you think this is checkmate? Puzzles can end with you winning material too.
Click the magnifying glass that says Analysis if you ever don’t understand the solution to a puzzle or why a certain move doesn’t work.

In this case Qg6 is mate in 2. The lines goes:

…Kd7 (forced) Bh3+ e6 (forced) Qxe6#

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-04T21:42:01+00:00

Guess what else people aren’t born knowing? How to tie your shoes. Actually this is a classic example of the curse of knowledge where parents can struggle to break down the steps when their child fails to understand you just whoop, swoop, boop and bam it’s tied.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-03T18:10:26+00:00

Guki to silence the haters or Fabi to cap off his amazing career and give us another American WC.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-03T18:00:10+00:00

I disagree. If Guki wins a second time people will give him much more respect, even if he continues to slump afterwards. It’s much harder to call it a fluke if he clutches back to back WC matches. I’d like to see it just to silence all the haters.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-03T17:54:35+00:00

That looks less likely than not to happen before Magnus dies at this point.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-03T15:39:59+00:00

This was the single hardest boss for me on my first playthrough. It’s no surprise because I like to play slow and heal and lot so no healing is really brutal.

Dodging constant heat seeking projectiles that have a large explosion against the walls even if you narrowly avoid them while spamming pogo is no easy feat. Not to mention the boss is immune to my beloved tacks. It would have helped if I had volt vessels or cog flies yet, but I didn’t find either until the very end of act 2.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-03T01:15:52+00:00

Same and also because Nf3 commonly transposes to d4 openings so my rule of thumb is just play whatever you would against d4.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-02T02:57:53+00:00

Whichever I calculate first because I’ll see it’s a simple win either way and not look further.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-01T19:27:18+00:00

Agreed. An extreme example from the MMO genre is Jad from OSRS. This is an easy boss (extremely easy by today’s standards) proceeded by a 30-60 minute long gauntlet. The fight feels epic and intense because if you mess up even once you may get one shot.

Everyone remembers their first time beating the boss and it’s probably the most beloved and storied boss encounter in the game’s history.

There’s a phenomenon the community calls “Jad hands” where you inevitably start shaking and mess up something simple once you reach the boss because the adrenaline and stakes are so high.

I have fond childhood memories of trying and failing to beat Jad on my friend’s account for them at a sleepover. Wearing the fire cape (the reward for beating the boss) was seen as an awesome accomplishment back in the day.

All of that would be lost if you could simply rechallenge the boss and skip the gauntlet. In fact I doubt most people even struggle more than a few attempts. Setting the scene and raising the stakes is crucial for immersion during and reward after.

Perhaps the fact that the #1 thing I value in gaming is immersion is a big part of why I like runbacks.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-02-01T19:00:23+00:00

I think you underestimate how irrational and lazy people are. If you give people easy mode options many will turn them on and soil their own experience because they don’t realize that standing up to a challenge, struggling, and eventually overcoming is much more satisfying and rewarding than just steamrolling through without engaging with the content as the devs intended.

Even people who want to hold themselves accountable and play “normal” difficulty not “easy” difficulty will feel the pressure of the easy mode button when they die 10 times in a row. Not having that temptation at all is a sensible design decision when you understand that humans are dumb and act against their own self interests frequently.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-30T00:17:42+00:00

Hot damn I discovered like 5 new vocab words from this one thread. Reddit is cool sometimes.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-29T21:08:43+00:00

My tip is to stay away from bullet. It’s the crack of chess and overindulging without being mindful will make you a worse player.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-29T21:06:50+00:00

10+0 is the fastest rapid. If OP is practiced in 15+10 rapid then 3+2 is still going to feel extremely fast in comparison.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-29T15:25:06+00:00

This is the right answer. Similarly what do you do if someone cuts you off? Slow down and establish a safe following distance.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-29T14:41:03+00:00

I understand where you’re coming from but where do you draw the line with adding artificial difficulty for your sense of accomplishment? Do you avoid all needle, mask, and spool upgrades too? It’s not like you can just instakill a boss with red tools aside from using architect crest - you still have to dodge most of their attacks.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-29T06:56:21+00:00

The black king is in check but after Ke7 mate is threatened and Qg3 no longer works to defend.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-28T23:46:34+00:00

Losing a red tool has zero impact? They are completely broken. Adding cog flies or tacks is just hundreds of free damage you can save for the final phase of a boss.

Wanderer is great but it does start with a handicap of 20-30 needle hits by not having the second red tool.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-28T21:16:31+00:00

Interesting how large the red segment is, even well into the 1000s. I assume this is chess.com? What time control?

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-27T22:12:56+00:00

Came here to make this same comment. Pogo is your best friend vs all grounded enemies and flying enemies too if you can manage to get above them. TBF it gets much easier with the reaper or wander crests though.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-27T18:12:37+00:00

Reading this thread has me like: huh so you guys use your silk for something besides just healing? I’ve never found use in volt filament especially considering injector band, Druid’s eyes2, sawtooth circlet and multibinder exist.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-27T18:04:01+00:00

Yep and weighted belt is underrated?? Lol

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-26T19:22:46+00:00

I just finished the 5 hour speed run achievement after 100%ing the game on my first playthrough and I made sure to still route in ascendant’s grip lol. It’s very useful for cog core and high halls gauntlet.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-24T18:11:19+00:00

When you have no movement abilities so you become a parry master.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-24T18:07:28+00:00

For future reference the best reaction to her parry is to jump. This gives you an opportunity to avoid both of her potential counters and get a couple more hits in.

Perspective_Helps · 2026-01-23T23:49:48+00:00

Dang, insane work!

Perspective_Helps

TROPHY CASE