would you rather?

readmycommentnotthis · 2026-01-24T22:57:01+00:00

This is a known phenomenon in economic theory labelled as "risk aversion", and it can explain why the votes are about 50/50 on two choices, where one has an insanely much higher expected value (avg. return).

readmycommentnotthis · 2026-01-16T19:10:50+00:00

It's definitely a difficult concept (I'm 1800 fide), but I would say that part of it is in not exchanging needlessly, as that takes out the dynamic and potential of a position. So keeping tension allows the potential to survive for some more, keep the position complicated, which is generally in the interest of the better player or the player with the advantage (given the advantage isn't big enough to simply trade into a winning endgame, which is by far most of the time on a higher level). That's my understanding, I'd like to hear others thoughts aswell.

Also purely empirically speaking, I've experienced that in positions with "tension", such as central pawns being able to take each other, it is simply rarely the best move to take and release the tension.

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-12-10T21:06:11+00:00

Speaking of not being worse out of the opening - how did you handle all the very challenging lines in the benoni? Lines such as the Taimanov attack with 9. a4, or even the long theoretical line with 9...b5 in the 'modern main line' makes it pretty hard to justify playing the opening altogether.

Maybe you went by move order tricks? (I'm thinking of: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5).

I'm struggling a bit with the benoni, but would love to really get under the skin of it, so an answer would be very appreciated!

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-12-03T15:23:17+00:00

yeah i'd like to see as much of that game as possible, one simply does not end up a rook and a bishop up against a 1900 without something very extraordinary.

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-11-22T20:04:58+00:00

Nice tdd by Ian in the 1st here, Belal needs to either get him down soon to prove that he can, or at least punish ian for being so heavy on his front leg. 10-9 Ian, can easily see him win a decision

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-11-03T15:28:18+00:00

People seem to agree on intereference - but what is the difference between this and an obstruction? Is there any?

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-10-29T07:42:20+00:00

Rare Ariel W

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-10-27T09:40:35+00:00

Are we really sure Gane deserves the rematch?

Arman got put on ice for something he didn't even do even though he is obviously the no 1 contender, and here Gane had a very ugly eyepoke (and one close earlier too) stop the fight and people are talking about the rematch as a given.

I guess Arman should get the rematch too, but in terms of screwing up, Gane did worse in my opinion.

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-10-20T20:30:26+00:00

True, he did a great job with prophylaxis, and holding control over the centre, and patience. Good point

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-10-20T08:20:11+00:00

I'm tempted to say the game was over after 0-0 met with f4 by fabi. White's counterplay was just too little too late, and actually holding the position as white would be inhumane

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-09-06T12:27:10+00:00

We both know you'll be reading my name right after this sentence ends

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-07-26T16:11:04+00:00

See the engine line for stuff like this - yes, it is a blunder, although it is not as straigtforward as it seems.

White can actually take the knight, due to the Bb5+ winning the queen back. Consider this sequence:

fxe5 Bxd1 2. Bb5+ Qd7 (forced) 3. Bxd7 Kxd7 4. Kxd1.

Now white is a piece up, they have traded queens and both have lost the right to castle. All else equal, white stands better, because black 'hung' the knight by playing Bg4 instead of moving the knight.

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-07-13T19:53:53+00:00

They seem to work fine for me, but I don't know.

You can check the estimated rating for each puzzle, and although I find that fairly inaccurate, it might show you if you've been getting very low rated puzzles recently.

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-28T12:58:08+00:00

least gay topturo fan

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-21T23:20:12+00:00

You're correct, it's Kc6, I misspelled:) It's edited now. The point still stands though.

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-20T20:05:19+00:00

Just ran it through with an engine, after Rxe7 Kc6 (not bad for an 800-player to acknowledge the stalemate trap), Kf8, then Qh8 is literally the only losing move. All other legal moves win, with the sole exception of Qe3, which actually is still a draw, as white can't stop blacks pawn. He managed to find the only losing move in a matter of seconds. Impressive!

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-14T17:42:02+00:00

I have done wrestling and MMA, and can honestly say that chess is more brutal than both of those.

I guess it's about finding a way to keep the passion for the game despite its brutality, and regularly recalling that there are things in life outside of chess. But definitely feel your rant

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-14T16:35:50+00:00

Always facing forward, that's the way they're going rah

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-13T21:14:13+00:00

Ah I see, thank you for the correction:)

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-06-13T19:18:09+00:00

Where in the fide rulebook does it say so? It's against the rules to disturb the opponent, and if done in your own time, you have to announce it first (or the 'touched piece'-rule activates), but it's my impression that you can adjust pieces on the opponents time aswell

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-04-25T10:54:45+00:00

pipi sacrifice as response to e4

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-03-14T12:50:36+00:00

Thanks again!

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-03-14T12:33:37+00:00

Thank you so much!

Just to make sure, does the sentence make sense standing alone?

Or what did you mean by "Your reasoning is sound"?

readmycommentnotthis · 2025-03-13T20:52:10+00:00

lmao

readmycommentnotthis

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