CHESS!

[Shockprowl]

e4

[The Doctor]

P9.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Ummmm... not a typical response to e4...


Did you mean ...e5?

[The Doctor]

F8.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

F8? But but but your King's bishop is already on f8!

[The Doctor]

B4.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Ok ok, getting closer to a legal/real move. You're black though, Doc', so if you're moving your b-pawn out it's gonna be 'b5' (or 'b6', which is a much better move).

[Pinwig]

Isn't it supposed to be A1 to G7 or something? or is it because Pawns can only move one direction that you only need to state which pawn you're moving?

[blueshift]

The black and white pawns should team up!

Checkmate, Fenric!

[Pinwig]

Quite right. Blueshift wins.

[The Doctor]

We play the game again, TIME LORD.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Standard chess notation works like this: Each square on the board has a number. Files (up & downs) are 'a' through 'h', ranks (side to sides) are '1' through '8'. The white king begins on e1, the black king on e8 (board set-up being a white square on the right, Queen on her own colour, a1 at white's left). The pieces are noted as: K- King, Q- Queen, R- Rook, B- Bishop, N- Knight. So you'd have Be2, Bishop to square e2. So it's the piece and then the square it lands on. With pawns you just put the landing square, no 'P' (seems a shame that pawns don't get the same recognition... after all, was it not Philidor himself who said "pawns are the soul of Chess"...?). If, say, both rooks can land on the same square, you put the starting file then the destination. So Raf1, rook on 'a' to square f1. 'x' means takes, so Bxf4 is Bishops takes on f4. + is check, so Qg4+ is Queen to g4 check. # is checkmate! 0-0 is castles king-side. 0-0-0 is castles queen-side. Pawn captures are exd4, so the pawn on the 'e' file takes on d4. Err, I can't remember how one notes taking a pawn en passant.... But it's all pretty easy once you get your head 'round it! You need a board with notation on it. And awaaaay you go! Relative strengths is interesting. You can consider the relative strength of pieces via a points system. Pawns are 'worth' 1 point (an advanced 'passed' pawn, a pawn that cannot be captured by an enemy pawn, is worth more). Bishops and Knights are worth 3 points. Bishops are generally seen as being slightly stronger than a Knight, perhaps 3.5 points, especially in the endgame, 'cos they're a long-range piece. The 'Bishop pair' is a potent force. So exchanging a Bishop for a Knight is ok, but often to be avoided. Although in a crowded position, the unique action of the Knight to jump, to be unblockable, and to fork, can make it more powerful than perhaps even a Rook. Bishops and Knights are known as the 'minor' pieces. Rooks are worth 5 points, they're much stronger than a Bishop or a Knight. Exchanging a Rook for say a Bishop would be an 'exchange sacrifice'. Queens are worth a huge 9 points. Rooks and the Queen are the 'major' pieces. The King obviously can't be taken, but is said to have an attacking value of 4 points, because in the endgame the King can become a potent attacking piece.


Ummm, any questions?

[Pinwig]

Paragraphs!

As I scream at my Year 7s on a daily basis.

[The Doctor]

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-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

I had to edit Burns post to remove the mistake which was breaking the pattern! It was offending my OCD!

[The Doctor]

Tee hee.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Doc', watch some of the brilliant GM Daniel King's 'Power Play Chess' channel on Youtube and get back to me with your opening move!

[The Doctor]

E10.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

*sigh* No... No...


TRY HARDER

[The Doctor]

You mean this isn't Battleship?

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

[Shockprowl]

I have not. Interesting. I shall investigate this feature. Thanks, chum!

[blueshift]

Feb 16, 2017 20:13:18 GMT @hagan said:

Have ever seen the film Knights of the South Bronx? Made me appreciate the game.

I like your avatar!

[The Doctor]

Feb 16, 2017 19:59:13 GMT Shockprowl said:

AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

I've sunk your battleship!

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

*Jumps out window*

[The Doctor]

Do you remember the film of Battleship?

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

Brilliant that. Love it. The Blu-ray takes pride of place in my collection.

[The Doctor]

Are...are you alright???

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

Genuinely, it's one of my favourite crap movies. Big warships fighting aliens? Fantastic.

[Andy Turnbull]

It made Gavin so angry when we saw it at the cinema.