50 years ago. Does that count? Well maybe not quite that far ago but pretty close to it. Played it in high school every morning with one of my friends. And then I went away to college and nobody cared and I quit
I placed 43rd at the state chess competition in highschool. Played high instinct, low strategy and my skills have not improved so I’m not sure I would fair that well at chess puzzles.
@metaphore@phendrick That’s because one side is aiming desperately to achieve a checkmate solution asap, while the other side is surreptitiously playing to extend the game into a perpetual stalemate.
@Ignorant I used to play against my father in both chess and checkers. I usually won the chess matches, even from my early teens. The various possible combinations always seemed pretty obvious to me. I almost never won any of the checkers games, even after I was in college. I never could fathom why the two games were so dissimilar to my brain (and his, also, apparently).
@pakopako@ShotgunX Yeah, but to be a true chess variant you should at least try to make it something that could appear on a chess board [okay, okay, I hear the jokes already. More precise: after setting up and playing a portion of a legal/conventional game of chess]. Otherwise it’s about as chess as BASEketball is, well, a good movie.
Chalk me up as another “not since my school days” player. I was the equivalent of middle school age in the US at the time.
We used to play some wacky variations like, “explosion chess”, “losing chess” and “rebound chess”.
If you’re curious, explosion chess was where when you took a piece you also killed all adjacent pieces (including your own). Losing chess was where you had to lose. There were tweaks to the rules like, you had to take an opponents piece if you could. Rebound chess was where any piece that could move any distance in a straight line could also rebound one time off the edge of the board.
The problem with chess is that to get good you have to really study. Memorize openings, study mating patterns, review the games of masters, etc. etc. Twice in my life I’ve been at the point were I could either put in the time to study and get better or do something else. On both occasions I choose other activities (for the record, I’m no good at those either).
@dave If I do it in 12 moves, are you going to send me a prize?
Also, yes, it’s the same setup each time. The player is obviously at a massive advantage, and the goal is more to see how quickly you can win instead of whether you can win (most people should be able to win this even with little experience).
If you like this, check out Chess 960. Bobby Fischer said he was annoyed that so many people use route memorized openings and responses. He was a huge proponent of randomizing the back row of pieces (with a few rules) for a more interesting game.
@dave Wow — that is brilliant… I guess. Or maybe really lucky? (I mean, it relies on the the computer making a fairly stupid pawn move. And when I try to reproduce it, the computer makes some different moves which prevents the 4-move win.)
I wonder how long it took them to get it.
(I’m also now wondering why that page calls it “5 moves” when I count only 4…)
@dave@xobzoo That’s cheesing the AI into basically losing on purpose. I’m not sure that this puzzle can be legitimately done in less than 10 moves if the black side isn’t trying to lose on purpose.
Even a rudimentary AI is programmed to calculate all outcomes within 2-3 moves, and moving the rook that way to"attack" the queen should be a calculated instant loss. There were many moves to make that wouldn’t have resulted in an instant loss (and especially before that, when the pawn was moved), so I’m not seeing this as a legit solution. It’s either a fluke, or someone’s cheating,
@ShotgunX@xobzoo I think the AI may be purposely very shallow, to help keep the game accessible, but I agree the lowest move game is likely going to involve a particular boneheaded move.
So it looks like there’s a new layout every day, and everyone plays the same one. Today’s is much more difficult; you don’t get 5 queens anymore.
Also, their site is getting hammered, lol.
Meh should offer a small prize to the daily winner IMO. Like maybe bring back the stickers/stress toys/party sunglasses/etc. you had a few years ago and send some out to the daily winner as an incentive to actually play. Would bring a lot of extra engagement to the site.
I’m gonna work on today’s chess puzzle and see how well I can do:
50 years ago. Does that count? Well maybe not quite that far ago but pretty close to it. Played it in high school every morning with one of my friends. And then I went away to college and nobody cared and I quit
I know what you’re up to WOPR. It’s all fun and games until someone accidentally starts a global thermonuclear war.
KuoH
No Yul Brenner? Not a game I want a part of.
It’s been … uh, decades here. Definitely before the century, at least.
@narfcake I call it “Last Millenium”, but the same for me.
I placed 43rd at the state chess competition in highschool. Played high instinct, low strategy and my skills have not improved so I’m not sure I would fair that well at chess puzzles.
@metaphore I spent my whole high school trying to mate, with no success.
@metaphore @phendrick That’s because one side is aiming desperately to achieve a checkmate solution asap, while the other side is surreptitiously playing to extend the game into a perpetual stalemate.
KuoH
@kuoh @metaphore @phendrick Yep - guys spend our first 9 months working to get out and the rest of our lives working to get back in.
Beginner only.
Give me Battle Chess or Archon.
@blaineg Hot take: Adept was a superior game.
/image adept by electronic arts for commodore 64
@blaineg @stinks Why am I hearing Bevis and Butthead snickering in my head as I’m reading the name of the software company?
KuoH
@blaineg @kuoh
I’m no good at it but currently play chess with my 9 year old.
@Ignorant Should I ask, Who wins?
@phendrick if I’m really playing, me…for now. He’s been going to chess camp so that probably won’t be the case for long.
@Ignorant I used to play against my father in both chess and checkers. I usually won the chess matches, even from my early teens. The various possible combinations always seemed pretty obvious to me. I almost never won any of the checkers games, even after I was in college. I never could fathom why the two games were so dissimilar to my brain (and his, also, apparently).
I was terrible at it when I last tried. I have no idea how long ago.
Was OK as a five-year-old when my grandfather used to tell me what moves to make next
My skills have not progressed
I usually play Brie or Jarlsberg side.
The other party often plays Parmesan
/giphy cheesy chess
I used to play 45 years ago, but I wasn’t good at it, and I don’t remember how to play now.
I’ve never been much of a chess person but that was fun! I did it in 39 moves which is not great lol but hey I had fun and that’s what matters
I’m pretty bad at chess, but the bot was clearly making some pretty bad moves here:
@ShotgunX One move in before I noticed THAT’S NOT CHESS AT ALL. Sure it’s random chess pieces on a chess board. But that’s not chess.
/sigh
@stinks Exactly.
@stinks @werehatrack It’s a puzzle!
16 now:
@ShotgunX @stinks Psst… That’s why it’s called Really Bad Chess.
@ShotgunX @stinks it’s a variant; like handicapping yourself by removing your knights, or playing with a clock… Or blindfold.
@pakopako @ShotgunX Yeah, but to be a true chess variant you should at least try to make it something that could appear on a chess board [okay, okay, I hear the jokes already. More precise: after setting up and playing a portion of a legal/conventional game of chess]. Otherwise it’s about as chess as BASEketball is, well, a good movie.
/image I know, I know, “get off my lawn”
@stinks Grandpa, you’re so silly!
That was fun. Was almost on time for work today and then you posted that!
Got impatient and ended as a sole King destined to be chased around.
Chalk me up as another “not since my school days” player. I was the equivalent of middle school age in the US at the time.
We used to play some wacky variations like, “explosion chess”, “losing chess” and “rebound chess”.
If you’re curious, explosion chess was where when you took a piece you also killed all adjacent pieces (including your own). Losing chess was where you had to lose. There were tweaks to the rules like, you had to take an opponents piece if you could. Rebound chess was where any piece that could move any distance in a straight line could also rebound one time off the edge of the board.
The problem with chess is that to get good you have to really study. Memorize openings, study mating patterns, review the games of masters, etc. etc. Twice in my life I’ve been at the point were I could either put in the time to study and get better or do something else. On both occasions I choose other activities (for the record, I’m no good at those either).
I’m bad at chess. Like, really bad. It took me quite a bit of luck and effort to eek out a win barely https://www.puzzmo.com/play/really-bad-chess/3dcrqg2mib/share
/showme a mediocre game of chess. Replace the black pieces with purple trolls and the white pieces with red and white stripes socks.
Got this one in 18, so it looks like @shotgunx 16 is still the Meh leader:
https://puzzmo.com/play/really-bad-chess/tg217n2gqp/share
Though I’m not 100% certain if we’re all seeing the same one. I started with 5 queens, does that match?
@dave If I do it in 12 moves, are you going to send me a prize?
Also, yes, it’s the same setup each time. The player is obviously at a massive advantage, and the goal is more to see how quickly you can win instead of whether you can win (most people should be able to win this even with little experience).
If you like this, check out Chess 960. Bobby Fischer said he was annoyed that so many people use route memorized openings and responses. He was a huge proponent of randomizing the back row of pieces (with a few rules) for a more interesting game.
https://www.puzzmo.com/play/really-bad-chess/og7n0d2gay/share
I crashed my car playing this
The only way to win is not to play.
I think this was the fewest moves overall for this particular set-up:
https://www.puzzmo.com/play/really-bad-chess/clq2lqu2d3ser23smbgmhec6t:gameplayed
@dave Wow — that is brilliant… I guess. Or maybe really lucky? (I mean, it relies on the the computer making a fairly stupid pawn move. And when I try to reproduce it, the computer makes some different moves which prevents the 4-move win.)
I wonder how long it took them to get it.
(I’m also now wondering why that page calls it “5 moves” when I count only 4…)
@dave @xobzoo That’s cheesing the AI into basically losing on purpose. I’m not sure that this puzzle can be legitimately done in less than 10 moves if the black side isn’t trying to lose on purpose.
Even a rudimentary AI is programmed to calculate all outcomes within 2-3 moves, and moving the rook that way to"attack" the queen should be a calculated instant loss. There were many moves to make that wouldn’t have resulted in an instant loss (and especially before that, when the pawn was moved), so I’m not seeing this as a legit solution. It’s either a fluke, or someone’s cheating,
@ShotgunX @xobzoo I think the AI may be purposely very shallow, to help keep the game accessible, but I agree the lowest move game is likely going to involve a particular boneheaded move.
So it looks like there’s a new layout every day, and everyone plays the same one. Today’s is much more difficult; you don’t get 5 queens anymore.
Also, their site is getting hammered, lol.
Meh should offer a small prize to the daily winner IMO. Like maybe bring back the stickers/stress toys/party sunglasses/etc. you had a few years ago and send some out to the daily winner as an incentive to actually play. Would bring a lot of extra engagement to the site.
I’m gonna work on today’s chess puzzle and see how well I can do:
Well, that was anticlimactic. Beat it in 12 moves on my first try: