Whenever something like that happens I just assume that something unexpected came up IRL and he had to get away from the computer for a little bit. Maybe optimistic standpoint, but I try to think positively about people until proven otherwise

Yeah probably that. I've done it before although said in chat first..

You three are all nice guys.

My first thought is why is this guy stonewalling me?

Dutch stonewall?

Because it's a decent system to get into for fast time controls...

Or when people make a draw offer when they're facing mate on the move. LOL I guess they're hoping for a mis-click.

either that or (the positive viewpoint) misclicked themselves. In some clients the abort or draw offer buttons are quite close to the resign buttons.

It's to counter this (from another thread), ldo:

Just came across this:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/fun-...s/gamesmanship

In over the board speedchess you can try long range phantom captures like Rb1xc7 or moving nights in extravantageous positions by putting them ´halfsquare´ like in between c3 and d3 and picking a good move appropriately. This usually only works in like under 30seconds situations when moves are blitzed out without much time for checking or arguing.

Are there angle shots in chess?

Can you really save 15% or more on car insurance?

One time I offered a guy who had a bare king a draw (all i had was a bishop and a pawn that was inevitably going to be captured or something) and the ******* said NO. He was like a 1700 player too. Not sure if it was even an angle shot but I got really pissed.

wait ok sorry he had a king and a bishop, and i had a king and a pawn that couldn't promote. lol

lol what was he angle-shooting to achieve?

Pissing you off? Looks like he succeeded!

The idiot thought he could win on time. I was very low. What he didn't realize was that we were actually in the 3rd time control and I had an extra 15 minutes so I really was not low (he thought i had just a few seconds) and two, that even if I ran out of time he doesn't have mating material and it's a draw anyway. He was just an ass.

I didn't know donkeys played chess.

he was a jerk all right, but with K+B vs K+P he can claim a win on time because mate is possible.

Yeah, I see this rule misinterpreted very very often too.

Fide rule is actually very simple:

"The game is drawn when a position is reached from which a checkmate cannot occur by any possible series of legal moves."

I think the bolded part is what confuses most people.. As long as you have that pawn, you can promote to a bishop, then for example move your king to h8, your bishop to g8, his king is on h6, bishop on f6 = mate. Of course no sane person would ever do all that. But, it is theoretically possible. Therefore, according to the rule, K+B vs K+P is NOT a draw if one player runs out of time.

the USCF rule is different.

I'd lose a FIDE game, draw a USCF game. In the USCF one side must have "mating material." It's a draw regardless of whether the helpmate is possible.

so you should just refuse to play a move in this position and let your flag fall?



God the USCF rules are truly awful. Not that the FIDE rules are so much better, but the USCF rules look like someone took the FIDE rules and said "lets change around the parts of these that were toughest to come up with, surely we'll come up with a better version" and then realised why they took so long coming up with those rules in the first place.

No, PS gave the most general gist of the rule without all the important specifics. The rule actually reads something like "It's a draw if the side with time left has insufficient mating material unless there is a forced mate." Then it goes on to list precisely what is insufficient mating material. I don't remember off hand what all is listed but it was very reasonable and notably 2 knights is not insufficient if the opponent has a pawn. It's more complicated but it's probably much fairer than the FIDE rule where this would be a win for black:



Really the only huge problem with the USCF rule is that it might require Houdini to prove whether or not a forced mate is possible.

swingdoc is correct. I considered mentioning the "unless there is a foced" mate part but I didn't think any would be nitty enough to bring it up :P. K+B vs Anything and K+N vs Anything is a draw if the 'Anything Side' runs out of time. The 'forced' mates in these positions are so obvious I'm sure any TD can officiate around it. I must admit I'm not entirely sure how K+NN vs. or K+BB(of the same color, lol) are handled, I have the USCF rulebook sitting around somewhere I should look.

OK, apparently if you run out of time you get a draw under the following scenarios....

14E1. Your Opponent has JUST a King

14E2. Your Opponent has Just (a King and a Bishop) OR Just (a King and a Knight) provided he does not have a 'forced win'

14E3. Your Opponent has Just a King and TWO Knights. YOU have NO Pawns and your opponent does not have a 'forced win'



So I guess this means if your opponent has Just a King and 2 bishops (on the same color) and you run out of time you lose. Obviously this is ridiculous and would never happen, just pointing out. Also what is not addressed is games that are supposed to be immediate draws because no series of legal moves could ever lead to checkmate ever.

I.E.




or even this... (created this myself for fun)



In the 2nd game Black has just played Qxb3+ and according to BOTH FIDE AND USCF rules this game is an immediate draw right here. Because checkmate is not possible no matter what given legal moves by both side. My question under the USCF system is lets say something like this occurs and neither side calls it and then one runs out of time. Can they call on this rule AFTER running out of time? The book is not clear.

under FIDE rules, that is a draw if either player's flag falls here. A more interesting question: what if White plays Kxb3+ and then his mobile phone rings? According to the rules a "dead position" had already been reached after Qxb3+ and the game was already over.

I thought for a second the position I posted couldn't occur. Oh wait it can, sigh I need a life.


1. a3 e6 2. c3 h6 3. g4 f6 4. e3 Qe7 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Ne5 fxe5 7. Ke2 Nb4 8. axb4 Qc5 9. Kd3 Qd6+ 10. Kc2 Qc6 11. Na3 d6 12. Kb1 Bd7 13. Nc2 O-O-O 14. Bg2 Ne7 15. h3 Nf5 16. Rh2 Nd4 17. exd4 Qb5 18. d5 Bc6 19. dxc6 a5 20. b3 a4 21. Ra2 a3 22. Rb2 a2+ 23. Ka1 Kb8 24. Rb1 Ka8 25. Kb2 a1=B+ 26. Ka2 Rb8 27. Ba3 Bb2 28. d3 Bc1 29. h4 g5 30. hxg5 hxg5 31. Rh7 Be3 32. Ra1 Ba7 33. c4 b6 34. Qh1 Rb7 35. Qh6 Bb8 36. cxb7+ Ka7 37. c5 d5 38. c6 Bc5 39. Bh3 Bd4 40. Bc1 Bc3 41. Be3 Qc5 42. b5 Qxe3 43. b4 d4 44. Ne1 Rxh7 45. Nf3 Rxh6 46. Nd2 Rxh3 47. Nb3 Rf3 48. Nc1 Rf4 49. Nb3 Re4 50. f3 Qg1 51. fxe4 Qf1 52. Nc1 Qd1 53. Nb3 Qxb3+

Also you realize lose a FIDE game after 1 cell phone ring? FIDE is ridiculous. In the USCF its 10 minutes and then the game if it happens a 2nd time. If you have 20 minutes or less the penalty is half your remaining time. I think this penalty is highly more desirable, its harsh enough to get people to make sure it doesn't happen but also highly improbable will it ever "change a game." Is Roger Goodel running FIDE or something? The forfeit if your 1 second late rule is also a joke.

It's really stupid that I have a chance to beat Magnus Carlsen in a rated game by just hoping for his cell phone to ring.