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The shortest and longest chess game
The shortest chess game is called “stupid mate”, consisting of two moves: 1. f3 (or f4) e5 and 2. g4 Qh4x. A draw or loss can also occur before players begin making moves, either due to a certain scenario in the standings or as a result of a player not showing up to play. Every year the rules at official competitions become stricter. According to the Zero tolerance rule, any delay to a game (even a minute) results in a loss. And besides, at all tournaments now you can call mobile phone(or any sound produced by this device) the judge will give you a zero.
The longest chess game was played between Ivan Nikolic and Goran Arsovic in Belgrade in 1989. It lasted 20 hours and 15 minutes, 269 moves were made during the game, and it ended in a draw.
Kempelen chess machine
In 1770, the Hungarian inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen created a chess machine. The machine was a human-sized figure of a “Turk” who sat behind a huge wooden cabinet whose doors opened, showing the public complex mechanisms.
A mechanical hand moved pieces across the field and beat such famous people like Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin.
As it turned out many years later, the chess machine was not a machine. Inside the machine was a chess player who moved around inside and hid while the complex mechanisms of the smart “machine” were shown to the public.
Different roles of the queen
The Queen or Queen chess piece has undergone many changes throughout the history of chess. It all started with the fact that in Shatranj she could only move along one square diagonally, then she moved two squares, and then further and further.
In the chess we have today, the queen can move diagonally, horizontally, or vertically. At first, the queen was the weakest, but became the strongest piece in chess.
Endless Possibilities
After three moves, there are more than nine million possible positions on each side. American mathematician calculated minimal amount non-repeating chess games and derived Shannon's number.
According to this number, the number of possible unique batches exceeds the number of atoms in the visible Universe. The number of atoms is estimated to be 10^79, and the number of unique chess games is 10^120.
The power of chess computers
Chess computers are now an important part of chess. World champion Garry Kasparov, considered the strongest player in the history of chess, lost to the computer Deep Blue in 1997, and this was a real shock to the entire chess world.
In 2006, world champion Vladimir Kramnik was defeated by the Deep Fritz computer, further highlighting the power of chess computers. Today, chess programs are used by players for analysis, and viewers often watch broadcasts of games with computer evaluation of moves. Fight on equal terms with the best programs no player can.
Chess clock - to avoid falling asleep
At first, chess games were played without a clock. At the same time, players could play for many hours in a row, driving each other to exhaustion. In 1851, during a chess tournament, the assistant referee recorded that "the game was not completed due to the players eventually falling asleep."
Two years later, in the Harwitz-Leventhal match, for the first time the opponents were limited to a 10-minute time limit for thinking over a move. Hourglasses were used, each had their own, and for exceeding the time a fine was imposed. In 1866, in the match Andersen - Steinitz hourglass They were replaced by mechanical ones, however, they were not chessboard, with two buttons, but ordinary ones.
The first special chess clock was designed by the English engineer and amateur chess player Thomas Bright Wilson from Lancashire, and used at a tournament in London in 1883.
These days most tournaments use Digital Watch. Most often, a certain time is given for the entire game and the player is given a few seconds for each move made.
- India is considered the founder of chess. According to the most common version, chaturanga - the progenitor game of chess - appeared there in the 6th century. Chess received its current name already in Persia, where it came in the 7th century - “checkmate” in Persian means “the king is dead.” However, the rules of classical chess were finally formed only in the 15th century in Europe.
- Chess rules have changed several times. Let's say the queen was once able to move only one square diagonally. Then he was allowed to move two fields, and then he was allowed more and more. Similar changes affected all the pieces on the board - and even their number.
- The shortest game possible - the so-called stupid checkmate. The whole game consists of two moves: in the first, the white pawn moves to f3, and the black one to e5, in the second, the pawn moves to g4, and the queen, moving to h4, checkmates the king.
- Longest game(from those recorded in modern history) totaled 269 moves. The game took place between Ivan Nikolic and Goran Arsovic in Belgrade in 1989, lasted 20 hours, ended in a draw. Currently, FIDE (International Chess Federation) has a rule that limits the game of each chess player to 50 moves.
- You may consider chess a sport for nerds - and in vain. There is a sport at the intersection of chess and boxing - chessboxing. Invented by Dutchman Ipe Rubinstal, the rules of chessbox alternate between a round in chess and a round in the boxing ring. Currently there is even a World Chessboxing Organization.
- Most grandmasters can play chess blindfolded- they keep all the moves they make in their heads. Hungarian Janos Flash once played with 52 blindfolded opponents at the same time - and won 32 games.
- Today there are many modifications of classic chess. Pay attention to the national variants - Xiangqi (China), Shogi (Japan), Changi (Korea), Makruk (Thailand). They are not so much reminiscent of the chess you are familiar with, but they require no less mental effort. Games with boards of different shapes (for several players), fewer or more pieces and their types are also very popular.
- The best chess player in 2015 is a computer. With the growth of computing power, the confrontation between man and machine at the chessboard has ceased to surprise anyone. Thus, in 1997, world champion Garry Kasparov lost to the Deep Blue computer, and the Deep Fritz system beat champion Vladimir Kramnik in 2006. And although the confrontation between computer and man in chess is not over yet, it is clear that complete victory artificial intelligence- a matter of the coming years.
- To program a computer to play American chess Mathematician Claude Shannon in 1950 derived Shannon's number - the minimum number of non-repeating chess games. It was approximately ten to the one hundred and eighteenth power!
- According to research, chess is an effective way to improve memory. In addition, this game teaches you to think through probabilities and plan. Some scientists even recommend this game as a remedy against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers also claim that chess improves Creative skills and concentration.
Incredible facts
1. Where did the name come from?
Chess originated from an ancient Indian game of the 6th century chaturanga, whose name is translated from Sanskrit as "four divisions of army", which includes infantry, cavalry, bishops and chariots, which are represented in chess by the pawn, knight, bishop and rook.
In the 7th century the game came to Persia and was renamed shatranj. Exactly from Persian language where the name chess comes from. Players would say "Check" (from the Persian for "king") when attacking the opponent's king, and "Checkmate" (from Persian "the king is dead").
2. The chess machine that fooled everyone
In 1770, a Hungarian inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen created a chess machine. The machine was a human-sized figure of a “Turk” who sat behind a huge wooden cabinet whose doors opened, showing the public complex mechanisms.
The mechanical arm moved pieces around the field and beat such famous opponents as Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin.
As it turned out many years later, the chess machine was not a machine. There was a chess player inside the machine, which moved inside and hid when the complex mechanisms of the smart “machine” were shown to the public.
3. The shortest and longest chess game
The shortest chess game is called stupid swearing, consisting of two moves: 1. f3 e5 and 2. g4 Qh4++. A draw or loss can also occur before players begin making moves, either due to a certain scenario in the standings or as a result of a player not showing up to play.
The longest chess game was played between Ivan Nikolic And Goran Arsovic in Belgrade in 1989. She lasted 20 hours 15 minutes, 269 moves were made during the game, and it ended in a draw. Theoretically, the game could last even longer, but after the introduction of the 50-move rule, this number can be somehow limited.
4. Checkbox
Garry Kasparov once said that “chess is a torment of the mind.” Apparently that's why someone decided to combine chess with physical tests by creating chessboxing. Dutch artist Ipe Rubing became the founder of chessboxing after he saw the idea of combining chess and boxing in one comic book.
Chessboxing alternates rounds of chess and boxing and its motto is "Battles take place in the ring, but wars are fought on the board".
Chessboxing is becoming increasingly popular and is governed by the World Chessboxing Organization.
5. Dynamic queen
The Queen or Queen chess piece has undergone many changes throughout the history of chess. It all started with the fact that she could only move diagonally along one square, then she moved two squares, and then further and further, like a knight.
Now this figure can move both diagonally, horizontally, and vertically. At first she was the king's advisor or prime minister.
But later she became the most powerful piece in chess.
6. Is it possible to play chess blindfolded?
Blind chess is a variant of the game in which the player makes all the moves without looking at the chessboard. As a rule, there is an intermediary in the game who moves the pieces.
Blindfold chess is an impressive ability that many of the top chess players possess. A Hungarian chess player became one of the record holders in blindfold chess Janos Flesch, who played 52 opponents simultaneously while blindfolded and won 32 games.
7. Endless possibilities
After three moves, there are more than nine million possible positions on each side. An American mathematician calculated the minimum number of non-repeating chess games and derived Shannon's number.
According to this number the number of possible unique batches exceeds the number of atoms in the visible universe. The number of atoms is estimated to be 10^79, and the number of unique chess games is 10^120.
8. The power of chess computers
Chess computers are now an important part of chess. World champion Garry Kasparov, considered the strongest player in the history of chess, lost to the computer Deep Blue in 1997, and it came as a real shock to the entire chess world.
In 2006, world champion Vladimir Kramnik was defeated by a computer Deep Fritz, which once again emphasized the power of chess computers. Today, chess programs are often used by players to analyze and improve their games, and their often ranked on par with grandmasters.
9. Chess clock - to avoid falling asleep
At first, chess games were played without a clock. At the same time, players could play for many hours, or even days in a row, driving each other to exhaustion. In 1851, during a chess tournament, the assistant referee recorded that " the game was not completed due to the players eventually falling asleep".
After this, a year later, time control in the form of an hourglass was introduced at an international tournament, and in 1883, the first mechanical chess clock appeared, created by the British Thomas Wilson.
10. Chess and our brain
Psychologists often mention chess as an effective way to improve your memory. It also allows you to solve complex problems and think through ideas. It is not surprising that chess has become recommended in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Many people believe that chess is a game for those who are naturally highly intelligent. This is partly true, but you can also significantly increase your intelligence by playing chess. Moreover, studies have shown that chess activates both hemispheres of the brain, improve creativity, concentration, critical thinking and reading skills.
Do you want to become a chess grandmaster? Let's be honest, to achieve your goal you will need to know a little more than the facts below. However, chess is one of the most famous strategy games on our planet, their history goes back several centuries and is extremely interesting in itself.
India, the era of the Gupta state (about 1400 years ago), is considered the birthplace of chess. From there the game came to Eranshahr (the territory of modern Iran and Iraq), then to the Middle East, to Europe.
The first pawn move to move two squares instead of one was invented in Spain in 1280.
Chinese Emperor Sui Wen once executed two overseas chess players after hearing them call one of the pieces the emperor. Sui Wen-di's rage was caused by the mention of the high title of the ruler of the Celestial Empire in a simple game.
The first mention of chess in America dates back to 1641 and is associated with the city of Esther Singleton, where Dutch settlers lived at that time. The first chess tournament in the United States took place in New York in 1857.
The longest move in terms of time belongs to the Brazilian Francisco Trois: the chess player spent two hours and twenty minutes thinking about it.
The first “Space - Earth” game took place on June 9, 1970. She was played by the crew spaceship Soyuz-9 and representatives of the cosmonaut training center on Earth. The game ended in a draw.
Initially, the queen could only move one square diagonally, then two. This continued until Queen Isabella of Spain ordered that the queen (and in Europe she is called the queen) be made the most powerful piece on the board.
The oldest recorded chess game dates back to the year 900, a game between a Baghdad chronicler and his student.
Legendary scientist Alan Turing wrote the world's first computer program for playing chess in 1951. Since at that time there was no machine capable of processing this program, for the test game Turing had to perform algorithmic calculations himself, making one move in a few minutes.
"Deep Blue" became the first program to lose to a grandmaster in November 1988. However, nine years later, it also won two games in a match with Garry Kasparov in 1997 and also became the first machine to beat a human.
The oldest surviving chess set was found on the Isle of Lewis in Northern Scotland. It dates back to the 12th century AD, and is believed to have been created in Iceland or Norway. Its original design served as the model for the magical chess pieces in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Emmanuel Lasker remained the longest-serving world chess champion in history: 26 years and 337 days, from 1894 to 1921.
The second book printed on English language Following the stories about the Trojan War, a work on chess began.
In 1561, the Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura wrote On the Ingenuity and Art of Chess, which became the first serious study of the game. The name of Ruy Lopez is associated with the creation of the Spanish opening, since Lopez paid most attention in his work to the beginning of the game.
Doctors often use chess as an example. effective means memory improvements. This game also trains the mind by solving complex logic problems, so it is recommended for combating Alzheimer's disease.
The name "chess" comes from the Persian words "check" and "checkmate", which are often translated as "the king is dead", although a more accurate equivalent would be "the king is trapped" or "the king cannot escape".
In 1972, during the Fischer-Spassky match in Reykjavik, the Soviet delegation suspected challenger Fischer of using various electronic and chemical devices to throw the world champion off balance. Spassky's chair was guarded around the clock, and after the games it was sent to the laboratory, but nothing unusual was found in it.
Filipino boy Alekhine Nuri became the youngest FIDE Master in the world. Now he is 9 years old.
In English, the word rooky, denoting an outstanding chess player, comes from “rook” - rook. As a rule, rooks come into play closer to the endgame and, together with the queen, are the strongest pieces.
The folding chessboard was invented in 1125 by a chess priest. The church forbade priests from playing chess, so the inventive pastor simply folded the board in half to make it look like books stacked on top of each other.
The chess clock was invented by Thomas Wilson in 1883, before which the hourglass was used. Modern look Chess clocks were acquired by 1900, when the switching mechanism was invented.
In 1985, Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion at the age of 22 years and 210 days. The thirteenth world champion is still recognized by many experts the greatest chess player in history.
The longest match in terms of the number of moves was played between chess players Nikolic and Arsovic in Belgrade in 1989. The game lasted 20 hours and 15 minutes and ended in a draw. 269 moves were made during the game. After this match, FIDE introduced the 50-move rule: if not a single piece is captured in 100 moves, the players have no right to delay the game any longer and a draw is declared.
However, theoretically, the longest chess game could have 5,949 moves.
The number of possible unique chess games is greater than the number of electrons in the entire universe. The number of smallest particles of matter is about 10 to the 79th power, while the number of non-repeating chess combinations is more than 10 to the 120th power.
Origin of the game and its names
The ancestor of chess is the ancient Indian game "chaturanga", which was popular in the 6th century. Translated from Sanskrit, "chaturanga" is translated as "4 divisions of the army" (infantry, cavalry, bishops and chariots, whose role in chess is played by pawns, knights, bishops and rooks). Coming to Persia in the 7th century, the game received a different name - “shatranj”. The name that we know now - chess - was given to the game here: when a player attacked the king, he pronounced "check" ("king" in Persian) and "checkmate" ("king died" in Persian).
Queen's "fickleness"
The queen (or queen) has the most fickle character. This chess piece has changed the most throughout the history of the game. Initially, the queen was the king's advisor (prime minister), but later became the strongest chess piece. At first, the queen could move diagonally along only one square, but over time she could move 2 squares at once, and then even further, like a knight. IN modern game The queen can make moves horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
Unique Kempelen chess machine
In 1770, the Austrian inventor of Hungarian origin Wolfgang von Kempelen created a chess machine, which was a human-sized figure of a man dressed in Turkish clothing, who was sitting at a large wooden table. Serenely smoking a pipe and moving pieces across the field mechanical arm, the “Turk” played chess with everyone, beating Napoleon Bonaparte, Benjamin Franklin and other celebrities.
The mystery of such a smart machine was solved only years later: a man was hiding inside the chess machine, who played as a dummy, and when the machine and its complex mechanisms were shown to the public, he was hiding.
Two "best" chess games: longest and shortest
The longest game in the history of chess was held in 1989 in Belgrade, in which Goran Arsovic and Ivan Nikolic were participants. During a chess game lasting 20 hours and 15 minutes, which ended in a draw, the opponents made only 269 moves. In general, purely theoretically, one chess game can be even longer, but after the rules of 50 moves were introduced, it became possible to somehow limit this number.
The shortest chess game - mate in two moves ("stupid mate") - can be played as follows: 1. f3 e5 and 2. g4 Qh4++. The judges can record a draw or loss before the actual start of the game due to a certain scenario that is revealed by the standings, or in the event of one of the players not showing up for the game.
Chess and boxing in one game
Famous saying Garry Kasparov's statement that "chess is a torment of the mind" inspired the Dutch artist Ipe Rubing to create chessboxing, which combined chess and physical challenges. The founder of chessboxing got the idea to combine boxing and chess in one of his comic novels.
With the motto “Battles are fought in the ring, but wars are fought on the board,” this hybrid sport consists of alternating rounds of chess and boxing. Recently, the game has become increasingly popular, being under the control of the World Chessboxing Organization.
Chess blindfolded
One of the variants of the game is blindfold chess: a chess player can make all the moves without seeing the chessboard. As a rule, such a player has an intermediary who moves his pieces.
This impressive ability is common to many of the strongest chess players. One of the record holders of this version of the game of chess is the Hungarian Janos Flesch, who played blindly against 52 opponents simultaneously and won 32 games.
Chess clock to keep players awake
Initially, clocks were not used during chess games: players could spend many hours in a row playing the game (and sometimes several days), exhausting themselves and driving their opponents to exhaustion. Once, during one of the chess tournaments held in 1851, two players even fell asleep without completing the game. A year after this incident, time control was introduced, which, until the creation of the first mechanical chess clock in 1883, created by the British Thomas Wilson, was carried out using an hourglass.
Endless possibilities
After 3 moves by each player, there are more than 9,000,000 possible positions. An American mathematician calculated the minimum number of non-repeating chess games and derived Shannon's number, according to which the number of possible unique games (10^120) more quantity atoms in the visible Universe (about 10^79).
Powerful chess computers
Nowadays, chess computers are an important part of the game of chess. One of the most famous chess games played between a computer and a human was held in 1997, when the computer Deep Blue beat world champion Garry Kasparov, considered the strongest chess player in the history of chess.
Nine years later, in 2006, another computer, Deep Fritz, beat world champion Vladimir Kramnik, once again declaring the power of chess computers. Today's chess programs, comparable to grandmasters, are most often used to analyze the game and improve it.
Playing chess increases intelligence level
Chess is often mentioned by psychologists as a effective way improving human memory. Chess skills can also help in solving complex tasks and thinking through ideas. Most people believe that playing chess is only for those with high intelligence. This is partly true, but anyone can independently help increase their level of intelligence by mastering this game and starting to play chess. While playing chess, both hemispheres of the brain are activated, creativity, concentration, reading skills and critical thinking improve. For example, in Armenia, whose chess school is one of the strongest in the world, starting from the 2011-2012 academic year, in all secondary schools Pupils from 2nd to 4th grade study chess as a compulsory subject.