History YMMV / Chess

* DesignatedHero[=/=]DesignatedVillain: The players. The colors for the pieces do not constitute as heroic or villainous traits, so there's no "Hero vs Villain" dynamic unless the players hold a sufficient dislike for one another, and even then, it falls onto perspective instead of narrative.

* UnwinnableByInsanity: A stalemate occurs if the player whose turn it is cannot make any legal moves, but his king is not in check. This is extremely unlikely to occur (if not impossible) unless said player has no chessmen left except pawns and king (and thus is losing). It takes a certain amount of insanity to capture most of your opponent's pieces, put the rest of them in such a position that they can't make any legal moves, and NOT put the king in check.

* UnwinnableByInsanity: A stalemate occurs if the player whose turn it is cannot make any legal moves, but his king is not in check. This is extremely unlikely to occur (if not impossible) unless said player has no chessmen left except pawns and king (and thus is losing). It takes a certain amount of insanity to capture most of your opponent's pieces, put your enemy's pawns and king in such a position that they can't make any legal moves, and NOT put the king in check.

** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyg0h6tk-MM "Opening Ceremony / The Arbiter"]]

* EndingFatigue: Some novice games can drag on for quite a while, especially when it's just chasing the king around the board. Professional players would have resigned long ago at this stage. This is the reason why the fifty-move rule was invented (which is still pretty long for an average game).

* DesignatedHero[=/=]DesignatedVillain: The players.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In Shogi (a Japanese chess variant), the "king" has also been viewed as representing the children of that player's color -- the future, if you will. Referenced in [[Manga/Naruto]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In Shogi (a Japanese chess variant), the "king" has also been viewed as representing the children of that player's color -- the future, if you will. Referenced in Manga/Naruto.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In Shogi (a Japanese chess variant), the "king" has also been viewed as representing the children of that player's color -- the future, if you will.

* StopHelpingMe[=/=]SurroundedByIdiots: The famous ''smothered mate'' where a single knight forces a king into a corner, surrounded by its own "protective" pieces who block out all escape squares, allowing this beautiful (and somewhat embarassing) checkmate. There are countless other checkmates where the King's only escape(s) are blocked by its own pieces.

** {{Scott McCloud}} [[http://scottmccloud.com/1-webcomics/chess/chess.html explores this.]] Also see TheTetrisEffect.

* BrokenBase: Few things in the history of the show have been more divisive than Idina Menzel's portrayal of Florence in the 2008 concert.

* AccidentalNightmareFuel: Some of the neuroses, pathological behaviors and/or full-fledged psychoses suffered later in life by many historical masters invites the question of just what impact long-term intense study of the game has on the human psyche.
** {{Scott McCloud}} [[http://scottmccloud.com/1-webcomics/chess/chess.html explores this.]] Also see TheTetrisEffect.

** [[http://scottmccloud.com/1-webcomics/chess/chess.html Scott McCloud explores this.]]

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Having evolved in India, the Middle East and Southern Europe, modern chess has been dominated by Russians.

** In Shogi (a Japanese chess variant), the "king" has also been viewed as representing the children of that player's color -- the future, if you will.

* DesignatedHero[=/=]DesignatedVillain: The players.

** Depending on the production (and the actor), "Pity the Child" can almost turn Freddie into one.

*** The fanbase are a bit divided when it comes to this one - some feel that the very complex ending of the Albert Hall version is done more to show off and overlooks the reason that it becomes a quartet - Molokov won't shut up, so over this and the Arbiter prattling on, Florence and Anatoly try to have a conversation rather than it just sounding like a fragmented mish-mash. But, nevertheless, YourMileageMayVary and even if you don't like, it's still worth applauding.

* NightmareFuel: Some of the neuroses, pathological behaviors and/or full-fledged psychoses suffered later in life by many historical masters invites the question of just what impact long-term intense study of the game has on the human psyche.
** [[http://scottmccloud.com/1-webcomics/chess/chess.html Scott McCloud explores this.]]

* BetterThanItSounds

** Depending on the production (and the actor), "Pity the Child" can almost turn Freddie into one.

** Depending on the production (and the actor), "Pity the Child" can almost turn Freddie into one.
* YourMileageMayVary: See second trope.