History Headscratchers / Chess

**** Even {{Mafalda}} [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MeK0jFXbWMg/SglMTe3ZtHI/AAAAAAAAAEY/-y5vLAvRXiw/s1600-h/mafalda+ajedrez+comunismo.gif realized]] it.

*** Seconded. Anatoly suggests this to Florence in the ConceptAlbum during ''Quartet'' and she reacts defensively. Also, in the documentary that was made about the album while it was being recorded in Stockholm, TimRice seems to suggest that the relationship between Florence and Freddie was much more business-like than the form it's taken on in the various stage adaptations, so it doesn't seem too far-fetched to suggest that the initial plan was for Florence to be Freddie's [[TheBeard beard]]. If you take the view that his actions in the show are the result of Internalised Homophobia, it could be a nod to Bobby Fischer's notorious reputation for anti-Semitism despite his own Jewish background.

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*** Seconded. Anatoly suggests this to Florence in the ConceptAlbum during ''Quartet'' and she reacts defensively. Also, in the documentary that was made about the album while it was being recorded in Stockholm, TimRice seems to suggest that the relationship between Florence and Freddie was much more business-like than the form it's taken on in the various stage adaptations, so it doesn't seem too far-fetched to suggest that the initial plan was for Florence to be Freddie's beard. If you take the view that his actions in the show are the result of Internalised Homophobia, it could be a nod to Bobby Fischer's notorious reputation for anti-Semitism despite his own Jewish background.

**** It's not particularly frequent. The most frequent result in master level is resignation, at junior level it is checkmate (because juniors can't see six moves in advance). What makes the stalemate rule an improvement is that [[WeHaveReserves attrition]] isn't a sure path to victory the way it is in checkers. Attrition is useful but no matter how far ground down a player, the superior player still has to watch. It also makes for counterintuitive nuances. For instance it is common to promote to castle rather then queen simply to make sure the oppenents king will have more places to run to until you are finally ready.

**** It's not particularly frequent. The most frequent result in master level is resignation, at junior level it is checkmate(because juniors can't see six moves in advanced). What makes the stalemate rule an improvement is that [[WeHaveReserves attrition]] isn't a sure path to victory the way it is in checkers. Attrition is useful but no matter how far ground down a player, the superior player still has to watch. It also makes for counterintuitive nuances. For instance it is common to promote to castle rather then queen simply to make sure the oppenents king will have more places to run to until you are finally ready.

** Somehow it's okay that other pieces can move past others magically, but how dare a pawn attempt advancing past another - we have to give the other piece a special ability to capture it without even capturing it!
*** Please note that only pawns are able to capture ''en passant''. Yes its a magical ability, but so is being able to move twice in one move.

** In the interest of being a spoilsport (and a giant geek), the "Pawn moves two spaces in their first move" was created for the sole reason to quick up the start of the game (since otherwice the game tended to be 1) e2-e3, e7-e6 2) e3-e4, e6-e5). It wasn't intended to give any strategical boost. It then took about five seconds for about five million chess players to figure out that the until-then strategy of putting a pawn at 4/5 file in order to stop the two pawns that only could move to the two squares that he was attacking from moving was side-stepped by them simply double-move to the side of the attacking piece. The En Passant rule was an ObviousRulePatch to eliminate this. [Cue GIJoe music].
* Prior to 1972 it was possible to Castle using a promoted Rook. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joke_chess_problem#Offbeat_interpretations_of_the_rules_of_chess Wikipedia]] notes how this would work using a Rook on the same file as the King, but how would it work if the Rook and King were on different files?

*** You're slightly mistaken, it doesn't matter whether the Castling rook is under attack or passes though any attacked squares.

** Because [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch-move_rule touch-move]].

*** The rule that it's illegal to ignore check (and thus move into check) makes the game a little deeper by making stalemate possible (when one side has no legal moves to make on their turn, it's a draw). A basic example is Queen and King vs King. With this rule in effect a careless player can stalemate the enemy King by using the Queen to completely restrict but not check it. Whereas if the king were allowed to move into check, almost all stalemates would be impossible, and in the example the side with the Queen would still win by taking the enemy King once it was forced to move into check. Famous games have occurred where one side, completely lost, forcibly gives away all their material in a series of checks, and after the last piece is taken, saves the game through stalemate which suddenly appears.

** Could he ever have had a functioning relationship with her if he somehow managed to resolve his [[FreudianExcuse parental issues?]]

** Surely a savvy, worldly character is more compelling than a thinly veiled DamselInDistress? Was he doing a ViewersAreMorons because "an (outwardly) self-confident woman like her wouldn't stand for that kind of crap."?
*** While this ThisTroper is on the subject, is Freddie meant to be a self-centred {{Jerkass}} or is he just downright emotionally abusive?
** ThisTroper thinks that depends on whether you want the show to be a mass of morally grey {{Jerkass}}es or black-and-white. Anatoly isn't exactly free of {{Jerkass}} traits either.

* What do they Embassy underlings mean when they tell Anatoly "Don't forget the guys who cut your keys."?
** "Cut your keys" as in "made your keys" as in, let you into the country. They're the ones who do all the paperwork necessary for Anatoly defecting, and don't want this to go amiss.

* In ''The Deal (No Deal)'', Anatoly makes perfectly clear that he isn't willing to intentionally lose the World Championship. So why, in ''Talking Chess'', is Freddie trying to convince him to win?

*** Seconded. Anatoly suggests this to Florence in the ConceptAlbum during ''Quartet'' and she reacts defensively. Also, in the documentary that was made about the album while it was being recorded in Stockholm, TimRice seems to suggest that the relationship between Florence and Freddie was much more business-like than the form its taken on in the various stage adaptations, so it doesn't seem too far-fetched to suggest that the initial plan was for Florence to be Freddie's beard. If you take the view that his actions in the show are the result of InternalisedHomophobia, it could be a nod to Bobby Fischer's notorious reputation for anti-Semitism despite his own Jewish background.

*** The rule that it's illegal to ignore (and thus move into check) makes the game a little deeper by making stalemate possible (when one side has no moves to make on their turn, it's a draw). A basic example is Queen and King vs King. With this rule in effect a careless player can stalemate the enemy King by using the Queen to completely restrict but not check it. Whereas if the king were allowed to move into check, almost all stalemates would be impossible, and in the example the side with the Queen would still win by taking the enemy King once it was forced to move into check. Famous games have occurred where one side, completely lost, forcibly gives away all their material in a series of checks, and after the last piece is taken, saves the game through stalemate which suddenly appears.

*** Seconded. Anatoly suggests this to Florence in the ConceptAlbum during ''Quartet'' and she reacts defensively. Also, in the documentary that was made about the album while it was being recorded in Stockholm, TimRice seems to suggest that the relationship between Florence and Freddie was much more business-like than the form its taken on in the various stage adaptations, so it doesn't seem to far-fetched to suggest that the initial plan was for Florence to be Freddie's beard. If you take the view that his actions in the show are the result of InternalisedHomophobia, it could be a nod to Bobby Fischer's notorious reputation for anti-Semitism despite his own Jewish background.

** Depending on the version, this could show how much Freddie wants Florence back; he's even willing to let them drag him around for a shot at her. Besides, he switches camps later when he helps Anatole to beat Vigand.

** Technically, the rules do not require you to deal with check: you can resign instead. Since the only alternative to dealing with being in check is to lose, not dealing with being in check is effectively to resign.

** Probably a lot of it is his own basic arrogance. He’s so sure he’s in control of the game that he can’t imagine himself as anybody else’s pawn. (And he’s also got a lot of built-up contempt and resentment against women in general, which would more than likely make him distrust Florence’s advice on principle.)

** The''en passant'' rule was developed after someone came up with the "pawns can move two spaces on their first turn" one and was put in as a fix so that they couldn't get past attackers magically. It's difficult to explain without a board, but you get the idea.

[[WMG: The En Passant rule makes no... Wait, why is the rest of these about a musical?!!]]
* Well, there's a musical called ''[[{{Theatre/Chess}} Chess]]''. This troper wishes she could figure out how to separate this from the {{Chess}} one.
* Incidentally, if you were curious, the ''en passant'' rule was developed after someone came up with the "pawns can move two spaces on their first turn" one and was put in as a fix so that they couldn't get past attackers magically. It's difficult to explain without a board, but you get the idea.

**** The oppression of the pawns is one of the great social outrages of the western boardgame world.
***** Even {{Mafalda}} [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MeK0jFXbWMg/SglMTe3ZtHI/AAAAAAAAAEY/-y5vLAvRXiw/s1600-h/mafalda+ajedrez+comunismo.gif realized]] it.

[[WMG: Prior to 1972 it was possible to Castle using a promoted Rook.]]
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joke_chess_problem#Offbeat_interpretations_of_the_rules_of_chess Wikipedia]] notes how this would work using a Rook on the same file as the King, but how would it work if the Rook and King were on different files?

[[WMG: Why is Castling considered a King move, but not a Rook move?]]
Because [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch-move_rule touch-move]].
*That in no way explains why Castling isn't considered both a King move and a Rook move.
**Well, it ''is'' -- I'm just saying that the only reason to consider it ''primarily'' a King move is because that's the piece you have to move first.
* Let me rephrase my question, why do the rules require you to move the King first when you're Castling?
** Because your move is over after you make a legal move and release the piece you moved - and moving your rook next to your king is a legal move. When you move your king two squares, it's clear that your move is not yet over when you release the king.

[[WMG: Why does it not occur to Anatoly to win until ''Talking Chess''?]]
*Obviously, you've never met Korchnoi.

[[WMG: In the Concept Album, what's the "news" that Freddie has for Florence at the end? It wasn't very clear.]]
* The news is about her father, but it's left to the audience to decide if he's dead or alive.

[[WMG: Why would Freddie be so complicit in being used by Walter and Molokov? He didn't take orders from Florence when she asked him to make nice with the press.]]
*Probably a lot of it is his own basic arrogance. He’s so sure he’s in control of the game that he can’t imagine himself as anybody else’s pawn. (And he’s also got a lot of built-up contempt and resentment against women in general, which would more than likely make him distrust Florence’s advice on principle.)
**Could he ever have had a functioning relationship with her if he somehow managed to resolve his [[FreudianExcuse parental issues?]]

[[WMG: Why did Richard Nelson turn Florence into such a wallflower?]]
*Surely a savvy, worldly character is more compelling than a thinly veiled DamselInDistress? Was he doing a ViewersAreMorons because "an (outwardly) self-confident woman like her wouldn't stand for that kind of crap."?
*While this ThisTroper is on the subject, is Freddie meant to be a self-centred {{Jerkass}} or is he just downright emotionally abusive?
**ThisTroper thinks that depends on whether you want the show to be a mass of morally grey {{Jerkass}}es or black-and-white. Anatoly isn't exactly free of {{Jerkass}} traits either.

[[WMG: What do they Embassy underlings mean when they tell Anatoly "Don't forget the guys who cut your keys."?]]
* "Cut your keys" as in "made your keys" as in, let you into the country. They're the ones who do all the paperwork necessary for Anatoly defecting, and don't want this to go amiss.

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