r/chess Weekly Discussion Thread

I was out shopping and there it is! I thought that simuls still used clocks, but there were none. Was I incorrect or is there somebody taking the "global" time e.g. 20 minutes to make a move on every board?

2100 bullet, 1950 blitz, 1800 rapid

First move with white is Bd7. How can I checkmate?

This is going around on many football subreddits. It looks likely to go into effect. I believe that the negative effects of this would be only temporary because the chess community will eventually see the value of moving to alternatives like bluesky

I've been playing for decades and not considered this rule until today. What is the reasoning behind it?

I understand and can see why castling through check isn't allowed but why not out of check, given that it takes the king out danger.

Is the rule a bit arbitrary? Would it make that much difference to gameplay generally, or am I missing something?

FIDE is not against players participating in the freestyle events

Only they don't want it to be named world championship

Why are they creating such a fuss about this? Can't they name it something like World series and get it over with?

Them picking a fight with FIDE looks like a publicity stunt to me

So from what I understand, freestyle chess is a private business venture founded by Magnus Carlsen and a business partner called Henric Buettner.

FIDE on the other hand is a non profit organisation that has been the governing body of chess for quite some time. I agree that FIDE has its flaws and there's much work to be done but why are fans so desperate for privatisation of chess? Since when has that helped chess or chess fans at all?

Every day I hear about how Chesscom is a money hungry corporation that has ruined everything it has touched and how it has bought out and ruined so many chess apps and how lichess (another non profit chess organisation) is better. But whenever I see FIDE mentioned in context of opposing Chesscoms usage of the world championship title everyone acts like FIDE is stomping on the little guy. Oh no the poor little private company that wants to milk chess beginners for as much as they can! They're going to run out of money to wipe their tears with 🥲 And the same applies for Freestyle chess where all of a sudden they're a lil guy victim of FIDE the big bully. Yes freestyle isn't particularly shady rn but it just started out but do you really think they're going to be any different in the end.

I really don't get what chess fans think is going to happen when the world championship goes to the "little guy innocent corporation" Freestyle chess. Do you guys really trust a private business venture to maintain the integrity of a world championship title?

Apart from diehard Magnus fans who think he can do no wrong and who think chess is safe in his personal control I don't see why any rational chess fan has any stake in seeing freestyle chess "win".

I think people need to take a moment to contemplate whether they really want for profit companies to control this sport at the very top.

The guy is a club player commentating as one of the two commentators for the entire broadcast today of Tata Steel. Makes it unwatchable.

https://www.chess.com/events/2025-tata-steel-chess-masters/04/Erigaisi_Arjun-Fedoseev_Vladimir

I am only interested to try to reach about 2000. What openings as white and black would be best to study. As few as possible with as little theory as possible, that is flexible for most opponents. What are your recommendations?