Checkmate!

January 18, 2011 7:35 AM

GameKnot, in addition to being a generally wonderful site to play and study chess, has a page which show nothing but checkmates from recently-played games being carried out. Watch as fate is inexorably sealed.
posted by Wolfdog (14 comments total)

P4wned!
posted by Nossidge at 7:42 AM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

Also worth your time if you enjoy mucking around chessboards:

The Kenilworth Chess Club's broad article collection, including such things as Chess and Evolutionary Theory, and
the opening explorer among many wonderful resources at chessgames.com.
posted by Wolfdog at 7:44 AM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is hypnotic.
posted by dismas at 7:50 AM on January 18, 2011

It's like watching a porn film that's nothing but money shots. I was sort of expecting actual video of games, though, alternating between stoic players casually tipping over their kings with the occasional board-overturning and/or choked-back tears.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:57 AM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Riveting.
posted by crunchland at 8:02 AM on January 18, 2011

I wonder how many of those poor trapped players are me. Although I usually resign before actually being checkmated.
posted by Eyebeams at 8:45 AM on January 18, 2011

Oh, I HATE players that do that. The second it looks like you're going to lose, you bail. I've given up playing all ad hoc online games for that very reason.
posted by crunchland at 9:23 AM on January 18, 2011

Oh, I HATE players that do that.

Why? It's still a win if your opponent resigns. It's just quicker. Especially when mate or a winning end game is a foregone conclusion.
posted by saulgoodman at 11:10 AM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

surprisingly elegant animation for these checkmates. I could watch these for awhile. They'd actually make a good screensaver.
posted by milestogo at 12:31 PM on January 18, 2011

Why? It's still a win if your opponent resigns. -- Have you never heard about "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat?" There's more to winning than getting the +1 next to your name. I wouldn't tolerate it if I was playing a game with someone IRL. "Oh, I'm losing. I quit."
posted by crunchland at 12:56 PM on January 18, 2011

(note : I'm not just talking about chess, but all of the online ad hoc games, like the ones that come with Win7.)
posted by crunchland at 1:03 PM on January 18, 2011

Have you never heard about "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat?" There's more to winning than getting the +1 next to your name. I wouldn't tolerate it if I was playing a game with someone IRL. "Oh, I'm losing. I quit."

No doubt you have a valid point about games/wars in general. However, in the modern chess world there is a prevailing viewpoint that you must take into account here. The point when you resign is taken to be based on your confidence in your opponent's abilities. That means that it's considered rude in the extreme to play on in an obviously lost position- it communicates that you believe your opponent is so stupid that he can't conduct an obvious win. On the other hand, a very early resignation communicates that you believe your opponent is sufficiently skilled that he can bring about victory easily with the current advantage.
posted by nzero at 9:34 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

And by the by- I believe this attitude in chess as contrasted with other games comes from the general consensus that chess is a complete information game, thus the win or loss that will result comes entirely from your opponent's skill rather than some random variable. In another game you might hang on, hoping for a sudden boon from the dice or cards or what have you, and a win despite your opponent's best efforts. Not so in chess.
posted by nzero at 9:38 PM on January 18, 2011

The objective is not just to defeat your opponents king, but as crazy ole Fischer once said, "The object is to crush the opponent's mind."

Plus everything nzero said
posted by strangememes at 12:08 PM on January 20, 2011