Leo, how on earth are you so good at Chess?

[Leo Gura]

14 minutes ago, Bobby_2021 said:

 

@Leo Gura Have you ever played classical? 

Not since teenage years.

Quote

I just don't have the operating principles to play it.

Huh? It's pure chess. All the principles apply other than lame memorized openings.

Edited Sunday at 04:15 AM by Leo Gura

[Leo Gura]

22 hours ago, Tealeave said:

@Leo Gura Ever tought about playing Go? Way more interesting, more system-thinking, less analytical brute force logic ... and way more complex then old borng chess

https://online-go.com/

 

I don't know enough about Go to know if I would like it.

[NoSelfSelf]

You guys misunerstood the openings,its not about just memorizing 10-15 moves, its about the ideas behind why those moves work.Its about learning the structure of the positions, so you can understand the plans that transition to follow up.It all helps you understand chess,good opening programs are full of information to see the depth of each move.

If i know 10 openings and you know 1, im better just because i know more about the structures/positions/ideas that transfer to the random position, from openings i dont even know.

Lets say i know opening number 1 really well,some random opening can have similar ideas,so its on me to connect the dots and create the same plans from them and that makes you a better player overall...

[Kairos]

@NoSelfSelf I find it easier to understand and remember openings but ENDGAMES are fucking hardcore chess man 

On 04/01/2025 at 2:50 AM, Leo Gura said:

 

 

Edited Sunday at 07:58 AM by Kairos

[Dodo]

On 04/01/2025 at 0:10 AM, Leo Gura said:

Massive neural connection, bruh.

Wojack post nut clarity 

[NoSelfSelf]

22 minutes ago, Kairos said:

@NoSelfSelf I find it easier to understand and remember openings but ENDGAMES are fucking hardcore chess man 

 

I understand , i have million of things to learn before focusing on the endgame ",100 endgames you must know "covers you to a certen point ,its all steps not overwhelming yourself with titled level endgames.

[Thought Art]

4 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I don't know enough about Go to know if I would like it.

You likely would.

[integral]

5 hours ago, NoSelfSelf said:

You guys misunerstood the openings,its not about just memorizing 10-15 moves, its about the ideas behind why those moves work.Its about learning the structure of the positions, so you can understand the plans that transition to follow up.It all helps you understand chess,good opening programs are full of information to see the depth of each move.

If i know 10 openings and you know 1, im better just because i know more about the structures/positions/ideas that transfer to the random position, from openings i dont even know.

Lets say i know opening number 1 really well,some random opening can have similar ideas,so its on me to connect the dots and create the same plans from them and that makes you a better player overall...

That’s definitely true, and Leo can benefit from that, memory becomes a thing after a certain level where regardless of whether you know how openings work you find yourself in bad positions after the opening consistently. And then you gotta fight to survive right out of the opening.

Like how are you gonna play the Sicilian without knowing an opening repertoire on it? At some point when the skill levels get high enough you’ll get destroyed constantly in the opening unless you learned that specific opening.

Another issue is it’s really boring repeating the same moves over and over again.

The opening is the part where you think the least. And if you ever try to be creative, you get destroyed. Unless you’re highly skilled at opening. 

There was this one opening line that I had memorized by accident because it just stuck in memory and one out of 10 games I played was a free win basically. I will get an outrageous advantage in the opening cause my appointment would fall for a complicated trap.

You could spend your time memorizing every opening trap and every 3 to 4 games you play you’ll just get free huge advantages.

 

[integral]

2 hours ago, Thought Art said:

You likely would.

The problem with GO is there’s no hype train on social media making it fun.

Board games are social games. 

Edited Sunday at 01:27 PM by integral

[NoSelfSelf]

1 hour ago, integral said:

That’s definitely true, and Leo can benefit from that, memory becomes a thing after a certain level where regardless of whether you know how openings work you find yourself in bad positions after the opening consistently. And then you gotta fight to survive right out of the opening.

Like how are you gonna play the Sicilian without knowing an opening repertoire on it? At some point when the skill levels get high enough you’ll get destroyed constantly in the opening unless you learned that specific opening.

Another issue is it’s really boring repeating the same moves over and over again.

The opening is the part where you think the least. And if you ever try to be creative, you get destroyed. Unless you’re highly skilled at opening. 

There was this one opening line that I had memorized by accident because it just stuck in memory and one out of 10 games I played was a free win basically. I will get an outrageous advantage in the opening cause my appointment would fall for a complicated trap.

You could spend your time memorizing every opening trap and every 3 to 4 games you play you’ll just get free huge advantages.

 

I think in every opening, since a slight change of opponents set up ,move order,tempi can be what it seems like its always the same thing, while in few moves oh snap im losing and opponent has initiative.Im glad i get the line i memorized, but usually i dont so remembering how ideas work helps me.

Other thing is that like puzzles learning openings before playing just puts your mind in the right way of thinking for chess.

I was more talking about transfer to other gametypes like fisher random,learning openings helps if you dont look to just memorize, since programs shows whole games and how its played to give you a whole picture of how to play...

Edited Sunday at 03:01 PM by NoSelfSelf

[Bobby_2021]

Totally agree that opening theory ruins chess. But hey I don't like change.

[NoSelfSelf]

15 minutes ago, Bobby_2021 said:

Totally agree that opening theory ruins chess. But hey I don't like change.

It ruins chess if you are professional on your level its irrelevant.

[TimStr]

12 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I don't know enough about Go to know if I would like it.

It's mindblowing! I recommend you give it a try.
I started playing Go about 3 years ago and I fell in love with the way it made me expand my mind. Playing Go is like having infinity on the tip of your tounge. Or on the tip of your finger, rather. It's the most beautiful game that exists.

[Value]

@AtmanIsBrahman Yeye it's nothing remarkable but I heard the chess.com rating is about 100-200 points lower than real tournament rating. So that would be 1100 of real "tournament chess ELO" - enough to be foolishly confident in my ability to win against any random on the street, and to come up with great but illogical excuses when I lose. 

[NoSelfSelf]

27 minutes ago, TimStr said:

It's mindblowing! I recommend you give it a try.
I started playing Go about 3 years ago and I fell in love with the way it made me expand my mind. Playing Go is like having infinity on the tip of your tounge. Or on the tip of your finger, rather. It's the most beautiful game that exists.

I watched a korean movie about it but didnt understand how its played.Since you are experienced can you explain briefly?

 

[TimStr]

@NoSelfSelf

So the thing about Go is, that the rules are kind of simple.

1. Play: Each player takes turns placing stones on the intersections on the board. Black begins. Stones dont move, they only can be removed by capture. The player that has sourrounded the most territory wins.
2. Capture: If a stone is sourrounded by stones of the opponent, it is captured.
   A group of same colored stones that is connected vertically or horizontally (but not diagonally) shares their liberties, so the whole group has to be sourrounded to be captured. Captured stones are removed from the board, they add points to the score of territory. Players cannot commit suicide by placing a stone in a way that it is immediately captured.
3. Ko: No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position.
4. End: Two consecutive passes end the game. Territory is counted by the number of empty intersections sourrounded by same colored stones.

 

The great thing about that simplicity is, that it allows for a really high complexity. Especially of you play on a 19 by 19 board, there are literally infinite possibilites for stone positions. This makes it impossible to develope a strategy by simply analyzing possibilities. Yet, in a way, each move makes all the other stones on the board change context, so its not at all random.

Edited Sunday at 08:56 PM by TimStr

[integral]

@TimStr it's so clear why GO did not catch on in the West, it's missing action, is missing speed, it's missing Glory, it's missing Blood and Guts and brutality, it's missing the art of destroying your opponent career, and it's missing the botez sisters.

It's to Buddhist.

Edited Sunday at 09:35 PM by integral

[NoSelfSelf]

8 hours ago, TimStr said:

@NoSelfSelf

So the thing about Go is, that the rules are kind of simple.

1. Play: Each player takes turns placing stones on the intersections on the board. Black begins. Stones dont move, they only can be removed by capture. The player that has sourrounded the most territory wins.
2. Capture: If a stone is sourrounded by stones of the opponent, it is captured.
   A group of same colored stones that is connected vertically or horizontally (but not diagonally) shares their liberties, so the whole group has to be sourrounded to be captured. Captured stones are removed from the board, they add points to the score of territory. Players cannot commit suicide by placing a stone in a way that it is immediately captured.
3. Ko: No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position.
4. End: Two consecutive passes end the game. Territory is counted by the number of empty intersections sourrounded by same colored stones.

 

The great thing about that simplicity is, that it allows for a really high complexity. Especially of you play on a 19 by 19 board, there are literally infinite possibilites for stone positions. This makes it impossible to develope a strategy by simply analyzing possibilities. Yet, in a way, each move makes all the other stones on the board change context, so its not at all random.

 

8 hours ago, TimStr said:

@NoSelfSelf

So the thing about Go is, that the rules are kind of simple.

1. Play: Each player takes turns placing stones on the intersections on the board. Black begins. Stones dont move, they only can be removed by capture. The player that has sourrounded the most territory wins.
2. Capture: If a stone is sourrounded by stones of the opponent, it is captured.
   A group of same colored stones that is connected vertically or horizontally (but not diagonally) shares their liberties, so the whole group has to be sourrounded to be captured. Captured stones are removed from the board, they add points to the score of territory. Players cannot commit suicide by placing a stone in a way that it is immediately captured.
3. Ko: No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position.
4. End: Two consecutive passes end the game. Territory is counted by the number of empty intersections sourrounded by same colored stones.

 

The great thing about that simplicity is, that it allows for a really high complexity. Especially of you play on a 19 by 19 board, there are literally infinite possibilites for stone positions. This makes it impossible to develope a strategy by simply analyzing possibilities. Yet, in a way, each move makes all the other stones on the board change context, so its not at all random.

Thanks alot for descriptive answer i just might give it a go 😄

[PenguinPablo]

On 1/3/2025 at 0:18 PM, Value said:

Did you even train a lot to reach 1600 at Fischer Random? Were you born with a talent for Chess?

I mean he is God.

@NoSelfSelf I love the aesthetic of Go so much. The black and white stones. The board looks way more beautiful than Chess. 

But God dammit I can't figure it out strategically/ intuitively like I did chess. 

Edited yesterday at 06:16 AM by PenguinPablo

[NoSelfSelf]

18 minutes ago, PenguinPablo said:

I mean he is God.

@NoSelfSelf I love the aesthetic of Go so much. The black and white stones. The board looks way more beautiful than Chess. 

But God dammit I can't figure it out strategically/ intuitively like I did chess. 

in this movie they play blindfold Go with clear pieces looks cool.

Well the more i play chess the more i dont understand it,probably would never figure it out as human.