Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

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NickFaulks
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:40 am

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:10 am
Surely the most common problem is lack of understanding of the EN PASSANT rule. I certainly never teach it to beginners
I teach at a bilingual French primary school and they love that rule. I tell them that I don't know how it translates into French.
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David Sedgwick
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by David Sedgwick » Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:53 am

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:40 am
Stewart Reuben wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:10 am
Surely the most common problem is lack of understanding of the EN PASSANT rule. I certainly never teach it to beginners
I teach at a bilingual French primary school and they love that rule. I tell them that I don't know how it translates into French.
Do you tell them the same about "J'adoube", which was discussed on this Forum many moons ago?

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1875

Kevin O'Rourke
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Kevin O'Rourke » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:03 am

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:10 am
Surely the most common problem is lack of understanding of the EN PASSANT rule. I certainly never teach it to beginners and often come across players who may have been playing for a year without having encountered it.
yes I played games for years without knowing about that rule. I was only 8 or 9 though and then my dad showed me in one of our games as he'd just remembered this "extra" rule we hadn't been using.

Nick Ivell
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Nick Ivell » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:28 am

The first time I played GM Watson, in London, I had two handsome Black pawns on b4 and d4.

Imagine my surprise when he played c2 to c4. He didn't yet know all the rules.

The game wasn't hard to win with my protected passed pawn on c3.

NickFaulks
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:35 am

Nick Ivell wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:28 am
The first time I played GM Watson
Presumably he was at that time just Watson.
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Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:40 am

"Presumably he was at that time just Watson."

"How did you know that, Holmes?"

Nick Ivell
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Nick Ivell » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:43 am

Sherlock is right. William was always a dangerous tactician, even in 1973; it just took him a bit of time to learn the rules.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Stewart Reuben » Fri Jun 04, 2021 11:43 am

Castling is another rule that must be confusing early on. I have tried teaching beginners without it. But I found it almost impossible to play without access to castling.

Kevin O'Rourke
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Kevin O'Rourke » Fri Jun 04, 2021 11:46 am

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 11:43 am
Castling is another rule that must be confusing early on. I have tried teaching beginners without it. But I found it almost impossible to play without access to castling.
aww really? everyone knows, king goes 2 spaces towards the rook and then the rook jumps over.
No checks allowed. simples

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Stewart Reuben » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:01 pm

Kevin >No checks allowed. simples<
Of course that is incorrect.
You are allowed to castle giving check.
Not allowed to castle when in check.
Not allowed to castle through check.
Not allowed to castle if the king, or rook involved, has moved.
I will leave you to realise what other rules I have left out. Anyway, why don't we call it 'rooking'?

Nick Ivell
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Nick Ivell » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:03 pm

I wonder if rooking is the etymology of the German rochieren?

NickFaulks
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:04 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:01 pm
Anyway, why don't we call it 'rooking'?
Rooking means swindling or cheating? Do you want that?
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Kevin O'Rourke
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Kevin O'Rourke » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:07 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:01 pm
Kevin >No checks allowed. simples<
Of course that is incorrect.
You are allowed to castle giving check.
Not allowed to castle when in check.
Not allowed to castle through check.
Not allowed to castle if the king, or rook involved, has moved.
I will leave you to realise what other rules I have left out. Anyway, why don't we call it 'rooking'?
you are allowed to give check as you castle.

Paul Cooksey
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Paul Cooksey » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:21 pm

Not the first time I have shared these anecdotes with the forum, but since they seem to be the two areas of discussion.

I was taught chess by my Dad with the incorrect rule "you cannot castle after check" interpreted as check removed the right to castle for the whole game. He was very surprised several months later when I plucked up the courage to say that was not the rule at the primary school chess club.

I played a truly awful game against GM Hebden at a weekend congress, which has been published a few times. I very unwisely allowed the tactic in the QID where white plays Ng5 threatening mate, and then Bg2xb7. It didn't lose material, but I was positionally dead. It was published in the Guardian with the comment the only explanation for c5 late in the game was that Black did not know the en passant rule. This really hurt, since some non-chess playing friends saw my name in the column next to the crossword and have been asking me about en passant for the following 25 years.

I have forgiven Mr Barden, although unaccountably the actual cause of my poor play has not been addressed. Pairing rules still allow amateurs to be paired with GMs the day after their birthday when they have a sore head.

Kevin O'Rourke
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Re: Rules that you misunderstood when learning (or were a kid)

Post by Kevin O'Rourke » Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:30 pm

about 5 years ago I took removed the wrong pawn in an en pasant capture. I moved my own pawn to the correct square but lifted the wrong pawn off the board. Opponent was in the toilet and didn't notice till we were passed it and informed me at the end.

I actually think that I made my position worse and should have removed the correct pawn instead. madness, but these things can happen in evening chess after a long day in an office. En Passant is the one time where you don't remove the piece that you put your own piece on.

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