Top 10 Interesting Facts About Chess

In this list we approach some of the most interesting areas and facts relating to chess which makes it one of the most popular games.  Its long history and dynamic nature have produced many chess players around the world – according to The Chess in the Olympics Campaign, “605 million people worldwide know how to play chess.”

Here are 10 of the most interesting areas/facts about chess:

10. The History Of Chess

Chess has a very long and distinguished history.  It is believed to originate out of India during the Gupta empire, and subsequently made its way to the West in the 9^th century.  Of course there have been many different advancements between the time periods of then and now, which has made chess what it is today.

For instance, allowing pawns to advance two squares only from its original position was introduced in 1280 in Spain.  Pawn promotion rules were limited for quite some time, such as in the 18^th and 19^th century when it was limited to a previously-capture piece.  Of course, now a pawn may be promoted to a knight, bishop, rook, or queen (there may be more than one queen now, as opposed to earlier times).

9. Short and Long Games

In chess it is amazing to consider how short or long a game may be.  To the former the quickest mate is as follows: 1. f3 e5 2. g4 Qh4++ This is known as Fool’s mate (there are other variations of this mate).  And yes, a draw or resignation may occur before a move is played, which can occur in the case of a tournament standings scenario or a player that fails to show up for his or her game, respectively.

The longest tournament game of chess lasted for 269 moves (20 hours, 15 minutes), which ended in a draw.  Theoretical estimates for a longest game are varied and extreme (5,000+ moves), which are complicated by special rules (and bad play!); i.e. the 50-move rule and 3-move repetition.

8. The Dynamic Queen

There could be a top 10 list just on the queen, which has undergone a number of changes over history.

Starting out as being able to move only one square diagonally, it was later able to move two squares – and further along the road, able to move like a knight.  Of course now, thankfully, the queen is able to move diagonally, horizontally, and vertically to the scope of another piece.

Originally the queen was the “fers,” a counselor or prime minister, the king’s advisor.  The Europeans later changed it in the 1400s to become the strongest piece in chess.

7. Can You Play Chess Blindfolded?

Blindfold chess is real and documented in world records.  It is as it sounds: a player makes all of his or her moves without looking at a board.  Usually there is a “middle man” of sorts to give and receive moves for the game.

Blindfold chess is an impressive skill that many stronger chess players possess.  It certainly requires a keen ability to see the board clearly, which can get difficult after many moves.  The record was set in 1960 in Budapest by Hungarian Janos Flesch, who played 52 opponents simultaneously while blindfolded – he won 31 of those games.

6. Endless Possibilities

After three moves – that is three moves by each side (each “move” in chess takes into consideration a move by White and Black) – there are over nine million possible positions.  Similar calculations have been made; if you’re mathematically-inclined, look up Shannon number for estimates on the complexity of chess.

The possibilities in chess add to its beauty.  You surely don’t have to worry of the same position when you play, which lends to the importance of pattern recognition and position-specific strategies.  In other words, you have to think when at the board – it’s definitely not all the same.

5. Care for Opening Theory?

Opening theory goes nicely along with the “endless” possibilities regarding chess.  An opening is defined as a series of moves to start out a game, which can include many different sub variations.  There are well over 1,000 different openings, including variations within larger openings/defenses that one can learn.

Openings are a unique aspect of chess as well.  It also allows chess players a way to “prepare” for an opponent or play to their chess style.  For instance, there are many different types of defenses that one can learn to suit an aggressive or positional style of play; i.e. the King’s Indian or the Queen’s Indian defenses respectfully against 1. d4.

4. The Onset of Chess Variants…And Boxing?

To no surprise the market of chess variants is wide and varied (sorry, pun intended).  There are a number of variants that alter the pieces, the board, and anything from putting three chess boards on top of each other.  You can even put two chess boards side-by-side and play Bughouse – where you capture a piece and hand it to your opponent for placement.

Chess boxing has emerged in recent years, mixing in a round of boxing for a pre-defined time on a chess board.  You fall on one front and you lose.  It brings another interesting aspect to the world of chess and its variants, which certainly appeal to some people looking for a new twist.

3. Chess Computers – Deep Blue and Others

Chess computers are now a very important part of chess.  Most famously Garry Kasparov, world champion and known as one of the strongest players in the history of chess, was defeated by IBM’s Deep Blue in 1997 in a six-game match.  Aside from claims of cheating, this was a major shock to the chess world.

In 2006 world champion Vladimir Kramnik was defeated by Deep Fritz, furthering the statement of the strength of chess computers.  Today chess programs are easily available to chess players that are essential in analyzing games and improving.  They commonly rate within the same strength of Grandmasters.

2. Chess and Your Brain

Chess is often cited by psychologists as an effective way to improve memory function.  Also allowing the mind to solve complex problems and work through ideas, it is no wonder that chess is recommended in the fight against Alzheimer’s.  Some contend that it can increase one’s intelligence, though that is a more complex topic.

The effects of chess on young individuals had led to chess being introduced in school districts and various countries.  It has been shown to improve children’s grades and other positive effects as well.

1. The Turk – A Chess Machine

The Turk was an 18^th century chess machine, or so people thought.  Victimizing a number of people such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin, it was actually not a machine.

Including an elaborate construction that included a method to hide its operator, a human chess player was inside of the Turk.  When it was lost in the fire the secret was out, and the Turk remains another interesting chess story of all time.

Top 10 Unique Post-Oscar Acting Careers

After winning an Oscar, an actor’s career is usually marked by the question: Did they live up to the award or not? Here are 10 Oscar-winning actors who have gone in completely different directions.

10. Donna Reed-Riding the Highs and Lows of Television

Best Supporting Actress for From Here to Eternity (1953)

Reed’s career after winning her Oscar was mostly in television. In 1958, she starred in The Donna Reed Show, which was produced by her husband. While Reed won her Oscar playing a prostitute, her show was so wholesome that, according to TV.com, it “won many awards from various civic, educational, and medical groups due to its handling of topics like adoption, prescription drug abuse, and home safety.” Since this was the 50’s and that’s what was popular on television, it was a big hit. Her other notable TV role, on Dallas 20 years later, was much less well-received. She was hired as a replacement actress for the character of Elle Ewing when original actress Barbara del Gettes left for health reasons. Accepting a different actress for the same character was not something audiences were prepared to do and the network had to fire Reed and bring del Gettes back due to popular demand.

9. Jamie Foxx-Multitalented Singer/Songwriter and Radio Host

Best Actor for Ray (2004)

Before he got into acting, Foxx was studying to be a classical pianist which helped him bond with Ray Charles so well during production as the two got to know each other by playing duets. After winning the Oscar for his eerily lifelike portrayal of Charles in Ray, he returned to music by releasing an album of original music. He’s since released two more and was even briefly considered as a replacement judge on American Idol after successful guest stints. He also hosts a show on Sirius radio called the Foxhole.

8. Gwyneth Paltrow-Lifestyle Blogger, Country Singer, and TV Guest Star

Best Actress for Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Paltrow’s Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love” was her crowning moment as the proverbial prom queen of Hollywood. Initially, Paltrow made career choices as if she wanted to backup her statuette with another by taking the kinds of roles that practically beg for a nomination: A suicidal poet in Sylvia and a tortured mathematician’s daughter in Proof. Since then, she’s seemingly given up on trying to validate herself as a high profile actress to an unforgiving press (the daughter of Hollywood royalty, she’s been derided as a product of nepotism). She started a lifestyle website, goop.com, which has gained a lot of notice. She also returned to the Oscars this past year, not as a nominee, but as a song performer for Country Strong. Throw in her hit appearances on Glee and Saturday Night Live this past year, and it’s fair to call her a reinvented woman.

7. Kevin Spacey-Real-life version of Jim Carrey in The Majestic

Best Supporting Actor for Usual Suspects (1995) and Best Actor for American Beauty (1999)

In 2003, Kevin Spacey was appointed the Artistic Director for one of the most prestigious theaters in London with no less daunting a task than saving it from insolvency.  The Old Vic Theater, which has operated since 1818, was slated for demolition by a new property owner just five years earlier. Spacey has picked up the occasional Hollywood role, but most of his focus for the last eight years has been on acting in and producing plays for the Old Vic. He also produced and acted in his dream project in 2004, Beyond the Sea, about the life of Bobby Darin. He even accompanied the film’s release with his own CD covering the crooner’s hits and followed it up with a musical tour that summer.

6. Luise Rainer-Pioneer for Discontented Stars Everywhere

Best Actress for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937)

Some of the more cynical Oscar recipients (George C Scott, Alan Arkin, Sideways screenwriter Alexander Payne, etc.) have bemoaned the idea of competition or been otherwise apathetic. Luise Rainer, on the other hand, is unique in believing that the actual act of being voted on by a body of her peers as actress of the year was what ruined her career. “Nothing worse could have happened to me,” she’s said. Rainer felt that the increased fame and the way she was treated as a star left her disconnected from other actors she was used to collaborating with and she also felt that the studio put her in overly commercial projects. She complained about this loudly to the press which led to a mutually beneficial divorce between her and employer MGM Studios. Although she was lured to the screen occasionally, she retired from acting. She spent the rest of her life maintaining a 43-year marriage, writing articles, travelling, producing art, and sporadically dabbling in theater. This past March, she turned 101.

5. Whoopi Goldberg-Stand-up Artist and Media Icon

Won: Best Supporting Actress for Ghost (1990)

Whoopi Goldberg was once on a conventional path to stardom as an actress with roles in diverse high-profile films such as Soapdish, The Player and The Color Purple. Her Oscar win in Ghost was the culmination of that route but it was nearing the end of that phase of her career.  Casting directors today are probably not even considering Whoopi for prestige parts in films because she’s not really known as an actress anymore. With stints hosting the Oscars, participating in the annual charity event Comic Relief, doing stand-up comedy and co-hosting The View, she’s more of a media icon nowadays. She also took a role on a TV show, Star Trek: The Next Generation, simply because she was a fan of the show.

4. Richard Dreyfuss-Professor Emeritus

Won Best Actor for The Goodbye Girl (1977)

An Oscar-winner at the age of 29 (only two Best Actor winners have won the award before turning 30), Dreyfuss has immersed himself in academia where his primary interests include civics, education, government and rhetoric. He was a scholar-in-residence at England’s ultra-prestigious Oxford University where he served as a Senior Research Advisory Member of St. Antony’s College. In addition, he served for 12 years on the Board of  the National Constitution Center and founded the non-profit institute Dreyfuss Initiative dedicated to reviving civic conversation in American culture and improving the teaching of civics in elementary education. He still acts occasionally but he openly admitted in interviews for his film Poseidon that he now just acts for the money and that his passions lie elsewhere.

3. Glenda Jackson-Member of Parliament

Won Best Actress for A Touch of Class (1973) and Women in Love (1970)

Like many actors, British actress Glenda Jackson used her high profile to spout out on various political opinions. Unlike most other actors, however, she took it upon herself to get into politics. An outspoken opponent of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party, Jackson decided to run for Parliament in 1992 and won. There were some expectations that she would coast through parliament based on her previous fame as a movie star, but she immediately took an interest in transportation and was eventually appointed Junior Transportation Minister in 1997. She also unsuccessfully ran for the Mayor of London in 2000.

2. Gig Young-Double Murder-Suicide

Won Best Supporting Actor for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (1969)

Young’s tragic post-Oscar path was certainly unique because he’s very likely (Hollywood was a sordid place of scandal in the Golden Age so you never know) the only Oscar winner to commit murder  (his fifth wife three weeks into marriage) followed immediately thereafter by his own suicide. Young had a long history with alcoholism and psychological problems before and after his Oscar despite having a long career as a character actor and leaving behind a trail of friends and admirers. His low point was being carried off the set of Blazing Saddles in an ambulance on the first day of shooting (suffering an alcohol-induced delirium tremens), forcing production to replace him with Gene Wilder. His Oscar later became the center of a legal battle when his sole child, Jennifer Young, fought his agent for ownership of the physical statue. Jennifer Young is currently producing a documentary on Gig that has yet to find a distributor.

1. Grace Kelly-Princess of Monaco

Won Best Actress for The Country Girl (1954)

Gig Young’s downfall into suicide made for an immensely fascinating story, but to end the list on a more upbeat note, I’m going to give the top spot to the woman who met Mr. Right and became a princess. Quite literally. When her film, The Country Girl premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France, she was invited for a photo session with the prince of Monaco whom she would later marry. This marked the end of a 5-year acting career that’s as remarkable an output as anyone could have in such a short span. By marrying Prince Rainier, she also saved the tiny principality (if you can’t find that country on the globe, try a magnifying glass: it’s the second smallest country in the world) from dissolution. A 1918 Treaty stipulated that if the Prince of Monaco couldn’t produce a male heir, then it would be surrendered to France. Rainer’s first fiance was rumored to be infertile and when the Prince met Grace Kelly at Cannes, he was supposedly in search of a new bride.