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Google as a Chess Database/Reference?

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Shivsky

How many of you have tried googling a line (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 ... ) to look something up? Perhaps something your Master database couldn't cough up?

If you have ... did you find this useful?

furtiveking

I have, usually it brings me to a wikipedia article as the most relevant link, and no, I rarely find wikipedia useful.

JimSardonic
Yep, I do it all the time. Sometimes it takes some refined searching, but I've always found the answer I was looking for.
SirValence

I've noticed that Wolfram|Alpha has chess support under development.  This could be interesting.  For those of you who are interested in statistics you really should check it out at wolframalpha.com

philidorposition

I've done that many times, but not exactly as a database search, it was to find out the name of the variation rather than finding games with it. I don't remember it failing to return useful results.

ozzie_c_cobblepot

My guess is that Google doesn't handle transpositions very well. Try typing e4 Nc6 Nf3 e5 Bb5, compared with e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 Bb5. Or the even more bizarre e4 d5 d4 (oh no I'm not playing your Scandinavian, here's a Blackmar!) c6 (oh yeah? well here's a Caro!) White: (grrr, zzzzz) Black wins.

MyCowsCanFly
Shivsky wrote:

How many of you have tried googling a line (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 ... ) to look something up? Perhaps something your Master database couldn't cough up?

If you have ... did you find this useful?


 I have....2. Bf4. Google wasn't very helpful. There was an opening database that wasn't truncated I found that helped a bit.

SirLewis

I've done this once or twice, wikipedia is not any help though, unless you just want to know the name of the line. As far as opening theory goes I don't like this method.

Apachimous

Nope, I don't do this but I shall give it a try.

AtahanT

Yeah I have found loads of useful stuff by searching variations. In many cases it can be useful to find the right opening book, with a specific line you want, for example.

Azukikuru

Yeah, I've done that. I use quotation marks around the set of moves to get the exact order. Then, I check the ratings of the players in question to get an informed piece of advice about how a certain opening should be played.

Crosshaven

I use to. Now i just use...

http://chessok.com/?page_id=352

very helpful to me (OTB 2000+ player)
-KD