if players could choose which color would move first in any particular game, would chess be all that different? could u play white's king gambit for black but reverse?

There's nothing magic about the pieces. If black moved first it'd be exactly the same but with reversed colours.

i fail to see the point of the question.

bishop color placements would change opening, wouldn't it?

opening game would be different. 

No.  It wouldn't.  This is very pointless.

If you want black to move first play checkers or go !!

If black moves first, then i'll play the sicilian defense with white pieces.

KedDuff wrote:

bishop color placements would change opening, wouldn't it?

opening game would be different. 

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That just means the colours would be inverted for the squares as well as the pieces.

I have thought about this. Opening theory would remain the same, but things would be flipped across an axis between the d and e files. Openings would change if the King's were placed on the same color, but since they mirror each other, all that would happen is that the play would become mirrored.

 

The open Sicilian:

 

The game would play the exact same, except mirrored down the center as chess is not symmetrical.  For example, the english opening would start with the third pawn from the right, rather then the legft.  Otherwise, black would be opening a diagonal to his king, rather then his queen, among other things.

However, the game would be played the exact same, it might confuse some players a little and lead to pointless arguments, but it would be the exact same. 

yes, it would all be the same.  The bishops would be different colours, but so what?  they are just colours.  The side going first is also a different colour.  This actually happens in real games, if your opponent as white plays something useless on the first move, like h3, then you can play with black but as if you had the white pieces, so long as you avoid openings where h6 would be useful. 

i see, well u guys are right

 

true true

up until at least the late 19th century, there was no rule requiring white to move first; instead, the first player had his choice of color. there are many well-known historical games in which black moved first; such games are customarily transposed to white-first format for modern presentation.

i've played with black going first before, u know playing aroung with my friends. i had to improvise with strategies. Also it wouldnt matter if u were black or white, the strategies would be screwed up , since thair based on the axis and the beginning. But maybe the 3-move check mate would be same id have to try that on a board

I interpreted the question differently. So let me ask the question i thoght *this* was:

What if the second player decided the white player's first move? [ amounting to black playing both white's first move and  then black's own reply.]

 Would you [as black] then move 1. h4 or 1. a4 ? I am not sure - depends on the opponent - no first move is really bad - all have names.

normajeanyates wrote:

I interpreted the question differently. So let me ask the question i thoght *this* was:

What if the second player decided the white player's first move? [ amounting to black playing both white's first move and  then black's own reply.]

 Would you [as black] then move 1. h4 or 1. a4 ? I am not sure - depends on the opponent - no first move is really bad - all have names.

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 All the cards in a deck have names, too.  I'd still rather give my opponent a three than a king.

Before the mid nineteenth century there was no rule requiring White to go first and, althought White went first in most games by custom, there have been a number of recorded games in which Black moved first. Generally, to make the games compatible with software, more practical for theorizing and less confusing, most of these games have been re-written with inverted colors.

KedDuff wrote:

if players could choose which color would move first in any particular game, would chess be all that different? could u play white's king gambit for black but reverse?

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Play in front of a mirror and imagine the colors reversed.

batgirl wrote: Before the mid nineteenth century there was no rule requiring White to go first and, althought White went first in most games by custom, there have been a number of recorded games in which Black moved first. Generally, to make the games compatible with software, more practical for theorizing and less confusing, most of these games have been re-written with inverted colors.

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 But what if you ate the black gumdrops, first??  Hmmmm???