20 Questions
20 Questions
Most people use chess.com to play chess games against other people online or to improve their playing with puzzles. But there are actually a few less-known features that exist. Chess.com actually has a chess personality quiz that consists of 20 questions, which I found interesting (probably because I just like personality taking personality tests like MBTI and Enneagram).
1.
The first question asks which side you would prefer to play in the position above (black to move). I said that I would prefer to play the position with the white pieces because I think white has far more active pieces, and the pin that the rook has on the bishop to the king is especially strong in preventing any sort of castling. I think black's queenside is also fairly weak with the extended b pawn. White's d pawn is a little weak, but I think white has so much more counterplay and positional advantage.
2.
The second question involves the performance of tournament play, of whether you score consistently or perform on the extremes of well or bad. I have only performed in a few local chess tournaments, but I find myself either performing as one of the top players or flopping on all my games. I think that it has to do a lot with my mind because if I win my games, I usually feel confident and do really well in the tournament. But once I lose a game, the tournament tends to go south pretty quickly.
3.
The next question has the same position as question 5 and asks whether you would calculate variations or evaluate the position of the pieces to determine if you should capture g5. I always prefer the calculate variations for decisions that require sacking a piece because I have seen enough absurd positions that look like a checkmate should be possible, but there is no real threat. I think it's always better to see a concrete line and plan rather than a general attack.
8.
The next question is about your tendencies when you're low on time. It asks whether you aimlessly shuffle or miss tactics. I tend, especially in online games, to aimlessly move my pieces when I am getting low on time and hope my opponent makes a blunder. I miss plenty of tactics, but I shuffle my pieces more frequently than not.
9.
The next question asks about which of two plans you prefer for white. The first plan is to trade bishops and play Nd4. The second is to play d4 and f5. I find d4 more convincing because I don't think the knight will be quite as strong as sturdy on d4 with possible routing plans from black. I think f5 is more effective in opening squares for white's knight and launching an attack on the black's center.
10.
The tenth question is what you would prefer your opponent to play if you play d4. Would you want black to play d5 or f5? I would rather have a more standard game with d5 because while flank openings such as the Dutch may seem to give white more central control, the imbalance can lead to some sharp play that I usually have trouble finding.
11.
The next question asks if you would continue playing on as white with 5 minutes left on the clock or take a draw. If I'm going to be completely honest, I've been in these kinds of situations before, and I usually take the draw. I know that looking at the position itself, it may seem like going for the win may be the best decision, but after playing a long game and with 5 minutes left, I usually don't trust myself to keep playing.
12.
The next question is about being paired against an opponent you've defeated in the past. It asks whether you feel joy being paired against someone you've crushed or if you think there is a slight advantage. I would say when I first started out, I felt a lot of joy and confidence being paired against someone I've beaten, but I would sometimes get defeated badly in these games. So I've learned not to ever underestimate your opponent, and as long as you don't get arrogant, you have a slight advantage over someone you've beat before.
13.
The next question is about if you had a lot of time on the clock, whether or not you would invest a lot of time calculating Nxe6 or instinctively play Nxe6 and Rd7. I would probably instinctively play knight takes and try to control the open file and 2nd rank with my rooks because I wouldn't see a way that it could result in a losing position, and I don't think the calculations would be worth the time.
14.
The next question is if you agree with the famous statement "Chess is 99% tactics". I would disagree with this statement because I think the mindset and attitude you bring to the game plays an equally important role. Chess has a lot of psychological components that I think could be a lot more moving than skill alone, not to say that tactics and practice aren't important.
15.
The position is white to move, and the question asks about your opinion of the black position. Black has gambited his rook for significant central control and development. White's knight is going to have trouble moving out of the corner, and white's queen is in an awkward position. However, I have a hard time believing that black's gambit is going to pay off in the long run because white can move the queen and begin a pawn break, rather quickly. Something like d3, and the white suddenly has very easy development and counterplay.
16.
The next question asks if you have ever broken something or yelled after losing a game, and I will say that I have done this many times when losing online.
17.
This question is whether you would castle king or queenside for white. I honestly don't like castling queenside, and I don't really see a particular benefit to long castle in the position, so I would naturally go kingside castle.
18.
The next question is about if you get nervous before a game or if you just play your best game. I definitely get nervous before I play a game, especially when playing over the board. As the game goes on, I usually am able to calm down a bit and focus on the game.
19.
The next question is about how you would come up with a plan as white. Would you calculate some lines or would you consider the weaknesses or black's position and find where the pieces feel best. I usually like to calculate some lines rather than go off pure intuition. Similar to the question about taking on g5, I like to see some concrete lines.
20.
The final question is about whether you find building a plan from an advantage or trading a good position for an attack harder. I tend to have trouble identifying my advantages and my opponent's weaknesses, which can result in making a plan a bit difficult for me.
Results
My chess personality came out as a champion, which I found a bit surprising. But the description of the champion does sound pretty accurate with not liking to take risks and calculating a lot. The most shocking thing about the test though is that I am 100% solid, which may give me some thoughts on maybe playing a bit more aggressively in the future. But why don't you give this test a try and let me know what your chess personality is! https://www.chesspersonality.com/
