I remember playing a guy who announced queen check and I did not know what he was talking about for a minute. Every time he attacked my queen he would announce "queen check". Not sure if I was required to move my queen in his theory, but the problem never came up.
I vaguely recall an old courtesy, similar to "check", where you would call "Guard" on threatening your opponent's Queen.
I've been looked upon as having 3 heads throughout my chess playing days for both en passant and castling.
My seven year old son played a game against my brother in law, who hadn't played chess in a few decades. His uncle, my brother in law, felt he was doing pretty darned good, but looked puzzled as my son moved his pawn ahead one space three times in a row. When my son grabbed a queen from the dead pile and put it on the back rank where his pawn had been, his uncle was sure that this was some weird modern rule that they had made up at his school chess club.
My favorite one was when I was in 4th grade and another student just insisted that knights moved three squares and one, not two and one.. so he would beat student after student with 1.Nc4 <some move> 2. Nf5++. I started playing 1... e6 in response to this.. but it was still pretty goofy.
I really enjoy reading this thread and all of the strange rules people think are factual. But, I have learned some things, too. Keep them coming guys.
I once watched a few people play in a break room, and the beginning positions were set up wrong. I told them that the white square(s) were at the lower right and Queens were on their own color. They insisted that it didnt matter. I shook my head and walked away.
I played a game with a buddy of mine about 6 years ago where he insisted that queens can move like knights. I argued with him for a minute, then grabbed my laptop and googled the movement rules for queens in chess. When I showed him he was wrong, he got irritated and didn't wanna play anymore. lol!
It was a simple case of: "Don't bother me with the facts; my mind is made up."
I have a fault that drives my wife crazy. If I see a chess set in a store, or anywhere, set up wrong I just have to correct the error. It's like it's my calling to correct that error. Normally I let such things alone, but that is my black and white issue.
The incident that embarrassed my wife the most happened on a curse ship. I saw one of those extra large sets one must walk on to move the pieces. It was by pool, and it was elevated for all to see. I noticed the black square was no the right. Horrors! I was on the board changing those pieces to the correct squares in an instant. No doubt the people thought, "Look at the adult playing around with those chess pieces like a child." It didn't faze me. After all, it was my calling to correct such errors. However, my wife didn't know that idiot on chess board.
It seems that the main errors are either the white square is not on the right, or the queens are facing the kings. And once in while both errors are present!
It was a simple case of: "Don't bother me with the facts; my mind is made up."
If I see a chess set...
Oh. I thought that you were going to go off on politics. 
It was a simple case of: "Don't bother me with the facts; my mind is made up."
If I see a chess set...
Oh. I thought that you were going to go off on politics.
Me, politics?! Never! Not on this site. One reason I enjoy this site is because there is little or no politics mentioned. I know where such sites are if I want to be informed about such things.
I enjoy these threads because, for the most part, they are centered on CHESS!!
I've seen a couple of misunderstood rules that I don't think have been mentioned yet. When I was in 4th grade (I think it was 4th grade) I had lost all of my pieces and had just a king. To my relief, my opponent stalemated me. He was convinced I was in checkmate because I had no legal moves. I think we actually went to the library to find a rule-book so that I could convince him I was right.
A couple of years ago, I played a friend of mine who tried to claim a draw after moving his king back and forth three times. He didn't understand that "three repititions of the same move" was actually a way that some people describe the rule that one can claim a draw after three repititions of the same position.
I used to go to a bar where they were nice enough to have painted chessboards on all of the tables. It seemed like a great thing until I realized that around 90% of the chessboards were oriented wrong; the bottom right square was dark rather than light.
And here's an application of a rule that caused a problem for me: I was playing a queen vs. knight endgame. It was blitz, and I knew I was low on time. I offered a draw, because I was worried about running out of time and losing, not realizing that my opponent had insufficient material to mate and running out of time would be a draw anyway. After my opponent accepted, we looked at the clock; it turned out that his flag had fallen and I hadn't noticed. It was the saddest draw I've ever had.
I know someone who is a sore loser to the tune of claiming "a bonus move" whenever they promote a pawn (and various other rule changes to their favour whenever possible).
I think the weirdest chess belief I ever ran into was when my opponent captured one of my pieces en passant with a pawn. I never did convince him that that was not a chess law. I never played chess with him again either. Enough is enough!
I just thought of a funny idea. How about finding someone to play a casual game of chess with and then every time there is a legal capture that they don't make, remove the piece from the board with a dead straight face, and tell them that's part of the official rules. [This is the "huffing" rule that used to be part of the rules of draughts/checkers]
I just thought of a funny idea. How about finding someone to play a casual game of chess with and then every time there is a legal capture that they don't make, remove the piece from the board with a dead straight face, and tell them that's part of the official rules. [This is the "huffing" rule that used to be part of the rules of draughts/checkers]
It would be a fun variation.
I just thought of a funny idea. How about finding someone to play a casual game of chess with and then every time there is a legal capture that they don't make, remove the piece from the board with a dead straight face, and tell them that's part of the official rules. [This is the "huffing" rule that used to be part of the rules of draughts/checkers]
It would be a fun variation.
With all due respect, this would be ridiculous and senseless. It would be embarrassing playing chess with checker rules.
My favorite one was when I was in 4th grade and another student just insisted that knights moved three squares and one, not two and one.. so he would beat student after student with 1.Nc4 2. Nf5++. I started playing 1... e6 in response to this.. but it was still pretty goofy.
He should have claimed Knights moved 2 squares and then 5. Then he could play 1.Ng3#!! 
imagine if the knight could move two and then one, diagonally, that would be interesting
Re the 50-move rule referenced at the top of the the thread: I understand that FIDE changed this to 100 moves several years ago after computers found that some KNBvK positions required more than 50 moves to get to checkmate.
KNB vs K takes 33 moves with best play from any starting position:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_and_knight_checkmate
Some other positions needs more moves (for example KNN vs KP):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_knights_endgame
but the rule is 50 moves, so some endgames can not be converted into win(with best play from both sides), even though they are forced win, but not in 50 moves :
9.3
The game is drawn, upon a correct claim by the player having the move, if:
a.
he writes his move on his scoresheet and declares to the arbiter his intention to make this move, which shall result in the last 50 moves having been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture, or
b.
the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture.
FIDE laws of chess:
http://www.fide.com/component/handbook/?id=124&view=article
Thanks for this clarification, Dragec - I should have done my research.
Thank you, crosspinner! I have annoyed two wives (errrrr...not at the same time) with correction of store-displayed chess sets (my rough count is maybe 80-85% are set up incorrectly) and gleefully pointing out flaws in photographed chess sets.
Actually, I have annoyed two wives, too. My first wife died, but not from being annoyed.
It is good to know that I am not alone in this important crusade. The world can go to the same basket with the checkers pieces, but the board must be preserved!
"Appearently he thought one had the option of moving a pawn two squares or two pawns one square each on the first move!"
Now that's weird. He must have been playing with Canadan Rules.
Everyone coming to a tournament in Canada should be forewarned that our boards are 9x9. And you get three touches before the touch-move rule applies ... not four.