Is there such thing as "luck" in chess?

I won a Live Blitz game against an opponent ("monsieur") after I badly blundered and he badly blundered twice. As I was about to checkmate him he told me I was winning because of "luck".

I definitely didn't play brilliantly and my rating is low (about 1450) but he played worse than me so I beat him. For me, that's not luck.

I have also sometimes been called "lucky" after an opponent has dominated me positionally, but then made a blunder I have checkmated him.

Can you get lucky in chess? Or are there only good moves and bad moves?

Just because our limited human minds cannot understand the cause does not mean it is random.  This universe is governed by precise laws that apply even to Rybka.

btickler - Thanks for taking the time to list all those links regarding how you define "luck". I guess I did not look far enough back to see those posts!  As defined from a gaming perspective there is no luck in chess, nothing in the game itself that introduces a random factor. It is the limitations of player's skill that brings in an element of chance since the outcome of a game cannot be 100% predicted right from the opening but only when a player gains a clear advantage. Depending on how you define it, one might call this "luck." I doubt if there is a total consensus on the meaning of the word or how it applies to the game, and this is why this argument goes on and on.

@Ziryab...#1181 and #1211...[word salad snipped] so take your agnostic/atheist prognostications to some Religious Forum!! 

True,  but as you have rightly pointed out to argue other aspects of luck that are not related to gaming is not relevant to the topic.  To me the OP posed the question to determine the distinctions between chess from other games.  Not about luck in life. which to me is outside of chess even though it thoretically could affect it.     It is not the same as  btickler trying to imply its just as matter of definitions when wrongly trying to use the definition of love as an example.    There is no debate over that word either.   Just people who deny the meanings.   I've never tried to argue there is no such thing as luck.  But I was always taught if you can't explain something in your own words,  then you don't really understand it.  So when others have chastised me for doing so, without attempting to do the same themselves,  then  like optimissed points out that is a dishonest argument.   Especially when agreeing on a definition and then contradicting it.

Thought you'd stopped being a btwerp. You pretend not to care for approval because you know most people hate you anyway, but there's rarely been a more approval-oriented person.

I'm not gonna follow your rabbit and have a debate on love to satisfy your desperate deflection, which i consider another concession.   Regarding your position on the topic at hand,  anyone reading this thread can you see you flip flop depending on who you choose to troll.  Even Arthur who just came into this thread commented on the fact your position seems to change.   Troll on buddy... 

 I would think a military man would be more honorable and actually stand for something.  I wouldn't want to be with you in the foxhole or as a p.o.w.  I'm not even believing you. You no longer have credibility with me.

That's exactly right. If A would win most of the time and B didn't do anything exceptional, to force a blunder, then B would say he was lucky. That's because he didn't do anything to deserve the stroke of luck. A wouldn't say he was unlucky and he wasn't, because he just blundered. This is one of the many ways in which luck exists in chess. It should be so obvious that luck exists in chess (and it is very obvious to most people) that only an exceptional person might claim it doesn't, on some kind of ideological grounds.

     Nice to see a couple of days go by without the usual "who is the biggest as***le contest continuing.

    My view.is that luck exists in chess in two forms. First is the often-mentioned computer disconnect/opponent has heart attack at the board scenario. You can argue as eloquently and vehemently as you wish that these are outside factors, but as long as you acknowledge that chess is a contest both players seek to win, factors that DETERMINE who wins are part of the game. This kind of thing is pretty rare.

They are riff-raff only in your imagination. The similarities between coolout and me are also concocted in that holy place but I would be careful people don't point out similarites between you and others, which may be much more real and which might be seen to conflict with this site's social policy. 

So you're saying that a heart attack is part of chess, right? LMAO! xD

Neither a mistake nor taking advantage of a mistake can be attributed to luck - chess is a game of pure skill and intellect. Ironic that intelligent chess players can't realize that

So you're saying that a heart attack is part of chess, right? LMAO! xD

Outside factors are not IN chess.  That is a contradiction. That is luck outside of chess, not specific to chess,  and not even part of the discussion which is about distinguishing the difference between games that have elements of luck like poker,  and those that don't like chess.

And a player's decisions are their own actions and the opposite of luck.   You, like many others in this thread,  are conflating level of skill with luck.  Contradicting the very definition they claim they adhere to.

With your logic on both these points you leave yourself the option to call anything and everything luck as you see fit.   This is rooted in your superiority complex and the need to feed your ego.  Its rooted in your belief that low level players only win by luck,  that chess is not a sport,  that speedchess is not real chess,  that skill is based on accuracy,  etc...   Its shameful and fake, and its the real reason society has no respect for chess communities.   They are condescending, denigrate their their own game, while acting non sporting and uncompetitive. 

I think anyone's condescending attitude that helps keep chess unpopular is extremely shameful.   Many of you don't even realize it from the 100s of years of indoctrination in the communities you came from.  Are you and mpaetz kids?  Don't teach kids how to be fake.  Shame on you.  I don't believe you are a military man.  I think its all a lie because you have no honor.

Chess has no elements of skill in it which is what separates it from other board games. period.   I'll continue this debate till the day I die.  

As far as I'm concerned, this should be a billion dollar industry and  people like you take food out of babies mouths.

Outside factors are not IN chess.  That is a contradiction. That is luck outside of chess, not specific to chess,  and not even part of the discussion which is about distinguishing the difference between games that have elements of luck like poker,  and those that don't like chess.

And a player's decisions are their own actions and the opposite of luck.   You, like many others in this thread,  are conflating level of skill with luck.  Contradicting the very definition they claim they adhere to.

No my friend.  Chess was never as popular as in the time of Fischer.  Gary Kasparov has said as much when visiting his grave site.  It wa sthe height of Chess popularity.   He revolutionized the whole game.  Lets it put this way,  everyone in America was watching chess on tv during that time,  everyone talked about it.   In my life time though,  and in my parents life time,  we have never even knew anyone that played chess.   Never talked about it,  even though people own chess boards and have learned as children how to move the pieces.,  we never played it.  Although in the parks here in queens we would see the chess tables that were built in the 60s, that people just ate lunch on.  Never once have i ever seen anyone playiong chess on any of those chess tables all throughout brooklyn and queens at the parks I've gone to.    Growing up here in NYC  the only time I see people playing chess is in the movies.   And I've been a part of the parks department lol.  

If it wasn't for the netflix series,  or covid,  or online chess websites like this.  I wouldn't even started playing 6 months ago myself.  And that boon is already fading fast my friend.

Now you can lie to yourself and tell yourself otherwise,  just like you lie to yourself when you say there are elements of luck in chess.  When most of society, especially Americans,  know this not to be true.   But  when people like you claim otherwise,  they lose respect for you and the community you are a part of.