Pre-move is cheating

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Avatar of Sardine

Isn't it?

Where in the laws of chess is it possible?

There's nothing more squalid than an opponent in a one-minute game, a piece down and 10 seconds down, desperately trying to exchange queens so that pre-move can be safely used. Normally, they end up winning, but it's not chess.

Avatar of Nytik

One-minute games aren't chess regardless of how they're played.

(Unless immortalgamer is in it, apparently.)

Avatar of nocornincornok

you can have pre-moves in live chess? I didn't even know that

Avatar of erik

where in the laws of chess does it say you can move a piece with a mouse? :D i'd recommend you not play 1 minute. i only play chess with increment time (generally 2 min, 2 sec increment) to avoid time being a factor.

Avatar of nocornincornok

how do you pre-move?

Avatar of ozzie_c_cobblepot

Totally agree that it's one of the non-chess tools available to the 1 min player.

Avatar of TheGrobe

Nowhere in the rules of chess does it say you can drink juice while playing either.  Juice must be cheating too.

And one minute games aren't chess -- they're pure woodpushing.

Avatar of ozzie_c_cobblepot

One minute games are NOT woodpushing -- in fact one has to add exactly what kind of one minute game you're talking about. If it's on the internet, everything depends on whether the site has premove, and if so what's the average lag. What's the interface like?

They're a bit of a different game. But woodpushing suggests that whoever is better at pushing wood will win, and I haven't found that to be the case. It's better to say that being good at chess is only one of several relevant skills.

So -- dare I say -- 1 min chess is actually a more complex game! (-:

Avatar of TheGrobe

When I play it's woodpushing.  Perhaps that speaks to my skill level though....

Avatar of ozzie_c_cobblepot

If a G/90 ends up a blitz game, then it sounds like someone is not good at clock management.

Avatar of bigpoison

The ol' slippery slope!  If one min. games aren't chess, are five minute games?  Ten, twenty?

Apparently, even 90 isn't enough for it to be chess.

Avatar of TheGrobe

The same is true of track and field:  Where is the cutoff between sprints and distance running?  I think it's clear that the 100m isn't a distance event -- yes it's still running, but it requires very different conditioning than a marathon does and conditioning for one can be harmful to your abilities in the other.

Avatar of Nytik

Well, it appears our chess overlords have already decided this for us... anything under G/60 is rapidplay.

Avatar of bigpoison

Aye.  So it comes down to personal preference and ability.  Still, running is running and chess is chess.

Avatar of Sardine

Funny comments about drinking juice...

The over-the-board equivalent would be to pick up a piece and hold it on a square before your opponent had even moved.

The main problem is that it distorts the games. People 'play' for positions where they can use pre-move and win on time. It's a curious way to want to win.

Avatar of porkscrew

In my experience playing OTB 5 minute blitz games feels very different from games with significantly more time to move. However, it is still chess, just under different conditions. Also, it's not woodpushing if you can wrap your head around it and focus. Playing timed mating/escape puzzles rapidly has helped me a lot in blitz games.

Avatar of hazenfelts

I thought that pre-moves were part and parcel of quick online games.  It's not cheating, it's part of the game.

Avatar of jerry2468

just a tool

Avatar of TheGrobe

That was kind of harsh....

Avatar of Elubas

I don't even think 40 minutes are enough. You can hardly play positional chess at anything under 40, you can't generate deep enough ideas without going into time pressure. I play 30 5 live. I would still like it longer, but playing this long on live takes time when I'm home. I play blitz sometimes, but it does not require the most knowledge. Most blitz players can get away with attack at all costs, which is about a tenth of chess. It's in long chess where you have to use all of your knowledge into finding the best moves and also when you have to calculate most deeply.