If, in the endgame, one player has only a king left and his opponent has only a king and queen -- can the lone king be mated? And if so, what can that player, with the lone king, do to possibly forestall the mate and get a draw. I realize the answer to this may involve a lengthy answer which would require more space and time than could be expected. But just the bare essentials of an answer would be greatly appreciated.
Originally posted by Vince123Yes and try to keep the King as close to the center as possible.
If, in the endgame, one player has only a king left and his opponent has only a king and queen -- can the lone king be mated? And if so, what can that player, with the lone king, do to possibly forestall the mate and get a draw. I realize the answer to this may involve a lengthy answer which would require more space and time than could be expected. But just the bare essentials of an answer would be greatly appreciated.
Originally posted by Vince123Short answer: yes, the king can and should be mated. There is nothing the losing side can do to stop it if his opponent plays good moves. Noodle around with it yourself on a board and you'll see how simple it is. The queen simply traps the king in a "box" in one area of the board, and with the help of her king, systematically makes the box smaller and smaller, until the king is trapped on the edge of the board. It can also be done with a rook, although aturally it takes a bit longer because the rook needs its king's help more than the queen does.
If, in the endgame, one player has only a king left and his opponent has only a king and queen -- can the lone king be mated? And if so, what can that player, with the lone king, do to possibly forestall the mate and get a draw. I realize the answer to this may involve a lengthy answer which would require more space and time than could be expected. But just the bare essentials of an answer would be greatly appreciated.
And Mephisto: ratings on this site are often inflated compared with OTB. I know mine is. Last I checked, I was no 1750 OTB. Besides, I was very shocked to learn a few weeks ago that a certain 1900 player on this site knew nothing about drawn bishops-of-opposite-color endings.
Originally posted by Natural ScienceThat is simply because it's correspondence. Naturally with more time to move, the serious player will play better. However, it sounds like everyone is inflated and that doesn't make sense. The only explanations I can think of is 1. a differnt rating system or 2. Many poor players join, lose a few games and quit, inflating the ratings of the regulars.
Short answer: yes, the king can and should be mated. There is nothing the losing side can do to stop it if his opponent plays good moves. Noodle around with it yourself on a board and you'll see how simple it is. The queen simply traps the king in a "box" in one area of the board, and with the help of her king, systematically makes the box smal ...[text shortened]... t a certain 1900 player on this site knew nothing about drawn bishops-of-opposite-color endings.
ICC have done a ratings poll which shows (last time I checked) that players rated around the 1700 mark are accurately rated while those below are underrated and those above overrated in general. Probably something similar going on at RHP but at different levels, maybe those rated around the 1000 - 1100 mark being accurate.
Mephisto2, Natural Science, Zebano, Nightlore, and others, thanks for the answer to my thread. All very helpful. And I, too, feel that my rating of 1364 is higher than it should be. Maybe it's because I am playing correspondence chess and spend a lot of time on the Analyze Board and usually take a lot of time thinking about a move before I make it. Also I try to play opponents rated about 25 to 50 points below me as a safety factor. I know I'd be beaten easily and quickly in OTB chess by opponents way below my present RHP rating. Mahalo and aloha from Hawaii, Vince123