Well technically a game could last forever because players aren't forced to claim draws based on repetition or the 50 move rule.
Otherwise there's 6*16 pawn moves available, it takes 8 captures to make all of them, leaving 22 more captures, totalling 128 resets of the 50 move rule. So the total number of moves possible would be a bit less than 6400.
Originally posted by FabianFnasYes,t hanks for that. I posed the same question years ago on this very same forum and figured the number to be astronomical as well. Once again, the forum had varied responses ranging from an exact number ( as we had here , again.) to abstract numbers that were uncalculable (sp) // anyway, this is simply a question posed to show what an amzing game chess truly is. Still there remains no answer to this question. regards, Big b.
If the 50-move rule makes the game a draw automatically, then it is a finite number of possible moves in a game.
But if it is possible to go beyond the 50-move rule, by not claiming a draw, then the number can be arbitrarily large, i.e. infinite.
Originally posted by big bernChess is indeed a remarkable game. With so few (?) rules, so 'unlimitied' alternatives!
anyway, this is simply a question posed to show what an amzing game chess truly is. Still there remains no answer to this question. regards, Big b.
In the game of chess there is 20 opening moves for white to choose from, black has as many. So only two haplf moves, before white has made his second move, there are 400 alternatives! Four half moves we're up to way over a thousands of alternatives! Fantastic isn't it?
In the Game of Go, with a board of 19x19 points, there are 391 places to put the first stone. In reality only 55 moves as you don't count symmetries. The opponent has 390 places to put his first stone. Now there are less symmetries, hom many depends of the first move. But say more or less 10.000 moves available for just the two first half-moves? This makes the Game of Go even more complicated than chess! And the rules are fewer than the ones of chess.
What about bridge? Checkers? MahJong? TickTacToe? Reversi?
Is the fascination about the game dependant of the number of alternativevaraints? Yes, I'm inclined to say yes. It's fascinating not to know how a game will progress from move one and onwards.
So if Game of Go is so deversified, why don't I find GoG more fascinating? Why is Chess #1 for me?
Answer: There are many more who layes Chess than GoG! I think...
Originally posted by zzywThen again you could go knight out, knight in for millions of moves by both players.
Well technically a game could last forever because players aren't forced to claim draws based on repetition or the 50 move rule.
Otherwise there's 6*16 pawn moves available, it takes 8 captures to make all of them, leaving 22 more captures, totalling 128 resets of the 50 move rule. So the total number of moves possible would be a bit less than 6400.