Fast chess
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fast chess, also known as, blitz chess, lightning chess, bullet chess and rapid chess, is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under the normal tournament time controls of 60-150 minutes (1-2½ hours) per player.
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[edit] Overview
The different names distinguish the maximum duration of a game. Commonly used time controls are:
- Bullet: 1 minute per side
- Fastblitz: 3 minutes per side
- Blitz: 5 minutes per side, sometimes with a small time increment per move.
- Rapid: 15-60 minutes per side (usually 25 minutes), sometimes with a small time increment per move.
- Armageddon: a single game guaranteed to produce a result, because black has draw odds (that is, for black, a draw is equal to a victory). To compensate, white has more time on the clock.
In some chess tournaments, the final standings of the contestants may be resolved by a series of games with ever shortening control times as tie breaks. In this case, two games may be played with each time control, as playing with black or white pieces is not equally liked among players. The short time controls in fast chess reduce the amount of time available to consider each move, and may result in a frantic game, especially as time runs out. A player whose time runs out automatically loses, unless the opposing player has insufficient material to mate, in which case the game is a draw. "Losing on time" is possible at even the longer, traditional time controls, but is more common in blitz and rapid versions.
A common rule used in fast chess tournaments is that if a player makes an illegal move, the player's opponent may point it out and claim a win. For example, if a player leaves his or her king in check, the other player may claim the win. This rule can be left out for a friendly game or left in for what some consider to be a more exciting and fun game.
The terms blitz or blitzkrieg in chess sometimes means a quick attack on the f7 or f2 square early in the game, putting the king in check.[1] This term is not limited to Fast chess.
Chess boxing uses a fast version for the chess component of this sport.
Bullet chess is even faster and more hectic than blitz chess. The bullet in bullet chess refers to the fast speed of a bullet. Often bullet chess is so fast that tactics and skill are secondary to quick moves. Under USCF rules bullet games are considered blitz. As in all forms of chess with time controls, one can either win on the board or win on time.
[edit] Champions
On ICC, the four time reigning blitz chess champion and bullet rating record holder is Hawkeye (German GM Roland Schmaltz), but he is often overshadowed by the emerging superstar Hikaru Nakamura (AKA Smallville on ICC), who holds the "1-minute" (a special category on ICC where opponents are randomly paired, thus improving rating accuracy) and blitz rating records. Nakamura is also the best player in these categories on the Playchess.com server, in which he is known as Star Wars.
[edit] References
- ^ Kidder, Harvey (1960). Illustrated Chess for Children. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-05764-4.
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