Is Chess Actually Good?

[@NoRollsBarred]

ADAM: What are your favourite/worst Chess memories? Let us know in the comments!

[@leowato4392]

Finally beating my dad after getting beaten for years on end and being so happy I overcame my demons.... in chess!

[@ihurtmyarm]

Moist Critical beating XQC

[@bon1326]

My uncle lived down around the corner from me and once a week I'd visit him for games of chess and table tennis. We upped it to 2x a week once I started to routinely beat him at chess.

[@ChessLifestyle]

Not managing to checkmate Luke in a game of 10 minute chess ;_;

[@TempestLikesWrestling]

Beating a classmate who had all but five pieces left while I only had three pieces left. A rook, a pawn, the king.

[@theburntcheeto]

So I love fighting games. I've been playing them at a tournament level for 10+ years. And I've always been afraid of chess because I see myself as an intelligent person and I never wanted the game to expose me as a moron. But I realized that everything Michael and Luke said about chess, I've been saying about fighting games for years. Maybe I'll give chess a shot, newly secure in the knowledge that my lack of experience doesn't mean I'm actually stupid.

[@jimnian4031]

So, how's it going??

[@snugglypichu6881]

Chess is a wonderful game! I does wonder for your mind and overall wellbeing! It also makes for a great way to bond with people!

[@AF-xb5od]

Luke checking the WRONG piece must be the sneakiest move ever!

[@aztecwrrior1997]

😬 major oops

[@caznjaz6156]

Need some chess personalities to react to this video. Would love to hear their opinions on this discussion. Chess does have its elitist community but they can be ignored most of the time. The majority of players don't usually act like that and usually are open to explaining the game and playing with others.

[@EmmaBonn96]

It has a history of elitism. Yet, it is also a bit of a meritocracy. Winning feels amazing due to how much of it is on just you and your brain.

[@BGgungame]

I think one of the main reactions would be: "Why doesn't Blair just take the bishop?!?"

[@messi1513]

I love chess for multiple reasons, and I can safely say that the comments in the video from twitter just aren't fair. First of all, in all the major sites and apps for chess, you have an ELO rating, so you play against people on your level. It's impossible to always win or lose, yet you also always have room to improve It feels as rewarding to go from 800 to 1000 elo, as it is to go from 1400 to 1500, and it's not like any of you are gonna be professional players in any case. Games can be short ( 1 minute Bullet games), medium length (10 minutes rapid), or classical, which is long, so you can play at any time from anywhere. I don't get the whole elitist comments, maybe it's because the game is only about skill and some people are used to relying on lucky dice rolls to win, we have none of that here, no unfair wins. You pay for your wrong decisions and deservedly lose. I think this is what those twitter comments are about

[@names_are_useless]

At the end of the day: Chess Elitists >>> MTG Elitists

[@friedrichschumann740]

22:05 Moving the queen like a knight, so that it can be taken by a pawn. Some masters are playing here :-)

[@eriksoberanis6409]

This is slowly becoming my favorite channel here thanks boys for all the great work!

[@kevinhardy8997]

It’s one of few games with gorgeous components.The memorization makes it tough. I am not good but I do think it plays well as a game because each piece is unique and has a role in plotting double attacks.

[@foxokon94]

Chess is an amazing game. It is very very very hard because it's incredibly complex and there is no hidden information, but if you play against a player of the same skill level it's a blast. If you want to play Chess go on one of the many many apps or websites that allow you to be matched with other players based on MMR. I also sugest everyone who think chess looks interesting to watch professional chess. Not only can you learn how to play the game, but especially in the slower modes, trying to spot the best move is really fun, and whenever you get it right it feels so good.

[@tabularasa9576]

No , actually chess is addictive and it f up your brain.

[@snugglypichu6881]

I totally agree! Finding a strong move can be extremely satisfying! I also find enjoyment in my opponent's moves! It's a wonderful way to exercise the mind! 🥰

[@IREBEAST]

These videos are so so so good. Excellent stuff luke and the team

[@steburnst]

would love to see a similar video on poker. the guy's point about there being no luck being what makes chess great is exactly what i think is great about poker. it's deep and strategic and at the same time anyone can win any given hand. luck and skill aren't opposites and games that can have high quantities of both are, imo, the greatest games. obviously for the channel, actual gambling might not be the direction you want to go but i'd be interested to hear your thoughts

[@EmmaBonn96]

This video got me back into chess I’m spending a bunch of time playing it now

[@justinehercthehuman]

Lmao I relate with Luke with his playing style. Just to savor the feeling of eating more pieces and also to get to say "CHECK" at least once. lmao

[@Fluffyudders]

Great video - can we get a follow-up video on Go? It's the oldest game, and like Chess considered to be a 100% skill-based game. It's just not as well-known as Chess. I would love to see you guys do a video on that!

[@loomick]

Ur is older

[@conradcooper2710]

I love chess. I started playing with my dad when I was 5 and now I'm 16 and I could not enjoy this game more. Best board game I've ever played. Edit: The feeling Luke was describing after playing the game with the chess teacher is exactly why I love this game.

[@advictoriam3106]

Star wars chess!!! I haven't seen that game in years! Amazing video Luke, really enjoying the new channel, can't wait to be able to play games again!

[@dreadman5953]

18:01 Assuming the piece on C3 is Black's Queen, the move made by Luke, King to A1 is illegal, isn't it?

[@fercanche2279]

Yep.

[@ryanm7609]

Love your your actually good series LUKE! Keep them up YES PLEASE

[@Trekie386]

I've been playing since I was 5 .My stepfather taught me to play because no one else would play with him. At first I would only play if he rewarded me by getting to go to bed later than my older sister, but after a while I learned to love it for the game itself. He never took it easy on me and I had to earn each win. I love chess so much.

[@isaakvandaalen3899]

I used to think Chess was for smart people. Then I started playing Chess. The idea that you need to be smart to be good at Chess seems so hilarious to me now. Chess is a game of learning; the more you play the better you'll get.

[@jeffreysugar5709]

Chess is good if you have an equal strength partner. I love chess since I started playing online but when I first learned I thought it was dumb because I always got caught in the opening so I thought it was just memorizing openings.

[@EightThreeEight]

That's just bound to happen. Chess is a zero-chance game of perfect information, so an experienced player will always destroy a novice.

[@JoshRazauskas]

This is so timely given The Queen’s Gambit. I think Chess is actually good. I quite enjoy playing it.

[@andreaw2053]

I played chess in middle school and got into a national team. Moved to a different part of the country and my new school didn't have a chess club, so I fell out of it, and today I consistently lose to my boyfriend who I taught to play after we watched the queens gambit, but he has been practicing constantly in his spare time ever since. Its not just about being good, its a commitment of time to hone your skills.

[@EmmaBonn96]

This video got me back into chess It’s a lot more fun than I remember And I might be a bit better. Seeing moves as a series of protecting your own pieces and putting your opponent’s pieces in danger really helped me wrap my mind around it.

[@crazyboysince1998]

It's just puzzles and the more you remember the moves and start to know your opponents it becomes really fun. Ive only played for a month so I lose all the time but its always knew and fun. Also I like boxing and fighting and when you get into the game it's like a psychological fight to use the puzzles to outsmart the other player. It's like a war when you can get into it. The people saying it's not good becajse they suck well just keep playing till you don't and then it becomes more fun.

[@crazyboysince1998]

I meant patterns not puzzles

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

I am from India and I must say that we still call the pieces by their original names. Castle is Elephant Bishop is Camel Knight is Horse Pawn is Soldier And king and queen are same. Luke also made a mistake when he called Bishop as the elephant

[@DarkSideChess]

In Russia the bishop is called the elephant, and Queen is called vizier. Knight is called horse.

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

@@DarkSideChess here the queen is sometimes called as wazir. Almost similar pronunciation

[@KingslayerSenpai]

in my high school years once or twice a week i would spend my study hall in the library to play chess with different people. Much like anything else as you play more and more the more comfortable you feel with it.

[@wolfson109]

Another beautiful thing about chess is its accessibility regardless of your means. You can get hold of a cheap plastic set for almost nothing and it'll last you a lifetime.

[@dirk_gently]

If you're looking to add a chess modifier, try Knightmare Chess. Cards that give your pieces all kinds of powers and abilities.

[@SneakySolidSnake]

when i was 16 or 17, i had a childhood friend who was a couple years younger than me, like 14 or 15. i went to visit him at his house and he got the chessboard out turned out to be a phenom. we played for about 8 hours and i never won a match. i was never upset or angry, i just enjoyed learning the moves and marveling at the techniques. he didn't try to teach me, i would just say one more, at checkmate, and i would learn how to set the traps by watching his moves. i'd like to play someone much better than me again and seek to conquer that mount everest through persistence and observation. unfortunately for me, my friend and his family disappeared off the face of the planet. there one day, and gone the next. it's one of the great mysteries of my childhood.

[@pacerdawn5512]

My favorite type of chess is team chess. Two teams of two, with each team member playing the opposite color. Each player can take pieces captured by their teammate and place them on the board for their move. Lots of chaotic fun.

[@chesstime_0720]

It's pretty fun. Thanks for reminding, I almost forgot it.

[@isavenewspapers8890]

Bughouse chess?

[@ygb_]

Not sure if anyone else would agree but I would definitely buy an "I will destroy you, chess boy." t-shirt if you sold it.

[@thedarkbrickstudio2452]

Based on preference, but I absolutely enjoy chess in my free time. It’s a good way to put your brain to use and have fun at the same time.

[@dago6410]

Id love to see a crossover between a board gsming channel and a chess channel - the chess Master teaching the gamers how to play chess better showing some puzzles maybe etc, and the gamers teaching the chessxplayer some board game - perhaps something thats also 1v1 direct conflict similarly to chess but perhaps more in the style of modern games (so, moreclike 7 wonders duel than Hive i would guess, though the Latter would also be cool)

[@terras6418]

Sad, nobody used the best opening ever, the bongcloud.

[@CainCalifornia]

"if your pieces are all being lazy on the back rank, then you're not going to get anywhere." Me, A Hippo Player: >:c

[@bengibson3298]

The Censor Guy Is Having A Field Day

[@loqkLoqkson]

I've been watching a lot of chess videos recently, and I'd always thought that masters crushed non-masters, and grand-masters crushed masters, but most of the games seem a lot more even than I expected. They weren't competition games, just friendly games, but it makes me feel that chess has a much broader audience and a more even playing field than I expected. Like many things, it seems that you can get to 90% of a grand-master's skill just playing casually, but the decider in those games comes in that 10% of hard earned nuance that takes 90% of the grandmaster training time to learn.

[@cyberhype5495]

OMG im waiting for my Chess set & Chess books to arrive from Amazon!! This chess boom is Epic

[@iggykidd]

5:30 Ah yes, the "official" sequel to chess, as sanctioned by chess copyright holder Nathaniel J. Chessman.

[@frogfrogson2670]

Can i get a yes please

[@NoRollsBarred]

You may!

[@leowato4392]

@@NoRollsBarred No thank you

[@ryanm7609]

YES PLEASE

[@lucdochterman9767]

No

[@frogfrogson2670]

@@lucdochterman9767 but why man

[@Trissi5]

3:15 From Scandinavia to Scotland? So just in the North Sea? That's not very widespread.

[@NaeMuckle]

Literally 45 minutes from Aberdeen to Amsterdam 🤣

[@jugglingotaku]

At 18:01 the move Ka1 was illegal because the black queen covers that square.

[@Leviticus_Prime]

I personally think that Go is a better game if you want to test how someone handles strategy and tactics.

[@MrBrknsyt]

Luke's shirts were an outstanding pro player move. He did win in the end. 🤣🤣

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

He didn't win the girl lost😜😜😜

[@Jaburezu]

I was better at playing Chess when I wasn't aware what I was doing 😅 My cousins used to ask me how I set my pieces to the point they're all protecting each other, but didn't know what to say cause it wasn't intentional. Then I began doing it intentionally and got so much worse. Tried to play against AI multiple times by now and can't seem to win much anymore. Lost my Mojo 😂

[@sharan9993]

Exactly my experience

[@rockassassin64]

so a year before the pandemic i was playing chess every week and everyone at the club was better than me there were these two old men who were super good. and i loved playing against them i knew i wouldn't win but they were so nice and fun to play. and i was abel to get a win on each of them though one of them was literally teaching me the king's gambit in that game.

[@HITMANPegas]

At 23:00 why didn't she Castle?

[@spaghettibadger647]

Chess is great fun. Shogi is the only game i've played like it that I wanted to play more "one more match"

[@GroundThing]

My big issue with chess is that at roughly even skill levels it's fun, but I feel it's really hard to find opponents on the same skill level, as even online chess sites with ELO matching are still self-selecting for people who play chess semi-regularly, so even with the option to start at a beginner ELO rating, I still feel I have to lose a lot in order to get to a rating where it starts being fun, and usually I just quit before then.

[@absoul112]

People aren't wrong in saying chess is fun with 2 equally skilled opponents, but what competitive game is fun if the 2 playing aren't in the same league?

[@carpepesci]

Haven't watched the video yet, but I sure as heck hope the answer is yes!

[@Kyrieenjoyer]

It’s not because you know what happened to Bobby fisher? He went insane. He was a world champion

[@FellowOfHammer]

@@Kyrieenjoyer wow that's proof right there 😆

[@JackArcherX]

Wait.... at 18:00 , wasn't that technically a Stalemate? Luke's king wasn't in Check, but there's no way he could move without it going into it

[@sg_1716]

No, because he had other possible moves. It's only stalemate if he has no possible moves :)

[@obsidiansiriusblackheart]

21:15 just realised the clock is set to 10 HOURS not 10 minutes 😂 😂 😂 😂

[@ayno6891]

great video please do a video about Shogi chess

[@EightThreeEight]

I learned how to play chess before I learned how to tie my shoelaces.

[@TainakaRicchan]

While the "de facto" capital of Switzerland is Bern, with the Federal Assembly being located there, "de jure" Switerland does not have a national capital, due to its highly federalistic nature. The more you know. ;)

[@jamesderoc6717]

chess is great, anyone can play. someone good at chess is not smart they are just smart at chess. chess app chess by post is good introduction matching you with player of your own level. chess aint social and not really fun like board games but it is addictive im a chess player exploring board games with this channel to find a good game that is more sociable

[@cherixxx9136]

It's Berne ! Berne is the Swiss capital. I know it cause I live in Switzerland. :D Which all of a sudden makes this knowledge of mine way less impressive.

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

Berne. My first thought was Geneva. Man i really feel stupid

[@cherixxx9136]

Well actually, Berne is the political capital, Zürich is the economical capital, Geneva is the international relations capital and Lausanne is the (world, not only Swiss) Olympic capital so it's understandable that people get confused. I do too and I live in Lausanne. xD

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

@@cherixxx9136 Switzerland is so weird yet so much balanced when compared to other countries

[@cherixxx9136]

​@@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991 I think it's one of the main reasons to be proud of that country, with cheese, mountains, alcohol and cheese

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

@@cherixxx9136 i am more fascinated by alcohol😁😁😁

[@simonlopezosorio315]

all this of you have to me smart, or it is elitis, it not a problem of the game, are just stereotypes that the society bring you, if you see the game in an object way it is pretty easy, and almost for me, seeing the mechanics, the strategy, the elegance, and the tension, ooooh that tension, it is one of the best board games for two players, and yes considering the modern board games, and I am not talking of the game as sport, I am talking as a board game to play in and informal way, just to have fun, the deepness bring this versatility of be a competitive tournament game or a board game that challenges you and can brings you an amazing experience.

[@JDizaster]

As a follow-up, how about a Let's Play episode on Star Trek tri-dimensional chess? 🖖

[@JB-sz4wy]

I can play pretty well although it's difficult to know how good you are as too many people lie about how good they are even when they are not so don't get your hopes up about it. A person can risk playing advanced and immediately the computer sets their ELU to 1600. If they aren't they won't win it but their ELU drops on the next game to something like 1373 the next time they play which still is better than they are. So if you beat that personthe ELU it shows may be skewed. I reached 1762 yesterday as I am not obsessed with the game just play when there are no other games to challenge or when I don't have much to do or killed the sodoku or str8ts up to all the levels. Playing with a person can also be confusing because they might say they are a pro when they aren't really that excellent and should be modest. If you win in them you get a heightened feel that you are falsely a pro. Just play for brain exercise on the tablet in bed or on a day when not much is going on that's what I do anyway/

[@RikouHogashi]

Serious one can't simply Hate Chess its a Foundational game of strategy and intelligence there's no game quite like Chess it spans many MANY Generations For a Darn good Reason!

[@AdamPearsonVideos]

Aunty Marisha!!!!

[@shelfunit]

When you open with an homage to the greatest film ever made it can only be a good Thing 👍🏻

[@michaelandrews117]

As someone who watched a Tournament Arc of chess. Yes.

[@joshhale9355]

I’m sure it would be if I knew what the fuck was going on.

[@ishoottheyscore8970]

Great design - yes. Too dry and deterministic to be fun for a number of people - also yes.

[@jeremyparsons2944]

you know it's getting real when Luke goes from smeg to F***

[@aztecwrrior1997]

What does smeg even mean

[@eleanordawes8634]

I wanted to get into chess because smart people were into it but my teacher didn't even tell me how to play the game and put me up against people who had played for years so I stopped liking chess I do wonder if I would be good at it or not

[@charlesberg1234]

Even one of the 4 kings of youtube. Greasy gamer Jesus likes chess.

[@ryannelsonholt]

I love chess. I play on my phone every day. I’m not great, though. Lol

[@deonchua7642]

Who doesn’t love horses

[@EmmaBonn96]

I need to see chess boxing now

[@tylerhellums9823]

Chess looks complicated to learn, but in reality it's easy to learn how to play. It's that it LOOKS hard, I think, that puts people off to learning it's basic rules. That is where the smart person game stereotype comes from.

[@tylerhellums9823]

The thing about chess is that if you know how to play, you LOOK smart to everyone else, but in truth you aren't. That's why I think everyone should be willing to learn how to play chess.

[@IslandPride316]

Chess-boxing. “ you mean you make a move then punch them in the face?”

[@pacerdawn5512]

That scene from The Thing is actually one of the worst chess scenes in any movie. I doubt that the people who made it, and certainly not the people in charge of continuity, had any idea of how chess works.

[@RedVandalf]

Of course it is 💙

[@B3Band]

4:06 Why does white have 14 pawns, two of which somehow have the king in check?

[@NovaNationX]

SUPPORT WRESTLETALK? Luke Owen is that you?

[@bookedroomer]

Yeah no shit a game is more fun when you are equally matched that’s like true for pretty much any game. I feel like most board gamers play a game once or twice and the community for that game isn’t as large so all the non max strategy hasn’t been found so it isn’t like someone can just look at an online forum to get better at it. Maybe some games are fun to get better by playing them rather than studying them.

[@sirmaffew]

i really hated his shirt And his face. AND JUST... HIM. ...boy, that escalated quickly.

[@shreyanshpranshuchauhan5991]

That really got out of hands really fast

[@SayItAintDash]

i think luke could rival adam in a wits battle

[@Hieronymus-Pseudonymous]

When X is endeared to Y, it's Y that holds X dear, not the other way around.

[@HonorThyTarkus]

The Thing!

[@justindefrancisco3095]

Checkmate! For god sakes lol

[@davidjarkeld2333]

A game doesn't last for centuries by being crap!

[@aztecwrrior1997]

I nominate dominoes for the next episode

[@FatherTime89]

I remember reading some scientific studies on chess and long story short, being good at chess doesn't make you smart (or vice versa) and getting better at chess doesn't mean you're getting smarter. If you put someone of average intelligence who's played a lot of chess against a really smart person who has played only a game or two, then the first person is going to win a lot more often than not.

[@mnm1273]

Somebody actually did a study to find out that if you're a beginner at a game you'll lose to someone who's got a lot of experience at it even if you're smarter? And you bothered reading it? I think that's the real intelligence test. The idea is that with approximately equal experience the smarter one will win. Which I don't think is innacurate, it just means a very particular kind of intelligence. Some people are more talented at chess and they are often better at other strategical games (and I'd presume certain pure science studies). But that wouldn't translate to an intelligence test if the test tried to check for general knowledge (as an example) as that isn't at all linked.

[@FatherTime89]

@@mnm1273 it's more that in general experience in chess is a way better indicator of how good you are at chess than intelligence. It's not the test of intellect people make it out to be

[@mnm1273]

@@FatherTime89 I mean of course enough experience can breach the gap. But good chess training demands it's own form of intellectual prowess. And a valued form of intelligence is advantageous. And can define where you plateau

[@ericathefae]

I don't think I've ever actually had fun playing chess - it's just a lot of "what the fuck are any of us doing" frustration, and even when I've won it's not made me want to play again.

[@markcarey87]

I taught my 4 year old to play chess and then he beat me, and I only take it easy on him a little bit.

[@tabularasa9576]

I wish i had a son to teach him how to play chess ...

[@AmbersKnight]

Chess is okay. I don't think it is a bad game but other games of a similar fashion I find are better. Games I prefer to chess, that are similar at least, are Stratego and 32 Dice. Then there are games like Star Realms/Hero Realms which are fun 2 player combat games or something like Memoir 44. Chess is okay, but for me no more than that now.

[@mnm1273]

A someone who played stratego and chess they aren't the same style of game. In chess you ahve full knowledge, in Stratego you don'T. That makes a world of difference.

[@damianodidomenico4756]

Wait, one of the comments was read by Adam Blampied from WrestleTalk?

[@safarjunaid6828]

Check the list of people who did the VO towards the very end of the video and you'll many familiar names!

[@mahadkhan878]

The original name for chess is pronounced as shut-runj with a soft t instead of a harsh one

[@BadDayLp]

My answer before the video: Yes. Yes it is good.

[@MD-sf1st]

You forgot 3d chess

[@aztecwrrior1997]

Oh yeah

[@neilmcgrory1720]

Glad chess got the thumbs up here. It might have crumbled into irrelevance otherwise.

[@phatmachismo6709]

Is Chess Boxing Actually Good?

[@Jake38nine]

Video games, especially turn based games, are made to mirror Chess. If it wasn't a good game, it wouldn't be made into a gazillion different kinds of video games.

[@omarvazquez3355]

IS BILLIARDS / POOL ACTUALLY GOOD?

[@stewartsmith5816]

Imagine if this video were about "Go"

[@batman11693]

I became interested in Go like 15 years ago after reading a manga about it but never had anyone to play with. That said, watching it being played made me feel like an idiot and I found it very intimidating.