I Can't Stop Playing Duck Chess

Quack in the comments if you want to see more duck chess.
Watch live at / imrosen
Merch: shop.imrosen.com/
SPECIAL OFFERS!
♙♙ChessUp Smart Board: Use coupon code ROSEN to save 10% at checkout: bryghtlabs.com/?ref=Rosen
♙♙ Kasparov Chess: Use code ROSEN to get a 7-day free trial, 50% off memberships and receive a KASPAROV AUTOGRAPHED BOOK of “How Life Imitates Chess” (for paid annual memberships, activated after trial period). kasparovchess.com/upgrade-acc...
♙♙E-Win Gaming Chairs: Use the code imrosen to save 20% off any gaming chair: bit.ly/3AVLgvf
SUPPORT MY WORK:
♙♙Subscribe on Twitch: / imrosen
♙♙Support: www.paypal.me/ericrosenchess
SAVE MONEY AND IMPROVE YOUR GAME:
♙♙Chess.com Premium Membership--try it free for 7 days: go.chess.com/imrosen
♙♙Limitless Chess: Get video lessons from great instructors, including me! Use the code ROSEN to save 10% www.limitlesschess.com/
♙♙ Master the London: Get 50% off my 8-hour video London Opening video course: www.ichess.net/sale/8020-tact...
Sign up for my newsletter: mailchi.mp/d6e6ca1a42a1/imros...
Visit my Amazon store for chess books, tea and more: www.amazon.com/shop/ericrosen
See me in the Chess State documentary (2015): vimeo.com/ondemand/chessstate
Chess book recommendations: imrosen.com/book-recommendati...
Disclaimer: Some links in the description are affiliate links and I may receive a commission on purchases made through these links. Thank you for supporting my content!
Send Me Fan Mail:
Eric Rosen
4579 Laclede Ave. # 205
St. Louis, MO 63108
♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙
MAIN CHANNEL: / rosenchess
ERIC ROSEN CLIPS: / ericrosenclips
ERIC ROSEN EXTRA: / ericrosenextra
TWITCH: / imrosen
WEBSITE: www.imrosen.comWEBSITE: imrosen.com/
DISCORD: bit.ly/2KTDlBK
TWITTER: bit.ly/2sFmNqa
INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/2HspaBa
LICHESS: lichess.org/@/ericrosen
CHESS.COM: www.chess.com/member/imrosen
♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙♙
#chess #ericrosen #duckchess

[@morganrose7022]

The seriousness with which he says things like “the knight is defended by the duck” or “I forgot about duck f6” will never stop being funny.

[@G_0_0_Zroot]

His duck video has more views than UFC champions and WhiteHouse channel, in my feed. 😂

[@noone-ld7pt]

100% agreed, I actually laughed out loud multiple times during this ridiculousness!

[@TymexComputing]

And the smothered threat of duck h2... 8-D

[@HolbrookStark]

I love that nobody on the battlefield is willing to attack a duck, or even startle it by trying to walk past

[@TymexComputing]

@@HolbrookStark the duck should be able only to move diagonally, horizontally or like a horsey - duckey - that would make it the most flexible piece and still shared an invincible :) i also wanted to capture it anytime :)

[@legoupil1819]

We need 960 duck chess. The duck likes chaos. We must feed the duck what it needs

[@ItsAsparageese]

Omg. Yes

[@potatoonastick2239]

this

[@hoola_amigos]

Exactly this

[@lucasmatsuoca]

and maybe also more ducks , one duck alone is too sad

[@sleazeberg]

960 fog of war duck chess

[@XYZ-zn6qz]

Eric out here pioneering Duck chess theory

[@lucasmatsuoca]

"1.e4 Duck e6 : Best By Quack "

[@BorisGamingChannel]

g3 duck g2 is also good Eric should try it

[@lucasmatsuoca]

@@BorisGamingChannel i feel like fianchetto is a waste of time since the bishop is heavily nerfed

[@auxiliaryboxes]

@@lucasmatsuoca Yeah knights are way better in this mode especially on defense, since the duck can't undermine their control of squares. Rooks are actually super nerfed too because they typically utilize long line-of-sight to coordinate with other pieces. Interception duck tactics seem ultra frequent.

[@vezquex]

Kinda just winging it.

[@vizualedit0r481]

_"Distant defenses are not that effective, when there is a duck that can block it."_ ~Eric Rosen, 10/4/22 *11:33*

[@cineblazer]

this was my favorite line from Pawn Sacrifice

[@hunter-tm2kl]

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

[@jambas9970]

Next Agadmator quote I hope

[@-dash]

I like the "~". It's as if the quote was _probably_ said by Eric Rosen at _around_ 10/4/22, but some historians may disagree.

[@chrisosborne4731]

I wonder if duck chess would be more balanced if the duck became available only on black's first move. So white gets the first move but black gets first duck.

[@ItsAsparageese]

This is an exciting idea

[@Calabresa022]

Makes super sense, if we assume white has the advantage of the first move, black can then start blocking white's best moves and maybe force an opening.

[@connorObye]

This is exactly what I was thinking. We know white has an insignificant advantage in normal chess since they have the first turn but I think their advantage in duck desk is more significant since they can do their regular opening with no restriction and completely deny black from doing their regular opening. My idea was that black starts the game by moving the duck and then white can start as normal but your idea could work too. I prefer my idea though as giving black the first full turn can flip the game in their favor whereas allowing black to position the duck at the start means that both sides are restricted by the duck equally.

[@Nyao35]

Yes or maybe black can place the duck before the game starts

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@connorObye Having it start with a half-turn/a duck-only turn for black makes sense. I think I like OP's version slightly better though because then each side gets precisely one unhampered move before the duck starts blocking things, which I feel like would enhance development effectiveness for the game & make things a little more interesting early on in terms of both available moves & available creative duck spots. Plus narratively I just kinda like the duck starting at some point after regular moves begin instead of being there up front, because then it's like a normal chess game began & then some omnipotent duck just wandered onto the battlefield & everyone suddenly found themselves simply accommodating it ... like that one story of whichever president's cat lying sprawled in the middle of a hallway & a bunch of diplomats & leaders there for dinner found themselves politely inclining heads to the cat & stepping to either side of it haha. Lol something about the duck arriving after a normal chess move feels poetically perfect that way

[@henrik3141]

The only thing missing in this mode is a short "quack" sound when placing the duck

[@cineblazer]

This has got to be my favorite chess variant. it's so simple, yet it completely alters the game while still being fair. such an interesting mutation on normal chess.

[@luukas2660]

I do feel like white has an even bigger advantage than normally because getting to move the duck first is very strong.

[@danielyuan9862]

@@luukas2660 Maybe black should be able to place the duck before white makes their first move.

[@tetraedri_1834]

@@danielyuan9862 Or after blacks first move

[@Sinzari]

@@danielyuan9862 That wouldn't change much, since white can still play almost any opening since there is nothing to respond to before white moves. White should just be unable to place the duck on their first move so black can respond with their first move to white's opening before white can block

[@Scientist93]

@@Sinzari That may be so, but not all openings are created equal. While I do agree that 1. e4 and 2. d4 openings tend to devolve into similar blockfests by the virtue of de6/dd6 and ...dd3/...de3, in my (admittedly very modest) experience with duck chess, the side that can successfully develop at least one of its Bishops 3+ squares from its starting position is going to end up with a sizeable advantage. Therefore, I don't see putting the duck on the board from White's 2nd move onwards as a good idea balance-wise. Now, if we're talking about doing it from the *3rd* move onwards, that might lead to more diverse openings and more open games in general, as both sides would have equal chances to develop at least one Bishop to an important non-long diagonal. Or maybe it would be best if *Black* would put the duck on the board initially, either on the 1st move or on the 2nd? That way, the advantage of White having the first-move advantage would be offset by having one possibility taken away.

[@colegieseking5136]

Please don’t stop playing duck chess.

[@Idk-bw3ib]

I don’t like it

[@johnpavlidis2689]

It's like this variant was made for Eric, he feels so happy and complete

[@Cheetahhh]

I can't even articulate how happy I am you're playing more of this game

[@Climbby]

go play the bridge

[@Climbby]

jk

[@null3007]

Lmfao

[@null3007]

I wonder if I versed Cheetah unknowingly in duck chess.

[@jettaeschroff6924]

cheetahh you're a monster for adding cereal to your milk

[@xnikoo]

The chess duck variant would be hilarious over the board. Imagine moving your piece and then a rubber duck

[@ABearOnYouTube]

Eric will become the Duck Chess World Champion

[@brett6468]

I find Duck Chess very instructive. 1. You still get to see Eric develop his pieces at a high level. 2. You also get to see Eric block the opponent's best moves.

[@discoeur]

there needs to be a duck chess championshipp id love to see super serious players like magnus take the duck seriously

[@eaglegosuperskarmor]

It needs to be otb too with a bright yellow duck.

[@sleazeberg]

And Ernie from sesame street singing the rubbie duckie song

[@PaulHobbs23]

It should have 960 shuffling too imo

[@alieninsectbass]

"Duck duck oh no my goose"

[@Sprtschk]

"oh I blundered a piece!" "OK, I'm treating it like a gambit" Words to live by

[@AwkwardTurtle311]

*here from the future year 2045* Eric Rosen doesn’t know it yet but he is our Paul morphy. This truly is the beginning of duck chess literature, beautiful.

[@davidanoble]

"The ducks were pretty impressed with the Stafford Gambit." love it

[@PhyFlame]

This game mode really is made for you. Just lovely seeing you play it. Also quack. _"Oh yes my duck!"_ [15:42] I truly love it^^

[@trygveplaustrum4634]

"My queen, why haven't you captured the enemy king yet?" "I would, my liege, *but there's a duck in the way!"*

[@Kirisame312]

18:50 "you always have to keep in mind... the deviousness of the duck"

[@howlingwolf317]

Duck Chess is far and away the best variant available right now.

[@hydra66]

I love this variant. Doesn't feel gimicky and the duck adds its own set of tactics/ counterplays Definitely has me watching Eric's videos again

[@randomperson01]

This game mode is so addicting, it feels like a small simple change, but the way you think about chess really expands

[@SNEEDANDBREED]

*addictive

[@yankeery12]

@@SNEEDANDBREED *"People with addictive personalities love duck chess. This game mode is very addicting."

[@SNEEDANDBREED]

@@yankeery12 No. That's not even close to correct.

[@yankeery12]

@@SNEEDANDBREED The dictionary is your friend

[@SNEEDANDBREED]

@@yankeery12 addicting has never been a word, and dont come at me about the dictionary bro, they'll change anything for complete mentally handicapped degenerates.

[@Modie]

I am new to duck chess, but I feel like you can make more advantage if you use the duck to prepare an attack. For example, at 9:58 you could technically move the queen to a square that is covered by the bishop but then use the duck to block the bishop. So the opponent has to move the bishop in the next move, because the duck will move as well. I feel this changes a bit the way the pieces function. Covering certain squares might not be as valuable anymore, because you can just use the duck to block this covering to then unleash your attack, which makes the queen the most important piece since she can attack anywhere AND she doesn't have to be as careful to be captured when lining up the attack because the duck covers for her.

[@Oldlard]

How long before books on Duck Chess theory.

[@null3007]

My duck chess addiction needed this video.

[@truecuckoo]

The knights gotta have more value in duck chess.

[@christopherw1248]

Yep, its very strong, the only range for a piece to be effective is only 2 squares away usually, whereas 1-range square pieces like pawn and knight are always very effective.

[@charlieascroggins]

I'm not even positive how else to share this with you, Eric- I'm a simple man who watches KZbin only, but here we go. I had an idea about a fun twist on chess that I haven't seen before and I'd love to experience it and more to watch you play and add your sensational commentary to. If it exists already, I'm obviously not aware and would love to see what I call either Zombie Chess or Double Tap Chess. It's a standard setup with the only caveat being that the pawns and/or pieces have to be taken twice (other than the king, of course). Once something is taken, it's on its second life and will reappear after the piece that captured it moves to a new square. In the event of multiple captures on the same square, the piece captured first would reappear after the second captured piece is moved. That's all I have and hopefully this gets noticed. Either way, thanks for all the entertainment through the years (so far) and I love the awesome ONMQ shirt my wife got me!

[@ItsAsparageese]

Yay, looks like he saw your comment! :) I hope he gets to playtest your idea, I think it sounds awesome! (PSA just in case: be sure not to edit your OP now or it'll remove the heart)

[@charlieascroggins]

@@ItsAsparageese Thanks for the feedback and info! I'd absolutely love it if he had a chance to as well, of course. I was since told that Zombie Chess is a different iteration of chess and is taken as a name, but Double Tap Chess seems not to have been used. I just hope to see it in action!

[@amcub]

This actually gives me an idea for a tournament. Idea is based on the poker game HORSE, where the game changes as play goes on. Tournament features 5 or so variants, 3 are played each round. Each player picks a variant to remove for their games thst round, no removing the same variant 2 rounds in a row

[@Rubrickety]

Man, Eric is totally addicted to Duck Chess. To be honest, he's the last KZbinr I expected to develop a quack habit.

[@dummybugstudios6450]

seriously underrated comment

[@madbananaman13]

I'd been hoping you'd put out some more duck chess content and this is the jackpot :)

[@PissFingers69]

Quackpot

[@gedankenspiele4773]

Can the duck promote to a goose?

[@grzesiek7358]

OH NO, my real chess study... OH YES, my daily dose of duck chess!

[@Tonjevic]

34:10 I feel it is relevant to mention that lowering the volume of one track (i.e. the background duck video) so it doesn't drown out another (i.e. Eric talking) is actually called ducking in audio engineering.

[@JB-my4pp]

Duck Chess World Championship 2023: Eric "oh no my duck" Rosen against Magnus "Quacknus" Carlsen

[@danielyuan9862]

One hour of Eric Rosen playing Duck Chess. Now _this_ is the content I didn't know I needed.

[@d_andrews]

Eric's latest merch: Oh yes my 🦆

[@andrewfauble]

*New* duck-chess rule idea: black gets to place the duck before move 1

[@e4jasperi]

“The knight is defended by the duck” 😂

[@DrXtoph]

Am I the only one tickled by hearing "Ducky too" when Eric says "🐥E2"?!😂

[@Rubrickety]

Theoretically, Bird’s Opening should be optimal.

[@jayyy5270]

"I put the duck on h1 to force my opponent to have to move their mouse further." Brutal

[@Workhorse1011]

Having the worst week. This video was a awesome break from it. Thank you.

[@anujku]

"We have to always keep in mind, the deviousness of the duck" - Eric 2022

[@joshuagollaher9614]

Eric pioneering the Fried Duck Attack

[@ThePapaja1996]

That don't exist yet but Dubbel Duck formation exist

[@elliottturner9029]

Ambient duck noises just made this 10x better and it already was good. Background sound is a straight up plus for these streams, and no one else does it!

[@AlexK-jp9nc]

I really like duck chess and I want to see the game database for this. I want duck chess theory. I think this interests me as a game more than normal chess does

[@AlexK-jp9nc]

I imagine that making an engine for this would be really hard, as there's now an extra (number of moves)^(empty squares) possibilities to consider

[@codyjackh8051]

The counterproDUCKtive joke got me. Funniest thing I've seen this year

[@oliomphalos3657]

This is more addictive than normal chess and I don't know why. I think I'm thoroughly ducked.

[@lyqst]

I had just finished watching the first duck chess video, and when it ended I wished there were more. Lo and behold, this video shows up in my home page. Today is a good day.

[@lg3rm553]

if a move is played but the duck hasnt been moved yet, the move can actually be taken back by clicking the arrow next to the yellow duck sign on the bottom

[@KF1]

"This opening... I'm kind of just winging it" Never change, Eric. Unless you want to. Like changing your shoes for duck slippers. That's a good change. Unless you don't want to.

[@kahwigulum]

plays duck chess "just winging it"

[@Gabriel64468]

52:45 9...f60f7!! seems like a really strong defensive move here - making a new square for the duck so you can keep it on the King-Queen diagonal.

[@Maerowitz]

Yes we enjoy this! Thanks for posting a bunch of these games with your commentary!

[@ironwoodironwood4895]

I'd like to see a marathon 12 hour duck chess session. Quack.

[@Eric-yc7po]

After watching this and playing chess it confused me greatly because I was constantly thinking about duck tactics

[@JimmyBoosterCrate]

Eric still beats everyone in a variant where basically no theory is known and everyone including himself is discovering it. His normal chess knowledge probably still does help but I think it shows how clever and quick-witted he just naturally is compared to most people

[@cineblazer]

Next up: Duck chess against an actual duck. Will Eric be successful in becoming king of the ducks?

[@gamestory2834]

Duck Chess Boxing: Man vs the Duck.

[@matttondr9282]

Duck chess has one major deficiency. It doesn't allow Eric to say: "Oh no, my duck!".

[@popebender1351]

We need blindfold duck chess

[@connorObye]

Black should get to position the duck at the start of the game so that white doesn't get a free unrestricted turn at the start.

[@elleszabo8655]

at 25:54, could you sac the rook on A3, Qa3+, then bring your other rook into the game? you could even do duck A4 to trap the king!

[@defunctbooks]

2:11 "I'm kind of just 'winging' it."

[@mashedlinks3512]

An hour of duck chess?? Oh. My. God. Yes.

[@big_darkside2716]

It's always so fun to watch duck chess :)

[@lambchu6459]

Glad to see more if this. So interesting

[@henrywebstermusic1]

I prefer watching you play than playing myself because when I watch you we win more often. 🤪

[@GloriousCoconut]

Omg an hour of duck content this is amazing

[@james-rl4wz]

this is ur most entertaining series Eric keep it up!

[@MiningPie_]

the game really does change by a huge amount with the duck in play, especially at 41:21 whenever the duck being on the board means that you dont have to take en passant

[@ts4gv]

4:02 your reasoning here has immediately sparked my interest in this variant.

[@JamesSully]

I can't stop watching you play duck chess. A match made in heaven.

[@rebeccajoyner3858]

I’m getting hooked on it too Eric! It’s so much fun! Also, I’m loving atomic too!

[@uwedegenhardt]

Eric is such a smartie!😄

[@johnchessant3012]

10:17 "it was one of the few games he played in St. Louis"

[@wisebluehillwarrior6411]

I forgot duck f6 was possible. 😅 That just sounds so funny.

[@dadoleyna]

We don't have a duck at the school where I teach, but an oversized, red, ceramic pawn does a nice job as an understudy. Kids that felt less skilled and less interested in standard chess have taken a liking to starting a new game on a level playing field with the kids of greater traditional chess skill and experience. Call it differentiated instruction.

[@ItsAsparageese]

This is really cool to hear! I think that may be a big part of why it's taking off so much among fans, too. It's super encouraging to watch a highly regarded champion of this game fumble through a new variant and learn theory for us all as he goes, haha. It does indeed feel like a more even playing field than chess usually is.

[@GreatUSTreasureHunt]

The opening... he's *winging* it.

[@Feedroid]

Eric: "I forgot duck f6 was possible." Legendary

[@TymexComputing]

the duck should be able only to move diagonally, horizontally or like a horsey - duckey - that would make it the most flexible piece and still shared an invincible :)

[@ItsAsparageese]

A (normal) piece that does that is called an Amazon, I believe. The idea of a pacifist Amazon/an Amazonian duck is definitely intriguing hahaha

[@latinhomerosvergilius7959]

I can't stop watching Eric play duck chess!

[@jensino]

Duck Chess adds so many new layers to the cake. It is simply amazing. 🙂

[@nuagor]

Quackers! Fun variant. Thanks for sharing, Eric!

[@zguesss]

I'd love to see a duck chess collab with Levy

[@vedicapproach8105]

I lost it when the ambient duck noises came in 😂

[@BaconBuddyMC]

I've been loving duck chess and the interesting ways duckzwang can be used

[@ItsAsparageese]

Underrated comment. Duckzwang accurately evokes how this variant seems to be extra good for setting traps & just generally forcing the opponent into awkward spots

[@Saucygames]

20:40 that opening is a blunder, you could have put the bishop next to the pawn in front of their bishop and blocked their pawn and from blocking and bishop from taking. Winning a bishop, they can save the rook by moving the knight but bishop was lost

[@thiagoxhernandez9445]

"I forgot duck e6 was possible" - IM Eric Rosen 2022

[@KeldonA]

Actually you can take your move back if you've not yet moved the duck ... Maybe it's a glitch, but I can do it ;)

[@IlluviumGaming]

24:34 This game looks so tricky. I wanted something like Rxe7Dd8 (or anywhere off the diagonal or e file really) because the rook and bishop both are attacking, but he would have anything takes e7 and duck back to b5.

[@lerlay950]

I actually think duck chess might be the best new chess variant I've seen, I can fully see this as a competitive format

[@kaipierce3463]

"you always have to keep in mind the deviousness of the duck" are words that I will never forget.

[@LarryBordo]

"There's no engine for this game" I was talking with the guy who maintains "Fairy Stockfish" which is a variant chess engine. He says that the reason duck chess and other multi move variants aren't implemented is because the alternation of moves is an assumption baked into the code of the chess engine itself. That's part of the pruning, for instance, to reduce branches of possibilities

[@taggartaa]

Black should get to place the duck in the opening board. That would give black compensation for not moving a piece first.

[@Purin1023]

I tried a couple games myself and, man this variant gets frustrating really quickly sometimes. Constantly getting the same moves blocked turn after turn. I guess setting up multiple good options is part of the learning curve though.

[@eugenekoshanof7328]

waiting for Eric to say "Oh no, my duck!"

[@tastethecrainbow6149]

Only having just discovered this, against 1. e4 and most duck moves as Black, 2. c6Dd3 is hilarious. Playing a Caro-Kann where they can't put 2 pawns in the center has been a delight.

[@ts4gv]

Duck chess but White’s first turn is duckless. Then it’d be perfect.

[@jordylont1879]

More Duck Chess let’s goo