|
|
|
Topic: How many different positions can occur in the game of chess?
| |
|
|
Author
| Message |
|---|
|
|
I always had been curious about this, but I know it´s a extremely hard question to answer. Can someone answer this question?
|
|
|
As computers still cannot calculate this, and as games are not neccesary forced to an end, except for the 3 simular positions and repeated moves, which can be avoid, it looks to me that the amount of positions are countless.
Do not forget in chess you are not obliged to take enimys pieces.
|
|
|
The 3 similar positions and repeated moves cant be avoided for ever. It will come to a time when you'll have to repeat a position because there will be no alternative move. However, in my question, a position, if repeated even once,would count only as one position.
|
|
|
Agree, somewhere there should be an end at the possibilitys. But as told before, if players don,t capture enimy pieces as long as possible, a game good go on forever, at least in their lifes.
In a computer magazine (forgot the name) a time ago in an article about chessengines, I read that they are stil incapable to calculate the maximum amount. If you realize that they can (almost) excactly calculate the distances between planets, stars etc., even new discovered onces, you can imagine what an enormous amount of moves in chess there are possible before the game ends in mat, stalemat of repetion of moves/simular positions.
I think, nobody can give you the right answer to your question yet. Maybe in the future.
|
|
|
Finite number of pieces on a finite board gives Finite number of positions.
Current estimate is between 10^43 and 10^50 legal positions.
|
|
|
| The 3 similar positions and repeated moves cant be avoided for ever. |
No, it cannot be avoided "for ever", but you can still have a very long game.
To give an example, you can avoid at maximum (not forever though) the 50 moves rule by playing a pawn advance every 49 moves.
After the pawns block each other, you must capture. So counting with capturing, promoting, castling, you can make 49 dumb moves before each limit of a 50-moves rule.
And you will go this way, until you have only 2 kings in the board.
To be more mathematical: the chess game do converge to an end, and cannot be played forever.
Cheers,
Beco.
|
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next |
|
|
|
