I lost a game on time, although the opponent had only K+B. This is not according to rapid chess rules. Of course, having several pawns left, I could have promoted to bishop, etc., and placed them so that the opponent could have mated me, with my king in the corner. But it is very far-fetched. According to rapid and blitz chess rules, if the opponent lacks mating material, then it's a draw!
Lichess must change this, because it takes away an important stratagem, namely that one can save oneself by sacrificing material on the opponent's last pawn. After all, in standard chess, although not formally a draw, the result is draw in practical play. But since one doesn't have the time to prove this in rapid chess, it should be automatically a draw. That's how it works on other chess servers.
Hmmm.....
My understanding is that if any possible sequence of moves can lead to checkmate for one side, they have sufficient mating material.
This is very theoretical reasoning, because it never happens in real life. Rapid chess rules must take account of this.
No. Everything’s fine and in accordance with FIDE (rapid) rules. Crystal-clear and consistent. Because you have no time, you cannot prove and that at your expense.
Just remember: there are mates with a single knight or bishop (no pawns) in the Mega DB of ChessBase.
I agree with
@imminentD3ATH and
@Sarg0n . The rules are the rules and they should be stuck to. Especially when it's in accordance with FIDE rules. Also it makes more sense because in rapid chess you have an even lesser expectation for your claim about how things would have went to be proven because there is less time to do so. In rapid chess because of the lack of time it makes more sense to be governed by simple rules.
#1 "I could have promoted to bishop..."
Or a queen! Put a queen on a8, king on a7, pawn on a6 and Black can easily checkmate.
Regarding "draw in practical play" there are countless examples of K+P against K+Q+... where the K+P win on time, even when the pawn is unable to move and the K+Q+... are threatening a forced mate in a few moves.
It is appalling and vulgar. It is against the spirit of the game. It is not fair play. Don't you have any moral sense?
Since when do "morals" take part?
Your complaint is about the clock, that fast games can be won by flagging. The rules are clearly written, enforced the same here as most other chess sites. The spirit of the game lives on. A King + N and a King + B is SUFFICIENT material to checkmate when the opposing side has a King + material.
Your initial objection had to do with "what if a player has captured all their opponent's pawns," but if morality is the point, then why should capturing the pawns be relevant?
Playing with an increment (even +1 second/move) helps convince the opponent to resign a truly lost position, no matter how many pawns they have.
What's the moral of playing with clock and not accepting losses because of remaining material whatsoever? And the "spirit of chess" is playing on time, capturing all the pawns and getting a draw luckily?
Btw, I once thought this rule change could lead to more quality chess because munching all the pawns no-brainer-style is no longer awarded with a draw. The pieces can escape - so you have to play a bit more in the spirit of chess which is certainly not capturing all the pawns. It's playing for mate!
Edit: hey, I found it!
lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/why-using-the-official-rule-mate-potential-counts-is-in-the-spirit-of-chess-as-we-knew-it#1"Well, there was this change from draw to loss when only a minor piece was remaining because of the "mating potential" (if it's a pawn it's no big deal or what else?)
I can explain why some of you regard this as outrageous despite of it's clarity:
Nowadays you can play with almost lowest time periods available bullet and even quicker stuff. And you could rely on that when you collect all the enemy helpless lame pawns with no-brainer moves then you will be rewarded with a draw. No, that's not enough any more. You can neither catch a minor piece by pre-moving nor you can get rid off your own material.
Maybe you have to reconsider your time-only strategy relying on premoves and return a bit more to chess e.g. mate is the aim of the game?"
