Chess aesthetics or beauty in chess is the aesthetic appreciation of chess games and problems, by both players and composers. This is evident, for example, in awarded to some games in certain

tournaments A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

and also in the world of

chess composition A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to ...

. There are many books published featuring chess problems or puzzles that emphasize its aesthetic aspect. One of the earliest is from the 9th century AD. Aesthetics in chess can be both a source of pleasure for humans and also instruction, as compositions or games featuring it typically illustrate original ideas or new instantiations of old ones. A good

chess problem A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to ...

composer, however, is not necessarily a good player. Factors about a game or move sequence (also referred to as a ''

combination In mathematics, a combination is a selection of items from a set that has distinct members, such that the order of selection does not matter (unlike permutations). For example, given three fruits, say an apple, an orange and a pear, there are th ...

'') that might cause it to be regarded as 'brilliant' by most players include, among other things: expediency, disguise, sacrifice, correctness, preparation, paradox, unity and originality. * ''Expediency'' refers to a move's effectiveness in achieving something tangible, like checkmate or a decisive gain. * ''Disguise'' occurs when a move played (usually the move) does not expose the solution immediately. * ''Sacrifice'' refers to the exchange of a more powerful piece for a weaker one, but can also mean the exchange of other less tangible advantages, like . * ''Correctness'' simply means the solution should work against any defense. (A plus but not always possible in real games.) * ''Preparation'' means that the aesthetic perceived—say, in a particular tactical combination—was achieved in great part due to the strategic play preceding it. * ''Paradox'' refers to the range of things that violate 'good practice' in chess, for example, the deliberate exposure of one's king. * ''Unity'' refers to the cooperation between pieces toward the attainment of a specific goal (e.g.

checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

, winning material, controlling more ). * ''Originality'' means something the observer has not seen before, and must therefore rely heavily on personal experience. Composition conventions such as not having any checks or in the first (i.e. key) move, and the use of variations to illustrate a particular theme (e.g.

zugzwang Zugzwang (German for "compulsion to move", ) is a situation found in chess and other turn-based games wherein one player is put at a disadvantage because of their obligation to make a move; a player is said to be "in zugzwang" when any legal mov ...

, pin), also play a role in the aesthetics of the game. Conceptually, a 'common ground' of aesthetics between the domains of real (e.g. tournament) games and compositions can be established. These are beauty characteristics that apply approximately equally to both domains; examples include

heuristic A heuristic (; ), or heuristic technique, is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate ...

violations, economy and material sacrifice. This common ground is useful in computational models of aesthetics in the game because it helps in experiments comparing the beauty of compositions (on average, considered more beautiful) against the beauty of real games (on average, considered less beautiful). Some factors that pertain solely to real games (e.g. pressure under

time control A time control is a mechanism in the tournament play of almost all two-player board games so that each round of the match can finish in a timely way and the tournament can proceed. Time controls are typically enforced by means of a game cloc ...

) or compositions (e.g. avoidance of

castling Castling is a move in chess. It consists of moving the king two squares toward a rook on the same and then moving the rook to the square that the king passed over. Castling is permitted only if neither the king nor the rook has previously move ...

moves) may be conflated with ''aesthetics'' in the game—and perhaps to some degree this is justifiable;Humble, P.N. (1995). The Aesthetics of Chess: A Reply to Ravilious. British Journal of Aesthetics, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 390–94. however, they would lie outside the common ground described above.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chess Aesthetics Aesthetics

Aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

See also

References