Chess is a disease. Once infected, there is very little hope of recovery. Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that it is like a drug; it is addictive and the withdrawal symptoms can be severe. People get hooked on the game, sometiems because they like winning, sometimes because they love puzzles, and sometimes because they are enraptured by the sheer beauty of the game. Once hooked it is very difficult to stop playing.


Who is the best chess player ever?

It is one of three people. During the 1990s Garry Kasparov dominated the chess world. He retired in 2005 but was arguably already past his prime. Bobby Fischer entered the consciousness of the world when he defeated Spassky for the title of world champion. He stopped playing chess, then played one more match, in 1992 (which he won) and then stopped again. He was a very powerful player and many claim that he was, at his peak, the stongest player ever to have lived. Jose Raul Capablanca was a phenomenally strong player in the 1920s. He was an amazing positional player and had, arguably, a greater natural talent than any other player. There are many who claim that Capa was the greatest of them all.

For my part, I believe that Kasparov, in his prime, was the best chess player ever.


How far ahead do chess players calculate?

It depends on the position, the player, and the time control. In sharp tactical positions players may calculate forcing sequences as far as 12 moves (24 plys) ahead. In quiet positions very little calculation is needed, though 3-5 moves (6-10 plys) is a reasonable average for that kind of position. Players calculate further in more tactical positions and calculate less in non-tactical positions. Some players have strong instincts and rely more on these than on the calculation of variations. Others prefer to play 'concrete chess' analysing out as many possibilities as possible. The more 'concrete' the player's style, the further ahead they will calculate.


What is the best first move

There are four candidates for the best first move. They are 1. e4, 1. d4, 1. c4, and 1. Nf3. Most strong players would accept that one of these is the best first move. My money is on 1. e4, but there is certainly room for argument here; if there weren't then everyone would play 1. e4!.


Are computers better than humans at chess?

In tactical positions, yes. In blocked positions, no. Overall, it's a close call! In recent games the top players have been drawing matches with various chess programs, but I suspect it will be less than 5 years before the horizon of the programs gets far enough away for them to be able to mask almost all of their weaknesses.


What is the best chess book?

The best introduction to the game including explanations of the rules of the game is 'The Pocket Book of Chess' by Raymond Keene. Most of Keene's books are rather poor, but he's written about four good ones, and this is one of the good ones. The best book for club players is 'Secrets of Practical Chess' by John Nunn. The best book on Strategy is 'Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy' by John Watson. The best openings treatise is 'Nunn's Chess Openings' by Nunn et al.

Of these, my favourite is Nunn's 'Secrets of Practical Chess'.