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Sometimes I see a move or serial of moves described as "artificial" What does this mean? Here is one example, comments by Kasparov on move 10. ..cxd4. Taken from "Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part1"

Later Black sometimes also tried the rather artificial 10...Bg4 11.d5 Rd8 12.Qb2 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Ne5 { (Yusupov-Anand, 6th match game, Wijk aan Zee 1994; I.Sokolov-Topalov, Sarajevo 2001)

[Event "Moscow-4teams"]
[Site "Moscow URS"]
[Date "1981.02.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Garry Kasparov"]
[Black "Oleg Romanishin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[EventDate "????.??.??"]
[FEN ""]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5   8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qd2 Nc6 10.Rc1 cxd4 ( 10...Bg4 11.d5 Rd8 12.Qb2 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Ne5 ) 11.cxd4 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 O-O 13.d5 Rd8 14.Ke1 Na5 15.Bg5 Bf6 16.Bd2 b6 17.Rc7 Bg4 18.Ba6 e6 19.Ng5 Be5 20.Rxf7 exd5 21.f4 Bg7 22.f5 dxe4 23.Bxa5 bxa5 24.Bc4 Bc3+ 25.Kf2 e3+ 26.Kg3 Be5+ 27.Kxg4 Rd4+ 28.Kh3 Rxc4 29.f6 Bxf6 30.Rxf6 Re8 31.Re1 e2 32.Kg3 Ra4 33.Kf2 Rxa2 34.Ne6 a4 35.Rb1 a3 36.Rb7 e1=Q+ 37.Kxe1 Rxg2 38.Rg7+ Kh8 39.Rgf7 h5 40.Kf1 Rxh2 41.Rxg6 Rxe6 42.Rxe6 Kg8 43.Rxa7 1-0
PhishMaster
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Michael West
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2 Answers2

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An artificial move is one that does not fit in with what would be typical of the plan. It means "unnatural" given the position.

In the game above, Bg4 is unusual, and only played 5.5% of the time in that position. Typically, 10...cxd4 is played there in an overwhelming majority of games, and the Bc8 often ends up on the d7 square as more suitable.

PhishMaster
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An artificial move would parry the immediate threat (if it didn't it would just be a bad move) but looks strange to an experienced player.

Artificial castling ,aka castling by hand, results in the position that would have been achieved by castling if that move were legally possible. EG the king or rook may have moved already but then end up in the same position as if castling had happened.

edwina oliver
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    Artificial castling (aka castling by hand), and an artificial move, are two different terms that are used in chess. – PhishMaster Feb 18 '20 at 21:51
  • True. I added the other one for completeness so the fanboyz wont complain about my short answers. – edwina oliver Feb 18 '20 at 21:56
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    An artificial move has nothing to do with parrying a threat. It is just a move that is incongruous with the typical plans....it does not fit in. You know that I do not really downvote, but that portion of your answer is really not correct in chess terms. It may be English, but an "artificial move" in chess has a very specific meaning. – PhishMaster Feb 18 '20 at 21:59
  • Then there may be no standard definition as I found that one on another site defining artificial move. – edwina oliver Feb 18 '20 at 22:01
  • It comes from having read over 250 chess books cover to cover (and countless magazines and websites), and having seen the term used many, many times. I assure you that it means what I said in my answer. – PhishMaster Feb 18 '20 at 22:02
  • I believe you when you say some people use that definition. I also say that another source has defined it differently. What does the official FIDE dictionary say? – edwina oliver Feb 18 '20 at 22:04
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    I don't know that FIDE has a diction from the search I just did, but in the question, the source of that comment is Kasparov, so I will take his usage, which is clear in this case that it is the one that I have typically seen through the years. – PhishMaster Feb 18 '20 at 22:06
  • As good as any source for sure. But GMs do have their own slang and special word usage. Until everybody agrees with it then it is still just that -- one usage by an important GM but not the official definition. – edwina oliver Feb 18 '20 at 23:36
  • PhishMaster's answer was the one I was looking for. I have read many chess books, though not 250, and there are a few repeated terms that I have a feel what they mean but am unsure. Another one is "Superficial." But I wanted to have a focused question so picked one term. – Michael West Feb 18 '20 at 23:54