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Questions tagged [handicapping]

Questions related to handicapping a player in chess

Handicapping is a term referring to restricting a stronger player's game (by various means) in order to heighten a weaker player's chances of winning. This is generally done by removing one piece or more from the stronger player at the beginning of the game, or by giving the weaker player extra time.

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Is there a way to use handicaps in chess to bridge the gap between players of different skill levels?

Handicapping is routine in the Japanese game Go (my best game). The basic strength unit is one stone, and a one-stone difference represents a full level of difference in strength. I (about a 1500 player) once asked a 2100 player how much of a…
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What is the required Elo to beat a Grandmaster with queen odds?

I heard someone saying today that he would beat Garry Kasparov if Garry played without a queen. Can a Grandmaster give queen odds and win against a 2000 ranked player? Rook odds?
Ofiris
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How does "time odds" confer an advantage to the weaker player?

Ok, we set the clocks so that the weaker player gets 15 minutes on the clock, and the stronger player gets only five. In theory, that gives the weaker player three times as much time to think, which should be an advantage. Except that the stronger…
Tom Au
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How and why were the chess pieces given as "odds" predetermined?

For instance, "pawn odds" is really "pawn and move" odds. That is, the odds giver plays Black and removes his KBP. Why not allow an "intermediate" odds where the odds giver plays white? And why not allow the odds give to choose which pawn to…
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Does Deep Blue give handicaps?

IBM's "Deep Blue" computer can beat any human being, including a former world champion such as Gary Kasparov. Thus, it follows that Deep Blue must give a handicap to a human player in order for a human to have a chance of winning. In games like…
Tom Au
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How to apply handicap given ratings

Given a player with an ELO rating of 1200, and another with an ELO rating of 2100, how would you calculate an appropriate handicap? I know this can vary a lot depending on styles of play. I'm not looking for a globally correct answer. Just a rough…
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