Who plays first in chess? Solving the myth once and for all
Chess, the eternal battle between two worlds, where kings and queens fight for dominance on the chessboard. And now, the crucial question that haunts all beginners: who makes the first move? Which piece moves first in this epic game?
The road sign is clear: the honor belongs to the white player. But why? Is the white color some secret chess superpower?
Although many believe that Johann Löwenthal personally introduced the rule that white moves first, the truth is a bit different. This tradition dates back to a time when chess pieces still had their medieval beards. It was a period when European chess giants chose colors and move order in a kind of chess fashion show.
So, who is the chief color designer in the world of chess? Johann Löwenthal certainly contributed to the development of chess, but let's not confuse things. The rule that white moves first was there before chess players became fashion icons.
Does the white player have an advantage when moving first?
And now, does the white player have an advantage when playing first? Well, if we look at the statistics, we can notice a slight advantage for the white player.
|
|
White Wins |
Drawn |
Black Wins |
Total Score for White |
|
Tournaments 1851–1878 |
45.52% |
14.07% |
40.41% |
52.55% |
|
Tournaments 1881–1914 |
36.89% |
31.76% |
31.35% |
52.77% |
|
Tournaments 1919–1932 |
36.98% |
36.98% |
26.04% |
55.47% |
|
Tournaments Overall 1851–1932 |
38.12% |
30.56% |
31.31% |
53.40% |
|
World Blitz Chess Championship 2009 |
38.96% |
26.41% |
34.63% |
52.16% |
|
CEGT Chess Engine Results (40/120) 2009 |
34.7% |
41.3% |
24.0% |
55.4% |
|
Chessgames.com Database 2015 |
37.50% |
34.90% |
27.60% |
54.95% |
Table - Win Percentages of White vs. Black Players from 1851-2015
But hey, it all depends on strategy, technique, and sometimes the mood of the pieces on the board. White may have an advantage, but the game of chess is like destiny - sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you wonder how you ended up there at all.
Is this some kind of racism? Absolutely not! The story goes that in the past, chess players were more like fashion icons than we thought, choosing colors as if they were on the red carpet, and there you go, white became the first-move supermodel.
So, believe in the idea that black brings luck, but also that it would be too much privilege for black to have both luck and the first move! Alright, I've learned that the white player moves first, how do I learn to play the entire game of chess?
Well, welcome to the magical chess journey at Chessdistrict.com! Our courses are made with love for beginners because who knows, maybe one day you'll steal a victory from a grandmaster and say, "I learned that on Chessdistrict.com, with a cup of coffee and a good dose of humor."
See you in the next blog, where chess becomes an adventure!