user2241: I have had periods in my life when I became quite engaged in Chess. I am also a card player - particularly Bridge and Two Handed Pinochle (old game, not very popular these days). Oftentimes I get bored/frustrated with Chess because there is apparently no "luck factor" - no randomness. So I prefer a good game of two handed Pinochle to chess: It requires great skill, but also has a significant luck factor, whose impact is of course diminished the more you play against a particular opponent and the laws of probability become manifest, so that the more skillful player emerges.
I understand that's what Chess fans love about the game - it's a contest of pure skill - but I often feel that the luck of the random factor detracts from my interest - diminishes the excitement - it's all about learning everything that was done before and trying to master it and then improve in little ways that you can, although most of what you come up with will already be "old hat", unless you're a chess genius.
So, am I missing something? Is there a random factor in chess (I don't mean getting lucky that your opponent has a headache and can't play as well as he should) or am I just too lazy and superficial to appreciate the game (that may indeed be true...).

user2259: I'm an old chess champion. I won 3rd place in a city championship has no age limit, when I was 10 years old.
I can definitely say that chess has luck possibility/factor/variable in it. All my experiences with chess showed me chess is not only a logic war. Yes it's a war like all others have psychological side. Therefore it brings your matter. Let me give you an example. The fundamental of the issue is that "When you play chess and if you remember what I just wrote here, would it effect your feelings/logic chain of your strategy, thus destiny of the game?"
It's a deep topic to discuss here.
"You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas." -Stanley Kubrick
"Few things are as psychologically brutal as chess." -Kasparov
Hope it helps

user2078: If it's randomness you're after, why not try Chess960, aka Fischer Random Chess? The starting position of the pieces is random, which can lead to very exciting games dominated by tactics. There's still no "luck", but at least memorizing openings is less of a factor.

user924: Randomness is important in things like card games, because if everyone knew what the cards were, they could always figure out the most optimal play and it wouldn't be much fun.
Chess is incredibly hard to play well. There are many possibilities and it is often very hard to judge which one is the best. Learning everything that's gone before hardly helps, because games reach new unique positions quite quickly, and then you're on your own again.
So you get new positions, and you're often reduced to just picking one moves out of several possibilities by, basically, guessing.
To me that's close enough to the effects of randomness in other games. I believe there is luck in chess too, like making a good decision for the wrong reasons.

2241: <p>I have had periods in my life when I became quite engaged in Chess. I am also a card player - particularly Bridge and Two Handed Pinochle (old game, not very popular these days). Oftentimes I get bored/frustrated with Chess because there is apparently no "luck factor" - no randomness. So I prefer a good game of two handed Pinochle to chess: It requires great skill, but also has a significant luck factor, whose impact is of course diminished the more you play against a particular opponent and the laws of probability become manifest, so that the more skillful player emerges.</p>

<p>I understand that's what Chess fans love about the game - it's a contest of pure skill - but I often feel that the luck of the random factor detracts from my interest - diminishes the excitement - it's all about learning everything that was done before and trying to master it and then improve in little ways that you can, although most of what you come up with will already be "old hat", unless you're a chess genius.</p>

<p>So, am I missing something? Is there a random factor in chess (I don't mean getting lucky that your opponent has a headache and can't play as well as he should) or am I just too lazy and superficial to appreciate the game (that may indeed be true...).</p>
 2259: <p>I'm an old chess champion. I won 3rd place in a city championship has no age limit, when I was 10 years old.</p>

<p>I can definitely say that chess has luck possibility/factor/variable in it. All my experiences with chess showed me chess is not only a logic war. Yes it's a war like all others have psychological side. Therefore it brings your matter. Let me give you an example. The fundamental of the issue is that "When you play chess and if you remember what I just wrote here, would it effect your feelings/logic chain of your strategy, <em>thus destiny of the game?</em>"</p>

<p>It's a deep topic to discuss here.</p>

<p>"You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas." <em>-Stanley Kubrick</em></p>

<p>"Few things are as psychologically brutal as chess." <em>-Kasparov</em></p>

<p>Hope it helps</p>
 2078: <p>If it's randomness you're after, why not try <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess960">Chess960</a>, aka Fischer Random Chess? The starting position of the pieces is random, which can lead to very exciting games dominated by tactics. There's still no "luck", but at least memorizing openings is less of a factor.</p>
 924: <p>Randomness is important in things like card games, because if everyone knew what the cards were, they could always figure out the most optimal play and it wouldn't be much fun.</p>

<p>Chess is incredibly hard to play well. There are many possibilities and it is often very hard to judge which one is the best. Learning everything that's gone before hardly helps, because games reach new unique positions quite quickly, and then you're on your own again.</p>

<p>So you get new positions, and you're often reduced to just picking one moves out of several possibilities by, basically, guessing.</p>

<p>To me that's close enough to the effects of randomness in other games. I believe there is luck in chess too, like making a good decision for the wrong reasons.</p>
