Is it fair to throw a chess game if the game isn't fair?

Question

I was playing chess with my dad over the phone.

I discovered I had placed his queen and king on the wrong squares, several moves into the game.

I wanted to restart the game, but he wasn't willing.

At this point, I didn't consider the game fair, so I let him win, without losing any of his own pieces.

Was that fair treatment, for him not enabling me to start over?

I feel that tweety gave me the best answer, but I'm putting the answers to vote.

Answer 1

As far as I'm concerned, the game never started, and therefore nobody won. All of the pieces have to be in their proper place in order for the game to begin. If you had placed his knight next to his queen he would have easily conceded that the game never began, but for some reason he is willing to allow that the queen and king can be switched. Nope.

Answer 2

So, the opening moves are 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 b6, right? Well, you asked for no comments, but the problem with this opening for White is that it's pretty easy for Black to kick the queen around, which gives him good counterplay. However, maybe the queen is better off on g3 anyway, so let him play ...Bc5. I'm thinking 6. Be2 (preventing ...Nh5) Bc5 7. Qg3, and if 7...O-O 8. Bh6 looks awkward. * * * * * Looking at this line a little more, I think 6. Bc4 is much more active, allowing the knight to develop to e2 later. Also, castling to either side is possible. After 6. Bc4 Bc5 7. Qg3, then 7...Nh5 does nothing, since 8. Qf3 forces the knight back to f6 (not 8...Ne5 9. Qxh5 Nxc4 10. Qd5 winning a piece). Also, 7...Bb7 isn't so good because of 8. Qxg7, when 8...Rg8?? is met by 9. Qxf7mate. Black can try 7...O-O, when 8. Bh6 Nh5 looks okay for Black, but 8. Bg5 appears to give White good play. The move I like for Black is 7...Qe7. After 8. Bg5 (preparing O-O-O) Nxe4! leads to 9. Bxe7 Nxg3 10. Bxc5 Nxh1 11. Be3 Nxf2 (else White plays f3, and Black gets nothing for the trapped knight) 12. Kxf2. In this position, Black has a rook and two pawns for two minor pieces, but White's pieces have more activity. The better endgame player will win it.

Answer 3

He was perfectly fair, if not a bit strict. If you played over the phone and you both used a board...and you placed the pieces wrong but on the other side of the phone the setup was correct..well then it's really your problem you screwed up.

If you and your dad both placed the pieces wrong...it really shouldn't matter too much. It's preferable to start over and this would happen in an official game. In a casual game..I'd say..you both made a mistake...just finish it..

To conclude...I think you made a fuss over nothing and you might just as well have forfeited the game instead of demonstrating how wronged you felt with this bad play.

Answer 4

I would say that you didn't really "throw it", because it was never really a game of chess.

Your father was wrong for not agreeing to start over, that's for sure. Naturally, if this happened in a tournamnet, the game would be placed back into the position in which the error occurred, and in this case, that's the starting position.

To keep peace in the family, you still could have played on and tried your best to beat him. You could have treated it not so much as a game itself, but as a "tactical exercise". As you know, when you do tactical exercises, the pieces are not in their starting positions. You just pick up the moves according to how the problem is set up. You could have done the same thing here...treat this "game" simply as a problem to be solved....but you were under no obligation to, of course.

But bottom line in this instance is, you were correct in stating that the game should have been replayed from the starting position.

Answer 5

does it matter? don't think about it. Get out and run around your house to get your mind off it! btw, who plays chess over the phone?

Answer 6

The game should have been set up properly from the start, so it should have been restarted, IMHO.

Answer 7

y not? but who plays chess over the fone u mite as well play by urself

Answer 8

The important question is how are you and your Dad reacting to that? No one here can answer that.

Answer 9

it was your fault but if he didnt want you to then it was fair but dont ever throw a game on purpose if you dont have to

Answer 10

The games was invalid.