
Daily Quiz: Questions 1 to 50
Over the summer months until face-to-face chess is widely restarted in Dorset there will be a daily ‘Test Your Chess Knowledge’ quiz question (with 5 possible answers). For local quiz questions you may find the Bulletins and Chat articles helpful.
Martin Simons welcomes your feedback on the quiz and any submissions you have for questions.
Every day we will be publishing the Answers to the latest questions.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.50 – You are the Arbiter!
With both players short of time you notice a player forgets to press his clock yet it is also clear to you that his opponent is aware of this. What do you do?
A) Tell the player to press his clock.
B) Tell the opponent to tell the player to press his clock otherwise this could be regarded as unsporting behaviour.
C) Press the clock yourself as the move has been completed.
D) Do nothing and walk away to avoid getting involved.
E) keep a watchful eye on the game so you can step in if a flag falls.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.49 – International Chess
Kasparov and Karpov played 144 games across 5 World Championship matches. Ignoring the 104 draws, what was the score in favour of Kasparov?
A) 21 – 19
B) 22 – 18
C) 23 – 17
D) 24 – 16
E) 25 – 15
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.48 – National Chess
Who was the youngest ever winner of the British Championship?
A) Nigel Short
B) Julian Hodgson
C) David Howell
D) Jonathan Mestel
E) Mickey Adams
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.47 – Local Chess
How many different clubs have won the B&DCL Division One Championship?
A) 9
B) 12
C) 15
D) 18
E) 21
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.46 – Chess Laws / Trivia
Except for stalemate the main rules of the modern chess game were established in which century?
A) 14th
B) 15th
C) 16th
D) 17th
E) 18th
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.45 – You are the Arbiter!
In a tournament after 12 moves you notice that the White king and queen are on the wrong squares. What do you do?
A) The game should be restarted with all pieces on their original correct squares regardless of the number of moves played.
B) The game should only be restarted but only if less than 10 moves have been played, otherwise continue.
C) The pieces should be switched, it is an obvious error and has not affected play, the game should then continue.
D) Both players should be given a warning, the pieces should be switched and play should be continued.
E) Both players should be given a warning and the game restarted.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.44 – International Chess
At which World Championship Match did yoghurts become a tightly controlled foodstuff after suspicion that they were being used as coded messages?
A) Spassky v Petrosian 1969
B) Fischer v Spassky 1972
C) Karpov v Korchnoi 1978
D) Karpov v Korchnoi 1981
E) Karpov v Kasparov 1984
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.43 – National Chess
Which English player played 1… a6 against Karpov and won!
A) Tony Miles
B) Nigel Short
C) Julian Hodgson
D) Stuart Conquest
E) Mickey Adams
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.42 – Local Chess
Since 1985, how many times has the Bournemouth v Poole Two Towns match been tied?
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) 4
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.41 – Chess Laws / Trivia
From the start position how many different sequences of moves are there to checkmate in 2 moves.
A) 2
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8
E) 10
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.40 – You are the Arbiter!
You are a team captain in a local B&DCL match and you hear an opponent’s mobile phone has made a sound. What do you do?
A) You cannot do anything, it is for your team player to warn a player and/or claim a win.
B) Your team player can claim the game under any circumstances.
C) Your team player can claim the game but only if a win by a series of legal moves is possible and there were no mitigating circumstances agreed upon before the game.
D) The opposing player is allowed one warning, then if it happens again, subject to C above, a win is awarded.
E) In the local B&DCL, a claim for a win relating to a mobile phone making a sound is not permitted.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.39 – International Chess
Which World Chess Champion has been married most times:
A) Emanuel Lasker
B) Alexander Alekhine
C) Mikhail Botvinnik
D) Boris Spassky
E) Anatoly Karpov
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.38 – National Chess
Who opened with 1.f3 and 2.Kf2 at the 1999 British Chess Championships in Scarborough and won?
A) Danny Gormally
B) Simon Williams
C) Charlie Storey
D) Jack Rudd
E) Richard Pert
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.37 – Local Chess
Who is the founder member of Purbeck Chess Club?
A) Derek Mount
B) Paul Stanley
C) Brian Beard
D) Richard Quin
E) Steve Peirson
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.36 – Chess Laws and Trivia
Who was nicknamed J’adoubavic because of a reputation for cheating by taking bad moves back with an announcement of j’adoube?
A) Milan Matulavic
B) Dragoljub Velimirovic
C) Svetozar Gligoric
D) Alexander Morozevic
E) Ljubomir Ljubojevic
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.35 – You are the Arbiter!
In a tournament it is noticed that two players are playing their game with the wrong colours. What do you do?
A) The number of moves are not relevant, the players must start again with the correct colours.
B) The number of moves are not relevant, the players must continue with their game.
C) If fewer than 5 moves have been played by both players, then the game must start again with the correct colours, if not the current game continue.
D) If fewer than 10 moves have been played by both players, then the game must start again with the correct colours, if not the current game continues.
E) Both players can continue their game, it will be graded but for the purposes of the tournament they are penalised with a loss of game.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.34 – International Chess
The World Chess Championship split in 1993 when Kasparov formed the Professional Chess Association and was re-unified by Kramnik in 2006. How many FIDE work champions were there in between Kasparov and Kramnik?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6
E) 7
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.33 – National Chess
The popular BBC Master Game ran for 8 series from 1975 to 1983 and was presented by Jeremy James but who provided the independent expert analysis in the first series?
A) Leonard Barden
B) Bill Hartston
C) Raymond Keene
D) Danny King
E) Michael Stean
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.32 – Local Chess
Who had to do most of the washing up at the 1st Dorset Blitz Championship in 2017 and therefore could not watch much chess?
A) Ian Clark
B) Mike Jay
C) Martin Simons
D) Nikki Forster
E) Steve Peirson
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.31 – Chess Laws and Trivia
Which of these is NOT a chess opening or variation?
A) Orangutan
B) Giraffe Attack
C) Gerbil’s Tunnel
D) Monkey’s Bum
E) Vulture
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.30 – You are the Arbiter!
Based on the 2018 FIDE Laws of Chess as covered in its latest handbook, how many illegal moves made by a player does it take for the arbiter to declare the game lost by this player.
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) A player cannot lose a game by making an illegal move, they will simply be asked to correct the move each time and the opposing player awarded two extra minutes.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.29 – International Chess
Who holds the record as the youngest ever chess Grandmaster?
A) Peter Leko
B) Fabiano Caruana
C) Magnus Carlsen
D) Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
E) Sergey Karjakin
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.28 – National Chess
When was the highly successful 4 Nations Chess League (4NCL) formed in the UK?
A) 1990
B) 1993
C) 1996
D) 1999
E) 2002
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.27 – Local Chess
Which past Dorset League President was killed by lightning?
A) Greville Marples
B) Frank Kingdon
C) Mr A F Thomas
D) Derek Marples
E) Joe Anderson
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.26 – Laws of Chess
Question: Based on the 2018 FIDE Laws of Chess as covered in its latest handbook which of the following statements are correct?
A) You can switch hands for different moves but not for the same move
B) You can make your move with one hand and press your clock with the other
C) You can castle with both hands providing you touch the king first
D) You can capture with both hands picking up your own piece with one hand & the opponent’s piece with the other
E) Even if the rook has moved you may still castle
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.25 – You are the Arbiter!
A player has moved a pawn to the 8th rank, pressed the clock, but not replaced the pawn with a new piece, what should the Arbiter do?
A) Nothing until the opponent complains.
B) If the required piece was not available nearby then this is permissable as long as the player states what piece it is.
C) It’s a valid move to move the pawn to the 8th rank but the Arbiter must ask the player to replace the pawn with any piece before play continues.
D) The move is not complete, extra time may be added to the opponent’s clock but the player can replace the pawn with any piece.
E) It’s an illegal move as it was not completed. The pawn can only be replaced by a queen of the same colour.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.24 – International Chess
Who was the youngest ever undisputed winner of the World Chess Championship (this therefore excludes the period between 1993 and 2006 when there was a FIDE and a PCA/Braingames World Chess Champion)?
A) Mikhail Tal
B) Bobby Fischer
C) Anatoly Karpov
D) Garry Kasparov
E) Magnus Carlsen
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.23 – National Chess
Who has been the British (English) Ladies Champion most times?
A) Rowena Mary Bruce
B) Jana Hartston / Jana Miles (now Jana Bellin)
C) Sheila Jackson
D) Susan Arkell (now Susan Lalic)
E) Jovanka Houska
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.22 – Local Chess
Who has been the longest serving B&DCL President?
A) Alan Dommett
B) Barry Walker
C) Reg Valentine
D) Martyn Adams
E) David Burt
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.21 – Laws of Chess
How many different ways by normal means are there to end a chess game (i.e. these do not include defaults, disqualifications, illegal moves etc) consistent with the FIDE Handbook covering the Laws of Chess?
A) 7
B) 8
C) 9
D) 10
E) 11
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.20 – You are the Arbiter!
During a game you spot that the low battery warning is now showing on a digital clock. It was not showing at the start of play.
What should you do?
A) Change the batteries immediately, apologising to the players for the disturbance.
B) Wait until one player has moved and then halt the game until the batteries can be changed.
C) Stay near the board until the game is finished recording the clock times after every move.
D) Change the batteries before the next round.
E) Switch to an analogue clock as this causes least disturbance.
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.19 – International Chess
What was the score of the most famous chess match ever, Fischer v Spassky World Championship match, in 1972?
A) 12½ – 9½
B) 12½ – 8½
C) 12½ – 7½
D) 12½ – 6½
E) 12½ – 5½
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.18 – National / International Chess
In which year did England perform best at the Chess Olympiad?
A) 1986
B) 1988
C) 1990
D) 1992
E) 1994
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.17 – Local Chess
Which current local club since the 1970s has had most ‘home’ venues?
A) Weymouth
B) Poole and its previous incarnations
C) Bournemouth
D) Ringwood
E) Wimborne
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.16 – Laws of Chess
Who should be allowed to see a player’s scoresheet?
A) Only that player
B) The player and his opponent
C) The player and the player’s team captain.
D) The player and the Arbiter
E) The player, opponent and Arbiter
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.15 – You are the Arbiter!
What is the minimum increment needed with each move to ensure players must record every move?
A) 10 seconds
B) 15 seconds
C) 30 seconds
D) 1 minute
E) 2 minutes
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.14 – International Chess
Which UK player injured his back and had to play chess on his front or back in an International chess tournament in 1985?
A) Nigel Short
B) Jon Speelman
C) Tony Miles
D) Julian Hodgson
E) John Nunn
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.13 – National Chess
Who was the first ever UK born over the board Grandmaster?
A) Raymond Keene
B) Tony Miles
C) Michael Stean
D) John Nunn
E) Bill Hartston
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.12 – Local Chess
In which year was the last Chess Column published in the Bournemouth Echo?
A) 1999
B) 2002
C) 2005
D) 2008
E) 2011
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.11 – Laws of Chess
What is the correct process to offer a draw.
A) Make your move, press your clock, offer the draw
B) Offer the draw, make your move, press your clock
C) Make your move, offer the draw, press your clock
D) Offer the draw, press your clock, make your move
E) Press your clock, make your move, offer the draw
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.10 – You are the Arbiter!
A player has an extra queen in his hand and deliberately touches his pawn to queen it then realises it will be stalemate so finds a rook. The opposing player complains. As Arbiter what do you do?
A) Nothing, you shouldn’t interfere … let the players decide.
B) Tell the player he must promote to a queen
C) Allow the pawn to become a rook
D) Allow the promotion to a rook but give the opponent an extra 2 minutes for being distracted
E) Only if the pawn had made it to the 8th rank (and the player is still holding the queen) before the player changed his mind should you insist he promotes to a queen
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.9 – International Chess
Who has held the World Chess Title for the longest?
A) Anatoly Karpov
B) Garry Kasparov
C) Emmanuel Lasker
D) Alexander Alekhine
E) Magnus Carlsen
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.8 – National Chess
Who has won the British Chess Championship most times?
A) Mickey Adams
B) Henry Ernest Atkins
C) Julian Hodgson
D) Jonathan Penrose
E) Nigel Short
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.7 – Local Chess
Which player has won the Dorset Rapidplay Championship most times?
A) Ian Clark
B) Bruce Jenks
C) Graham White
D) Allan Pleasants
E) Mike Waddington
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.6 – Laws of Chess
Which of these statements are correct?
A) Only the same hand should be used when making a move and pressing the clock
B) It is permitted to use both hands when capturing
C) You can make your move with one hand and press the clock with the other
D) You must always move the piece you touch first under all circumstances
E) You can castle with both hands
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.5 – You are the Arbiter!
White checkmates his opponent then his flag falls before he presses his clock. As arbiter what do you do?
A) Declare a draw as the fair result, neither player has claimed
B) Award the game to White
C) Check if the clock is faulty first before making any decision
D) Award the game to Black for winning on time
E) Leave it with the players to agree on a result as the Arbiter should not intervene
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.4 – International Chess
Who has been the highest ever (FIDE) rated international player?
A) Vishy Anand
B) Bobby Fischer
C) Vladimir Kramnik
D) Magnus Carlsen
E) Garry Kasparov
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.3 – National Chess
Who has been the highest ever (FIDE) rated English player?
A) David Howell
B) Nigel Short
C) Tony Miles
D) Luke McShane
E) Mickey Adams
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.2 – Local Chess
Which local chess club has played at a venue famous for its ‘Hanging Judge’?
A) Dorchester
B) Weymouth
C) Wimborne
D) Parkstone
E) Ringwood
Test Your Chess Knowledge No.1 – Laws of Chess
Castling cannot be played under which of these circumstances?
A) The king has moved
B) The rook is under attack
C) The king is in check
D) The b1 square is attacked and White wants castle queenside
E) The king will cross a square which is under attack