Is Chess a Game of Luck?

@PkGam said in #97:
> Luck is basically a factor you have no control over such as rolling dice.

You have no control over your opponent's next move.

@dboing: Oh, so you're talking like within the limitations of what humans can do type or horizon where there's uncertainties? That... is harder to say. Some things are clearer for some than others to spot. Which is part of why Lichess has puzzle sorting to pick specific things to train if one is lacking. I seen this video fairly recently for instance which showed GMs varying in speed and result on the same problems:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-zlFDcjVwA
So no one can truly foresee what a game will turn out like. Especially at the beginning. I guess that's where I'd say the "variance" term comes back in.

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@robaloooo: Sure you do. Pawns can be prevented from moving forward by putting pieces in front of them, kings can be checked into only having one move, queens can be attacked so they have to be moved or it'll be a massive disadvantage, etc... You may not be able to tell how an opponent will respond to what you do as they may miss mate in 1 or something, but you can play for all the possibilities they have if they don't miss something.

@PkGam said in #102:
> Pawns can be prevented from moving forward by putting pieces in front of them, kings can be checked into only having one move, queens can be attacked so they have to be moved or it'll be a massive disadvantage, etc... You may not be able to tell how an opponent will respond to what you do as they may miss mate in 1 or something, but you can play for all the possibilities they have if they don't miss something.

Sure, and if you roll a six-sided dice you can predict with 100% certainty, every single time, that it won't come up a 7. But that doesn't mean you're "controlling" the roll of the dice.

Same in chess. Yes, a checked King may only have one escape square, but even then, it's a coin toss whether your opponent will move the King or resign. You don't know what his decision will be, and you can't control his decision. That's what makes chess fun.

Bottom line: luck is just a feeling you get when something you don't control goes your way.

@Robaloooo
Ah I see! So it's not luck-luck you meant, but more so how one may react to how something goes.

@PkGam said in #104:
> @Robaloooo
> Ah I see! So it's not luck-luck you meant, but more so how one may react to how something goes.

What do you mean by "luck-luck"?