Fun Facts About Chess

Explore the deep strategy and fascinating history of chess. There are so many different possible combinations of moves in a single game of chess, every game is likely a sequence of moves that has never been repeated in history. Learn some terms and strategy to up your game. The word gambit, an opening strategy involving a sacrifice, comes from the Italian gamba, or "leg," for "tripping up." The most important tip for all players is to focus on controlling the center of the board. The modern, powerful Queen was once the weakest piece in the game's 6th-century ancestor, chaturanga. The "Shannon Number" reveals that the number of possible unique chess games vastly exceeds the number of atoms in the known universe. Discover the incredible story of "The Turk," an 18th-century automaton hoax that fooled challengers like Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin for decades, and learn why the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially recognizes chess as a sport—one capable of burning up to 6,000 calories in a single tournament day. Want to learn more? Head over to my website www.funfactsdailypod.com and be sure to listen to my other podcasts Who ARTed: Weekly Art History for All Ages or Art Smart. For family fun, check out my son's podcast Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Fun Facts Daily is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices