+48 It is impossible to know the number of moves that have been played just by looking at a chess position. Even if the pieces are in their starting position. amirite?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Move your knights in and out

by Anonymous 1 week ago

The old knight's gambit double fakeout. Few have mastered it.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Sure, that's ONE opening you couldn't tell. But there are others you certainly could. For example, 1. e4

by Accomplished_Lie 1 week ago

What about 1 e3, … 2 e4?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

That would be 2 moves. Maybe we're interpreting the OP differently

by Accomplished_Lie 1 week ago

e4 is the same position as 1. Horsey, horsey 2. Horsey back, horsey back 3. e4

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Horsey

by Anonymous 1 week ago

You can't

by Anonymous 1 week ago

e4 . That's one move. Can't be anything other than one move

by Accomplished_Lie 1 week ago

But you can reach the same position with different move combos. So you can't tel the number of moves given just a position

by Anonymous 1 week ago

You do know that the game is a draw if the same position is reached thrice right?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Does that mean you can tell the number of moves somehow?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I can't, but it's theoretically possible to narrow it down to a small set of possibilities

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I see! Makes sense

by Anonymous 1 week ago

So that's a no

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Only of the pawns have not moved yet pretty much. But there is no actual way as someone can mov the same piece twice.

by Carterwerner 1 week ago

If the knight is the first or second piece moved then it's pretty obvious. Or one or two pawn have moved one square.

by Anonymous 1 week ago