Purpose and Types of Handicaps
The purpose of a handicap, or odds, is to compensate for the difference in skill between two chess players. There are many kinds of handicaps: material odds; extra moves; time odds; special restrictions (such as pion coiffé); weighting of results (such as "draw odds" - counting a draw as a loss for the odds-giver); differential stakes; and physical restrictions, such as blindfold chess. Many different permutations of handicaps (for example, a material handicap plus time odds) are also possible, as are countervailing handicaps (for example, a player gives up a piece, but receives one of the opponent's pieces or pawns and/or extra moves, in return).
Harry Golombek gives the following list of material odds (in increasing handicap level):
Note that the odds-giver plays White unless otherwise indicated, and "pawn odds" normally refers to the f-pawn (i.e. the pawn initially located on the f2-square for White, and on the f7-square for Black).
- Odds of the move: Weaker player plays White.
- Two moves: Weaker player plays White and starts the game by making two moves.
- Pawn and move: Weaker player plays White; a black pawn (typically that on f7) is removed from the board.
- Pawn and two moves: Weaker player plays the first two moves, and Black's pawn on f7 is removed from the board.
- Knight odds: One of the stronger player's knights is removed, usually the queen's knight on b1.
- Rook odds: One of the stronger player's rooks is removed, usually the queen's rook on a1.
- Rook and pawn: Stronger player's queen rook and f-pawn are removed.
- Two minor pieces: The odds-giver chooses which two of White's knights and/or bishops to remove.
- Rook and knight: White's queen rook and queen knight are removed.
- Queen odds: The stronger player's queen is removed.
- Two rooks: Both of White's rooks are removed.
- Strong king: The king can move up to two squares in any direction.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | 8 | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
Larry Kaufman writes that under the chess tradition of the 18th and 19th centuries, the handicap below knight odds was:
- Pawn and three moves: White plays the first three moves, and Black plays without the f7 pawn. In odds games with extra moves (Pawn and two moves, Pawn and three moves), the odds-receiver cannot move beyond the fourth rank with those moves. Otherwise, White could win immediately with 1.e3 2.Bd3 3.Qh5+ g6 4.Qxg6+ hxg6 5.Bxg6#.
Even with the "no moves beyond the fourth rank" proviso, Black cannot give White an unlimited number of moves. Doing so would allow White to set up the position at right, when White's dual threats of 1.Qxf7# and 1.Ned6+ cxd6 2.Nxd6# are immediately decisive.
I.A. Horowitz adds to the above list the following:
- Draw odds: The smallest of these handicaps; the stronger player plays White, and draws are counted as wins for Black.
- Queen for a Rook: A handicap between Knight odds and Rook odds; the odds-giver's queen, and the odds-receiver's queen rook, are removed.
- Queen for a Knight: A handicap slightly greater than Rook odds; the odds-giver's queen, and the odds-receiver's queen knight, are removed.
Read more about this topic: Chess Handicap
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