Consultation in chess
Consultation
Definition
In chess, a consultation (or consultation game) is a format in which two or more players form a side and openly discuss moves and plans before making a single move on the board. Each team functions as a collective “player,” deciding moves by discussion, a captain’s call, or a voting mechanism.
Unlike standard individual play—where outside assistance is strictly forbidden—consultation is explicitly permitted only when the game is organized as a consultation or team event. The format has deep historical roots and remains popular for training, club nights, exhibitions, and online “vote” formats.
How It’s Used in Chess
Consultation appears in several contexts:
- Club and casual play: Two friends team up against another pair or a stronger player, discussing plans at the board.
- Exhibitions: Masters give consultation exhibitions, or a master faces a consulting team of local experts.
- Online platforms: “Vote” or “crowd” chess formats allow large groups to discuss and vote on moves, a modern mass-consultation variant. See also Vote Chess.
- Training: Coaches organize consultation games to teach planning, candidate-move generation, and verbalizing calculation.
Recording: Scoresheets and event reports typically list teams (e.g., “Morphy vs. Duke Karl & Count Isouard”). Time controls and rules are set beforehand, including how disagreements are resolved and who physically plays the move.
Formats and Practical Rules
Common setups include:
- Pairs vs. pairs: Two players per side, one clock, shared time.
- Captain-led teams: Discussion followed by a captain’s final decision.
- Majority vote: Each member proposes a move; the majority choice is played.
- Hand-and-Brain: A fun variant of consultation—one partner (the “Brain”) says a piece name (“Knight”), the other (the “Hand”) chooses where it goes. See Hand and Brain.
Etiquette and legality:
- In official individual tournaments, consulting others (including engines) is illegal. Consultation is allowed only if the event is explicitly designated as such.
- Partners discuss variations verbally; typically only one player touches the pieces and presses the clock.
- To avoid time trouble, many teams assign roles—one focuses on calculation and tactics, the other on strategy and plans.
Strategic Significance
Consultation changes the decision-making dynamic:
- Error checking: Partners often catch each other’s blunders, raising average move quality.
- Deeper planning: Teams articulate plans out loud, which clarifies middlegame strategy and endgame transitions.
- Balanced styles: A tactician and a strategist can complement each other, but disagreements can consume time.
- Psychology: Group decisions may create “compromise moves” that are safe but suboptimal; strong leadership or clear roles help.
Historical Notes
Consultation games were popular in 18th–19th century European cafés, notably the Café de la Régence in Paris. Spectators enjoyed hearing masters debate ideas over the board. Many classics and improvisational masterpieces emerged from such sessions.
A landmark modern example is Kasparov vs. The World, 1999, an internet consultation game in which Garry Kasparov (White) faced a global team of voters with grandmaster advisors. The game, followed by millions online, is widely cited as one of the greatest internet games ever played and showcased the dramatic potential of large-scale consultation.
Examples
Classic consultation: Morphy vs. Duke Karl of Brunswick & Count Isouard, Paris Opera, 1858. Black’s moves were chosen by consultation between the two nobles. Morphy’s rapid development and direct attack make it a timeless lesson in initiative and piece activity.
Replay the Opera Game:
Modern mass-consultation: Kasparov vs. The World, 1999. Thousands discussed and voted on each move with guidance from titled advisors, illustrating both the power and pitfalls of collective decision-making under time constraints.
How to Run Your Own Consultation Game
- Agree on format: pairs or teams, captain or vote, and time control.
- Set discussion rules: maximum talk time per move; who plays the move and hits the clock.
- Define tiebreaks: captain’s call, coin flip, or majority vote.
- Assign roles: one partner emphasizes calculation, the other strategic direction and clock management.
- Review afterward: annotate critical moments and compare proposed lines to engine analysis for training value.
Interesting Facts and Anecdotes
- Consultation was fertile ground for romantic-era chess. Spectators loved overhearing grand plans and sharp tactical debates.
- Some masters used consultation as a teaching tool, forcing students to verbalize ideas before committing to a move.
- “Compromise moves” are notorious: teams sometimes choose a move that pleases no one and weakens the overall plan—an instructive lesson in leadership and clarity.
- Online “vote chess” can reach grandmaster-level suggestions thanks to collective scrutiny—but time management and noise control are constant challenges.