Portal:Chess/Selected article/43
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The first-move advantage in chess refers to the advantage that the player who moves first in chess, referred to as "White," derives from doing so. This is reflected in statistics compiled over the past 150 years, which consistently show that White wins slightly more often than Black, usually scoring between 53 and 56 percent overall.[1] Chess players and theorists generally agree that White begins the game with some advantage, and have debated whether, given perfect play by both sides, the game should conclude in a win for White or a draw. Since at least 1889, when Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion, addressed the issue, the overwhelming consensus has been that a game of chess should end in a draw with best play. Nonetheless, a few notable players have argued that White's advantage is sufficient, or may be sufficient, to win. In recent years, some theorists have contended that White has little or no advantage, and that Black has certain countervailing advantages. It is possible that computers will eventually resolve this debate by determining the correct outcome of a perfectly played game of chess.
