I'd also like to point out that the legend of white's higher win rate than black is in LEAGUE GAMES.
The difference in win rate for average players is not that great (it's about 10-15% for grandmasters IIRC, for players here it's likely much less). This hardly cripples the game, even at the highest levels.
With the sole exception of who goes first, the cornerstone of chess is that it is a perfectly balanced and logical game with no luck involved.
I'd also like to remind that rematches automatically put you into the other side's seat (so if you were black the first game, you play as white in the rematch).
If you are su pissed of these people then it is as easy as to not play them. When you see someone who wants to play just as white then ignore him/her. If everyone do the same they are not going to be challenged and maybe they change this behavior.
Under my point of view it is not that bad. Normally this kind of people specialize in one kind of opening and try to take advantage of moving first. However, if you can just go into the middlegame in equal conditions you are more likely to win.
Another suggestion is to try to play open games. When people try to reduce the game possibilities playing as white (and also with the same starting move), they are likely to make more mistakes in open positions because they are not used to encounter them.
In case that anyone might be offensed by my comment: I am not trying to teach anyone, just giving my opinion.
P.D. Regarding the comment made by Kevin5#9 It is just true when you have the same level playing black and white. In that case your general elo would be a little bit higher. However, you play black always. Therefore, I believe your level playing with black might be higher than playing with white.
I can't understand what the problem is. If someone only plays white if (!) therefore he becomes slightly higher rated than he would be if he played both, that means he is exactly the right rating no-one playing him is at an elo-disadvantage.
Such a disadvantage would happen in they play random all the time and then only white against 1 person.
Anyway, since all games are voluntary, free and anonymous I don't see a problem. Maybe they want to practice their white openings, maybe they like to play only the blackmar-diemer, who are we to say what they can or can not do?
I'm not annoyed or worried about this.
Just asking questions.
It is true that only the highest rated players can use the first move advantage effectively, and us mortals with our 1200 to 1800 rating don't really have the skill to use it well.
However the only-whites can allways pick, to an extent, the opening lines which in itself is a little advantage, the advantage of only having to know 1 opening line.
This was allways the case, and will be until those players develop a sense of honour and fairness torwards their mates.
However a code won't cut it because there is no way to force them to play as black, even after thibault implemented the change(only randomcolour games as rated) a few versions back,
the people simply aborted the game after they got the black pieces.
Also, IIRC thibby brought up a statistic a while ago that stated that black in fact had a 50,5% winrate on lichess.
If it becomes too big of an issue, the option to pick black or white can be removed.
Just play in tournaments. That way all players must play as both sides. Abandoning a tournament because you were forced to play as black defeats the purpose of joining a tournament in the first place.
Or make different elo pools one for blitz one for 1-min etc. a la icc.
I used to be random all the time.
But now, I *HAVE* to play as Black on this site.
My Internet here is better, but it still hates Lichess' low-quality implementation of websocket API, so if I'm White I have to click the same move 2-8 times before it finally moves, and by then my opponent (Black) just assumes I'm being a hold-up and aborts on me.
So yeah I only play as Black now. :( (Unless we rematch, then I can only hope XD)
I actually kind of prefer playing as Black anyway. I feel more decisive and certain about my choice of openings, than I do with the freedom of initiative that White has.
Seriously, in blitz, being White does NOT give you an advantage on this site. Just be the bigger man and play as Black; you'll easily point out what a dumbass the guy is for thinking his choice in skin color gave him better chances over you. Opening lines have hazards and traps for BOTH sides, not just Black. Seriously. :P
I don't know anything about Mephostophilis' glitch but I just want to be able to filter available games by whether they're white, black or random since I always play random.
