Answers.Body: <p>An &quot;ugly move&quot; is one which violates positional principles. Here the knight on g3 attacks / defends 6 squares - h5, f5, e4, e2, f1 and h1. On h1 it only attacks/ defends 2 squares - g3 and f2. Positionally it is much better on g3 than h1. However tactically f2 is key because it is attacked 4 times, pinned against the king and only defended 3 times. It is a far more important square than all the 6 squares the knight can reach from g3. Although Nh1 is an ugly move it is also a necessary and good move. These terms are not mutually exclusive.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-10-02T03:44:08.490Z
Answers.Text: Unrelated to the main question, but I wonder why Be3 won't be a good move here?
Answers.UserDisplayName: justhalf
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-10-02T04:30:36.417Z
Answers.Text: @justhalf: I'm terrible at calculating these things but I suspect that the line after ... Nxe3 fxe3 Bxe3+ is bad for White.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kevin
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-10-02T12:38:04.677Z
Answers.Text: @Kevin: not according to Stockfish. But ... Qh4 is a devastating reply to Be3. It forces h3; and _then_ you play ... Nxe3, and after fxe3, the Knight on g3 is hanging.
Answers.UserDisplayName: TonyK
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-10-01T13:15:13.090Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-10-01T13:15:13.090Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Body: <p>In the video &quot;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJaM93TUD8A&amp;list=PLBEZDOS8vWC1-VyG0rLkAUzgZaXhGwHJk&amp;index=115&amp;ab_channel=ChessMood" rel="noreferrer">ugly defense</a>&quot;, GM Grigoyan called the move Knight g3-h1 an &quot;ugly move&quot;, though objectively speaking, Nh1 may be the best move for white in this position.</p>
  <pre><code>[fen &quot;r1b2rk1/b1p4p/p1pp1qp1/P7/4P1n1/3N2N1/1PP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 1 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>May I know if there is a definition of an &quot;ugly move&quot;? In my humble opinion, if a move is objectively the best in a particular position, it should be called a &quot;good move&quot;, or sometimes a &quot;brilliant move&quot;, or sometimes a &quot;forced move&quot;, or sometimes a &quot;book move&quot;. In this position, I would call Nh1 a &quot;forced move&quot;.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-10-01T18:57:18.250Z
Comments.Text: Not quite forced. The queen could also come to the defense.
Comments.UserDisplayName: John Coleman
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-10-02T06:27:28.580Z
Comments.Text: @JohnColeman How does the queen come to the defense? E.g. 1. Qf3 Qh4 threatens mate and discovers attack on the queen; or 1. Qe1 Qh4 2. h3 Qxg3.
Comments.UserDisplayName: bof
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-10-02T11:28:14.510Z
Comments.Text: @bof I didn't say that it was a good defense, I just wouldn't describe the knight move as outright forced.
Comments.UserDisplayName: John Coleman
Tags: <terminology><chess-videos>
Title: What is an "ugly" move?
ThreadText: # What is an "ugly" move?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-01)
  
  In the video "ugly defense", GM Grigoyan called the move Knight g3-h1 an "ugly move", though objectively speaking, Nh1 may be the best move for white in this position.
  [fen "r1b2rk1/b1p4p/p1pp1qp1/P7/4P1n1/3N2N1/1PP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 1 1"]
  
  May I know if there is a definition of an "ugly move"? In my humble opinion, if a move is objectively the best in a particular position, it should be called a "good move", or sometimes a "brilliant move", or sometimes a "forced move", or sometimes a "book move". In this position, I would call Nh1 a "forced move".
  
  **Tags:** terminology, chess-videos
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Not quite forced. The queen could also come to the defense.  
  > **username_2**: @JohnColeman How does the queen come to the defense? E.g. 1. Qf3 Qh4 threatens mate and discovers attack on the queen; or 1. Qe1 Qh4 2. h3 Qxg3.  
  > **username_1**: @username_2 I didn't say that it was a good defense, I just wouldn't describe the knight move as outright forced.  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2021-10-01. Score: 25 | Accepted answer
  
  An "ugly move" is one which violates positional principles. Here the knight on g3 attacks / defends 6 squares - h5, f5, e4, e2, f1 and h1. On h1 it only attacks/ defends 2 squares - g3 and f2. Positionally it is much better on g3 than h1. However tactically f2 is key because it is attacked 4 times, pinned against the king and only defended 3 times. It is a far more important square than all the 6 squares the knight can reach from g3. Although Nh1 is an ugly move it is also a necessary and good move. These terms are not mutually exclusive.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: Unrelated to the main question, but I wonder why Be3 won't be a good move here?  
  > **username_5**: @username_4: I'm terrible at calculating these things but I suspect that the line after ... Nxe3 fxe3 Bxe3+ is bad for White.  
  > **username_6**: @username_5: not according to Stockfish. But ... Qh4 is a devastating reply to Be3. It forces h3; and _then_ you play ... Nxe3, and after fxe3, the Knight on g3 is hanging.  
  
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