How many chess move combinations are there?

Question

How many chess move combinations are there?

Answer 1

Infinite, repeating moves are possible.

Answer 2

only a com would know

Answer 3

Would have no idea......

Sorry! :P

Answer 4

It's hard to really know, but if we assume that from any given position there are about 30 legal moves, then in a game of 40 moves by each side (about average length), there are 30 to the 80th power = 1.48 * 10^118.  The number of unique positions is a lot lower because of transpositions (like if I move "A" then you move "B" then I move "C", it's the same as me moving "C" then you moving "B" then me moving "A").  That is why computer chess programs use transposition tables to avoid looking at the same position multiple times.  The huge number of moves is the reason why chess can never be "solved" the way checkers recently was.

Answer 5

millions