Quiz questions that contain misnomers.

[MJMcCready]

In the link below you can find a short list of the most common quiz questions that contain misnomers, such as 'How long was the 100 years war?' (Answer is 116 years NOT 100 years).

http://www.businessballs.com/quizballs/ ... nswers.htm

I wondered if anyone had any that aren't on the list, and if we have chess questions that fit into that category?

[Jonathan Bryant]

Q. What is Madison Square Garden?
A. A round building.

[MJMcCready]

Thanks. I was thinking that chess openings must have many misnomers, given that they are often loosely based on a place or name. How did the Berlin Defence get its name? Was it really first played in Berlin? It has often been said that the queen's gambit isn't really a gambit as white can win back the pawn immediately but perhaps that's not so clear cut as an example.

[Andrew Bak]

The King's Indian Attack is one of White's less ambitious openings while the King's Indian Defence is the staple diet of many aggressive players of the Black pieces.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Oh, I was in a taxi last night and mentioned I was going to a chess club (this was a very short taxi ride). The taxi driver started asking me about the "Alexander Defence" that he had heard was named after Alexander the Great. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. Not really a misnomer, but possibly a misheard or misunderstood name?

[MJMcCready]

The King's Indian Attack is one of White's less ambitious openings while the King's Indian Defence is the staple diet of many aggressive players of the Black pieces.

Good point.

[John Clarke]

Can't think of any chess-related ones for now. Many opening names/misnames are too subject to dispute to be worth including.

Here's a few non-chess ones:

* The Pennsylvania Dutch community in the USA originated from parts of Europe that spoke what language?

* Chelsea FC are based in which area of London?

* Between 1964 and 2010, what was the colour (color?) of the "Green Card" that allowed one to live and work in the USA?

[Andrew Bak]

Where is the Spanish riding school based?

[IM Jack Rudd]

If I recall correctly, the answers to John's questions #1 and #2 are German and Fulham, respectively. (In fact, I know the answer to the second is Fulham, because I have a friend who lives right by Fulham Broadway station, and I often see Chelsea fans alighting there when I go to see her.)