Why does white always move first, isn't this giving white an unfair advantage?

This.

hi Ellie,

    I think a good way of looking at it is that even though white may have a slight advantage, your chances of being white or black should be equal. So, even though it may feel like you're playing a black game everytime today if you look at your games over a month's time you should see that you've been black about 50 percent of the time and white 50 percent of the time (assuming chess.com has the correct game selection processes in place). This then shouldn't really be an incentive  for us to change any rules as we will play white as much as any of our opponents.

        Another thing to think about is the amount of work that has gone into openings throughout the years. For any moves white make, black has just as good of a move in return. With all of the types of gambits and attacking opportunities that black can get I really do think they aren't at much of a disadvantage, if any. Especially if we consider that black gets to counter white. White gives up a lot of information by the opening they do and black can respond in return.

Why can the king castle and the queen can't ?

White usually scores 53%. But if black goes first, black would have that same advantage, and the game still would not be fair. If you want a game that is better balanced, you should play Spartan Chess. There white also goes first, but because black has different pieces, (the Spartans, rather than our Persian pieces) which are on average just a bit stronger, he is compensated for that.

Another way to guarantee the game is absolutely fair is to use the 'pie rule': white first does a move, and then black is allowed to either play on, or swap sides.

These two statements are independent of one another. Simply because chess is a theoretical draw doesn't mean that White does not have an advantage in practical chess. Heck, even engines score higher as White than Black as do humans.

I agree. I always play that both colours move at exactly the same time so it's always fair

I think flipping one coin is not fair enough. Both players should flip 100 coins in order to ensure the coin flip is fair. They should do this before every game

The Queen is so powerful because she had the best contacts. A whispered word in the right ears, the right favors to the right people, could get alot more done than the poster-material King could do.

But which person flips first? we need a fair way to decide that or the whole process falls apart.

What if they rolled a die to see who flips their 100 coins first? that way the first flipper is decided fairly. 

If you could only ever move pawns 1 space, instead of 2 the first time, then I doubt there would be any advantage for White.

Forgive me for being naive'; but, do not both players in a series of games alternate playing White and Black.  That is, you may play White the first game; then, you play Black the next game (second), then White the third, Black the fourth, etc.

As for having the first move be fair to both players; does not someone have to move first to start the game?  And, does having the first move of the game really impart a guaranteed advantage that wins the game?  I think that if Chess were really fair (to both players), neither player would make a move.

White does have an advantage; however, as in the long run each player will play white 50% of the time, white's advantage does not translate into any individual player having an advantage.

Problem solved?

I always play white though.  No exceptions.

Looking on your games played on this site, that is not the case.

I tagged out for those, brah.  Wun me.

What do you mean you "tagged out"?

Here's an idea. Have the players switch sides.

I am not really sure of what you are getting at here. In what sense should they alternate? As in, if you get two Blacks in a row, you should start first in one of them? Is this within the context of chess.com, or over-the-board chess? That would unnecessarily complicate the issue, because how do you know the person you are playing did not have two blacks in a row? All of a sudden, they get the White pieces, and they still do not get to start first? And, the fact is, it does not have anything to do with fairness. Someone has to start first, whether White or Black, and they will still get the advantage.

Kinda like at an ICP concert, brah.

Juggaloz 4 life yo.

[throws up gang signz]

hell yeah, level the playing field, undo all the past injustice, equality for all. nice trolling, btw