Pirc:  "I mostly just use them when my opponent is playing too slowly."

That's the quality I like most in a chess player:  patience.    It was GM Ano Nymous who said, "I never think when I'm playing chess; it slows down the flow of the game."

But I know just what you mean, Pirc ... sometimes slow can be a pain.

I mostly just use them when my opponent is playing too slowly.

And a couple of comments that came in while I was writing the last piece...

qtsii:  thanks for the kind thoughts.

Phil_from_Blayney: "I only use them when I am absolutely sure that it is a forced sequence though."   I had a sequence the other day that started with a sacrifice and, I thought, ended with mate.  But in the middle my opponent found one move I'd overlooked and...  But all's well.  We now have material and positional equality and if it doesn't deteriorate into a draw one of us will have to win it all over again.

Platolag: "Conditional moves could possible give an hint to ur opponent, that he has played at least one of the expected moves."  Indeed, but as Aldrin pointed out, this can lead to a psychological advantage.

Thank you all for commenting.

Erik's "I love em"  and teohyuahui's "Love it very much, it saves time" speak for me too -- especially the bit about saving time.  But you already knew that.

JPF917: "I'd use them except for an acquired fear of them." Give them a try.  It isn't like postal correspondence play and the fact of setting out your moves on the conditional chessboard allows you to try a sequence of moves and see the outcome before sending it away.  You can always hit the delete key if it didn't work out the way you expected.  Thanks for attaching a game but there's a problem with the series of moves.  Would you have another look at the moves (and position) after move 20, please, and post it again.

Aldrin: "i love'em too. conditional moves are a strong psychological weapon". They're certainly that, but shouldn't be.  I commented elsewhere that "Cheating at chess is walking around to your opponent's side of the board so you can see what he's thinking".  Conditional moves may  certainly indicate that our opponent (or we ourselves) have come up with a potentially winning sequence, but is that any different from a surprise move in OTB play which can be equally devastating.  (As GM Ano Nymous said, "A man surprised is half beaten.")

"is it possible to have a "save line" button?" This already exists but isn't labelled.  If you click on "New Line" your existing line is automatically saved.  You can then add an alternative new line.

professorfreedom: "I set up a conditional follow-up move, which must have tricked my opponent into thinking I had made a planned sacrifice..."  LOL.  Fortune favours the brave, prof, but you're in good company.  Tal once made an intuitive knight sacrifice after allowing his mind to wander for forty minutes.  When he won the game he was given credit for "an accurately calculated sacrifice."  Read about it HERE.

Conditional moves could possible give an hint to ur opponent, that he has played at least one of the expected move.

They're OK. I only use them when I am absolutely sure that it is a forced sequence though. Otherwise, I prefer to look at the position at each turn and be sure it is headed where I thought it was headed.

I have never tried them - keep up the great articles Dozy!

They are indeed a potent weapon. In one game I blundered, giving away material. I set up a conditional follow-up move, which must have tricked my opponent into thinking I had made a planned sacrifice, because he seemed to panic afterwards and soon lost the game.

Love it very much, it saves time.

i love'em too. conditional moves are a strong psychological weapon. when you face a sequence of conditional moves you feel that your opponent controls the game and points you the only possible path you can take, and that leads you to the inevitable doom. one is tempted to become a fatalist and accept the defeat.

but i think there should be a way of playing a conditional line and then saving it in conditional moves window. just like we have submit move button in game window. now the moves are saved automatically, and it has happened that i have placed my piece in a wrong square by mistake, the false move has been saved automatically and my opponent has made his/her move before i have had time to delete the erroneous line.

is it possible to have a "save line" button?

I'd use them except for an acquired fear of them from postal chess.  Ever since playing by mail, I get nervous about using them because it can send my opponent somewhere they hadn't thought of.  Although that wouldn't happen here, I still steer clear. Whether the following game is good or bad isn't relevant.  It was fun. With 19 games going on, I had started to include if 28. QxB then QxQ.  but my old play by mail fears prevented me and the wrong capture was, thankfully, made with the knight .

i love 'em!