The Chessboard and Its Components
- Chessboard: The game is played on a square board divided into 64 smaller squares, arranged in an 8×8 grid. The squares alternate between two colors, usually referred to as ‘light’ and ‘dark.’
- Rank: A row of squares running horizontally (from side to side) on the chessboard.
- File: A column of squares running vertically (from bottom to top) on the chessboard.
- Diagonal: A line of squares of the same color, running obliquely on the chessboard.
The Chess Pieces and Their Actions
King: The most important piece in the game. The objective is to threaten the opponent’s king with capture (“check”) in a way that there is no legal move for the opponent to remove the threat of capture on the next move (“checkmate”).
Queen: The most powerful piece in terms of movement, capable of moving any number of squares along a rank, file, or diagonal.
Rook: A piece that can move any number of squares along a rank or file.
Bishop: This piece can move any number of squares diagonally.
Knight: The only piece that can ‘jump’ over others. Knights move in an L-shape: two squares in one direction (rank or file) and then one square perpendicular to that.
Pawn: The most numerous piece in the game but also the weakest. Pawns can move forward one square, but they capture diagonally.
Key Moves and Terms
Check: A condition where the king is threatened with capture. The player must move the king or block the check on the next move.
Checkmate: The primary objective of the game. A player is said to be ‘checkmated’ when they are in check and there is no legal move to remove the threat of capture on the next move.
Stalemate: A situation in which a player is not in check but has no legal moves. The game is then drawn, or tied.
Castling: A special move involving the king and one rook. It’s the only move that allows a player to move two pieces at once.
En Passant: A special pawn capturing move that can only occur under specific conditions. We will explore this further in a later chapter.
Promotion: If a pawn reaches the opposite side of the board, it can be promoted to any other piece (except king): a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color.
Chess Strategy Terms
Opening: The initial phase of the game, where players develop their pieces from their original positions.
Middle Game: The phase of the game after the opening. The majority of the tactical combat occurs during the middle game.
Endgame: The final phase, when there are only a few pieces left. The king often becomes a more active piece in the endgame.
Strategy: Long-term planning in chess, such as controlling the center of the board or piece development.
Tactics: Short-term, concrete sequences of moves, often involving attacks or captures.
Understanding these terminologies will allow you to engage more deeply with the game and the chess community. As you learn to play and start to read more advanced chess literature, you’ll encounter many more terms and phrases. For now, though, you’re armed with the basics. Up next, we’ll dive deeper into the individual chess pieces and their movements. Checkmate is getting closer!
