[blind-chess] Chess Article #34 A Glossary of Chess Terms
- From: Roderick Macdonald <rmacd@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Blind Chess Mailing List <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 19:50:52 -1000 (HST)
Chess Article #34
A Glossary of Chess terms
Adapted and Condensed from
Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia and
www.chess-poster.com
Activity: The quality of a Chess position that describes mobility
or freedom of movement for pieces. An active piece is more likely
to have a positive influence in the outcome of a game than an
inactive piece (a cramped, blocked, or undeveloped piece). Active
pieces is one key quality in assessing a Chess position.
Adjust (J'adoube): to center a piece on its square. A player may,
on his turn, touch a piece to center it on a square. The player
must say "I adjust" or the French "J'adoube," before touching the
piece otherwise they are required to move it by the touch-move
rule. A player may not abuse this rule to annoy their opponent. It
only needs to be said once then the player may adjust all the
pieces he wishes. Players may only adjust pieces on their turn.
Advanced Pawn: This term describes a Pawn which has passed the
central line of the chessboard which is between the fourth and
fifth ranks.
Advantage: A superiority of position, usually based on force, time,
space or Pawn structure. A player whose position is considered
objectively better is said to have the advantage. A judgement of an
advantage must consider complex criteria such as material (more
pieces or Pawns), space (more room to maneuver), activity (more
influence of pieces), King safety (one side has a safer King than
the other), or other weaknesses (backward Pawn, etc.).
Algebraic notation: A method of recording moves in which each rank
is numbered 1-8 and each file is labeled a-h starting at White's
lower left corner. Algebraic notation has become the standard.
Analysis: The calculation and detailed study of a series of moves
based on a particular position in a game.
Annotation: Written comments about a position or a game, it can be
narrative, Chess notation or both. Chess mastery essentially
consists of analyzing chess positions accurately.
Announced Mate: A former practice to loudly proclaim a Checkmate.
It is no longer permitted by the rules of Chess.
Attack: An aggressive action during a game or to threaten to
capture a piece or Pawn. Minority Attack: an attack of minor pieces
against a majority of minor pieces of the opponent with the
objective of creating a weakness in his position. "The first
principle of attack - Don't let the opponent develop!" - Reuben
Fine
Back rank mate: A checkmate made by a Queen or Rook along the 8th
rank where the opponent's King is blocked in by its own Pawns. For
White this is all the squares on the first rank and all the squares
on the eighth rank for Black. This can also refer to the weakness
of the back rank which refers to the inability of the king to
escape from an attack by a rook or queen due to being trapped by
his own pawns.
Back-Rank Mate: A checkmate on the 1^st/8^th rank by a queen or
rook.
Backward Pawn: The base of a pawn chain, or the only unprotected
pawn from that chain. A Pawn that has trailed behind and is no
longer supported by other Pawns. A backward Pawn is considered a
fundamental weakness in a Chess position because it can be
attacked. Its defense requires pieces that are better employed in
other plans. See also isolated Pawn.
Bad Bishop: Any undefendable Bishop; a bishop whose mobility is
reduced by its own pawns. When a Bishop has little or no mobility
because of being hemmed by Pawns positioned on squares of the same
colour as the Bishop's square, it is said to be a "bad Bishop".
Battery: Doubling Rooks on a file or a Queen and a Bishop on a
diagonal.
Bishop pair: Two Bishops vs. a Bishop and a Knight or two Knights.
If both Bishops on the same side have survived late into a game of
Chess, then their value is enhanced for two reasons. Together they
can attack a piece on any color square. Their mobility is usually
less restricted by Pawns late in the game. Therefore, a Bishop pair
is a notable advantage.
Blindfold Chess: Games played without seeing the board. A Chess
player who plays one or more opponents without sight of the board.
Blitz Chess: Rapid or lightning Chess games usually clocked in five
or ten minutes.
Blockade: To stop an enemy Pawn by placing a piece or pieces
directly in front of it. This term describes the situation where
the advance of a Pawn is prevented by an opponent's piece directly
in front of the frustrated Pawn.
Blocked: This term describes a piece whose mobility is limited by
the physical presense of another piece often of the same color.
Specific positions that involve blocked pieces include discovered
check, double check, and blockade.
Blunder: A very bad move that loses material or initiative without
any or little advantage. A mistake that overlooks a simple tactical
response.
Book: The written body of high-level chess play. "Book" moves are
standard. A book player memorizes openings and their variations,
and goes to pieces if his opponent strays from the accepted line.
Book moves: A pattern of moves expected to be played based on
theoretical manuals by Chess players.
Breakthrough: An infiltration to the opponent's position.
Brilliancy: Refers to a game that was extremely well played,
usually involving a surprising combination, sacrifice, or example
of exceptional technical expertise.
Brilliant move: A move that was very difficult to see and/or
surprising. Usually indicated in chess annotation by the symbol
"!!".
Bughouse: A very popular variant of chess played by two-man teams
that play on separate boards, one player playing with the white
pieces and the other with the black pieces. Pieces that are
captured can be used by the player's teammate on their board.
Bye: Used in tournaments to give a player that can not play a round
at some point but who wants to still compete later in the same
tournament. Normally if a player can not play a game due to the
lack of an opponent they are given a full point bye while if a
player chooses to not play for some reason (usually a conflict that
must be prearranged by the player with the tournament director) the
player receives a half point bye. Zero point byes are not given out
and are reserved for forfeits.
Caissa: Goddess (muse) of Chess. The name is taken from a nymph in
a poem composed by Sir William Jones in 1763. It is based on Vidas
Scacchia ludus, in which the nymph is referred to as Scacchis.
Calculate (seeing ahead): To precisely work out a series of moves
considering potential replies. Many good players can calculate
several moves (10+) ahead but often they limit themselves to only
a few moves (3-5) to conserve time. Accuracy over a few moves is
more important than deep calculation that is flawed.
Calculation of variations: The working out of chains of moves
without physically moving the pieces.
Capture (take, kill , jump): The movement of a minor or major piece
from the departure cell to the arrival cell and to capture a enemy
piece in the process. To capture, a player must make a legal move
that lands a piece on a cell containing an enemy piece. The
captured enemy piece is taken from the board and removed from the
game. To capture a MP/mp means to deprive your opponent (:A or :B)
of the use of that MP/mp. The MP/mp has been taken and leaves the
board.
Castle (Castling): A combined move of King and Rook permitted once
for each side during a game. The King moves two squares to either
side, and the Rook toward which it moves is placed on the square
the King passed over. This is the only move in which the King moves
more than one square at a time and in which more than one piece is
moved. Castling can not be done if the king or rook has moved or
the king is in check or passes through check. When castle be sure
you first touch the King or your opponent can make you move the
Rook according to the touch-move rule!
Center (small or big): the small center or center refers to the
four central squares e4, e5, d4, d5 sometimes people will refer to
the big center which are the squares around the small center.
Control of the center is one of the major battles that occurs in
chess especially during the opening and middle game. The 'e'' and
"d" files are the center files.
Check: It refers to a King that is being attacked by an enemy
piece. The King should move out of check, place another piece
between the King and the attacking piece, or the attacking piece
must be captured. From the Persian "shah mat" meaning the king is
dead.
Checkmate: An attack against the opponent's King which the King
cannot escape. Any position where a King cannot avoid capture. The
objective end of a Chess game. When a player checkmates his enemy's
King, he wins the game.
Clearance sacrifice: A move that sacrifices an obstructing piece to
make way for a strong or better move.
Clock (chess clock, timer): Paired clocks used in all official
tournaments and in club games. After a player moves, he depresses
a lever that stops his clock and starts his opponent's. Each clock,
therefore, registers only the elapsed time for one player. If a
player exceeds the time limit set on his clock, a flag falls and he
loses the game, even if he has a clear winning position.
Closed: A term used to describe a position where Pawns block the
mobility of the pieces around some or all of the board. The
opposite of an open position.
Closed file: A file blocked by both black and white Pawns.
Closed game: A game which the position is obstructed by blocking
Pawns. Such a position favors Knights over Bishops since Pawns
often block diagonals.
Combination: A series of moves or a tactical exploitation of a
position which will force an immediate win by an overwhelming
advantage in material or position. Most combinations sometimes
start with a sacrifice of material.
Connected passed Pawns: Two or more passed Pawns of the same color
on adjacent files which can protect themselves.
Connected Pawns: Pawns adjacent to one another.
Correspondence Chess (e-mail chess, postal chess): Chess game
played by post or an electronic transmission.
Counter Gambit: A strategy in which a minor piece or Pawn is
offered for sacrifice in response to an earlier gambit by the
opponent.
Counter play: When the player who has been on the defensive starts
his own aggressive action.
Cramped: The quality of a Chess position that inhibits mobility or
freedom of movement for pieces behind Pawns of the same color. A
cramped position lacks space. When a player's position is judged to
be cramped, then that player has less freedom of maneuver than his
opponent. A player that is cramped cannot switch the play from one
side of the board to the other as quickly as his opponent. A
cramped position is one key quality in assessing a Chess position.
Defense: (a) A move that defends against a threat. (b) An opening
by Black with a specific strategy in mind. Example the Sicilian
defense, French defense.
Deflection: A tactical method used to force away a piece from
defensive duty such as guarding a piece or pawn, square or king.
Descriptive Notation: System of recording the moves of a Chess game
based on the names of the pieces and places they occupy before the
game begins. A move is given by the name of the piece or Pawn
moving, followed by the square to which it moves. This notation is
now almost completely replaced by algebraic notation.
Develop (Development): The process of moving pieces from their
starting positions to new posts, from which they control a greater
number of squares, have greater mobility or where they can better
aid the player's plans. The process of bringing pieces from the
initial starting position into active play. The evelopment phase of
the game is usually considered over after the king is castled and
all the pieces between the two rooks are cleared.
Diagonal: A series of squares connected on a chessboard at an
angle. Usually referred to by the starting and ending squares -
such as a1-h8 diagonal.
Diagram: A pictorial representation of a chess position that can be
graphical or text. Often used to indicate an important or critical
positions in a game annotation for publication.
Discovered attack (discovery): An attack by a piece that is
revealed when a pawn or piece moves out of its way.
Discovered check: A discovered attack that involves checking your
opponent's King by moving a piece so that the piece behind it can
give check. This term describes an often powerful move where a line
is opened allowing an otherwise blocked piece to give check to the
enemy King. If the moving piece also gives check, then the move is
described as a 'double check'.
Distance to conversion: A phrase used to describe the number of
positions or plies in a tablebase between any given endgame
position and a conversion of material. A conversion of material may
be either a promotion or capture. Such conversions often indicate
a major shift of endgame advantage.
Distance to mate: A phrase used to describe the number of positions
or plies in a tablebase between any given endgame position and
checkmate.
Distant opposition: Kings that oppose or are separated by more than
one square, rank or file one another and still have the relation of
opposition (e.g. Kings on g1 and g5) are said to be in "distant
opposition." Kings in distant opposition can often maneuver to a
more simple position of direct opposition but such maneuvering
often requires careful calculation.
Double attack: An attack against two pieces or Pawns at the same
time.
Double check: A powerful type of discovered attack, which checks
the King with two pieces. The King is forced to move because no
other means are available to extricate the King from this special
type of check by two pieces simultaneously, thus frozen for at
least one tempo or move.
Double Pawns: Two Pawns of the same color lined up on a file. This
doubling come about only as the result of a capture and generally
considered a disadvantage because the Pawns cannot defend each
other.
Double Rooks: Two Rooks of the same colour positioned on the same
file or rank.
Draw: A tied game. A common result in a game of Chess when neither
side wins or loses. A draw can result from a stalemate, the 50-move
rule, the three-move repetition rule, if neither side has enough
material to mate, by adjudication or by an agreement between the
players.
Drawing chances: A The probability in any complex and roughly equal
position that one or both sides may successfully draw a game of
Chess. The game of Chess is extremely complex. Neither humans or
machines can determine with certainty the outcome of a game when
given a complex position. However, skilled and experienced players
can often estimate the probability that one side can win, lose, or
draw the game. Such an estimate is based on an understanding of
sometimes subtle criteria such as board position, player skills,
time pressure, and strategy both on the board and off.
Drawn position: Any Chess game position from which a draw must
result from accurate play. Many complex drawn positions may still
offer winning chances for one or both sides with alert play. The
phrase "drawn position" is rarely used by experienced players to
mean an artistically rendered, or randomly selected position. It is
unknown whether the starting position is also a drawn position.
ECO: Encylopedia of Chess Openings. A collection of texts detailing
the moves of common Chess opening lines with commentary. Common
opening lines are classified by a de facto standard ECO code such
as B01 (Center Counter Game or Scandinavian Defense). A list of ECO
codes in text and in PGN.
Edge: The "outside" squares of the Chess board, namely the first
and eighth ranks and the a- and h- files.
Elo rating: The system by which players are rated. Devised by
Professor Arpad Elo (1903-1993) of Milwaukee and adopted by FIDE in
1970. A beginner might have 900 rating, the average club player
1600, a state champion 2300, a Grandmaster above 2500, and world
class players commonly achieve ratings above 2600. Some strong
Grandmasters earn a rating in excess of 2700 and the World Champion
2800. This system in some form is used by most major Chess
organizations.
Endgame: Also called the ending. This is the third and final state
of the game after the opening and middlegame, characterized by the
relatively few Chessmen on the board. The King is typically used
more aggressively in the ending than in the opening or middle-game.
One of the most common concerns in the endgame is promotion of
Pawns. "In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame
before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and
mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be
studied in relation to the endgame." - Jose Raul Capablanca, World
Champion.
En passant: From the French, "in passing." Abbreviated e.p. One
Pawn can capture another e.p. if the capturing Pawn has reached the
fifth rank and the captured Pawn is moved two squares forward on an
adjacent file. The capture is made as though the opponent's Pawn
had moved only one square forward. This complex rule was created to
prevent a Pawn from using the two-square first-move rule to pass an
opponent's Pawn and avoid capture.
En prise (hanging): French for "in a position to be taken". A
Chessman is 'en prise' if it is left or moved to a square where it
can be captured without loss to the capturing player. A piece 'en
prise' is often the result of a blunder. Commonly used by English-
speaking players that means "in prison."
EPD: Extended Position Description is a standard for describing
Chess positions along with an extended set of structured attribute
values using the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) character set. It is intended for data and command
interchange among Chess playing programs. It is also intended for
the representation of portable opening library repositories. The
first four fields of the EPD specification are the same as the
first four fields of the closely related FEN specification. Like
FEN, EPD can also be used for general position description.
However, unlike FEN, EPD is designed to be expandable by the
addition of new operations that provide new functionality as needs
arise. A text file composed exclusively of EPD data records should
have a file name with ".epd" as the suffix. Here is what the board
position after 1. e4 looks like in EPD: format:
"rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 1"
Equal: A common intermediate result in a game of Chess that either
side may win, lose, or draw.
Equalize: To achieve a position where the opponent's initiative is
negated. For example, white usually has the initiative in the
opening and black works to equalize, or overcome this initiative.
At this point, both sides have an equal chance of winning.
Equal position: Any Chess game position from which a player can
win, lose, or draw. Equal positions offer equal chances for both
sides with alert play.
Escape square: A square to which a King in check can move, also
called flight square.
Euler: A closed Knights tour.
Exchange: The trading of a piece for an enemy piece, usually pieces
of equal value. However, the presence of amplifying verbage
signifies an unequal trade; most often the advantage of a Rook for
a Bishop or Knight. If you have a Rook and your opponent has a less
valuable Bishop, you are said to have "won the exchange". You are
"up an exchange" or an "exchange ahead." Likewise, "sacrificing the
exchange" is giving up a Rook for a less valuable Knight or Bishop.
Exchange advantage: The trading of a piece for an enemy piece of
greater value.
Expert: a player with a USCF rating between 2000-2199.
Fairy Chess: Non-orthodox Chess problem compositions. A problem or
puzzle where some official rules of the traditional game of Chess
are suspended or changed.
FEN: Forsythe-Edwards-Notation. FEN is the standard for describing
Chess positions using the ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) character set. It is intended as a
standard position notation for Chess programmers, for page layout
programs, and for confirming position status for e-mail
competition. Six FEN fields specify the piece placement, the active
color, the castling availability, the en passant target square, the
halfmove clock, and the fullmove number. The first four fields of
the FEN specification are the same as the first four fields of the
closely related EPD specification. Like FEN, EPD can also be used
for general position description. However, unlike EPD, FEN is not
as expandable. FEN provides no means to add new operations that
provide new functionality as needs arise. A text file composed
exclusively of FEN data records should have a file name with ".fen"
as the suffix.
Fers: The medieval name for the piece we now call the Queen,
derived from the Persian word "Vizier".
Fianchetto: An Italian term that means "on the flank" and applies
only to Bishops. A Fianchetto involves placing a white Bishop on g2
or b2 or a black Bishop on g7 or b7. This manoeuvre places the
Bishop to a position from which it controls the longest diagonal.
A word derived from the Italian word 'fianco' meaning flank.
FIDE: The acronym for Federation Internationale des Ichecs, the
international Chess Federation which organizes the titles, awards
and the international rating system. Pronounced Fee-Day.
http://www.fide.com/
FIDE Master: Title awarded by FIDE and is ranked below
International Master.
Figurine notation: A system of recording the moves of a Chess game
similar to Algebraic Notation except that small pictures of the
pieces and Pawns are substituted for their names. This method has
been popularized by published articles in newspapers and other
periodicals.
File: A vertical column of eight squares. This column of squares
runs from the top of the board to the bottom, or between the black
and white sides of the board. Designated in algebraic notation as
the a-file, b-file, c-file, d-file, e-file, f-file, g-file and h-
file. The players' Kings start the game on the same file. Also can
be referenced by the piece that originally occupies the square in
the opening position (eg. The King file.)
Fingerfehler: German for finger-slip, a description of an obvious
but bad move made without thinking.
First Board: Also called top board, a term to describe the board in
a team match which usually has each team's strongest player.
Fischer clock: A clock which, in addition to serving the usual
functions of a Chess clock, adds a certain amount of time to each
player's clock after each move, in order to avoid desperate time
scrambles at the end of a game, which often result in poor moves.
Fixed Pawn: A Pawn whose advance is blocked by an enemy piece.
Flag: Part of an analog Chess clock. As the minute hand on the
clock nears the 12, the flat is pushed upward. When the minute hand
reaches 12 it no longer holds up the flag and it falls. The falling
of the flag indicates that the player's time has expired, and if
the requisite number of moves have not been played, the player is
said to "lose the game on time" (i.e. the game is lost because time
ran out, not because of the position on the board, although many
games are lost on time when the position is poor and the losing
player uses large amounts of time in an effort to try to find a way
to save the game).
Flank: The a, b, and c files on the Queenside and the f, g, and h
files on the Kingside.
Flight square: A square to which a King in check can move, also
called escape square.
FM: FIDE Master.
Fool's mate: The shortest possible Chess game ending in checkmate:
1. g4 e5 (or e6) 2. f4 (or f3) Qh4 mate. It is so named because
white must play foolishly to allow this mate.
Forced: A move or set of moves that are required (forced) to avoid
a lesser game result.
Forced mate: A sequence of moves that lead to a checkmate no matter
what the opponent responds.
Forced move: A move for which there is only one reply (or if more
than one reply, all but one are undesirable).
Forfeit: to lose a game by exceeding the time limit or because a
player failed to show up for a scheduled game. Also a player can
lose due to various other rules such as distracting the opponent or
a controversial rule in FIDE, a cell phone ringing.
Fork: An attack on two or more pieces simultaneously. Though any
Chess piece (except a Rook- Pawn) can execute a fork, the Knight
makes a specialty of it.
Forsythe Notation: Compact and simple means of recording a Chess
position also known as "FEN" (Forsythe-Edwards-Notation), devised
by Scottish player David Forsythe. Beginning at the top, left-hand
corner of the board (a8) the position of the Chessmen as well as
the unoccupied squares are recorded, rank by rank. White's men are
recorded with capital letters, and Black's with lowercase letters.
For example, the starting position is notated:
"rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR"
Fortress: A Chess position that cannot be effectively attacked or
broken down even with superior material advantage.
Gambit: An opening maneuver in which at least a pawn is offered in
return for a strong position, a chance to attack or gaining tempo
which permits development. A gambit usually involves the sacrifice
of a Pawn or minor piece when a game is in a complex phase such as
the opening or middlegame. A gambit is difficult, but possible to
refute. An apparent sacrifice of material for a clear advantage is
called a combination; not a gambit. "The delight in gambits is a
sign of chess youth..." -- Emanuel Lasker, World Champion.
Game of the century: Widely-used, descriptive term for the Fischer-
Byrne game (a Gr`unfeld Defense) in the 1956 Rosenwald tournament.
Fischer, 13 year's old at the time, mated IM Byrne using a Queen
and Rook sacrifice. Kmoch used the term "Game of the Century" in
his Chess Life article to refer narrowly to Chess played by
youngsters.
Gelbfuhs Score: Tie-breaking system applicable to tournaments where
players do not all play the same number of rounds. An individual's
Gelbfuhs Score equals the sum of scores of the players beaten,
divided by the number of games played; plus one-half the sum of
scores of players with whom draws were scored, divided by the
number of games played. The Gebfuhs Score is equal to the
Sonneborn-Berger score when all players play the same number of
games.
Gens una sumus: Latin for "We are one family or We are one race".
The official motto of FIDE.
GM: Abbreviation for International Grandmaster.
Good Bishop: A Bishop free to operate without interference from its
own Pawns and thus is very mobile. Such Bishop is very active
because it is positioned on a square of the opposite colour to the
squares on which most of its Pawns are stationed.
G`ottingen Manuscript: A Latin document of 33 pages containing
analysis of openings and Chess problems. Housed in the University
of G`ottingen Library, it is believed to have been written by
Lucena, circa 1500.
Grading: A numerical representation of the strength of a Chess
player based upon his results in games against other graded
players. In the US, the term rating is used in place of grading.
Grandmaster: A title awarded by FIDE to players who meet an
established set of performance standards, including a high Elo
rating. It is the highest title (other than World Champion)
attainable in Chess. Once earned, a Grandmaster title cannot be
taken away.
Half-open file: A file that contains none of one player's Pawns but
one or more of his opponent's.
Half-pin: A pin in which the Chessman subject to the pin may move
along the same line (file, rank or diagonal) which it shares with
the attacker.
Handicap: A means of trying to equalize chances in a game played
between opponents of greatly different strengths. There are
numerous methods of implementing a handicap; the stronger player
might (among other things): treat a draw as a loss; play several
opponents at the same time; give his opponent more time on the
clock; give his opponent two moves in a row at the opening of the
game; or remove one or more of his men from the board before play
begins. (Also see "Odds")
Hang, Hanging: To be unprotected and exposed to capture. Slang term
to describe a piece left en prise.
Hanging Pawns: Steinitz's term for two adjacent Pawns which are on
the fourth rank, cannot be supported by other Pawns, are not passed
Pawns, and which are on half-open files.
Harkness Score: Tie-breaking system applicable to Swiss
tournaments. The scores of the opponents of each of the tied
players are summed, first leaving out the highest and lowest
scores. In tournaments with a large number of rounds, two or more
of the highest and lowest scores may be deleted. Also called the
Median Score.
Heavy Piece: A Queen or Rook. Sometimes called a major piece.
Helpmate: A special Chess problem invented by Max Lange where both
sides cooperate in mating the black King. Black moves first.
Helpmate problems are a form of fairy Chess.
Hole: A square that cannot be defended by a Pawn. Such a square
makes an excellent home for a piece because the piece cannot be
chased away by hostile Pawns. Also known as outpost.
Home Pawns: A Kmoch's term for the Pawns in front of the castled
King.
Home side: Kmoch's term for the flank which contains the castled
King.
Horse: An informal word for a Knight. This term is used most often
by children.
Hypermodern: A school of thought that arose in reaction to the
classical theories of Chess. The Hypermoderns insisted that putting
a Pawn in the center in the opening made it a target. The heroes of
this movement were Richard Riti and Aaron Nimzovich, both of whom
expounded the idea of controlling the center from the flanks.
ICCA: International Computer Chess Association. The association
which organizes the World Computer Chess Championship held every
three years, and the World Microcomputer Chess Championship held
every year.
ICS: Internet Chess server.
IGM: International Grand Master.
Illegal move: A move which is in violation of the Laws of Chess. If
an illegal move is discovered during the course of a game, the game
will be returned to the point it was before the illegal move was
made. The player who made the illegal move must move the piece he
had previously moved illegally, if he can make a legal move with
that piece. Otherwise, he is permitted to make any legal move.
Illegal position: A position which is not the result of a series of
legal moves. Thus, an illegal move necessarily leads to an illegal
position. Other sources of illegal positions include: incorrect
positioning of the Chess board and incorrect arrangement of the
Chessmen either at the beginning of the game or at the time an
adjourned game is resumed. If it is possible, the position must be
corrected, otherwise a new game must be played.
IM: Abbreviation for International Master.
Initiative: The ability to create concrete threats, requiring your
opponent to make defensive moves. "...only the player with the
initiative has the right to attack" - Wilhelm Steinitz, World
Champion.
International Woman Grandmaster: Title established in 1976 and
awarded by FIDE to the world's strongest women players.
Internet Chess Server: Any of several computers on the Internet (an
international computer network) which permit computer users to play
real-time Chess games with other players on the Internet. People
connected to the ICS can also observe other games in progress and
communicate with each other.
Interpose: To place a piece or a Pawn between an enemy attacking
piece and the attacked piece.
Interposition: The movement of a piece in between a piece which is
attacked and its attacker.
Interzonal Tournament: One tournament in a series of competitions
held by FIDE to select a challenger to the World Champion. Winners
of the 14 Zonal championships compete in the Interzonal
tournaments, which were first held in 1948. The top players from
the Interzonals play in the Candidate matches which conclude when
a challenger emerges.
Isolated Pawn: A Pawn whose adjacent files contain no Pawns of the
same color. An isolated Pawns is weak because it, and the square in
front of it, cannot be defended by other Pawns. An isolated Pawn is
consider a fundamental weakness in a Chess position because it can
be attacked. Its defense requires pieces that are better employed
in other plans. "An isolated Pawn spreads gloom all over the
chessboard." - Tartakover.
IWM: International Woman Master.
J'adoube: A French word commonly used by English-speaking players
that means 'I adjust'. A notice to one's opponent that one is about
to adjust the position of a piece on its square with no intention
to move the piece to another square.
Karnamak: Persian epic written about 600 AD. Possibly the first
piece of literature to refer to Chess.
Key: The unique, first move in the solution to a Chess problem.
KIA: King's Indian Attack.
Kibitz: To comment during a game, or during analysis following a
game, within the hearing of the players. The term is often used in
a pejorative sense, and is in many occasions applied to the
comments of a spectator for whom the players have little respect.
Kibitzer: One who kibitzes.
Kibitzing: kibitzing - Observing and commenting on a Chess game,
usually in a manner that disturbs the players.
KID: King's Indian Defense.
King Hunt: A prolonged attack on the opponent's King which usually
dislodges it from a shielded, defensive position with a series of
checks and sacrifices. A successful King-hunt ends in checkmate.
Kingside: The half of the board made up of the e, f, g, and h
files. Kingside pieces are the King, the Bishop next to it, the
Knight next to the Bishop, and the Rook next to the Knight.
King's Pawn opening: The move 1. e4. Bobby Fischer's favorite
opening. Moving the King Pawn opens lines for the King Bishop and
the Queen, occupies a key central square and prevents the opponent
from occupying squares diagonally in front of the Pawn.
Knight Fork: Any double attack by a Knight.
Knight's Tour: A Chess puzzle whereby the Knight is moved 64 times,
landing on each square only once. A solution is called "re-entrant"
if the Knight finishes on a square which is a Knight's move away
from the square where it began.
Ladder: A fluid method of ranking Chess players within a club or
other group. The ladder is usually established by listing players
according to their Chess rating. Any player may challenge someone
one step above them on the ladder (sometimes two or more places).
If the challenger wins, he moves up the ladder and his opponent
moves down.
Lasker Trap: A trap in the Albin Counter-Gambit, resulting in a
winning position for Black: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. e3 Bb4+
5. Bd2 dxe3 6. Bxb4 exf2+ 7. Ke2 fxg1=N+.
Laws of Chess: The rules which govern the play of the game. During
the 1850s, Staunton was one of many players who first sought to
establish a unified set of Chess laws. FIDE established its own
laws of Chess in 1929.
Le Palamede: The first Chess magazine, published in Paris from 1836
to 1840. La Bourdonnais was the editor and claimed he had 236
subscribers.
Ligal's Mate: A mating sequence appearing in the game between M. de
Kermar Ligal and Saint Brie in about 1750: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 d6 3.
Nf3 Bg4 4. Nc3 g6 5. Nxe5 Bxd1 6. Bxf7+ Ke7 7. Nd5 mate.
Light Bishop: A Bishop which moves on light-colored squares.
Light Piece: Another expression for minor piece: a Bishop or a
Knight.
Lightning Chess: Another term for speed or Blitz Chess.
Long Algebraic Notation: A form of algebraic notation. A move is
designated by a letter indicating the piece moved, plus the square
the piece moves from as well as the square the piece moves to (e.g.
Bc1-g5). Pawn moves are designated by the starting square an the
destination square (e.g. e2-e4).
Long Castling: Expression sometimes used to describe castling
Queen-side.
Longest Game: The longest game played by top players was played in
Belgrade in 1989. I. Nikolic and Arsovic drew in 269 moves.
Losing chances: The probability in any complex and roughly equal
position that one side may successfully lose a game of Chess by
thoughtless play. Usually, winning, losing, and drawing chances are
judged as either good or poor. If a position is sufficiently
unclear that either side may win, lose, or draw, then that position
is estimated to give both sides equal chances.
Losing on Time: A player loses on time if he has not completed the
required number of moves in the allotted time. If the opponent does
not have sufficient material to prove a win, the game is drawn.
Losing the Exchange: To exchange a rook for either a Bishop or
Knight.
Lost position: Any Chess game position from which a player must
lose with accurate play. Many complex lost positions may still
offer winning or drawing chances with alert play. It is unknown
whether the starting position is also a lost position.
Lucena Position: A well-known and well-analyzed Rook and Pawn
ending first analyzed in a book by Lucena, published in 1497.
Luft: A German term that means 'air'. In Chess, it means to give
the King breathing room. It describes a Pawn move made in front of
the King of the same color to avoid back rank Mate possibilities.
Major Pieces: The Queen and Rooks. Because of the number of squares
they command (a Queen can command 27 squares, not counting the one
she occupies, a rook 14) they are considered the heavy artillery of
Chess.
Majority: A player's numerical superiority of Pawns on one flank.
Such a majority is important because it may lead to the creation of
a passed Pawn.
Master: In the U.S., a player with rating of 2200 or more. If a
player's rating drops below 2200, the title is rescinded. There are
about 90 Grandmasters in the entire world. It is also the highest
ranking in Chess earned by competing in major tournaments.
Mate: Short for Checkmate. When a King cannot avoid capture.
Mate in two: A common Chess problem where white on the move must
checkmate black in two moves despite black's best reply. Mate in
three, four, or more moves are also common training exercises.
Material: The total value in points of a player's pieces on the
Chessboard. A material advantage is when a player has more pieces
on the board than his opponent or has pieces of greater value.
Material advantage is one key quality in assessing a Chess
position.
Match: A contest between two players only, as distinguished from a
tournament. The term often refers to a contest of many games, but
is sometimes used to describe a single game. The first major Chess
match was between La Bourdonnais and McDonnel in 1834. Also, a
contest between two teams, played on several boards.
Mating Attack: An attack which aims at Checkmate.
Mating net: A position or series of moves that leads inexorably to
one in which the King must be mated or, a position where one player
has mating threats. This can be accomplished with the pieces
working together to trap and checkmate the enemy King.
Mating Sacrifice: A material sacrifice made to achieve Checkmate.
Median Score: A tie-breaking system applicable to Swiss
tournaments. The scores of the opponents of each of the tied
players are summed, first leaving out the highest and lowest
scores. In tournaments with a large number of rounds, two or more
of the highest and lowest scores may be deleted. Also called the
Harkness Score.
Mephisto: Constructed by Charles Godfrey Gumpel and first
demonstrated in London in 1878, Mephisto was described as a Chess
playing automaton. It was in fact a device which contained a person
who played Chess. Operated by Isidor Gunsberg, it was the first
automaton to win a Chess tournament.
Middlegame: The second phase of the game following the opening, and
the one in which much of the action takes place. The development of
the pieces is complete or nearly complete and many pieces are
captured or traded as the players pursue their creative plans. With
many pieces on the board and possibilities of attack on all sides,
the King normally stays well hidden in this phase.
Miniature: Also called brevity, a short gameusually about 20 moves
or less. Many writers use the term only for entertaining games and
therefore do not generally include draws in this category. Any
Chess problem featuring seven or fewer pieces.
Minor Exchange: Tarrasch's term for the exchange of a Knight for a
Bishop. Because he preferred Bishops, he described the player who
gave up the Knight as winning the minor exchange.
Minor pieces: The Bishops and Knights. A Knight can command eight
squares, a Bishop thirteen.
Minority Attack: The advance of one or more Pawns on a flank where
the opponent has a Pawn majority. The objective of a minority
attack is to create a isolated Pawn weakness in the enemy position.
Mobility: The ability to move about freely on the board.
Morals of Chess, The: A 1779 essay by Benjamin Franklin outlining
the merits of Chess and advocating a specific set of rules of
etiquette for play.
Muse of Chess: Another term for Caissa.
Mysterious Rook Move: The movement of a Rook to a closed file to
discourage the opponent from making a freeing move because such a
move would bring the Rook into play, a strategy advocated by
Nimzowitsch.
National Chess Day: October 9th, 1976. US President Gerald Ford set
the day aside "to give special recognition to a game that generates
challenge, intellectual stimulation, and enjoyment for citizens of
all ages."
National Master: Title granted by national federations to strong
players, usually those with a sustained ELO rating of 2200 or
above.
Neo-Romantic: A style of play developed in the twentieth century.
This style incorporates the romantic tradition of aggressive
attack, and couples this aspect of play with a strong defense.
Neustadtl Score: Another name for the Sonneborn-Berger Score.
Nimzo-Indian Defense: One of the Indian defenses, characterized by
the sequence: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4. Named after Aaron
Nimzovitch.
NM: Abbreviation for National Master.
Norm: The number of points a player in an international tournament
must score to gain one qualification for a FIDE title. The weaker
the tournament, the more points a player must score for any given
norm.
Notation: System for recording moves and positions of a Chess game
- Algebraic Notation, Long Algebraic Notation, Descriptive
Notation, Figurine Notation, Forsythe Notation, Udemann Code, etc.
Obstructive Sacrifice: A material sacrifice to hinder an opponent's
development.
Occupation: A Rook or Queen that controls a file or rank is said to
occupy that file or rank. A piece is said to occupy the square it
is sitting on.
Odds: A method of compensating a weaker player when playing a
stronger player. With clocks time odds can be given such as 5
minutes for one player and 3 minutes for the stronger player.
Material odds can also be given such as a pawn up to a queen. (Also
see "Handicap")
Official Rules of Chess: Official FIDE publication setting forth
the Laws of Chess.
Open: Short for Open game or Open file. A term used to describe a
position where Pawns do not block the mobility of the pieces around
some or all of the board. The opposite of a closed position. Also
refers to a type of tournament in which any strength of player can
participate.
Open file: A file cleared of Pawns. It offers a corridor for
attack, especially if occupied by doubled Rooks. A file is still
open even if it is occupied by pieces other than Pawns.
Open game: A position characterized by many open ranks, files, or
diagonals, and few center Pawns.
Open Tournament: A tournament which is open to any player.
Opening: The start of a Chess game. The first phase of the game
before the middlegame and endgame, in which players try to rapidly
develop their pieces, gain room for their pieces to maneuver, and
on bringing their Kings to safety. Many promising opening lines of
play are analyzed and documented extensively in texts and computer
databases. The basic goals of the opening are to develop pieces as
quickly as possible.
Opening Repertoire (repertoire): An opening sequence of moves
learned before a game to reach a middlegame where a player feels
comfortable with the normal strategies and plans for each side.
Openings: The more-or-less standardized and analyzed patterns of
moves that both sides make at the start of a game. Some are named
after people (Ruy Lopez), some after places (Budapest Counter-
Gambit), some after pieces or moves (Four Knights Defense). Some
are descriptive (Giuoco Piano, or quiet game).
OTB: Abbreviation for Over-The-Board.
Opposite colored Bishops: Bishops can only move on one color square
determined by their original position. Thus we have light- and
dark-colored squared Bishops. If only two opposing Bishops on
opposite colored squares are captured from the board, then opposite
colored Bishops remain. (See also Bishop pair.) The opposite
colored Bishops characterize Chess play as asymetrical. The
opposite colored Bishops cannot challenge or capture each other.
Therefore, the attacking side often has the advantage in a
middlegame with opposite colored Bishops. However, opposite colored
Bishop endgames are often drawn, because neither site can control
both colored squares to force the advance of a Pawn.
Opposition: A position in which opposing Kings stand on the same
rank, file or diagonal, usually in an endgame, separated from each
other by only one square. The player whose move brings the Kings
into opposition holds an advantage that, in an endgame, can be
decisive.
Outpost: A square that supports a piece. Term coined by
Nimzowitsch; a piece placed on a square (on an open or half-open
file) on the opponent's side of the board, protected by a Pawn,
which cannot be attacked by an enemy Pawn. The power of the piece
on the outpost can be so strong the opponent may be forced to
exchange it, even at the cost of material or positional loss.
Outside Passed Pawn: A passed Pawn away from most of the other
Pawns on the board.
Over the Board: A description of games played face to face, as
opposed to correspondence Chess or email Chess.
Overload: A situation where a Pawn or piece must perform too many
defensive functions, so that if one it is forced to perform one
function a weakness will be created.
Over-protection: Nimzowitsch's concept of concentrating many pieces
and/or Pawns--even more than might seem necessary--on an important
square. This creates a strong square which interacts beneficially
with the over-protecting pieces.
Overextension: When space is gained too fast. By rushing his Pawns
forward and trying to control a lot of territory, a player can
leave weaknesses in his camp or can weaken the advanced Pawns
themselves. He is then said to have overextended his position.
Overworked piece: A piece that is required to single handedly
defend too many other pieces.
Pairings: A listing of who plays whom at a tournament.
Parry a Check: To place a Chessman between the King in check and
the checking piece. This is one of three ways to meet a check, the
other two being moving the King or capturing the checking piece. If
a player in check cannot employ one of these three ways to meet the
check, the King is checkmated and the game is over.
Parsing: Analysis, intended for use by NL (natural language)
parsing researchers and others interested in the automated
extraction of Chess data from text articles. A more complete usage
requires actual game parsing. After reading the game, a
parse_game() method is called, and as a result we have the moves
available in an array, comments and errors in two hashes, where the
keys are the move numbers and the values are comments or errors.
Passed Pawn: A Pawn unopposed, on its own or adjacent files, by a
Pawn of another color. By being advanced to the eighth rank it can
become any piece its owner chooses. A passed Pawn, therefore, is a
source of worry for the other side and a precious advantage for its
owner. Two united passed Pawns on adjacent files constitute a
formidable weapon.
Passive: Description of a move which contains no threats. Also,
refers to a piece with limited mobility, i.e. a piece which is not
active.
Patzer: A weak player. Sometimes used more specifically to describe
a weak player who either does not recognize his deficiencies or who
may boast of his ability.
Pawn break: The possibility of opening up a blocked Pawn structure
by advancing a Pawn.
yawn Chain: A group of pawns of the same color on the same color
squares that protect each other. "Pawns are born free, yet are
everywhere in chains..." - Andrew Soltis.
Pawn centre: A pair or group of Pawns of the same colour that
occupy the central squares of the board.
Pawn chain: A string of two or more Pawns of the same colour along
a diagonal.
Pawn grabbing: Deprecating term to describe the act of winning
Pawns at the expense of development or countering an opponents
attack. Also known as Pawn snatching.
Pawn island: A Pawn or group of Pawns separated from other Pawns of
the same colour.
Pawn push: Another term for Pawn Storm.
Pawn roller: Another term for Pawn Storm.
Pawn storm: The general advance of two or more connected Pawns. A
Pawn storm may be employed to attack the King, to promote one of
the Pawns, to keep some of the opponents pieces away from another
part of the board, among other things.
Pawn structure: All aspects of the Pawn setup. Also referred to as
the Pawn skeleton or the arrangement of a player's Pawns on the
board.
Perpetual Check: A sort of infinite cycle in which one side gives
check, the other side gets out of check, the first side checks
again in the same way - being unable to do otherwise without
risking the loss of the game - and so on. It constitutes a draw.
Perpetual pursuit: Similar to a Perpetual Check, except that the
pursued piece is a Bishop, Knight, Rook, or Queen, instead of the
King.
Petite combination: A combination that involves only a few moves.
PGN: Portable Game Notation, a standard text system of chess
notation used on Chess viewers programs and designed for the
representation of chess game data using ASCII text files. PGN is
structured for easy reading and writing by human users and for easy
parsing and generation by computer programs. A text file composed
exclusively of PGN data records should have a file name with ".pgn"
as the suffix.
Phalanx: Pawn structure where two or more Pawns of the same color
are side-by-side, i.e. on the same rank and on adjacent files.
Piece: Any Chess piece other than the Pawn, but usually referring
to a Bishop or Knight.
Pig: Slang for Rook. Rooks doubled on the 7th rank are commonly
referred to as pigs on the 7th.
Pin: A position in which a piece may not be moved because another
piece would be subject to capture. If the piece subject to capture
is the King, the Pin is absolute and the pinned piece cannot
legally be moved. When the piece is not the King, the tactic is
called a 'relative Pin'.
Plan: A short or long range goal on which a player bases his moves.
A method or line of play designed to improve a position. A Chess
player should always have a plan.
Ply: One play in a Chess game -white or black, which is one half of
one complete move pair. Computers have the capability to consider
the probable result of an almost infinite number of
move/countermove strategems against each move made by a player
(except for book openings). These levels of move combinations are
referred to as "plies" or half-moves in computer terminology.
Point count: A system that gives the pieces the following numeric
values: King= priceless; Queen= 9 points; Rook= 5 points; Bishop=
3 points; Knight= 3 points; and Pawn= 1 point.
Poisoned Pawn: A Pawn (often White's Pawn on b2) which is
undefended during the opening but which if taken, often permits the
player who gave up the Pawn to engage in a strong attack or to
later win the piece taking the Pawn.
Position: The arrangement of Chess pieces. The player whose pieces
have better placement is said to have a "positional advantage."
Positional Chess: A move or style of play based on long range
considerations. The slow buildup of small advantages is said to be
positional.
Positional Sacrifice: A sacrifice of material which improves the
position of the sacrificing player.
Preventive Sacrifice: A Sacrifice made to prevent the opponent from
castling.
Post-mortem: Looking at a game after its completion to determine
mistakes, better or alternative ideas that might have occurred
during a game.
Promotion: Also called 'Queening'. When a Pawn reaches the 8th
rank, it can be promoted to a Bishop, Knight, Rook, or Queen of the
same color. A pawn who survives to reach the eighth rank is
rewarded by promotion to a piece of higher value.
Protected passed Pawn: A passed Pawn that is under the protection
of another Pawn.
Queening a Pawn: A special case of Pawn promotion to a Queen. This
phrase is often used to describe promotion in general, because a
Pawn is usually promoted to a Queen; the highest valued option.
Queening Square: The 8th rank square to which a Pawn is moved, and
then must be promoted. This promotion square is called the Queening
square because the promotion choice is nearly always a Queen.
QGA: Queen's Gambit Accepted.
QGD: Queen's Gambit Declined.
Queenside: The half of the board that includes the d, c, b, and a
files. The Queenside pieces are the Queen, the Bishop next to it,
the Knight next to the Bishop, and the Rook next to the Knight.
Quiet move: An unassuming move that is not a capture, a check, or
a direct or immediate threat. A Quiet move often occurs at the end
of a maneuver or combination that drives the point home.
Rank: A row of squares running from side to side of the board each
side numbers the ranks from one to eight, starting with the rank
nearest him and running to the rank nearest his opponent. Also, any
horizontal row on a Chessboard.
Rapid Chess: A Chess game where each player has 30 minutes in which
complete the game; previously called Active Chess by FIDE. In the
US, the preferred term is Action Chess and in the UK the expression
Quick Play is employed.
Rating: A number that measures a player's relative strength. The
higher the number, the stronger the player. In the UK, the term
grading is used in place of rating.
Refute: To prove that a previously accepted move, line, or opening
is deficient when best play is pursued by both sides.
Remis: German for draw.
Repetition of Position: A player may claim a draw if he can
demonstrate that a three-fold repetition of the position has
occurred, with the same player having the move each time.
Resign: When a player realizes that he is going to lose and
graciously gives up the game without waiting for a Checkmate. When
resigning, a player can simply say, "I resign", or he can tip over
his King in a gesture of helplessness.
Retrograde Analysis: To analyze a position to deduce previous moves
or to explain how the position was reached.
Round: One set of games that normally begin at the same time at a
tournament.
Round Robin: An all-play-all tournament in which all participants
will play one game against each other, alternating colors each
game. A double round robin is where players will play two games,
once as white and once as black against each opponent.
Royal Fork: A Fork that attacks both the King and the Queen.
Sacrifice: The voluntary offer of material for compensation in
space, time, Pawn structure, or even force. A sacrifice can lead to
a force advantage in a particular part of the board. Unlike a
combination, a sacrifice is not always a calculable commodity and
often entails an element of uncertainty. Also known as sac. "A good
sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your
opponent dazed and confused" - Rudolph Spielmann.
Schacchia Ludus: Medieval poem by Vida (the title means "The Game
of Chess"), written in 1513. It inspired Sir William Jones's 1763
poem "Caissa".
Scholar's Mate: The name given to an attack that leads to an early
checkmate: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qh5 Nf6 4. Qxf7++. The attack is
easily refuted, and therefore rarely attempted except against
beginners. Other similar lines of play are also justly known as
scholar's mate. Scholar's mate requires more coordination in the
attack than fools mate.
Score: A written record of a game containing all the moves; a
players result in a game, match, or tournament.
Sealed Move: A method of secretly recording the next Chess move of
an adjourned game (an unfinished game) until play is resumed. The
last move made before a game is adjourned. The move is not played
on the board, but recorded on the players score sheet. Both players
score sheets are then placed in an envelope which is sealed and
presented to the arbiter.
Semi-open file: A file in front of a Queen or Rook that is occupied
by just one enemy Pawn and none of your own. A file is still semi-
open even if it contains pieces other than the Pawn.
Sham Sacrifice: A move which on the face of it appears to be a
sacrifice, but if accepted will yield the player offering the piece
a gain in material or a strong positional advantage.
Short Castling: Castling on the Kingside.
Simplify: To trade pieces to quiet down the position, to eliminate
the opponent's attacking potential, or to clarify the situation.
The player with the better position is more likely to simplify than
the player with the worse position.
Simul: Another term for Simultaneous Display. When one person plays
Chess with two or more opponents at the same time.
Simultaneous Display: Event where a single player (commonly a
strong player) play several people all at the same time. Numerous
boards are set up, in a circle or rectangle, and the single player
stands inside this area, moving from board to board, usually
playing a single move at a time. Also known as Simultaneous
Exhibition or Simul.
Skewer: A threat against a valuable piece that forces that piece to
move, allowing the capture of a less valuable piece behind it, on
the same rank, file, or diagonal, after the attacked piece is
moved. A tactical concept when a piece attacks two or more enemy
pieces on a row (with a Rook or Queen) or diagonal (with a Bishop
or Queen).
Skittles (skittles room): Casual chess. At tournaments a skittles
room will often be designated for players to go and play and
examine games between rounds.
SM: Senior Master.
Smothered Mate: A form of checkmate with a Knight where the King is
unable to move because all the squares around him are occupied by
Chessmen or its own pieces block all escape routes.
Solkoff Score: A tie-breaking system applicable to Swiss
tournaments. A player's Solkoff Score is equal to the scores off
all his opponents.
Sonneborn-Berger Score: A tie-breaking system. An individual's
Sonneborn-Berger score equals the sum of the scores of the players
beaten plus half the sum of the scores of players with whom draws
were scored.
Space: The territory controlled by each player. The quality of a
Chess position that permits greater mobility or freedom of movement
for pieces behind Pawns of the same color. Space is the opposite of
cramped. When a player's position is judged to have more space,
then that player enjoys greater freedom of maneuver than his
opponent. A player that enjoys more space can switch the play from
one side of the board to the other more quickly. Space is one key
quality in assessing a Chess position.
Spanish Game: Also known as the Ruy Lopez. One of the oldest Chess
openings, it was analyzed by Ruy Lopez in his 1561 book "Libro del
Ajedrez".
Spite Check: A check by a player facing a mating attack which does
not prevent the mating attack but only delays it.
Stalemate: A situation in which one side is unable to make a legal
move although the king is not in check. A stalemate is a draw. For
over 100 years this has been deemed a draw. Before that, stalemate
was treated differently in different places, for example it has
been held to be a win, a loss, and illegal, among others.
Staunton Chessmen: A pattern of Chessmen (the ordinary design found
in plastic, wood, jade or whatever) named after Howard Staunton
(1810 - 1874), a British Chess Champion. It was designed in 1835 by
Nathaniel Cook who convinced Howard Staunton in 1852 that they
should be designated Staunton Chessmen. They are the Chessmen
required by FIDE.
Strategy: The reasoning behind a move, plan, or idea as opposed to
the tactics: the carrying out of that plan. Strategy is more
concerned with distant future moves than the calculation of tactics
for the next move.
Study: A term used to describe a composed endgame position where
very artful play and a lot of thought (study) is required to win or
draw. Commentators often refer to a game position as a study if it
is unusually difficult and artistic.
Style: A player's way of playing Chess, which reflects his
personality and preferences. Typically, in a game between players
of opposing styles (for example, an attacker vs. a quiet positional
player), the winner will be the one who successfully imposes his
style on the other.
Sudden death (SD, Game/xx, G/xx): A time period in a game of Chess
in which all remaining moves must be completed. The rate of play
required by many international tournaments is 40 moves in two
hours, followed by 20 moves in one hour, and then half an hour
extra for the rest of the game. The third and last part of this
time control is known as sudden death, and does not require
adjournment.
Swindle: A combination employed by a player with a losing position
which converts his position into a win or draw. Such a combination
is generally considered to be either avoidable by the opponent or
the result of luck.
Swiss System: A method of pairing players at a tournament,
developed in Switzerland in the 19th century by Dr. Julius Muller
and first employed in 1895. The three fundamental rules of the
Swiss System are: (a). No player meets the same opponent twice;
(b). Pairings should match players with scores which are as similar
as possible; (c). The number of games as White and as Black for
each player should be kept as close as possible to equal throughout
the tournament.
Symmetry: Position where the Chessmen of one side mirrors the
position of the Chessmen of the other side.
Tablebase: A computer database of endgame positions (calculated by
retrospective analysis) designed to enable perfect play from any
position. Currently tablebases are limited to positions of 6 or
fewer pieces. Tablebases come in two content types; Distance to
Mate (Eugene Nalimov, Steven J Edward), and Distance to Conversion
(Ken Thompson). Current tablebases range from 8Gb compressed to
30Gb uncompressed. The Nalimov tablebase is most popular because it
is efficient, nonproprietary, compressed, and most complete
(ignoring only uncastled positions which are very unusual in the
endgame). John Tamplin's popular interface to these tablebases is
found at Logical Chess.
Tactics: A term used to describe a short-term sequence of moves
involving threats and counter threats. Maneuvers that take
advantage of short-term opportunities. A position with many traps
and combinations is considered to be tactical in nature. Some
examples of this are: Pin, Skewer, Fork, Simultaneous Attack, Mate,
Double Check, etc. These themes are used in combinations to create
either a material or positional advantage. "A knowledge of tactics
is the foundation of positional play. This is a rule which has
stood its test in chess history and one which we cannot impress
forcibly enough upon the young chess player. A beginner should
avoid Queen's Gambit and French Defense and play open games
instead! While he may not win as many games at first, he will in
the long run be amply compensated by acquiring a thorough knowledge
of the game" - Richard R`eti.
TD: Abbreviation for tournament director.
Tempo (time): As in music, time. Plural, tempi. In chess, there are
basically three elements - space, time and material. Space and
material are self-evident. Time, however, is more subtle.
Initially, White, having the first move, has a time advantage (and
thus, the initiative). But White can, by making useless moves,
waste time. To make a wasteful move is to "lose a tempo." Over the
board, tempi, space and material can be exchanged back and forth
for one another.
Theory: Well known opening, middle game, and endgame positions that
are documented in Chess books.
Threat: A move which contains an implied or expressed attack on a
piece or Pawn or the position of the opponent.
Three-time repetition: Occurs when the players have been moving
back and forth, repeating the same position. Often happens when a
player, behind in material and facing eventual loss, sacrifices for
a perpetual check. A Three-time repetition of position results in
a Draw.
Tie-Breaking System: A method used to determine a single winner
when tournament play produces a tie. One tie-break is the play-off,
but due to the time it takes to play additional games, this is
often not feasible. Ties are sometimes resolved in favor of the
player who won the most games, the player who won the individual
game between the tied players, or the player who had Black if the
individual game between the players was drawn.
Tietz System: A tie-breaking system sometimes used to spread out
the prize fund in a round robin tournament.
Time: Time is a measure of development and also refers to thinking
time, as measured on a Chess Clock.
Time control: The amount of time in which each player must play a
specified number of moves. In international competitions, the
typical time control is 40 moves in 2 hours for each player.
Time delay: An addition to the time control that allows for a
specific amount of time added to a move (usually seconds) or an
amount of time that passes before the time allotted for a player
begins to be used. The main purpose is to allow for games to be
completed in one setting and prevent losing on time.
Time pressure: One of the most exciting moments in a tournament
Chess game. When one or both players have used up most of the time
on their Clocks but still have several moves to make before they
reach the mandatory total of 40 or 45, they start to make moves
with increasing rapidity, some times slamming down the pieces in
frenzied panic. Terrible blunders are typical in this phase.
Time Trouble: Situation where a player has a small amount of time
to make a large number of moves and to describe the difficulty
faced by a player who must complete a disproportionate number of
moves before a time-control.
TN: Abbreviation for "Theoretical Novelty" -- a new move in an
established opening.
Top Board: In a team match, the player who competes against the
strongest opponents. Sometimes referred to as first board.
Touch Move: Chess rule which requires a player who touches a piece
to actually move that piece (if it is his own) or take that piece
(if it belongs to his opponent). If the piece touched cannot be
legally moved or captured, then the player may make any move. A
player may touch and piece and not be compelled to move or capture
it if he first announces Jadoube or I adjus.
Tournament: A contest among more than two Chess players.
Tournament Book: A collection of all the games of a tournament (or
selected games if the tournament is very large). Generally a
tournament book will also include some or all of the following:
crosstables, complete or partial results, annotations of
interesting or important games, background information on players
or the tournament, and photographs.
Trade: Same as exchange.
Transposition: Reaching an identical opening position by a
different order of moves. For example, the French Defense is
usually reached by 1.e4 - e6, 2.d4 - d5, but 1.d4 - e6, 2.e4 - d5
transposes into the same position.
Trap: A way of surreptitiously luring the opponent into making a
mistake or a move whose natural reply results in a disadvantage to
the replying player.
Trapping a piece: Similar to a checkmate but against another piece.
A piece is attacked but has no way to retreat safely.
Triangulation: A process whereby a King is moved twice to reach a
square which could be attained in a single move. The beginning
square and the two squares to which it is moved form a triangle.
Triangulation is generally employed only in endings and usually
involves Kings -- one King is forced to shuttle between two squares
while the other King has three squares (the 'triangle') at its
disposal.
Tripled Pawns: Three Pawns of the same color on a single file, one
in front of the other.
Turk, The: Chess playing automan (nickname) made in (1789) by Baron
Wolfgang von Kempelen and operated by a hidden player (reputedly
Allgaier, Viennas strongest player of the day), who was ingeniously
concealed inside the machine. It was operated by many strong
players and was the subject of great speculation.
Udemann Code: Chess notation created to be transmitted via
telegraph.
Ufimtsev Defense: 1 .e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7.
Under promotion: Promoting a Pawn which has reached the eighth rank
to a piece other than a Queen. A player may choose to under-promote
his Pawn to gain advantage, or avoid stalemate.
Undoubling: To move one of a set of doubled Pawns onto an adjacent
file which contains no Pawns of its own color, via a capture.
Unit: A term which refers to both pieces and Pawns.
Unrated: A game that is not being played for a rating. Unrated
player: A person who has never played in a rated tournament.
Generally considered a novice section where players are expected to
follow the chess laws but are generally given reminders.
USCF: United States Chess Federation. Official governing body for
Chess in the United States. Often referred to by its abbreviation,
USCF.
Variation: A sequence of moves, or line of play. There are many
variations (possible moves) in a game of Chess.
Waiting move: Any non-threatening Chess move that attempts to gain
the advantage because one's opponent now must move.
WCC: The World Chess Council. During the opening ceremony at
Linares, organizer Luis Rentero and Kasparov announced the creation
of the World Chess Council (WCC). The two men proposed to sponsor
a 10 game match between Kramnik and Anand in Cazorla, Spain,
beginning on 20 May.
Weak Backrank: A specific weakness that refers to the pawns
preventing the king from escaping from an attack on the backrank by
a rook or queen allowing checkmate. Considered a tactical
disadvantage.
Weak pawn: A specific weakness related to pawns that are vulnerable
to attack such as isolated pawn, backward pawn and doubled pawns.
Considered a positional disadvantage.
Weak points or holes in the opponent's position must be occupied by
pieces not Pawns. - Siegbert Tarrasch
Weak Square: An important square which cannot be easily defended.
Considered a positional disadvantage.
Weakness: Any Pawn or square that is attackable and therefore hard
to defend. A flaw in a position. An isolated or blockaded Pawn,
lack of space, bad Bishop, or any other positional flaw that
increases losing chances are examples of weaknesses.
Winning chances: The probability in any complex and roughly equal
position that one side may successfully win a game of Chess with
alert play. Such an estimate is based on an understanding of
sometimes subtle criteria such as board position, player skills,
time pressure, and strategy both on the board and off. Usually,
winning, losing, and drawing chances are judged as either good or
poor. If a position is sufficiently unclear that either side may
win, lose, or draw, then that position is estimated to give both
sides equal chances.
Winning Move: A move which creates a position in which the player
can or does win.
Winning position: Any Chess game position from which a player must
win with accurate play. Many complex winning positions may still
offer losing or drawing chances with alert play by one's opponent.
It is unknown whether the starting position is also a winning
position.
Winning the Exchange: Giving up a Knight or a Bishop for a Rook.
Woodpusher: Derogatory term for a player who shows no understanding
for Chess but rather appears to simply push his pieces around the
board.
WGM: International Woman Grandmaster.
X-Ray: An attack made by a long-range piece (Rook, Bishop or Queen)
against some targets (pieces that attack each other and all the
other targets from that line) from a line (file, rank or diagonal).
Because of the piece's long range attacking power they act like an
X-Ray machine and can attack `through' a piece once it moves.
Zeitnot: A German term that means "time trouble".
Zugzwang: A German term that means "compulsion to move". It refers
to a situation in which a player would prefer to do nothing because
any move leads to a deterioration of his position, but he moves
something because it is illegal to pass. "The laws of Chess do not
permit a free choice: you have to move whether you like it or not."
- Emanuel Lasker, World champion.
Zwischenzug: A German term that means "in between move". A
surprising move that, when inserted in an apparently logical
sequence (for example, a check that interrupts a series of
exchanges), changes the result of that sequence.
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