Chess and Checkers: The Way to Mastership

D AN

h army has sixteen men; one King, one Queen, two Rooks (or Castles), two Bishops, two Knights and eight Pawns. The Generals of the two armies are the

ide losing whose King is captured. To understand what is meant by the capture of the King it is firs

he players have a white square at their right. Th

e corner squares; n

shops and in the cen

ee

-------

#B | #Q | #K |

-------

#P | #P | #P |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

^P | ^P | ^P |

-------

^B | ^Q | ^K |

-------

d e

GRA

uare. These eight, men are commonly known as "pieces" in distinction from the P

e called RANKS. The vertical lines of squares running perpendicularly to the ranks are called FILES. Th

imes, but only two of them have been generally adopted. The older one, called the "descriptive notation," still predominates in the English, French and Spanish speaking countries, but as leading English an

nk on which White's pieces stand at the beginning of the game. Each square is now easily indicated by naming the file and rank at which it forms the intersect

-------

| | |

-------

| | | ^K

-------

| #Q |

-------

| | |

-------

B | | ^R

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

^K | |

-------

d e

GRA

s are used. Thus K stands for King, Q for Queen, R for

VES OF

y of moving as in most other board games. But it takes only very little practice to become familiar with the various moves of the Chessmen and it is soon revealed to

e

In other words, he may move to any square of the rank or file on which he stands unless another man of his own color is i

apture the black Bishop. The Rook may not go to h4 because a man of his own color stands there nor may he go to b4 or e4 because he is

Bi

an of his own color. If there is a hostile man in the way he may capture him. In Diagram 2, therefore, the Bishop may move to a2, b3, d5, e6 or, by capturing the Knight, to

eginning of the game he has access only to thirty-two squares of the board, and from this it

Qu

long as her path is clear. In Diagram 2 the squares to which the Queen may move are, therefore, e3, b4, c5, e7, f8, f1, b5, C7, b8, d1, d2, d

es. Later it will be seen that ordinarily her str

e

because he may move only one square at a time. Nevertheless, he is the most important man,

t range of any man of his enemy. Thus, in Diagram 2 the black King may move to f2, g2, h2, f3 and h3, but he may not

he may go, namely, b1, b2 and c2, as the squares d1 and d2,

Kn

scribed as a leap to the next but one square of different color.[Footnote: It may be helpful to consider the Knight's move when completed as having described a letter "L" composed of fou

pying the squares next to the one on which he stands. This enables the Knight as the only

of the Bishop. The latter's range is larger but the Knight has the adva

e

oves FORWARD ONLY in the file in which he stands, and only one square at a time with the exception of his first move on which he

does not extend to the capture. Thus in Diagram 2, the white Pawn could capture only a black man on g5, the black Pawn only a man on eit

he can be put back one square and captured just the same. For instance, in Diagram 2, if the white Pawn stood on h5 and Black moved his Pawn to g5, White could put Black's P

t is, the player must remove the Pawn from the board and put any piece on his place except a King. Thus it can happen that a player may play with three or more Rooks, Bishops, K

his mobility-his range of movement-he is really a very valua

st

s made by the King together with one of the Rooks. In castling the King moves two squares toward the Rook and the Rook

side" the King would leap to c1 while the Queen's Rook would take his stand on d1. Likewise Black would ca

-------

| | | #K

-------

#P | | #Q |

-------

Kt| #P |

-------

B | | #P

-------

B | | ^P

-------

Kt| ^P |

-------

^P | ^Q | |

-------

| | | ^K

-------

d e

GRA

-------

Kt| | | #K

-------

| | | | #P

-------

#P | |

-------

| #P | ^

-------

| | | |

-------

| | #Kt|

-------

| ^P | | |

-------

| | | ^K

-------

d e

GRA

he King and the Rook are obstructed and when none of the three squares involved in the King's move are controlled by an

IAL

and D

ext move he could capture the other man. Thus, in Diagram 5, Whi

ther e4 or e8 in case White attacks with the Rook from d1. Should White attack from e6, then Black would not defend the Bishop with the Knight, for on e4 as well as on e8 the Knight is unprotected and could be captured by the Ro

and Ch

ing is said to be in "check." The player whose King is chec

-------

| | |

-------

| | | #P

-------

#B | | #

-------

| | |

-------

| | | |

-------

^P | | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | ^R |

-------

d e

GRA

only case in which a player is not

ck could give check by moving the Bishop to c5. In answer to this White has four moves at his disposal. He may either move the King to f1 or h1 or h2, or he may interpose his Rook on e3. The latter would be very unwise as Black would simply

tacked White's King on h2. But in this case t

k could take the Rook with the Knight. He would naturally do this instead

of it he is said to be "checkmate" and the game is ended. Diagram 6 s

g is in check as White's Queen threatens to take him on the next move. The King cann

-------

^R | | #Kt

-------

B | #P | |

-------

#Q | #B |

-------

| | |

-------

| | | ^K

-------

| | ^Q |

-------

| ^P | | |

-------

| | |

-------

d e

GRA

nned" by the Bishop. Black's Knight cannot take White's Queen either as he is pinned by White's Rook. Finally, there is no piec

en as he would then be captured by the Bishop b7. Neither may the Knight f4 take the Queen as he is pinned by the Bishop d6. Moreover, the King may not escape to g1, h1 or g3,

lem

uld not get his King into check, he is said to be STALEMATE. In th

well make a move with his King in reply, as then White's Rook would take the Queen. Black, therefore, must capture the Rook w

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| #Q | |

-------

| | |

-------

| #R | ^

-------

d e

GRA

m would be to take the Knight with the Rook, attacking the King and forcing White's Rook to recapture as the King has no squar

e to start with the c

d he cannot cap

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | |

-------

| | ^Q

-------

| | | |

-------

| | | |

-------

| | |

-------

d e

GRA

ame time checkmating the King. White's only move is, therefore, to play the King into the co

tual

an draw the game by giving a perpetual check on e8 and h5. Black cannot help himself as he has to go back and forth with the King on h7 and g8. Without the possibility of this perpetual chec

ch

e man when it allows a man of the sam

e in value between a Rook and a Bishop or a Knight. To win the exchange, in th

ble

one file are called a double Pawn. Three

sed

an opposing Pawn in the same file and who does not have

ated

here are no Pawns of the same

ward

t advance far enough to be protected

o

two pieces if he atta

or

called minor Pieces as compare

rif

t obtaining for him a man of the opponent

Check and D

of the line of a piece which he was obstructing. If the man discoveri

LS FO

res and men, as explained on page 5, the

s "mov

s "cap

"Castles K

"Castles Q

ns "c

ns "che

either Rook could move to f5 then the original

standing on e3 captures

astles Queen's side and

ch stand on them at the beginning of the game. Thus, c4 would be QB4 (Queen's Bishop's fourth) or QB5 depending on whether a black or a white move is described. If a square is referred to without relat

man captured is named, so that an additional description is nec

irst ten moves of a game are de

ies a go

fies a

P-d4

P-c4

Kt-c

t-f3

Pxd5

B-f4

P-e3

B-d3

o-

R-c1

P-Q4

P-QB

t-QB3

t-B3

PxQP

-KB4

P-K3

B-Q3

stles

R-B K

SS

ove him; if he touches a hostile man he must capture him. This law is v

l move has been made it must be retracted and if possible another move must be made with the same man. If a player

ntention by saying "j'adoube" (French for: I adjust) beforehand. In castling, the King must be m

e game the position or number of men have been altered in a manner not in accordance with the

mated he acknowledges that in the end mate is una

raw. A draw may also be claimed by either player if the moves are repeated so that the same position occurs three times