Part 40
FIG. 1.--The Men in Position.
1. THE KING.
The King, as the name denotes, is the most important piece on the board, inasmuch as the object of the game is to capture the King. It is, however, never actually "taken," the game ending whenever (the opposing player having the move) the King {339} remains liable to capture. The King may move from any square upon which it stands to any adjoining square not occupied by any piece or p.a.w.n of its own colour. If one of such adjoining squares is occupied by an undefended piece or p.a.w.n of the opposite colour, it may take such piece or p.a.w.n.
An additional privilege of the King ("castling") will be explained in its proper place.
2. THE ROOK.
The Rook (or Castle) moves upon straight lines only, in a horizontal or vertical direction, to any square not occupied by any piece or p.a.w.n of its own colour. If the line on which it operates terminates in a piece or p.a.w.n of the opposite colour, it can take such piece or p.a.w.n.
3. THE BISHOP.
The Bishops move and take upon diagonals only: the King's Bishop upon the diagonals of its own colour, the Queen's Bishop on those of the opposite colour; stopping short, however, when it reaches a square occupied by any piece or p.a.w.n of its own colour.
4. THE QUEEN.
The Queen combines the power of Rook and Bishop--_i.e._, the Queen may move and take horizontally or vertically like a Rook, or upon diagonals like a Bishop. It is, therefore, the most powerful piece on the board, because not only has it the power of Rook and Bishop, but it has also the privilege to move like either of the two Bishops, according to the colour of the diagonal it may for the time being stand upon. {340}
5. THE KNIGHT.
Black.
+---------------------------------------+
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Q6
#Kt
---------------------------------------
QB5
#R
#Q
#P
KKt5
---------------------------------------
^R
^Kt
#P
---------------------------------------
QB3
^B
^P
#B
#P
---------------------------------------
^Q
KB2
---------------------------------------
+---------------------------------------+ White.
FIG. 2.--The Knight's Move.
The movement of the Knight is more complicated than that of any other piece. One move of the Knight combines two King's moves: one square straight, and one square diagonally to any but the adjoining squares to its starting-point. Unlike any other piece, it may leap over any piece or p.a.w.n of its own or the opposite colour intervening between {341} its starting-point and the square to which it moves. Thus, in Fig. 2, the white Knight may move to K B 2, K Kt 5, Q 6, Q B 5, or Q B 3, but not to Q 2, that square being occupied by a piece of its own colour.[74] It may take the black p.a.w.n at K Kt 3, or the black Knight at K B 6. It will be noticed that with every move the Knight changes colour--viz., from a white to a black square, and _vice versa_.
6. THE p.a.w.n.
The p.a.w.n, in spite of its limited power of movement, plays a most important _role_ amongst the forces. The p.a.w.ns are the rank and file of the array.
The p.a.w.n, is, so to speak, the _tirailleur_; it engages the enemy, advances into the opponent's camp, and clears the road for the officers who follow in its wake to the attack; the p.a.w.n is mostly the first victim, and in the large majority of cases the p.a.w.n decides the game. Like the private soldier, who is supposed "to carry the marshal's baton in his knapsack,"
the p.a.w.n may be promoted to the highest rank. If it reaches the "eight"
square, it may be converted, according to the choice of the player, into a Bishop, Knight, Rook, or Queen. Even though the player has still his full complement of pieces, any p.a.w.n may be so converted. Thus a player may have at the end of a game as many new pieces as p.a.w.ns reach the eight squares.
The p.a.w.n may only move one square at a time, straight forward on the file on which it is placed, with the option of moving _two_ squares at first starting. Thus in Fig. 3, section _a_, the p.a.w.n at K 2 has the {342} choice of moving either to K 3 or at once to K 4. But the p.a.w.n _takes_ on _diagonals_ only; thus, in section _b_ of the same figure, the p.a.w.n at K 7, having the move, can take either the black Bishop at K B 8 or the black Queen at Q 8, and in either case it must be converted into some piece of its own colour (other than a King), according to the choice of the player, when the converted piece will act immediately in its new capacity. It is against the laws of the game to leave it still a p.a.w.n.
Black.
+-----------------------------------------------+
* * #Q
K8
#B
-----------*-----*-----------------------------
(c) * *
^P
(b)
-----------*-----******************************
QR6
*
-----------*-----------------------------------
#P
^P *
************-----------************************
* K4
******************-----*-----------------------
#P
* * K3
(a)
-----------------*-----*-----------------------
#P
^P
(d) * * ^P
-----------------*-----*-----------------------
* *
+-----------------------------------------------+ White.
FIG. 3.--The p.a.w.n's Moves.
{343}
The p.a.w.n cannot move backwards nor sideways, but only forward along the "file" on which he stands. The p.a.w.n is also restricted in his power of taking. Thus any adverse piece or p.a.w.n standing on the adjacent squares to a p.a.w.n (other than forward diagonals) cannot be taken. p.a.w.ns placed as shown in section _c_ or _d_ of Fig. 3 could not take each other.
The p.a.w.n may also take "_en pa.s.sant_," which means that if a p.a.w.n moves two squares at starting, thus "pa.s.sing" an adverse p.a.w.n which could have taken it had it moved only one square, such adverse p.a.w.n has the option of taking it as if it had moved one square only; but the taking _en pa.s.sant_ must form the next move of the adversary. Thus in section _c_ of the diagram, supposing the black p.a.w.n to have just moved from Q R 2 to Q R 4, it may be taken by the white p.a.w.n at Q Kt 5; the white p.a.w.n standing, after the move, at Q R 6. Such a move would be recorded thus: P takes P _e.p._
CHESS NOTATION.
It is necessary that the novice be thoroughly familiar with the original position of each piece, this being the foundation of what is called Chess Notation, or the system by which moves are recorded, and without which it would be impossible to convey written instruction in the game. Various systems are employed in different countries, but what is called the English notation is the only one with which our readers need trouble themselves.
{344}
Each square in the two outer rows is named (see Fig. 4) after the piece which occupies it, and the other squares by reference to these. For instance, the square upon which the King stands is called the
Black.
+-----------------------------------------------+
QR8
QKt8
QB8
Q8
K8
KB8
KKt8
KR8
-----------------------------------------------
QR7
QKt7
QB7
Q7
K7
KB7
KKt7
KR7
-----------------------------------------------
QR6
QKt6
QB6
Q6
K6
KB6
KKt6
KR6
-----------------------------------------------
QR5
QKt5
QB5
Q5
K5
KB5
KKt5
KR5
-----------------------------------------------
QR4
QKt4
QB4
Q4
K4
KB4
KKt4
KR4
-----------------------------------------------
QR3
QKt3
QB3
Q3
K3
KB3
KKt3
KR3
-----------------------------------------------
QR2
QKt2
QB2
Q2
K2
KB2
KKt2
KR2
-----------------------------------------------
QRsq
QKtsq
QBsq
Qsq
Ksq
KBsq
KKtsq
KRsq
+-----------------------------------------------+ White.
FIG. 4.--English Notation (shown for white - for black invert each file).
King's Square, or more shortly K sq., or K 1. The square in front of it is K 2; the next K 3, and so on throughout the file. In like manner with the other files. The pieces on the right side of the King are called the King's pieces--_i.e._, King's Bishop, {345} K B; King's Knight, K Kt; King's Rook, K R; and the pieces on the left of the Queen are called Queen's pieces--_i.e._, Queen's Bishop, Q B; Queen's Knight, Q Kt; Queen's Rook, Q R. The same rule applies to the black pieces; so that each square has two names, as it may be necessary to describe it with reference to the one or the other player. Thus White's King's square would be Black's King's eight (K 8), whilst Black's King's square would be White's King's eight (K 8), and so on with all the other squares.
METHOD OF RECORDING GAMES.
The following are the abbreviations in use in scoring with the aid of the English notation:
K = King; Q = Q; R = Rook; K R = King's Rook; Q R = Queen's Rook; B = Bishop; K B = King's Bishop; Q B = Queen's Bishop; Kt = Knight; K Kt = King's Knight; Q Kt = Queen's Knight; P = p.a.w.n; ch. = check; dis. ch. = discovered check; _e.p._ = _en pa.s.sant_; Castles, or o--o = Castles on the King's side; and Castles Q R, or o--o--o = Castles on the Queen's side. To take may be noted "takes," or shorter thus, ; (!) indicates a good move; (?) a bad or indifferent move; + the better game; - the inferior game; = an even game. To familiarise himself with the system the reader is recommended to study, with the aid of the board, the following example, a "Ruy Lopez"
game, recorded according to the English notation.
{346}
WHITE. BLACK.
X. Z.
1. P to K 4 1. P to K 4 2. Kt to K B 3 2. Kt to Q B 3 3. B to Kt 5 3. P to Q R 3 4. B to R 4 4. Kt to B 3 5. Castles 5. P to Q Kt 4 6. B to Kt 3 6. B to K 2 7. P to Q 4 7. P to Q 3 8. P to B 3 8. B to Kt 5 9. B to K 3 9. Castles 10. Q Kt to Q 2 10. P to Q 4 11. K P takes P 11. K Kt takes P 12. Q to B 2 12. P takes P 13. B takes P 13. Kt takes B 14. Kt takes Kt 14. Q to Q 2 15. Q Kt to B 3 15. B to B 3 16. Q to K 4 16. K B takes Kt 17. B takes Kt 17. B takes Kt 18. Q takes Q B 18. Resigns.
A variation of this is the "fractional" notation, in which White's move is recorded above the line, and Black's below the line--_e.g._:
P to K 4 Kt to K B 3 B to Kt 5 1. -------- 2. ----------- 3. ---------- &c.
P to K 4 Kt to Q B 3 P to Q R 3
The moves may be recorded in columns or in lines, according to individual choice. "To" is frequently represented by a dash--_e.g._, instead of P to K 4, P--K 4. A single move of Black is recorded thus: 1. ... P to K 4 (or, P--K 4); 16. ... K B takes Kt (or, K B Kt); the dots standing in lieu of White's preceding move.
Having mastered the notation, the student should next familiarise himself with-- {347}
THE TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN THE GAME.
The more important of these are as under:
CHECK AND CHECKMATE.--The whole object of the game is the capture of the opponent's King, though, as we have said, the King is never actually taken, the game coming to an end when the next move, if made, would result in his capture. If the King is attacked, the attack must be accompanied with the warning, "Check." A check may be met in three different ways. The player may either interpose one of his own pieces[75] (or p.a.w.ns) between the King and the attacking piece; he may move it out of the range of the attacking piece; or he may take the attacking piece with the King or any other of his forces which may be available for that purpose. If he cannot resort to either of these three defences, he is checkmated, or more shortly, "mated,"
and the game is lost.
"Discovered" check is given when, by moving a piece, another piece is unmasked which attacks the adversary's King.
DRAWN GAME.--Beside the more decided issue of checkmate, there is another possible termination of a game--viz., the "drawn game," or "draw."
A draw ensues: 1. If neither side can give checkmate.
