Copyright: Copyright (c) 1999, Yoto Yotov
Citation: Copyright (c) 1999, Yoto Yotov.  For personal use only.


 King

Moves:

One square in any direction

Captures:

An opponent's piece on one of these squares

Rules:

If the King is in check

1. The King moves out of check

2. The attacking piece is captured

3. Another piece moves between the King and the attacking piece

Special moves:

Castling - The King moves two squares toward the Rook and the Rook moves on the other side of the King.  Castling is permitted only if

1. The King itself or the space between the King and the Rook is not under attack

2. The King and the Rook have not been moved

3. There's no piece between the King and the Rook

There are two types of castling:

- on the King-side with the King and the Rook placed to the right of the King

- on the Queen-side with the King and the Rook placed to the left of the Queen


 Queen

Moves:

Horizontally, vertically or on the diagonal if the squares are vacant

Captures:

As it moves

Rules:

Cannot jump over pieces.

Special moves:

None


 Rook

Moves:

Horizontally or vertically if the squares are vacant

Captures:

As it moves

Rules:

Cannot jump over pieces.

Special moves:

Castling - see King


 Bishop

Moves:

Diagonally if the squares are vacant

Captures:

As it moves

Rules:

Cannot jump over pieces.  Cannot change square color.

Special moves:

None


 Knight

Moves:

- two squares vertically and one square horizontally

- two squares horizontally and one square vertically

Captures:

As it moves

Rules:

Can jump over pieces.  Move of fixed length.

Special moves:

None


 Pawn

Moves:

One square forward (Can move two squares forward on its first move)

Captures:

Diagonally

Rules:

Cannot jump over pieces.

Special moves:

Promotion/Underpromotion - When a pawn reaches the eighth rank, it becomes a Queen, Rook, Bishop or Knight.  If it's a Queen, the move is called promotion.  When the pawn is promoted to a piece other than a queen, it's underpromotion.

En passant - The capture of a pawn which has moved two squares forward by an opponent's pawn on the fifth rank.

1. The Pawn that is to be captured moves two squares forward

2. The attacking Pawn captures the other Pawn by moving one square diagonally


Chessboard

The chess game is played with 16 pieces for each player for a total of 32.  The squares on a board are white and black but other colors can be also used.  The chessboard has 8 x 8 squares.

In the original position, there are two rows of pieces.  The first one contains the 8 pawns.  On the other one, the following chessmen are placed in order:

[Rook] - [Knight] - [Bishop] - [Queen] - [King] - [Bishop] - [Knight] - [Rook]

Each Queen is placed on a square of its own color.  All the pieces are aligned with the opposite ones.


Endgames

Checkmate - When a king is in check and cannot make any move to get out of check. (Also mate)

Stalemate - When a player on the move is not in check but cannot make a legal move.

Only Two Kings Left - When only two kings are left on the board.

Threefold Position - When both players make the same move three times.


History

The first documented evidence of chess is from around 550-600 A. D. in India and Persia.  The chess probably came from chaturanga, a game that had been around in India since 450 A.D.  From India, the game spread to China and Korea.  The word "Chess" comes from the Persian word "Shah", or "King". "Checkmate" comes from "Shah Mat", meaning "The King is dead."

In the 1400s, the first chess rules appeared: the Queen became powerful, the castling was accepted and the pawn promotion was now one of the objects of chess.  In the 18th and 19th century, Central Europe and Germany were the world chess center with some famous players such as Lasker and Tarrasch.  In the 1930s Capablanca and Alekhine became chess champions.  Then followed Spassky, Fischer and finally, Karpov and Kasparov.