Mark Lowery's Exciting World of Chess

http://www.markalowery.net/
General Lessons
**********
Glossary of Chess Terminology
by Mark A. Lowery (contributions courtesy of Captain Recon of the Red White and
Blue Chess Team on GameKnot - recon) and Mark A. Lowery

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.

adjournment - An over-the-board game may be adjourned when it is not concluded in one

session. When a game is adjourned, one of the players seals his next move in an envelope to
keep it secret. The sealed move is opened when the game resumes at a designated later time.
Adjournments are rare in modern times, because of a desire by most tournament organizers
to conclude even the longest games in one session. 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.

advantage - A term used to describe the winning potential of one side or color in a game of
chess usually based on the position of chess pieces on the board. When one side or color
in a game of chess is winning the game, then that side is said to have the advantage, edge,
pull, or plus. For example, a "clear advantage" (edge, pull, or plus) is enough to win with
correct play, whereas a "slight edge" just offers better practical chances even though the
players might draw the position with best play. A judgment 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.).

attack - A coordinated attempt to gain an advantage in a game of chess by means of

aggressive play. The primary objective in most attacks is to checkmate an opponent's king,
because of the king's very high value. An well executed attack often forces one's opponent
to sacrifice material in defense, or accept weakness leading to an advantage for the attacking
side.

backward pawn - A pawn that cannot be protected by pawns on its flanks, because they have
advanced too far ahead of it. A backward 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. See also isolated pawn.
bad bishop - A bishop whose mobility is reduced usually by friendly pawns on the same
colored squares. Any ineffective bishop.

bishop pair - If both bishops on the same side survive 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 - An expert player plays one or more opponents without sight of the board.

blitz - A fast game of chess usually clocked in 5 or 10 minutes.

blockade - A term that describes the situation where the advance of a pawn is prevented by
an opponent's piece directly in front of the frustrated pawn.

blocked - A term used to describe a piece whose mobility is limited by the physical presence
of another piece often of the same color. Specific positions that involve blocked pieces
include discovered check, double check, and blockade.

blunder - A bad move. A mistake that overlooks a simple tactical response. See also howler.

calculate - To precisely work out a series of moves considering potential replies.

center - The four squares in the middle of the board.

cheapo - A clever tactical combination or trap usually made by a losing side to hold a draw or
even win.

checkmate - Any position where a King cannot avoid capture. The objective end of a chess
game.

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.

combination - A tactical exploitation of a position (forced set of moves) that leads to an

advantage (usually a better position) for the initiator of the moves.

compensation - a term used to refer to when a player has an adequate reason for making
what otherwise would seemingly be a losing move or pawn or advance such as a sacrifice.
Examples are when the player will develop a mating net, develop or pursue a strong attack,
be able to capture a key piece or pawn on the next move, open up a bad bishop, gain control
of the center of the chessboard, or develop a defensive position which was otherwise
precluded because of the positioning of the pieces and pawns on the board.
counterattack - refers to an opposing player launching a simultaneous attack against the
pieces and/or pawns of a player who is pressing an attack. The main aims of counterattacking
are:
(1) to distract the other player from his or her own attack;
(2) create threats to break up the player's attack; and
(3) develop pieces and advance pawns in a manner designed to create strong defensive
positions against the attack.

counterplay - A term referring generally to a player being able to effectively negate an

opposing player's threat or threats, intended trap or traps, intended line(s) of attack, or
goal(s) in moving opposing pieces and/or advancing pawns at a particular point in the game,
through having usually at least an equal and opposite ability to develop an offsetting line of
play in opposition.

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.

development - The process of moving pieces from their original squares to positions
where they can better aid the player's plans.

discovered attack - A phrase used to describe an often powerful move where a line is
opened allowing an otherwise blocked piece to then attack an enemy piece or pawn. If
the moving piece also attacks the enemy piece or pawn, this is called double attack
and the enemy piece or pawn is said to be double attacked. See also discovered check and
double check.

discovered check - A phrase used to describe 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 ply 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 ply in a tablebase
between any given endgame position and checkmate.
double check - A special case of discovered check where the moving and discovering piece
also gives check - leading to two pieces giving check simultaneously. The king must then
move because no other means is available to extricate the king from this special case of
check by two pieces simultaneously.

doubled pawns - Two pawns of the same color on the same file. Generally considered a
disadvantage because the pawns cannot defend each other and defense of the forward pawn
will have to be done by another pawn in a file to the right of left or by a piece. The forward
also blocks the mobility of the pawn to the rear for advancing forward.
draughts - English word for what the Americans call the game of checkers.

draw - A common result in a game of chess when neither side wins or loses. A draw may
result when neither side has sufficient material to force a win, or agreement of both players,
or stalemate, or etc.
drawing chances - 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. 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.

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 - The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings is 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).

Elo rating - A numerical measure of a chess player's strength. The rating system or
algorithm was named for its inventor Professor Elo. The system in some form is used
by most major chess organizations. A casual player may be rated below 1200, a beginner
to competitive play about 1400, a strong club player around 1800, a typical Master around
2300 and a Grandmaster above 2500. World Class players commonly achieve ratings above
2600. Some strong Grandmasters earn a rating in excess of 2700. Only a few players in
history are rated above 2800.
endgame - Also called ending. It is the third and final phase of the game after the opening
and middlegame. Generally, but not necessarily, an endgame is entered when each player
has relatively few pieces and pawns remaining on the board. Kings often become active
pieces in an endgame because other pieces (especially the queens) are usually no longer
around to attack them. Importantly, activating a king in the endgame usually should be done
for defense and offense at the central area of battle on the chessboard. The promotion of
pawns to get more pieces is a common goal in the endgame. However, an endgame is in
actually the time during the game when either a checkmate, draw, or stalemate essentially
is inevitable. This can occur in very complex positions when there are many pieces and
pawns on the board, and indeed during the opening (Fool's Mate, three-move mate, and
Scholar's mate are examples).

en passant - A French phrase commonly used by English-speaking players that means in

passing. A pawn capture where a pawn on the 5th row captures an opponent's pawn on an
adjacent file which has just move 2 squares forward on its first move as if it had moved
only one square. 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 - A French phrase commonly used by English-speaking players that means in

prison. Said of an undefended piece that can be captured. A piece en prise is often the
result of a blunder. See also lost position.

entombment - A term generally referring to trapping of the king but can occur to the
queen, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns, and occurs when a piece or pawn becomes
locked onto a square by usually by opposing pieces and/or pawns (but sometimes by its
own pieces and/or pawns), and while not being attacked under an immediate threat of
being captured, it cannot safely move to (or move and capture upon) any other square
(e.g., without it being under the threat of immediate capture by the opposing player
often without any compensation or inadequate compensation). Entombment, therefore,
usually renders the piece or pawn for all intents and purposes useless to the player for
attacking and defending purposes. If it is the King, then entombment is simply trapping
it often leading to a mating net and the mating pattern. However, an entombment may
work to a player's advantage if while being entombed, a piece is pinning or skewering
an opposing piece, or works to restrict the opposing King's movement, or possibly in
combination with another piece or pawn creates an advantageous situation such as a
sacrifice situation.

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.

equal - A common intermediate result in a game of chess that either side may win, lose,
or draw.

equal chances - The same probability that either player of any complex chess position may
win, lose, or draw. 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. 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.

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.

exchange - The word "exchange" without amplifying verbiage means a simple trade of pieces
of identical value. The more broad term "trade" or the presence of amplifying verbiage
with the word "exchange" signifies an unequal trade; most often the advantage of a rook
for a bishop or knight. For example, if you have a rook and your opponent has a less
valuable bishop left after the trade or exchange, you are said to have "won the exchange".
You are "up an exchange" or an "exchange ahead." Likewise, "sacrificing the exchange"
or "losing the exchange" is giving up a more valuable piece for a less valuable piece or
pawn (e.g., rook for a less valuable knight or bishop). However, in evaluating whether
a player has won or lost an exchange or trade, other things need to be considered. Did
the player have "compensation" for giving up the more valuable piece such as creating
a mating net?

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 - Forsyth-Edwards Notation is a 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. More information can be found at this site.

fianchetto - A chess position that evolves by developing a bishop onto a long diagonal;
specifically on b2 and/or g2 (kingside fianchetto) and/or b7 and/or g7 (queenside
fianchetto). The position is considered very strong because the bishop exerts maximum
pressure on its longest diagonal. A word derived from the Italian word fianco meaning
flank.

FIDE - Federation International des Echecs, one of the international governing bodies of
chess.

file - A vertical (up and down) row of squares. The players' Kings start the game on the
same file (the e file in algebraic notation. The players' Queens also start the game on the same
file (the d file in algebraic notation).

fish - A bad chess player.

focal point- A term which refers in its simplest expression to critical squares (single or
group) around or near a king upon which attacks against the king are to be launched,
or which control over the squares is critical to establish a mating pattern and mating net.
Against a black king castled to the kingside, the common focal points are five: f7, g7, h7,
g6, and the triangular dark-squared group of f6, g7, and h6. Against a white king castled to
the kingside, the most common focal points are similar but on white's side of the
chessboard: f2, g2, h2, g3, and the triangular dark-squared group of f3, g2, and h3.
In queenside castles, focal points include primarily a7, b7, c7 (black queenside castle),
and a2, b2, c2 (white queenside castle).

forced - A move or set of moves that are required (forced) to avoid a lesser game result.

Fool's Mate - The name given to the fastest possible mate (two moves). (e.g. 1.f4 e6 2.g4
Qh4#). It is so named because white must play foolishly to allow this mate. There are other
similar foolish lines of play resulting in two-move mates which can also justly be known as
Fool's Mate. See also Scholar's Mate and Three-move Mate.

fork - A tactical concept when a piece attacks two or more opponent pieces simultaneously.

fortress - A chess position that cannot be effectively attacked or broken down even with
superior material advantage.
gambit - A speculative sacrifice of material for compensation such as an advantage.
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.

grandmaster - An outstanding and highly rated chess player.

helpmate - A helpmate is a composed chess problem where both sides cooperate to allow
white to mate black. Black moves first. Helpmate problems are a form of fairy chess.

horse - An informal word for a knight. The term is used most often by children.

howler - A bad move. A mistake that overlooks a simple tactical response. See also
blunder.

infiltration - This is the act of penetrating a player's piece or a pawn into the opposing
player's "space", that is moving the piece or advancing the pawn so that it gets behind
forward positioned opposing pieces and/or opposing pawns. Some common examples are:
a Rook seizing control of the opposing player's second rank (commonly called gaining
control of the 7th rank) [second for white by a black rook; seventh rank for black by a white
rook]; an advanced passed pawn; a bishop sacrifice at h2 (black sacrificing) or h7 (white
sacrificing) against the opposing king castled to the kingside; and white obtaining
centralization with a knight on the e5 square.

initiative - Control of the game, usually due to better placement of men and easier
access to weaknesses in the opponent's position.

interference - Fred Reinfeld in his book, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations,
explains: "Interference, as the term indicates, occurs where the defender is forced to block
himself. He has a choice of moving two pieces to a critical square. Whichever piece he
moves, he blocks the operations of the other piece and is thus left helpless against his
opponent's threats."

Internet Chess Server - Any computer that enables live chess play between remote
(usually) players, and is connected to the Internet.

isolated pawn - A pawn that cannot be protected by pawns on its flanks, because they
were captured. 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. See also backward pawn. However, in an endgame a remote isolated pawn on the
side of the chessboard away from the opposing king can be a significant advantage!
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.

kibitzing - Observing and commenting on a chess game, usually in a manner that disturbs
the players.

long opposition - this term refers to when the Kinks are in opposition (see opposition),
but are separated by more than one rank. Notable tactical application of long opposition
occurs in Troitzky's Line and the Second Troitzky Line used in King + Two Knights
v. King + pawn endgames.

lose - A common result in a game of chess when the losing side is checkmated or resigns
before checkmate. A lose may result when a player makes the last mistake or blunder.

losing chances - The probability in any complex and roughly equal position that one side
may successfully lose a game of chess by thoughtless play. 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. 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.

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.

luft - A term meaning to provide an escape square and path for the king off the back rank of a
castled king to prevent a back rank mate, by doing a pawn advance. For a kingside castle,
usually this involves a single square advance of the h file pawn, but can be a single square
advance of the g file pawn as well. To do a fianchetto of the king's bishop is an example of an
early move that compliments providing possible luft for a kingside castled king (by moving the
fianchettoed bishop). Less commonly, it may involve advancing the f file pawn. Advancing the
f file pawn to provide luft usually is not advisable because doing so opens the critical f7
square (against black) or f2 (against white) and the corresponding diagonal into the castled
king. Luft also may be done, naturally, for a queenside castled king; but, a back rank
checkmate against a queenside castled king is far less common and infrequently
encountered because of the position created by the queenside castle. This is not to say a
back rank checkmate for a queenside castled wing is not important to consider for either
player. The critical a2 square (against white) and a7 square (against black) in a queenside
castle provides an avenue into the queenside castled king which must be respected, defended,
and protected with tenacity especially if the opposing player has gained control of an open d
file. However, often it is easier to avoid and escape a back rank checkmate for a queenside
castled king.

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, or vice versa-black on the move must checkmate white
in two moves. Mate in one, three, four, or more moves are also common training exercises
(mate in one problems most often are for beginners).

material - The chess pieces. The player whose remaining pieces are of greater value is said
to have a material advantage. Material is one key quality in assessing a chess position.

middlegame - The second phase of the game after the opening and before the endgame, in
which development of the pieces is complete or nearly complete and many pieces are
captured or traded as the players pursue their creative plans.

minority attack - Usually an advance of a minority of pawns towards a greater number of

enemy pawns. The objective of a minority attack is to create a isolated pawn weakness in
the enemy position, or to breakthrough a defensive position especially aimed usually at a
castled enemy king. However, a minority attack can also be used to refer to situations
where lesser value pieces (bishops and knights) are used to overwhelm and/or smother
higher value pieces (queen and rooks). See and compare pawn storm.

open - 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.

opening - 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.

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 asymmetrical. 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 term used to describe two kings, usually in an endgame, that are positioned
near each other such that they prevent or block each other's progress. Generally, the term
refers to when the Kins are separated by just one rank between them (the closest the Kings may
come into proximity with each other). See also long opposition.

outpost - A square that supports a piece. The square is usually in the opposite side of the
board from the piece's origin; in the enemy's camp. The square is usually protected by a
least one pawn.

over-the-board (OTB) - A term that refers to chess play over a chess board as opposed to
postal or email chess.

overprotection - This occurs when a player having a very important strategically placed
pawn or piece, or wants to significantly control a strategic square, concentrates pieces
and/or pawns in defense and protection of the pawn or piece, or the square, but in a
seeming overabundance. The main theme behind the concept is that the player wants to
press hard in dissuading the opposing player from launching an attacking against the
pawn or piece, or from that square (i.e., wants to prevent the opposing player from getting
control of the square). Often the pawn or piece, or the square, represents a significant
positional superiority or potential positional superiority for the player, creating
significant space, cutting the board in half and making it difficult for an opposing player's
pieces to come to the aid of their King, blocking a critical file and/or diagonal.

pawn storm - A term referred to rapidly pushing connected pawns toward the opposing
player's pieces and/or pawns with one or more tactical objectives intended such as to
overwhelm the opponent's pieces and/or pawns and push a pawn through to pawn promotion
and to breakthrough or breakdown the opponent's defensive structure especially around
a castled king. See also minority attack.

passed pawn - One type of advantage in chess where a pawn's progress is not guarded or
blocked by enemy pawns on the flank or in front of it.

patzer - A bad chess player.

PCA - Professional Chess Association, one of the international governing bodies of chess.

PGN - Portable Game Notation is a standard 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. More information
can be found at this site.
pin - A tactical concept when a piece or pawn cannot or should not move or advance because
it shields another piece or pawn from capture (or in the case of the kin, from being checked).
The shielding piece or pawn is said to be pinned to the shielded piece or pawn. A relative
pin is where the player can choose to move or advance the pinned piece or pawn and offer
the piece or pawn behind to capture. An absolute pin occurs only with a piece or pawn
shielding a king from check, such that the piece or pawn cannot at the moment be move or
advanced because it would place the king in check.

plan - A method or line of play designed to improve a position. A chess player should always
have a plan. Your plan often lasts only as long as it takes for your opponent to make a move.

ply - White or black's move. Exactly one half of one complete move pair.

position - The arrangement of chess pieces. The player whose pieces have better placement
is said to have a "positional advantage."

promotion - When a pawn reaches the opposing player's back rank or the player's eight rank
(1st rank for Black against White, 8th rank for White against Black, in algebraic notation),
the player must replace it with his choice of a queen, rook, bishop, or knight. Thus if a pawn
survives to reach the eighth rank, then it is rewarded by promotion to a piece of higher value.

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.

rank - A horizontal (left to right) row of squares. The pawns start the game on each player's
second rank.

rating - A score, usually numerical, of a player's ability.

reverse openings - This concept applies to situations where a player makes opening moves and
pawn advances traditionally made by the opposing player. Thus, White makes moves and
advances which are usually and traditionally made by Black, or vice versa. The central goal is
to try to force the opposing player to develop the game position into a line with which the
player is familiar and comfortable playing. Before attempting a reverse opening, a player must
be thoroughly versed in the basic so the opening system and its most common variant lines
which he or she seeks to force the play into during the opening or early middlegame, or else
the player might well see a crushing, devastating checkmate dropped on him or her. This is
closely related to the concept of transposition utilized most often in the "hypermodern"
openings. See "transposition".
sacrifice - A deliberate loss of material for anticipated advantage. Also known as sac. The
intentional giving up a piece or a pawn, or a particular attacking or defensive position, with
an ulterior purpose (goal) behind what may appear to be a seemingly senseless leading of
the sacrificial lamb to slaughter. For example, queen may be sacrificed to lay a mating net
trap for the opposing king. Another common one is a bishop sacrifice on h7 against black's
king castled to the kingside, or h2 against white's king castled to the kingside, to open the h
file and provide a difficult to defend positional inferiority for the player with the castled king.
If an opposing player creates a situation where a piece, especially his or her queen or rook,
is moved to a square or captures upon a square where it looks "good" to simply capture it
...stop-look-study-THINK. Do not assume the player has simply made a blunder.

Scholar's Mate - The name given to an attack that leads to an early mate like: 1.e4 e5
2.Bc4 Nc6 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 a little more coordination in the attack than
the Fool's Mate or Three-move Mate.

sealed move - A method of secretly recording the next move of an adjourned game
(an unfinished game) until play is resumed.

simul - When one person plays chess with two or more opponents at the same time.

skewer - 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), attacking a higher value piece which is
shielding a lesser value piece behind it (e.g., a bishop attacking and checking the opposing
king which when moved exposed the enemy queen behind it to being captured by the bishop).

space - 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.

smothered mate - A phrase used to describe a type of checkmate by a knight where the
king has no escape, because its own pieces block all escape routes.

stalemate - A drawn game when a no legal move is possible.

strategy - A term used to describe a general thought process used to plan, implement, and
alter the way a player plays a game of chess. Strategy is more concerned with distant future
moves…more order calculation, than the more immediate calculation of tactics for the next
move or two.

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.

sudden death - 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.

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 (attacks),
counter threats (counterattacks), and counterplay.

tempo - A turn at move. Chess time as opposed to clock time. A slight initiative or advantage
in time to pursue one's plans. Sometimes called a ply or half-move in computer chess
terminology. The characteristic rate or rhythm of the game of chess.

Three-move Mate: similar to Fool's Mate and Scholar's Mate, except Black foolishly
moves such that White is able to mate in three. (one possible line for example. 1.e4 f3
2.f4 g5 3.Qh5#)

time-control - A term used to describe a time limit for a chess player to complete some
number of moves.

time trouble - A phrase used to describe the difficulty faced by a player who must complete
a disproportionate number of moves before a time-control.
transposition - This concept applied most often is "hypermodern" openings refers to forcing
the play of the game during the opening or early middlegame into a familiar line with which
a player is comfortable playing. Usually, this concept is seen in the more complex d-pawn
openings where black does not reply to white's d4 with d5. Attempting transposition can be
tricky and loaded with traps and pitfalls. Most often the gambits involving riskier lines of play
are based upon seeking this goal. As with reverse openings, attempting gambits and
transposition is very tricky and not for the faint of heart. These maneuvers are extremely
complex and positional nightmares can ensue very rapidly.

under-promotion - A term used to describe pawn promotion to any piece other than a queen.
A player may choose to under-promote his pawn to gain advantage, or avoid stalemate.

USCF - United States Chess Federation, one of several American governing bodies of chess.

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 move that attempts to gain the advantage because one's
opponent now must move.

weakness - 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.

win - A common result in a game of chess when the winning side checkmates or accepts
the resignation before checkmate of his opponent. A win may result when a player makes
the second to the last mistake or blunder.

winning chances - The probability in any complex and roughly equal position that one side
may successfully win a game of chess with alert play. 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. 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 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.
whisper - A comment about a chess game not intended for the players. A command
commonly used by spectators to comment on a chess game played on the Internet via
remote computers.

woodpusher - A bad chess player.

X-ray - A term referring to threats and traps created by combination lineups of pieces may
often lead to another type of combination threat called an X-ray. An X-ray is when an
opposing player seems to have a solid defense against the power of the combination of
pieces pointed at an attacked piece or pawn, but it is really an illusion because of material
disadvantage and/or positional structural deficiencies in the opposing player's game. The
opposing player may fall into a trap when the player with the combination lineup captures
the attacked piece thereby seemingly offering up his or her own piece to a sacrifice, trade,
or exchange of pieces. In a queen-rook-took combination, for example, an X-ray may be that
if the opposing player captures the player's piece which does a capture, the player quickly
proceeds to gain material advantage (or strengthen his or her already existing material
advantage) because the sacrifice actually results also in an immediate threat of checkmate
forcing the opposing player to choose to lose the material. Of course, in such situation
usually the opposing player winds up with a lost game because of significant material
disadvantage and/or positional inferiority.

Zugzwang - A German word commonly used by English-speaking players that means a

compulsion to move. When a player would rather maintain the current position, but must
move in turn.

Reciprocal Zugswang - refers to situation where whichever player is to move, doing so

weaken that player's position on the chessboard. Sometimes, once the first player moves
weakening his or her position out of necessity of having to move, then the other player
is brought out of Zugswang; in other cases, the other player remains in Zugswang and will
weaken his or her position when making his or her following move.

Zwischenzug - A German word commonly used by English-speaking players that means an

in-between move. Any move made prior to an apparently forced move. Best thought of as
an "unexpected move". Each player may do Zwischenzug one or more times during a game,
and indeed for tactical reasons one player might "throw a Zwischenzug back" when faced
with a Zwischenzug by the opponent.