Articles Index

Check

Learn the chess concept of check, what it means for your king, and how it differs from checkmate.

Stalemate

A situation in which a player has no legal moves, but is not in check. This results in a drawn game.

Checkmate

A king which is under attack and has no way of avoiding capture is said to be in checkmate. This ends the game as a victory for the player who has trapped the enemy king.

Zwischenzug

A German word meaning “intermediate move.” It refers to a surprising move that is played in the middle of what appeared to be a forced sequence. This is also known by the Italian word intermezzo.

Zugzwang

A German word meaning “compulsion to move.” It refers to a situation in which a player has a position which would be strong if they were allowed to pass, but will be ruined because they must make a move.

Time Control

The time limit placed on a chess game. Time controls are especially common in tournaments, but are sometimes used in casual play. They may range from one minute for each player for the entire game, to several hours per side.

Tempo

A unit of time equal to one move. If a player can force their opponent to make an unpleasant but necessary move (such as retreating a piece to a less active square), that player is often said to have “won a tempo.”

Tactics

Short, forced sequences of moves which can be calculated and lead to an advantage, usually the gain of material. Examples of tactical themes include forks, pins, and skewers.

Skewer

A tactic in which a valuable piece is attacked and forced to move, leaving a less valuable piece vulnerable to capture.

Strategy

The long term plans and ideas that guide play beyond what a player can calculate in the short-term.

Sacrifice

The voluntary offer of material in the hopes of gaining an advantage.

Resignation

The act of admitting defeat. There are several methods of resigning; the most common are tipping over your king, or simply saying “I resign.”

Ratings

Numbers which represent the estimated strength of a chess player. Ratings are issued by FIDE, national federations, chess servers and other organizations. While ratings vary depending on the body that issues them, beginners are typically rated below 1000, average tournament players around 1500, and masters at 2200 or higher. The top players in the world are often rated around 2800. The highest FIDE rating ever achieved was 2851, by Garry Kasparov.

Rapid Chess

Chess games which are longer than blitz games, but shorter than standard tournament games. A typical time control for a rapid game might be 25 minutes for each player.

Rank

A horizontal row of squares on the chessboard. In algebraic notation, ranks are numbered from 1 to 8, with the white pieces sitting on the first and second ranks.

Queenside

The side of the board on which the queens begin the game. In terms of algebraic notation, the queenside is made up of the “a” through “d” files.

Pin

A situation in which a piece cannot move because it will leave a more valuable piece vulnerable to attack. An absolute pin occurs when moving the piece is impossible because it would expose the king to check, while a relative pin exists when the piece can legally move, but only at the risk of exposing a stronger piece, such as the queen, to an attack.

Opening

The first phase of a chess game, when both players attempt to develop their pieces and fight for the center of the board.

Open Game

A position in which many pawns have been traded, leaving open lines for pieces to move across the board.

Notation

A method used for recording chess games. The most common example is algebraic notation; in the past, descriptive notation was standard.

Minor Pieces

Bishops and knights.

Middlegame

The second phase of a chess game. At this stage, both players have finished developing their pieces. The middlegame is the “meat” of a chess game, connecting the opening to the endgame.

Material

The pieces and pawns controlled by each player. If one player has more pieces remaining than the other, that player is said to have a material advantage.

Master

A title given by many national federations to strong players. For instance, a player in the United States can earn the National Master (NM) title by achieving a USCF rating of 2200 or higher.

Major Pieces

Queens and rooks.