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FRC/Chess960 – Chess Terms Glossary
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Last Updated 3/17/07
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FRCEC’s Glossary
Algebraic
Notation: There are many different ways to
write chess moves. Algebraic notation is the most common notation in use, and
is the official notation for Fischer Random Chess. For the ranks (or rows) of
the chess board it assigns the numbers '1' through '8' starting from the White
side. For the files (or columns) of the board it uses the letters 'a' through
'h', left to right from the White side. The square at the intersection of a
column and a row is identified by the letter for the column and the number for
the row.
FRC Position #383
White’s King is located at c1; Black’s Queen is at f8
The White Knights are at a1 and e1; the Black Bishops are
at g8 and h8
Each type of piece (other than pawns) is identified by an
uppercase letter, usually the first letter in the name of that piece in
whatever language is spoken by the player recording. English-speaking players
use K for king, Q for queen, R for rook, B for bishop, and N for knight (since
K is already used).
The chart below shows the initials for the pieces for some
common languages:
|
Language |
King |
Queen |
Rook |
Bishop |
Knight |
|
English |
K |
Q |
R |
B |
N |
|
Spanish |
R |
D |
T |
A |
C |
|
French |
R |
D |
T |
F |
C |
|
German |
K |
D |
T |
L |
S |
|
Dutch |
K |
D |
T |
L |
P |
|
Esperanto |
R |
D |
T |
K |
Ĉ |
|
Figurine |
♔ |
♕ |
♖ |
♗ |
♘ |
Look for the initials in other languages at the Wikipedia.
Notation of moves: Each move of a piece is indicated by the piece's letter,
plus the coordinate of the destination square. For example Be5 (move a bishop
to e5), Nf3 (move a knight to f3), c5 (move a pawn to c5—no initial is used in
the case of pawn moves). In some publications, the pieces are indicated by
graphical representations rather than by initials: for example, ♞c6. This is called figurine algebraic notation or FAN and
has the advantage of being language independent.
When a piece makes a capture, an x is inserted between the
initial and the destination square. For example, Bxe5 (bishop captures the
piece on e5). When a pawn makes a capture, the file from which the pawn
departed is used in place of a piece initial. For example, exd5 (pawn on the e-file
captures the piece on d5). Sometimes when it is unambiguous, a pawn capture is
indicated only by the files, e.g. exd, ed5 or ed.
En passant captures are specified by the capturing pawn's file of
departure, the x, and the square to which it moves (not the location of the
captured pawn), optionally followed by the notation "e.p."
Disambiguating
moves: If two (or more) identical pieces
can move to the same square, the piece's initial is followed by (in descending
order of preference):
·
The file of departure
if they differ
·
The rank of departure
if the files are the same but the ranks differ
·
Both the file and rank
if neither alone uniquely defines the piece (after a pawn promotion, if three
or more of the same piece able to reach the square).
For example, with two knights on g1 and d2, either of which
might move to f3, the move is indicated as Ngf3 or Ndf3, as appropriate. With
two knights on g5 and g1, the moves are N5f3 or N1f3. With three knights at g5,
g1 and d2, the moves are now Ng5f3, Ng1f3 or Nd2f3. As above, an x may be used
to indicate a capture: for example, Ngxf3, N5xf3 or Ng5xf3.
Pawn promotion: If a pawn moves to its last rank, achieving promotion,
the piece chosen is indicated after the move, for example e1Q, b8B. Sometimes
an "=" sign or brackets are used: f8=Q or f8(Q).
Castling is indicated by the special notations O-O for h-side
castling (or g-castling) and O-O-O for a-side castling (or c-castling). Refer
to our page for Fischer Random rules on Castling.
Check and
checkmate: A move which places the
opponent's king in check has the notation "+" added. Double check is
sometimes represented "++". Checkmate can likewise be indicated
"#".
End of game: The notation 1-0 at the end of the moves indicates that
white won, 0-1 indicates that black won, and ½-½ indicates a draw.
When annotating
chess-games, commentators frequently use question marks and exclamation points
to denote a move as bad or good. The symbols normally used are "??",
"?", "?!", "!?", "!", and
"!!". The corresponding symbol is juxtaposed in the text immediately
after the move (e.g. Re7? or Kh1!?). Use of these annotation symbols is always
somewhat subjective, and different annotators will often wind up using the same
symbols differently.
Summary of Algebraic Notation symbols:
·
x captures
·
O-O h-side castling
·
O-O-O a-side castling
·
e.p. en
passant capture
·
= plus “piece” promotes to “piece”. [i.e. g8=Q, pawn moves
to g8 and promotes to Queen]
·
(piece) promotes to “piece”. [i.e. a8(R),
pawn moves to a8 and promotes to Rook]
·
+ check
·
# checkmate
·
++ Sometimes used for double
check. FIDE allows it also for checkmate.
·
(=) draw offer
·
= draw agreed
·
1-0 White wins
·
0-1 Black wins
·
½-½ Draw
Punctuation
commonly used for the analysis of moves and positions:
·
! good move
·
!! excellent move
·
? bad move, a mistake
·
?? a blunder
·
!? interesting move that may
not be the best
·
?! dubious move, but not
easily refuted
·
□ the
only move
·
∞ position
unclear
·
= even
position
·
+/= (=/+) slight
advantage
·
+/– (–/+) advantage
·
+– (–+) decisive
advantage
Attack: To make a threat or threats against a specific piece,
pawn or area of the board. See also Discovered Attack,
Double Attack and Mating Attack.
Example:
T0022-M0224
Sagi Gabay
– Eton Chin
Position #129
After 13… O-O, Black has several attacks:
f-Rook against Queen, a-Bishop against h-Rook, b-Bishop
against Knight
Backrank Mate: A checkmate by a queen or a rook along the opponent’s
first rank where his king is blocked by his own pawns.
T0002.M0103
Martin Yates – Marc Wakeham
Position #587
After: 8… Qb1# backrank Mate!
This short game went like this:
[Position ID: 587 QRNKBRNB]
1.Nf3 Nd6 2.Nd3 Nf6 3.b3 g6 4.Qd4 a5 5.b4 Ne4 6.Ne5 axb4 7.Rxb4
Qxa2 8.Ra4 Qb1# 0-1
Backward
Pawn: A pawn whose neighbor pawns are more
advanced.
Backward Doubled Pawn: One of the bad categories of doubled pawns. A doubled
pawn whose neighbor pawns are at least as advanced as the front pawn. A
backward doubled pawn represents a more serious liability than a normal
backward pawn, because its backwardness generally cannot be remedied by advance
due to the obstruction of the front pawn. If the neighbor pawns are more
advanced than the front pawn, then they are called Doubly
Backward Doubled Pawns.
M0547
Diego Sueiro – Jose Carrillo
Position #379
Position after 10… dxe5
Black now has doubled pawns on the e-file, and a backward doubled pawn on e7.
Note that White has double
isolated pawns on the h-file.
Bad
Bishop: A bishop whos
movement is restricted by friendly pawns.
Bishop
Pair: A position where one player has two
opposite colored Bishops, and his opponent has only a Bishop or no Bishops on
the board.
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.
Blunder: A terribly bad move that results in a damaged position
where serious tactical or positional concessions are made, material is lost,
the game is lost, or causes a won-game to end as a draw. The notation for a
blunder is ??.
F2005-M0447
Jose Carrillo – Geir Smith-Meyer
Position #728
White just blundered
with 8.Ne5?? White completely missed 8… Bxe5, skewering the Queen.
White’s position deteriorated immediately, and he was mated
3 moves later.
The game ended with: 8… Bxe5 9.Qd3 Qa3+ 10.Kd2 Nb4 11.Qe2
Ne4#
Candidate
Move: Also known as candidates. A possible move in a given chess position as the
starting point in the analysis of a variation and deserving careful
consideration.
Castling: Castling is the only chess rule (other than the initial
setup) that had to be modified from Orthodox Chess. The four methods of castling
include: double-move castling, transposition castling, king-move-only castling
and rook-move-only castling. Refer to our page for Fischer
Random rules on Castling.
M0114
Paul Grosemans – Patrick Henry O'Neal
Position #490
Before and after 7.O-O-O
O-O, a-side castling by
White, and h-side castling by Black.
Check: It’s a threat to capture the King. When a player’s King
is in check, the player must remove
himself/herself from this threat immediately on his/her very next move by
either blocking the piece that is giving the check, by capturing the piece that is giving the check, or by moving the King out of the
checked square (but not by castling). In Short
Algebraic Notation, a check is indicated by the “+” symbol after the move. See
also Checkmate, Discovered Check, Double Check, Fork Check, and Family Check. Examples:
M0017
Jean-Pierre Avy – John Richardson
Position #075
In the left diagram Black has just played 6… Qc5+.
White removed the check
threat by blocking with 7.Nc3
Checkmate: It’s
the English rendition of ‘shāh māt’, which is
Persian for "the king is ambushed". It’s the ultimate Check! When the King can’t stop a check threat
by either blocking, or capturing the piece giving check, or by moving the King,
then the King is checkmated, and the game is over. In Short Algebraic Notation,
a check is indicated by the “#” symbol after the move. It’s also called Mate. See also Smothered Mate.
Examples:
M0219
Alice Wood – Michelle Buckley
Position #931
After 22…Bd3#
Q0001-M0238
S. Rosoft – Dan Valade
Position #918
After 33.Qb7#
Chess960: It’s another name the Fischer Random Chess (FRC) variant is known by.
Hans-Walter Schmitt (chairman of the Frankfurt Chess Tigers e.V.) is an
advocate of this chess variant, and he started a brainstorming process to
choose a new name for FRC. The new name had to obey the following requirements
on the parts of some leading grandmasters:
·
It should not use
parts of the name of any Grandmaster colleague
·
It should not include
negatively biased or "spongy" elements like "random" or
"freestyle"
·
It should be
understood worldwide.
This effort culminated in the name "Chess960",
deriving from the number of different initial positions.
Chess Origins and Variants: The game of chess as we know it today,
has remarkable differences from the original game. It is generally assumed that
chess originated in
Counter-Gambit: It’s a defense to a gambit in which the opponent’s offer is ignored, and a gambit is
offered in return. This term traditionally refers to a gambit played by Black,
whether White has played a gambit or not.
Crippled
Majority: One of the bad categories
of doubled pawns. It’s a position where the doubled pawns are part of a pawn
majority, which cannot generally create a passed pawn unless the opponent
allows them to be undoubled.
Q0006-M0531
Diogenes Von der Toess – Javier Gastañares López
Position #132
Position after
15.exf5
White has a
crippled majority (4 pawns vs. 1) in the f-g-h files.
Discovered
Attack: It’s a threat against a
piece or a pawn given when his/her opponent’s move reveals an attack with a piece hidden behind the
moved piece or pawn. Example:
Q0003.M0297
Patrick Henry
O'Neal – S. Rosoft
Position #911
Before and after
18… Ng3, revealing a discovered attack by Black’s e-Rook at White’s Queen.
T0002.M0101
Peter Leyva –
Marc Wakeham
Position #574
Before and after
19… Rxe4, revealing a discovered attack by Black’s Bishop on the a-Pawn.
Discovered Check: It’s a threat to the King given when his/her opponent’s move
exposes a check by
another piece. Example:
T0010.M0094
Jack Cheiky – David Atkinson
Position #652
Black plays 36… cxb3+ giving a discovered check by the Rook.
M0130
Roscoe Ellis – Patrick Henry O'Neal
Position #186
Black plays 26… Na4+ giving a discovered check by the Queen.
Double
Attack: It’s when two different pieces
make a threat against a specific piece or pawn. Example:
DP0001-M0244
Luis Mansilla – Geir Smith-Meyer
Position #789
After 18… Nd3, Black has a double attack on white’s f-pawn.
Double Check: It’s
a very dangerous discovered check
that is also a double attack, and which often can give mate!
The piece moved exposes a check by
another piece, and gives check itself. The King’s only option is to
move out of the checked square, as he/she can’t block or capture the two pieces
giving check at once. The notation ++ is sometimes used for a double check.
Example:
M0187
Jose Carrillo – Raymond Rosa
Position #127
Before and after the 23.Rd6# double check, and mate.
Double
Fianchetto: When
both Bishops for the same color have been developed to b2 or g2 for the White,
b7 or g7 for the Black. For the short term, this places the Bishops in less
aggressive positions than if they were developed on their longer initial
diagonals. For the long term, the Bishops occupy the longest diagonals on the
chess board and usually enter active play at a later stage.
Double-move
castling : Castling where on one turn a player makes a move with the
king and a move with the rook. Refer to our page for Fischer
Random rules on Castling.
M0082
Jack Cheiky – David Atkinson
Position #069
Before and after Black’s 8… O-O, double-move castling
Doubled Pawns: Two pawns of
the same color lined up on the same file as the result of a capture, unable to defend
each other, and often one obstructing the other. Such pawns are generally considered to be weak, as the
front pawn cannot usually be defended from behind by a rook or queen. Most
doubled pawns (other than those arising from a capture by an a-pawn or h-pawn)
are a liability, but to widely varying degrees. Bad doubled up pawns fall into
three categories: doubled isolated pawns,
crippled majority and backward
doubled pawns. If the doubled pawns don’t fall into any of these
bad categories, and if the resultant half-open file can be occupied by a rook
or a queen, then and only then can it be said that they are useful doubled pawns, and that no other
compensation is required for the doubling.
M0541
David Symoens – Mike Rosa
Position #076
Position after 18.cxb4
White has doubled
pawns on the b-file, and Black has double
isolated pawns on the e-file.
Doubled Isolated Pawns: One of the bad categories of doubled pawns. Doubled
isolated pawns are generally considered pretty bad, especially if they are on a
half-open file where they are subject to attack by an enemy rook or queen. When
doubled isolated pawns are on a closed file, the damage is much less serious,
and such damage may be acceptable in return for the bishop pair or similar
compensation.
M0547
Diego Sueiro – Jose Carrillo
Position #379
Position after 5.gxh4. White has doubled isolated pawns on the h-file.
Doubly Backward Doubled Pawns: A case of backward doubled pawns where the neighbor pawns
are more advanced than the front pawn. This position is nearly as bad as doubled isolated pawns.
Draw: The result in a game when neither side wins or loses. A
draw may result by any of the following situations: agreement by both players,
when neither side has sufficient material to force a
win (insufficient material), stalemate,
perpetual check, threefold
repetition, and the 50 moves rule. A
draw shall also be declared in a game when the opponent of a player with a bare
king oversteps the time limit; for a player having a bare king cannot win the
game.
G2005-M0500
José Sanchez – Marc Wakeham
Position #399
Position after 8… g3, draw by agreement.
ELO
Rating: The ELO rating system is a method
for calculating the relative skill levels of players in chess. It was invented
by Árpád Élő
(1903-1992), a Hungarian-born American physics professor and master-level chess
player. The USCF implemented the ELO rating system in 1960, and FIDE adopted it
in 1970.
If Player A has a rating of RA and Player B has a rating of RB,
the formula for the expected score for each player is:
EA= 1 /
(1 + 10(RB-RA)/400) EB=
1 / (1 + 10(RA-RB)/400)
Their new ratings would then be:
New RA= RA + K * (SA – EA) New RB= RB + K * (SB – EB)
Where SA and SB are their actual
scores for the game (1 for win, 0 for loss,0.5 for
draw), and K is the maximum possible adjustment per game for the winner of the
game.
In FRCEC, K=32 for players with ratings less than 2000,
K=24 for players with ratings between 2000 and 2400, and K=16 for players with
ratings of 2400 or more.
En Passant: A
French term that means literally “in passing”. The opportunity for this play happens
when a pawn advances two squares (from it’s starting square) and passes an
enemy pawn on an adjacent file that has advanced to its fifth rank. The first
pawn may be captured by the enemy pawn as if the advancing pawn had only moved
one square. This capture is optional, and may only be made on the opponent’s
next move, otherwise the capture opportunity is lost. This capture is recorded
in Algebraic Notation, as if the advancing pawn had only moved one square.
Example:
M0143
Uwe Kreuzer – Jose Carrillo
Position #872
In the left diagram Black has just played 7… d5. The right
diagram shows the position after the en
passant capture 8. cxd6 (note that the capture is recorded as if Black had
played 7… d6)
En
Prise: A French term meaning “in take.” Also
called “hanging”. It describes a piece or pawn that is unprotected and
exposed to capture. Example:
M0020
Bob Dixon – Peter Leyva
Position #262
Black just played
6...h6? leaving his a-pawn en prise.
White played 7.Bxa7
Exchange: To trade pieces of equal worth. If trading pieces of
different values, the side that traded the lower valued piece is said to have Won the Exchange, while the other side
is said to have Lost the Exchange.
See Point Count.
Family Check: It’s
a fork check by a
Knight that also attacks the opponent’s Queen and a Rook.
T0022-M0224
Sagi Gabay – Eton Chin
Position #129
After 11…Nxf6+, a family
check.
Fianchetto: An Italian term
for the development of a Bishop to b2 or g2 for the White Bishops, b7 or g7 for
the Black. For the short term, this places the Bishop in a less aggressive
position than if it were developed on its longer initial diagonal. For the long
term, the Bishop occupies the longest diagonal on the chess board and usually
enters active play at a later stage. A double
fianchetto means that both Bishops of the same
color are fianchettoed.
Fifty (50) Moves Rule: The game is drawn when the player having the move claims a
draw and demonstrates that at least 50 consecutive moves have been made by each
side without the capture of any piece and without the movement of any pawn.
Fischer Cup: The Fischer Cup is FRCEC’s elite annual championship
tournament commemorating the club’s anniversary, starting on April 25th of
every year, and running parallel to the Gligoric Cup. The Fischer Cup is an invitational
tournament. The top ranked players in the club will receive an invitation to
play in the tournament. The first 11 players to accept their invitation will
then play in a Round Robin
preliminary phase, followed by a Page
System Playoff, ending in the Cup’s Final match. You can check the
format of the tournament, and monitor it’s progress, at the Fischer
Cup Page.
Fischer
Random Chess: We quote a fragment of
Bobby Fisher’s interview in August 2004 in
Fischer
Random Initial Setup: We quote another
fragment of Bobby Fisher’s interview in
August 2004 in Tokyo, Japan: “…Each side
has an identical shuffle, so that everything is symmetrical, just like in the
old chess. There are just a couple of rules: one rook has to be to the left of
the king, one has to be to the right of the king, one bishop has to be on a
light-colored square, and one on a dark-colored square…”
Sample FRC/Chess960 initial
positions:
T0005-M0076
Abhay Kumar – Max Veneman
Position #366
M0398
Guillermo Cual – Anton Matjeka
Position #914
Forced Move: A move or series
of moves that must be played, for which there is no legal or reasonable
alternatives, to avoid loss of the game or catastrophic loss of material.
Q0007-M0574
Joerg Nowak – Jose Carrillo
Position #698
Position after 28.Rxc7+ Kb8 29.Rb7+ forcing a draw!
White can force
the Black King to remain and alternate between the a8-b8-c8 squares.
Even though Black has a material advantage, he doesn’t have
an option but to accept a draw.
Had Black not agreed to a draw, White would have forced one
by Threefold Repetition,
as
Black cannot avoid being perpetually
checked.
(i.e. 29… Kc8 30.Rc7+ Kb8 31.Rb7+ Kc8 32.Rc7+ draw or
29… Ka8 30.Rc7+ [check by the Bishop] Kb8 31.Rb7+ Ka8
32.Rc7+ Kb8 33.Rb7+ draw)
Forcing Move: A move which
leads the opponent into a forced move
or moves, such as a capture, a check or a major threat. Forcing moves account for most great moves, and since there are only a few forcing moves in any
given position, they should always be considered as candidate moves, and quickly analyzed.
M0564
Jose Carrillo – Raúl Eduardo Palacio
Position #200
Position after White’s 25.Rxg7+, the forcing move that leads to Black’s forced move 25… Rxg7
and
to mate with 26.Rxg7#
Fork: A tactical maneuver in which a piece or a pawn attack two
(or more) pieces or pawns at once. Example:
DP0001-M0254
Israel Chauca Fuentes – Anton Matejka
Position #754
After 7… Na3, Black’s a-Knight has a fork on the c-Knight, the c-Pawn and the b-Rook.
This position also shows a double attack
by the Black Knights on the c-Pawn.
G2005-M0504
Roscoe Ellis – Alice Wood
Position #019
Position after 39.Rd6+, a fork on Black’s King and his Knight. Black resigned.
This particular position is an example of a fork check (see below).
Fork Check: It’s a
fork that threatens the opponent’s King. See also Royal Check. Example:
T0018.M0158
Raúl Eduardo Palacio – Alice Wood
Position #134
After 13.Nxd7+, a fork check also attacking the c-Rook.
T0016.M0136
Marc Wakeham – Jose Carrillo
Position #645
After 35…Qf4+, a fork check that wins the g-Rook.
Gambit: A chess move by
either White or Black, often early in the game, where a player sacrifices a
minor piece, or one or more pawns, in order to obtain an advantageous position.
The term counter-gambit
traditionally refers to a gambit played by Black.
There are three
general methods in which a gambit can help a player's position. For a gambit to
be sound it will typically have some degree of at least two of the following:
·
Gain of Time: The player
accepting the gambit must take time to procure the sacrificed material and
possibly must use more time to reorganize his pieces after the material is
taken.
·
Generation of differential activity: Often a player accepting a gambit will decentralize his
pieces or pawns and his poorly placed pieces will allow the gambiteer
to place his own pieces and pawns on squares that may otherwise have been
inaccessible. In addition, bishops and rooks can become more active simply
because the loss of pawns often gives rise to open files and diagonals.
·
Generation of positional weaknesses: Accepting a gambit may lead to a compromised pawn
structure, holes or other positional deficiencies.
In modern chess, the
typical response to a moderately sound gambit is to accept the material and
give the material back at an advantageous time. For gambits that are less
sound, the accepting player is more likely to try to hold onto his extra
material. A rule of thumb often found in various primers on chess suggests that
a player should get 3 moves of development for a sacrificed pawn, but it is
unclear how useful this general maxim is since the "free moves" part
of the compensation is almost never the entirety of what the gambiteer gains. Of course, a player is not obliged to
accept a gambit. Often, a gambit can be declined without disadvantage.
Generating Fischer Random Positions: There are different ways to generate one of the 960 random
positions. Some methods are included below.
·
Use an Internet random generator:
o http://www.chessgames.com/perl/fischerandom
·
Use a regular 6 side dice:
1.
First place the
Bishops. Roll the dice. On a 1 to 4 roll, starting from White’s left corner, count
the black squares until you reach the rolled number. Place a Bishop there.
(i.e. if you roll a 2, place the bishop on the 2nd black square from
the left corner) On a roll of a 5 or 6, re-roll.
2.
Repeat the previous
step, but this time count the white squares, and place the 2nd Bishop.
3.
Next place the Queen. There
are 6 squares left. Roll the dice (all rolls are good). Starting with the first
available empty square from White’s left corner, count the empty squares (skip
squares occupied by either of the bishops) until you reach the rolled number.
Place the Queen there.
4.
Next place the Knights.
There are 5 squares left. Roll the dice (if you roll a 6, re-roll). Starting
with the first available empty square from White’s left corner, count the empty
squares (skip squares occupied by either of the bishops or the queen) until you
reach the rolled number. Place a Knight there.
5.
Repeat step 4 to place
the 2nd Knight, except that this time you will re-roll on a roll of
a 5 or a 6, as there are only 4 squares left.
6.
There are only 3 empty
squares left. On the first available square from the left, and the first
available square to the right, place the rooks.
7.
In the remaining empty
square, place the King.
·
Use 2 different size coins:
1.
There are a total of 4
different combinations you can get with the flip of 2 coins. Assuming that you use two
different size coins (i.e. a nickel and a penny) the four combinations are
below, alongside a decimal number:
o Nickel Tails & Penny Tails = 1
o Nickel Tails & Penny Heads = 2
o Nickel Heads & Penny Tails = 3
o Nickel Heads & Penny Heads = 4
2.
Now let’s place the
pieces. Start with the Bishops. Flip the coins. Starting from White’s left
corner, count on the black squares until you reach the number flipped by the
two coins according to the table above. Place a Bishop there. (i.e. if you flipped
a 2, place the bishop on the 2nd black square from the left corner)
3.
Repeat the previous
step, but this time count on the white squares, and place the 2nd Bishop.
4.
Next place the King.
There are 6 squares available, but the King can only be legally placed in the
inner 4 squares of the 6, as the King must always be between the Rooks (worst
case the rooks will be in the corner squares of the 6 squares left). Flip the
coins. Starting from White’s left corner, skip the very first empty square, and
count the empty squares (skip squares occupied by either of the bishops) until
you reach the number flipped by the coins. Place the King there.
5.
Now place the Rooks. If
there are more than one empty squares on each side of the King, skip to the
next step. Where there is only one empty square on either side of the King,
place a Rook there. Then there will be 4 empty squares on the other side of the
King. Flip the coins. Starting from White’s left corner, count the empty
squares (skip squares occupied by either of the bishops, King or Rook) until
you reach the number flipped by the coins. Place the 2nd Rook there.
Skip to step 7.
6.
Flip the coins. If you
get a 4, flip the coins again. For any other number, on the side of the King
with 3 empty squares, count the empty squares (skip squares occupied by either
of the bishops) until you reach the number flipped by the coins. Place a Rook
there. Now place the Rook on the other side of the King, with two empty
squares. Flip ONLY the small coin (i.e. the penny), and according to the table
(Tails is 1 and Heads is 2) count the empty squares (skip squares occupied by
either of the bishops) until you reach the number flipped by the small coin.
Place the 2nd Rook there.
7.
Next place the Queen.
There are 3 empty squares left. Flip the coins. If you get a 4, flip the coins
again. For any other number, count the empty squares (skip squares occupied by
either of the Bishops, King or Rooks) until you reach the number flipped by the
coins. Place the Queen there.
8.
Place the Knights on
the 2 remaining squares.
·
Use a 4 sided dice:
o There process is the same as with the 2 coins, except that
you will use the dice instead of coins to determine the numbers from 1 to 4.
o The only thing to note is that for the 2nd Rook in
step 6 for the 2 coins method, when you roll a 3 or a 4, you will need to
re-roll again until you get a 1 or a 2.
Gligoric Cup: The Gligoric Cup is FRCEC’s second annual championship
tournament commemorating the club’s anniversary, starting on April 25th of
every year, and running parallel to the Fischer Cup. This tournament is named after
Svetozar Gligoric, the acclaimed journalist and Grandmaster, who wrote "Shall We Play Fischerandom Chess?", the
first book ever published on FRC. The Gligoric Cup is a tournament open to all
FRCEC members (not playing in the Fischer Cup). You can check the format of the tournament, and
monitor it’s progress, at the Gligoric
Cup Page.
Hanging:
It describes a piece or pawn that is unprotected and exposed to capture. See “en prise”.
Insufficient Material: A situation when neither side has sufficient material to force a win. The game is considered
automatically a Draw. Insufficient material situations include: King vs. King,
King vs. King & Bishop, King vs. King & Knight, and King & Bishop
vs. King & Bishop (with both Bishops on diagonals of the same color). King
vs. King & 2 Knights is not considered an automatic draw, as a mate is
theoretically possible; but the game is usually a draw because the side with
the Knights can’t force mate. A mate in a King vs. King & 2 Knights is only
possible if the side with the lonely King walks into the mate. In a King vs.
King & 2 Knights the game is drawn by agreement, threefold
repetition, or by the 50 moves rule.
K0002-M0389
S. Rosoft – Jose Sanchez
Position #758
After 50…Kxe7, draw by insufficient material, King vs.
King.
G2005-QF-M0621
Joerg Nowak
– Abhay Kumar
Position #733
After 57.Nxh3 (White just captured Black’s last pawn),
draw by insufficient material, King vs. King & Knight.
Isolani: Nimzovitch's term for an isolated pawn.
Isolated
Pawn: A pawn with no friendly pawns on
either adjacent file. The negatives of an isolated pawn are its inability to be
guarded by a friendly pawn and the fact that the square directly in front of it
usually makes a fine home for an enemy piece since no pawns can chase it away.
There may be compensating advantages, and these benefits are seen in the most
positive light with an Isolated Queen's
Pawn (d-pawn).
Isolated
Centre Pawn: An isolated pawn on d4, d5,
e4 or e5. Here the compensating extra space and influence over the centre are
at their maximum and can compensate for its weakness in the middle game.
King-move-only castling: Castling by making only a move with the king. Refer to
our page for Fischer Random rules on
Castling.
DP0001-M0255
Grayling Hill – Guillermo
Cual
Position #311
Before and after Black’s
8...O-O, king-move-only castling
Kingside: To come…
Mate: See Checkmate
for definition. Some more mate
examples:
T0010.M0097
Abhay Kumar – Jack Cheiky
Position #279
After 44… Qdd8#
M0278
Jose Carrillo – Larry Shannon
Position #670
After 21.Bd7#
Mating Attack: An attack
against the enemy king that leads to a possible checkmate, or where mate can be
averted by the enemy sacrificing material. Either way, a winning
advantage is obtained by the attacker. A mating attack typically involves a
build-up of forces, followed by the opening of lines, often involving a
sacrifice.
M0552
Mike Rosa – Jörg Nowak
Position #479
Position after 13… d6??
White has a mating attack after 14.Qa6+ Kb8
15.Qb7#, mate!
Material: The pieces and pawns, excluding the King. A material
advantage is obtained when winning an exchange, or by capturing your opponent’s
unprotected pieces or pawns.
Opening
Principles: The same opening principles that apply to
Orthodox Chess (FRC Position 518), apply to FRC/Chess960: protect the King,
control the center squares (directly or indirectly), and develop your pieces
rapidly starting with the less valuable pieces. In FRC/Chess960, some starting
positions have unprotected pawns that may need to be dealt with quickly;
therefore, count the unprotected pawns before the first move!
Opposition: When Kings are
symmetrically separated by only one square then they are said to be in direct
opposition. If a King must move while in
direct opposition, then he must give ground.
This fact may often be used to force favorable endgame positions.
T0010.M0094
Jack Cheiky – David Atkinson
Position #652
After 52.Ka3
The White King is ahead of the pawn and should always be
able to draw this game, provided he plays the opposition well. The game ended in a draw as follows:
52… b5 53.Ka2 b4 54.Kb3 Kb5 55.Kb2 Kc4 56.Kc2 b3+ 57.Kb2
Kb4 58.Kb1 Kc4 59.Kb2 Kb4
White has to be careful though, as Black can take the opposition on any single mistake, as:
52… b6 53.Kb3 b5 54.Ka3 b4+ 55.Kb3 Kb5 56.Ka2 Ka4
57.Kb2 b3 58.Ka1 a3 59.Kb1 b2 60.Kc2 Ka2
or
52… b6 53.Ka2 Kb4 54.Kb2 b5 55.Ka2 Kc3 56.Ka1 b4
57.Kb1 Kb3 58.Ka1 Kc2 59.Ka2 b3+ 60.Ka1 b2+
Both winning for Black.
But with precise play from White, this game is always a
draw.
Orthodox Chess: Also known as
standard chess. It’s FRC/Chess960 Position number 518 (RNBQKBNR). We do not
play position 518 in FRCEC. If we ever randomly get it, we roll again!
FRC Position #518
Overloaded: To come… Same
as overworked.
Overworked: To come… Same as overloaded.
Page Playoff System: Commonly used in Curling events, it is the 4-players playoff system used in FRCEC’s
Fischer Cup and Gligoric Cup finals. The Page playoff system gives credit to
the top two players in the round robin phase by giving them a 1 in 2 chance to
play in the Final; while the 3rd and 4th place players have to fight off for a
spot in the Semi-Final. FRCEC uses the Page Playoff System in the playoffs of
the Fischer and Gligoric
Cups. The system works as follows:
Quarterfinal Round:
1st vs. 2nd place match: Winner goes to Final, loser goes
to Semi-Final
3rd vs. 4th place match: Winner goes to Semi-Final, loser
is eliminated
Semi-Final Match:
Loser of 1st-2nd vs. Winner of 3rd-4th
Championship/Final Round:
Winner of 1st-2nd vs. Winner of Semi-Final Match
Passed Pawn: A pawn that has passed by all enemy pawns able to capture
it. Example:
T0007.M0073
Raúl Eduardo Palacio – Paul Grosemans
Position #462
(diagram after 37.exd4)
After White’s last move, white’s d4-pawn and black’s e4
pawns became passed pawns.
Pawn
Chain: To come…
Pawn’s
Square Rule: The Pawn’s Square Rule is a
mental tool employed in a King & Pawn Endgame to easily determine whether the
side on the move can stop the advance of an opponent's pawn if it tries to race
to its 8th rank for promotion. In your mind draw a diagonal line from the pawn
to its 8th rank. This diagonal creates an imaginary square which should not be
difficult to visualize in your mind. The rule is, if the King, on the move can
enter the square created as described, then the pawn can be stopped. There are
exceptions to the Square Concept rule, caused by pawns first double moves, or
whenever other pieces blockade the path of either the pawn or King. Still, the
Square Concept is a useful tool for performing a first-order assessment of
promotion potential.
K0002-M0389
S. Rosoft – José Sanchez
Position #758
Position after White’s 46.dxe5
The Black King, on the move, is already inside the Pawn’s
Square (the square with the e5-b7 diagonal), therefore, the pawn can be
stopped. This game ended in a draw.
Perpetual Check: A position where one player can continuously place his
opponent in check without the threat of checkmate. Perpetual check will
eventually result in a draw by either threefold repetition
or the 50 moves rule. When a player intends to draw
the game in such a manner, the players usually agree to a draw. Example:
M0205
Position #389
Position after 28.Qd8+. Black agreed to a draw as White can
force a draw by threefold repetition
with the perpetual check sequence:
Kh7 – Qh4+ – Kg8 – Qd8+, then starting the sequence again.
Pin: It’s a situation where a piece is forced to stay put
because moving it would expose a more valuable piece, or a similar value but
unprotected piece, behind it to capture. When a piece or pawn is pinned to the
King, it is called an absolute pin,
because the rules forbid moving the piece or pawn, exposing the king to check.
A relative pin is a situation where
it is legal for the pinned piece or pawn to move, but it is unlikely to move the because this would cause the loss of a far more valuable
piece or an unprotected piece. The act of breaking a pin is unpinning. See also a skewer.
Example:
DP0001-M0281
J.R. Gallagher –
Position #820
After 25.Re4!!, White has an absolute pin on Black’s Queen. Black resigned.
M0257
Fred Kok – Markus Nemetz
Position #806
After 27.Bh4, White has a relative pin on Black’s Knight.
Point Count: It’s
a system of figuring out the worth of the pieces by giving each of them a
numerical value. The Queen is worth 9; the Rook is worth 5; Bishop and Knight
are worth 3; and the pawn (which is the unit of measure) is 1 point. The King
is priceless. The flaw in the system is that it does not take into account
other factors (such as position, tactics, etc.) that often drastically change
the relative value of an individual piece.
Poisoned Pawn: A pawn that when
captured, leads to a serious disadvantage or loss of material.
Example:
M0244
Jose Carrillo – Sagi Gabay
Position #115
(diagram after 9.Bg2)
White’s h2-pawn is a poisoned
pawn. After 9… Qxh2, Black lost his Queen with 10.Rh1
Promotion: When a pawn
reaches his last rank, the player must replace it with his choice of a Queen,
Rook, Bishop, or Knight; but never to a King. It is possible to have 2 or more
T0002.M0100
Marc Wakeham –
Peter Leyva
Position #425
Before and after
White’s 24.h8=Q+
M0009
Jose Sanchez – Jose Carrillo
Position #908
Before and after
Black’s 17… cxd1=Q+, promoting to a second Queen.
Queening a pawn: Promoting a pawn 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.
Queenside: to come…
Rank:
To come…
Resign:
To concede loss of the game. Resignations are statistically how most chess
games end. Resigning is more common than checkmates and draws. Over the board
(OTB), a resignation is often indicated by tipping over one's king.
G2005.M0485
Peter Leyva – Marc Wakeham
Position #807
Position after 26…
Rxc6, and White resigned.
Rook-move-only
castling: Castling by making only a move
with the rook. Refer to our page for Fischer Random rules on Castling.
T0004.M0056
Roscoe – Juan Carlos Izquierdo
Position #929
Before and after
Black’s 29...O-O-O, rook-move-only castling
Round Robin: It’s a tournament format where each opponent plays each
and everyone of the other opponents in the tournament. The Round Robin format
was commonly used in the chess tournaments in the 1800's. A Round Robin is the
best way of determining playing strength; however, the number of rounds needed
are prohibitive for a large number of entrants.
For example, for 32 players, there would be 31 rounds using the Round
Robin format! FRCEC uses the Round Robin format in the first phase of the Fischer and Gligoric Cups, as well as in the Trio and Quad events.
Skewer: A tactical concept when a piece attacks two or more enemy
pieces on a row or column (with a rook or queen) or a diagonal (with a bishop
or queen). A skewer is similar to a pin, in fact, a skewer is sometimes
described as a "reverse pin"; the difference is that in a skewer, the
more valuable piece is in front of the piece of lesser value. The opponent is
compelled to move the more valuable piece to avoid its capture, thereby
exposing the less valuable piece which can then be captured. Because the skewer
is a direct attack upon the more valuable piece, it is generally a much more
powerful and effective tactic than the pin. The victim of a skewer often cannot
avoid losing material (though it may be possible if, for example, the more
valuable piece can be moved with check); the only question is which material
will be lost. The skewer occurs less often than the pin in actual play. When it
does occur, however, it is often decisive. When the skewered piece is a King,
it is called an absolute skewer, as
the victim of the skewer is compelled to move out of check. When the skewered
piece is anything but the King, it is called a relative skewer, as the victim is unlikely not to move the more
valuable skewered piece, but the choice is still available.
F2005-M0447
Jose Carrillo – Geir Smith-Meyer
Position #728
White blundered with 8.Ne5?? and Black skewered
his Queen with 8… Bxe5
It was a decisive relative skewer. White’s position
deteriorated immediately
and he was mated 3
moves later.
The game ended
with: 9.Qd3 Qa3+ 10.Kd2 Nb4 11.Qe2 Ne4#
Smothered Mate: Smothered mate is a checkmate given by a knight on a king which is
trapped by his own pieces. Since his own
pieces surround the king and block his escape routes, the king is said to be
"smothered".
T0029.M0320
Jean-Marc Hebrard – Leonardo Alvarado
Position #765
Position after White’s 6.Nd7#, smothered mate.
Stalemate: The game is drawn when the king of the player who has the
move is not in check, and this player cannot make any legal move. The player's
king is then said to be "stalemated".
Swiss
System: It’s a tournament format that
allows hosting a large number of players in a preset number of rounds. Invented
by J. Muller and first used in a chess tournament at
Tactics: In chess, tactics are short term maneuvers which serve to
gain a quick advantage. They are more of an observation of the position than a
plan. A single chess move considered in isolation is below the level of
tactics. To take an enemy piece or deliver check may be useful, but unless it
is part of a plan, a move is usually not classified as a tactic. Often chess
tactics are two-move sequences in which the first move poses a double threat.
The opponent is unable to respond to both threats in one move, so the first
player realizes an advantage on the second move. Common chess tactics include:
forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, double attacks, Zwischenzug,
undermining and overloading.
Threefold Repetition: If the same position with the same player to move is repeated
(or is about to be repeated with his next move) three times in the game, the
player to move can claim a draw. The position is considered the same if pieces
of the same kind and color occupy the same squares, and if all the possible
moves of all the pieces are the same, including the rights to castle (at some
future time) or to capture a pawn "en passant". If
a player executes a move without having claimed a draw under this rule, he
loses the right to claim a draw. This right is restored to him, however, if the
same position later appears again, the same player having the move. A perpetual check is a situation that often
ends in a draw by the threefold repetition rule.
M0179
Michael Farris – Jose Carrillo
Position #297
The position on the left is after 43… Ra7. This same
position repeated for a 2nd time after 44.Kh4 Ke7 45.Kh5 Kf7.
The position on the right is after 46.Kh4 Ke7 47.Kh5. Here
Black claimed a draw by the threefold
repetition rule
because, since he intended to play 47… Kf7, the position on
the left was “about to be” repeated for a 3rd time.
Had Black not claimed a draw before playing 47… Kf7, he
would have lost the right to claim a draw until the
position on the right repeated again, and it was his turn
to move again.
After 47… Kf7, white on the move, could have claimed a draw
himself, as the position on the left would have repeated 3 times.
M0511
George Tsavdaris – Uwe Kreuzer
Position #647
The position on the left is after 22… Kxa7
This same position was repeated 3 times after 23.Qa5+ Kb8
24.Qb5+ Ka7 25.Qa5+ Kb8 26.Qb5+ Ka7
Just before his 26th move, Black (announcing his
intentions to play 26… Ka7) could have claimed a draw by the threefold repetition rule, but he
didn’t.
After Black’s 26…
Ka7, instead of playing, White could have claimed the draw by this rule, but he
didn’t.
The position on the right is after 23.Qa5+
This same position also repeated 3 times after 23… Kb8
24.Qb5+ Ka7 25.Qa5+ Kb8 26.Qb5+ Ka7 27.Qa5+
Similarly, just before playing 27.Qa5+ it was White who
could have claimed a draw by the same rule, but he also didn’t.
Black, after 27.Qa5+ could have claimed the draw by this
rule, but again he didn’t.
Threefold repetition draws could also have been claimed at 27… Kb8, and 28.Qb5+
But it wasn’t until 28… Ka7, the 4th time that
the position on the left repeated, that the players finally decided to agree on
the draw.
G2005-M0486
Abhay Kumar
– José Sanchez
Position #622
The position above is after 39… Kf7
This same position was repeated 3 times after 40.Qf6+ Kg8
41.Qd8+ Kf7 42.Qc7+ Kg8 43.Qd8+ Kf7
With 43… Kf7 Black
claimed a draw by the threefold
repetition rule.
Thrust: To come…
Transposition
castling: Castling by transposing the
position of the king and the rook. Refer to our page for Fischer
Random rules on Castling.
M0153
Jack Cheiky – Abhay Kumar
Position #203
Before and after White’s 6.O-O-O, transposition castling
Trojan
Horse Draw Offer:
Also a THD. A term coined by Jon Jacobs, and described in an article in the
July 2005 issue of USCF’s Chess Life magazine. A
Trojan Horse Draw Offer, is a tactic that when launched from an unclear or even
slightly favorable position, aims to mislead the opponent about your assessment
of the position, and thereby subtly bend the opponent’s assessment of his/her
own chances, ideally, nudging him/her to overplay his/her hand and go for a win
at all costs. For the THD designation to apply, the player offering the draw
must be: reasonably sure his/her proposal will be rejected, and disappointed if
the proposal is accepted. After rejecting a draw proposal, an opponent may come
to feel invulnerable. For the next few moves, and maybe longer, the opponent
may bask in the comforting illusion that even if the tide turns against
him/her, a draw is his/hers for the asking. Switching off the sense of danger
in this manner is sure to exact a toll on his/her play. Jon Jacobs credits the
Romanian GM Florin Gheorghiu, although Florin might
have not have planned it, with inventing the Trojan Horse Draw Offer in the
1966 Havana Olympiad, when as White he proposed a draw around move 13 in a game against Bobby Fischer, which after
Bobby refused, the Romanian went on to win.
Undermining: Removal of the
guard. To
come…
Under-promotion: A term used to
describe a pawn promotion to any piece other than a queen. A player may choose to
under-promote his pawn to gain advantage, or avoid checkmate or stalemate.
T0007.M0072
Paul Grosemans – Raúl
Eduardo Palacio
Position #462
Before and after
White’s 30.bxc8=N+,
under-promotion to a
Knight giving a fork check, wining
Black’s Queen.
Unpinning: The act of breaking a pin. This can
be executed in a number of ways: the piece effecting the pin can be captured; a
piece can be put between the pinning unit and the pinned unit; a piece can be
put between the pinned unit and the unit to which it is pinned; or the unit to
which a piece is pinned can be moved. Examples:
DP0001-M0244
Luis Mansilla – Geir Smith-Meyer
Position #789
Black’s Bishop has a relative
pin on the f-pawn.
White unpins
with 17.Nxd4, capturing the pining piece.
T0016.M0136
Marc Wakeham – Jose Carrillo
Position #645
On the diagram on the left, after 18… Bg4, Black’s Bishop
has a pin on the f-Rook.
White unpins
with 19.Rg3 (diagram on right), and pins
the Black Bishop to the Queen.
After 19… Qxh5, Black unpins
the Bishop
Useful
Doubled Pawns: A doubled pawn pair that
doesn’t fall into any of the bad doubled pawns categories: doubled isolated pawns, crippled
majority and backward doubled pawns;
and that results in a half-open file that can be occupied by a rook or a queen.
Quite often they are also useful for their ability to control certain key
squares.
Waiting
Move: A move by one side which invokes zugzwang on the opposing side.
Wayward
Queen: It’s a Queen in trouble because she
was brought out too early in the game. A
Queen that enters the game too quickly is subject to be easily chased around
the board, losing critical time, or even worse, get captured.
X-ray
Attack: It’s is an attack that involves
the action of a piece being felt "through" a piece of the opposite
color.
M0543
Mike Rosa –
Position #574
Position after 15.Nxc5, White’s e-Bishop now has an X-ray attack on his c-Knight.
Zugzwang: “Compulsion to move.” A German term referring to a
situation in which a player would rather maintain the current position (pass),
since any move will damage his game, but must move in turn. Zugzwang typically
occurs when all the moves available are "bad" moves, and better moves
might be available if the player did not need to move at the current moment.
Zugzwang most often occurs in the endgame when the number of pieces, and so the
number of possible moves, is reduced, and the exact move chosen is often more
critical.
M0464
Jose Carrillo – Joe Joyce
Position #809
Position after 48.h4, Zugzwang!
Black only has 4 possible moves in this position, all of
them bad moves.
Black would rather pass! Having to play, Black’s position
deteriorates immediately!
On 48… Kf5 (or Kg3 or Kg4), White takes the e3 pawn, and
his d-pawn will most likely queen.
Play continued 48… e2
49.Kxe2 Ke4 50.g4!!, and Black resigned.
After 50… hxg4, the Black King can stop one of the White
Pawns from queening, but not both.
Zwischenzug: “In-between (or intermediate) move.” A German term for an
often unexpected reply thrown into an expected sequence of moves. Any move made
prior to an apparently forced move. Zwischenzug is a common tactic that occurs
in almost every game; instead of countering a direct threat, which the opponent
expects, one plays a move which poses an even more devastating threat, often an
attack against the queen or the king. The opponent must counter that threat
first, which will ideally change the situation to his disadvantage.
T0007.M0072
Paul Grosemans – Raúl Eduardo Palacio
Position #462
Position after 28… Rc8. Black has conceded that he will
lose the Rook.
Black expects White to play 29.bxc8=Q to counter with 29…
Qxc8.
Instead…White plays 29.Qb6!!, a Zwischenzug!
Now Black has to counter the new threat to his Queen by the
White Queen.
After 29… Qxb6 30.bxc8=N+!, a beautiful under-promotion that forks Black’s King and
Queen!
Position after 30… Kf6 31.Nxb6
Thanks to his Zwischenzug
on move 29, White ended up with an extra piece (the b5-Knight)
for his Pawn, traded
White ended up a lot better after the Zwischenzug than if they had just played 29.bxc8=Q
----