To make it easier to talk about what’s happening on the board, someone, somewhere, at some point in time came up with a naming system for the exact pieces and squares, and I use those conventions throughout this book. In Chapter 6, I dive into the subject of notation, which expands on these naming conventions and shows you how to write the moves of a game. You really don’t need to know this stuff to enjoy playing chess, but it does help to have the basic terminology under your belt, and throughout this book, you can read the extra notation information I give to you as I explain moves.
The finer points of the game
Holding an advantage in one or more of the elements of chess doesn’t guarantee victory. It does, however, increase the likelihood of success. When the inevitable clash of opposing armies takes place, the resulting tactical possibilities generally favor the one with elemental advantages. These clashes usually feature common tactics and combinations such as the ones that I present in Chapter 7. Tactics decide the outcome of most of the games played at a fairly competitive level, so a good understanding of the basic tactics and combinations pays off extremely well.
One of the ways an advantage can be transformed into victory is through sacrifice. A game of chess is a constant process of giving up something to get something else. Giving up some of your force makes sense, for example, if doing so allows you to checkmate the enemy king. Chapter 8 provides examples of when sacrifices are justified.
Another key to playing chess well is the ability to recognize patterns. When you spot a pattern with which you’re familiar, the right moves suddenly suggest themselves. Chapter 9 deals with building pattern recognition in chess.
Due to the starting lineup and the piece movement limitations, the only piece that can move at the very start of the game is the knight. So you have to move some pawns in order to get your other pieces out. The positioning of the pawns often determines the optimal positioning of the pieces. Certain pawn positions, or formations as players often call them, have occurred in so many games that they have their own names. Chapter 10 presents some of the more common ones and shows how the pawns guide you on where to put the pieces.
Chapter 11 illustrates a number of common ways to deliver checkmate. These types of checkmates appear so often in chess games that players refer to them as mating patterns.
There usually comes a time in every player’s development when she’s at a loss as to what to do next. Sometimes a player will see a move by a stronger player and have no idea why that move was made. At this point, the principles of play, or strategies, are necessary to make further progress. Chapter 12 provides an introduction to chess strategy.
Three parts that make a whole
Players divide the chess game into three phases – opening, middlegame, and endgame – to better understand the different demands of each one, but you really need to understand the game as a whole and not just in terms of its separate parts. Otherwise, playing the game can be a bit like eating Chinese food with one chopstick.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what each phase entails (see Chapters 13 through 15 for an in-depth look):
❯❯ The opening: The main objective of the opening moves is to effectively activate your forces. The term development refers to this type of activation.
❯❯ The middlegame: This phase is where the opposing armies most frequently clash. The terms tactics and combinations are frequently used to describe these clashes.
❯❯ The endgame: By this phase, the forces have been greatly reduced in number, but checkmate hasn’t yet been delivered.
Different ways to get your game on
If you’re the type of player who wants to be tested in competition, check out Chapter 16. Chess tournaments come in a variety of flavors, and that chapter gives you the scoop. You need to know how to act as well as how to play, so I also cover chess etiquette in that chapter.
In this day and age, you don’t need to be physically located next to an opponent in order to play, and Chapter 17 gives the lowdown on computer chess and chess in cyberspace. Chess on the Internet has blossomed, but you need to be aware that nothing is permanent. Although the web is ever-changing, the addresses I provide have proven to be very stable, so they should take you where you want to go.
Chessboard Chatter: Bringing Home a Board and Chess Set
So you’ve decided all this chess stuff is up your alley. Well, first things first – you need a chessboard and chess set (the collection of chess pieces). If you don’t own a board and chess set, you can turn to Appendix B for mail-order information. You’ll find it extremely helpful to have a board and chess set on hand when reading chess books. Some people can do without one – but some people can memorize the works of John Milton, too. (And who wants to be like that?)
In the following sections, I explain different types of boards and chess sets that are available, and I break down the layout of the board.
Finding the right board and set
Your first challenge in finding a chessboard and set is to sort through the many available types. A tremendous range in sizes, colors, and quality exists.
The name of the standard design, which is distinguished by the look of the pieces, is the Staunton. This design bears the name of the great English player Howard Staunton and was registered in 1849. Its popularity was so great that it was adopted as the one and only design allowed in official tournaments. If you play with strangers and bring anything other than a Staunton-designed set, people may assume that you’re trying to psych them out by using equipment that they aren’t familiar with. You probably don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.
