Chess Pieces And Terms In Other Languages – Chess.com
Although you can always let your chess speak for itself, it's also great when you can communicate using words. In light of Chess.com's newly announced partnership with Duolingo, this article will teach you chess-related vocabulary in multiple languages.
Let's start with the chess pieces, shall we? Here's how you can say every chess piece in 11 different languages. I also threw in some other common chess terms so you can impress your foreign friends. Let's start with Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, and Italian.
And here's Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.
Now, weirdly enough, it's also the case that sometimes we know chess terms in other languages without knowing what they literally mean. No more, I say! Or "no mais," even, if I were to speak Portuguese. Here are the most common chess terms that English borrowed from other languages and what they mean in English:
I'm forced to start with en passant (see what I did there?). This French term means "in passing," and it describes the magical act of capturing a pawn with another pawn by landing behind it.
Did you know that fianchetto is actually the diminutive of an Italian word? We're talking about "fianco" which translates to "flank." It makes a lot of sense when you think about it: you call it a "fianchetto" ("little flank") when you develop your bishop on one of the flanks instead of the center. Why little flank? I have no idea. Maybe Italians are just used to cute little places like Burano, so they decided to be cute with their chess terms, too.
Now, we arrive at the German chess terms that are harder to pronounce (at least for Portuguese speakers like me). Zugzwang means "compulsion to move," and it's not only hard to pronounce but also to spot during a game. On the bright side, the word has some rhythm and sounds cool. But not as cool as the famous "zugzwang immortal game" played by GM Aron Nimzowitsch, which you should definitely check out.
Zwischenzug actually translates to something like the English term "in-between move," despite Google thinking this has something to do with trains.
But if German is too hard for you (or if you're eating delicious pizza), you can also go with the Italian version of "in-between move." When you find one of these moves, roll up your sleeves, sit up on your chair, and proudly scream, "intermezzo!" But don't actually do it if you're in a tournament, or you risk getting kicked out.
What is your favorite chess term or piece from a non-English language? Let us know in the comments below!
Continued here:
Chess Pieces And Terms In Other Languages - Chess.com
- Ukraine loses Shevchenko, one of the world's top 60 chess players - Ukrainska Pravda - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Chess: Magnus Carlsen loses on home ground in Norway to 18-year-old Indian - The Guardian - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Enzo Maresca, Chelsea and the chess thesis that explains his football vision - The Athletic - The New York Times - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Bill Walton Gave Off Vibes That He Was a Chess Master While Playing For The Celtics, But Lost To Danny Ainge In ... - Barstool Sports - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- In age of teenage prodigies, 61-year-old Pia Cramling, who once beat Korchnoi and saw teenaged Anand taking 1st steps on board, still going strong -... - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Norway Chess: Hikaru Nakamura shows hes the king of confessional room; Vaishali rises to top of standings - The Indian Express - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using Newish Trade Kidbro Magnetic Chess Games Due to Ingestion ... - Consumer Product Safety Commission - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Master chess players uniting for Hall of Fame celebration - KETV Omaha - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Rapport Returns To Play For Hungary In Budapest Olympiad, Teams Up With Leko - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- GothamChess, Oro, Cramling And Rosen In Madrid Chess Festival - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Chess.com Returns To TwitchCon In Rotterdam - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Bullet Brawl - All The Information - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Norway Chess: Pragg obtains first-ever classical win over Carlsen - Chess News | ChessBase - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Titled Tuesday - May 28, 2024 - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Coquille High School hosted South Coast Chess Tournament - Coos Bay World - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- 12-Year-Old Erdogmus Breaks Polgar's 35-Year-Old Rating Record - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Norway Chess Women: Vaishali stuns Humpy, grabs the lead - Chess News | ChessBase - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Hopkinton first grader wins national chess title - Hopkinton Independent - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Norway Chess notes: Hungry Magnus Carlsen, Pragg wins with one second on clock and more - The Indian Express - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- Pawns in Power Play: Afghan Children Caught in the Political Chess Game with the Taliban - Hasht-e Subh - Hasht-e Subh Daily - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AUSTRALIA VS SLOVAKIA LCWL LIVE 960 FINAL - Chess.com - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using Mei Xiang/MXYY Magnetic Chess Games Due to Ingestion ... - InvestorsObserver - May 31st, 2024 [May 31st, 2024]
- World Chess Hall of Fame hosts new exhibition: Clash for the Crown - Chess News | ChessBase - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates Chess 2024 Highlights: Vidit Gujrathi beats Nakamura; Gukesh vs Pragg ends in draw - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Memory game: The art of remembering lines in chess - Hindustan Times - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Situationer: Tehrans move more chess than a show of strength - DAWN.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- The Paramount Sale Vulcan Chess Theory - Puck - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates - Vidit beats Nakamura, Tan regains the sole lead - Chess News | ChessBase - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Fantaspoa 2024 Review: MASTERGAME (Mesterjtszma), Visually Compelling Thriller with Chess, Trains and Bathroom Fights - ScreenAnarchy - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates chess results and standings after Round 9: Vidit Gujrathi shocks Nakamura; Gukesh and Pragg draw - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- TIPSY Chess | WINNING after blundering 2 pieces in the opening! - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Chess: How emotional players add to the theatre of the battle scowling, banging pieces, wild expressions - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Reporting on the FIDE Candidates - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Titled Tuesday - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Bullet Brawl April 14, 2024: Bortnyk Clutches Bullet Brawl With 28-Game Win Streak - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- FIDE100 torch relay celebrated in Canada - Chess News | ChessBase - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates Chess 2024 standings after Round 7: Gukesh drops down to second after time trouble against Alireza - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Chess Cheating Scandal | Produces a double-edged offspring - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates 2024: How do the chess players deal with a rest day of such a hectic event? - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- FIDE Candidates: Gukesh, the silent slayer, calmly collecting wins to climb atop leader board, jointly with Nepo - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- The Kwok scam only pits the ants #WenguiGuo #WashingtonFarm - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- The Inspiring Chronicle of a Blind Champion - Chess.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates Chess, Round 8: What's next for Indian grandmasters in Toronto - Firstpost - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Chess Candidates 2024 Highlights: 17-year-old Gukesh wins after 6-hour marathon to rise to top of standings - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Candidates: D Gukesh shrugs off round 7 heartbreak to defeat Vidit Gujrathi; rises to joint lead in standings - The Indian Express - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- JEFF POWELL: Franz Beckenbauer was truly great as a player and a manager... and I had the privilege of watchin - Daily Mail - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Israel's playing poker while Iran is playing chess | Boaz Ganor | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Chess: Hastings plans to revive its vintage years - Financial Times - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Columbus area Kindergartner proves to be one of the best chess players in the U.S. - ABC6OnYourSide.com - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Chess champion's stark response after being stripped of title for defecating in bathub - The Mirror - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Tuesday Afternoon Chess Club - Honolulu Star-Advertiser - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Things to do in Loveland on Monday: Community Dance, chess games, mahjong - Loveland Reporter-Herald - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Columbus area Kindergartner proves to be one of the best chess players in the U.S. - WTOV Steubenville - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Open calls for 2024 and 2025 bids' chess competitions - IBSA International Blind Sports Federation - International Blind Sports Federation - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- 8-Year-Old Roman Shogdzhiev Amazes Chess World By Beating 5 Grandmasters - Chess.com - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Exploring Wisconsin's chess scene, Examining why counties are collecting birth expenses from unwed fathers - Wisconsin Public Radio - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Make your big move at the Bon Soo chess tournament - SooToday - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Project Macon: Checkmate to crime, chess initiative cultivates critical thinking in youth - wgxa.tv - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Study of the Month: To be human is? - ChessBase - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- University of Missouri Wins 2024 Pan-American Intercollegiate Championship for First Time in School History - uschess.org - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- PROGRESS WITH CHESS Class - Northeast Ohio Parent - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Two Russian players sanctioned at World Chess Championship for shameful collusion video - Yahoo News - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Abhijeet Gupta wins the Caplin Masters in Hastings - ChessBase - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- A narrowly missed record: Viktor Kortschnoi against the World Champions - ChessBase - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Who is Andrew Tate's dad Emory? Meet the American chess international master and father of controversial socia - Daily Mail - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Chinese chess player sues to reclaim the title he lost for defecating in a hotel bathtub - Index-Journal - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Chinese chess player sues to reclaim the title he lost for defecating in a hotel bathtub - WPLG Local 10 - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Chess pro risks DQ after refusing to shake Russian opponents hand - Dexerto - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Leading chess site bans Russian Grandmaster over visits to occupied Ukraine - . - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- White to move and mate in two #453 -- Better Chess for Average Players - Daily Kos - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Winter Wrap-Up: Sitges, SPICE and Everything Nice - uschess.org - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- FIDE announces the first-ever World Cup for youngsters - FIDE - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- TX guv credited for winning political 'chess match' in busing policy - American Family News - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Le Wins Bullet Brawl Ahead of Nakamura, Naroditsky - Chess.com - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Exclusive: Carlsen Confirms He Will Formally Decline Candidates Invitation - Chess.com - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Chinese chess player sues to reclaim the title he lost for defecating in a hotel bathtub - ABC News - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Announcing The 2023 Chess.com Awards Winners - Chess.com - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Vote For The 2023 Chess.com Awards - Chess.com - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- The Biggest Chess Prizewinners In 2023 - Chess.com - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]
- Nakamura Begins 2024 With Another Win, Leads Titled Cup - Chess.com - January 6th, 2024 [January 6th, 2024]