Mediaboss Marketing

There are a number of terms used in chess discussions that may not be immediately understandable to every reader. This is by no means a complete list, but it should be enough to get you started with classic chess, as well as The Timess puzzle, Chess Replay.

Back rank checkmate A checkmate delivered by attacking an opponents back rank (first for White, eighth for Black), where the king is blocked from moving out of check by its own pieces.

Blitz A fixed-time chess game in which players must complete all moves in less than 10 minutes. An Armageddon game is a blitz game where Black wins draws.

Blunder A mistake that results in an immediate and major disadvantage. Also, to blunder a piece is to give away a piece.

Book move A standard or conventional move. Not to be confused with a text move.

Bullet A fixed-time chess game in which players must complete all moves in fewer than three minutes. Sometimes, bullet moves are timed per move with a move limit; for example, 15 seconds per move with a 40-move maximum.

Capture A move that removes an opponents piece from the board.

Castle A castle is a special type of move and is the only time a player can move two pieces at once. The king moves over two squares in either direction, and then the rook jumps to the other side of the king. It allows you to move your king to safety and your rook to the center of the board, where it is stronger. There are a few rules. A player cannot castle while in check. The king cannot castle if it crosses a square controlled by an enemy, nor can it move onto a square controlled by an enemy. The king cannot castle if there are pieces between it and the rook. It must be the kings first move and the rooks first move.

Check A direct attack on the king.

Checkmate When the king is put into check and cannot escape.

Chess engine A chess computer, or program designed to analyze games to calculate the best moves. Modern chess engines are generally considered to be significantly stronger than even the best human players.

Classical game A fixed-time chess game in which players must complete all moves in greater than 120 minutes.

Discovered attack An attack by a piece after another one moves out of its way.

Discovered check A discovered attack on the king. This occurs after another piece moves out of the way to clear the path for the attacker.

Development The state of having moved pieces off their starting squares. If a player has a lead in development, he or she has activated more pieces.

En passant French for in passing, it is a special type of capture that pawns can perform. If a pawn moves two squares on its opening move and lands adjacent to an opposing pawn, the opponent can move to capture the first players pawn by moving diagonally behind it.

En prise Pronounced to rhyme with breeze. A piece that is en prise is one that is undefended and can be captured by an opponent without consequence .

Endgame The last phase of a chess game, when players typically have only their king and a small number of pieces.

Evaluation A comparison of progress between Black and White. When a chess engine is used to evaluate a game, a positive number means White has an advantage, and a negative number means Black does.

Exchange When two players capture each others pieces, typically in sequence. A player can be up or down an exchange depending on the value of the pieces traded.

FIDE The Fdration Internationale des checs, or International Chess Federation, the governing body of chess.

File A column on the chessboard.

Flag To run out of time on the clock. Players will sometimes say that they were dirty flagged to refer to a game in which a player is in a losing position on the board but wins by running the opponents clock to zero.

Fork A piece that is attacking more than one other piece.

Gambit An opening in which a player offers to give up a piece, usually a pawn, in favor of a positional advantage.

Hanging Undefended, as when a piece can be captured by an opponent without consequence.

Increment Extra time added to a players clock after he or she moves. So, with a 10-second increment, a player regains 10 seconds on the clock after a move.

Linked pieces Two knights that defend each other. Also sometimes used for rooks.

Material Another way to refer to pieces. Players can be up or down material if they have more pieces than their opponent.

Mouse slip In online chess, a move made by mistake because a player clicked the wrong square.

Novelty Sometimes, theoretical novelty. A move or series of moves that hasnt been played before in a specific opening situation.

Open file A file with no pawns on it.

Opening The initial part of a chess game, typically consisting of an established set of moves known as theory.

Over the board In person.

Passed pawn A pawn with no opposing pawns on the same or adjacent files between it and the eighth rank. Colloquially called a passer.

Piece A rook, bishop, knight, pawn, king or queen. Players can be up a piece if they have one or more rooks, bishops or knights than their opponent, and vice versa if they are down a piece.

Perpetual Short for perpetual check, when a player puts the opponents king in check in a way that can be repeated to force a draw.

Premove In online chess games, setting a piece to move automatically after an opponent moves.

Promotion An upgrade for a pawn. When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it becomes a knight, bishop, rook or queen. A pawn can become any of these pieces regardless of whether the player has previously captured one.

Rank A row on the chessboard.

Rapid game A fixed-time chess game in which players must complete all moves in more than 10 minutes.

Rating A numerical estimate of a players skill level based on his or her performance in games against other players. Platforms generally calculate rating differently, but in nearly all cases, a player with a higher rating is stronger.

Result The end state of a chess game; a win, loss or draw.

Stalemate Stalemate occurs when it becomes one players turn and he or she has no legal moves, but the king is not in checkmate.

Tactic A move, or combination of moves, that gives a player an advantage or win. There are dozens of types of moves and strategies that fall under the umbrella of tactics, a few of which are in this glossary.

Tempo The speed at which a player moves pieces. If a player is able to stop the opponents plan by creating a threat, he or she gains tempo. On the other hand, when one player gains tempo, the other, who has had a plan stopped because of a threat, has lost tempo.

Text A log of the moves. Text move refers to a move as it happened in the game, as opposed to one being posed as an alternative by a commentator.

Theory An established set of moves.

Title A designation for a player who has achieved a certain level of skill or performance. The most difficult title to obtain is grandmaster.

Underpromote To promote a pawn to any piece that is not a queen. Typically used only in niche checkmate sequences to avoid stalemate.

Zugzwang German for compulsion to move. A situation in which a player must move but all of the moves weaken the position. Typically occurs during endgame.

Zwichenzug German for in-between move and sometimes called an intermezzo. A situation in which a player adds an unexpected and threatening move that requires an immediate response. A player who uses an in-between move typically gains tempo or material, providing an advantage.

Continued here:
Chess Terms and Vocabulary - The New York Times