In the previous post, you learned the names of the chess pieces and how to how to setup a chess board for beginning play. This lesson will teach you how the pieces and pawns move about the board and how to capture an opponent.
A knowledge of the moves peculiar to these several men is so difficult to describe in writing, and so comparatively easy to acquire over the chess-board, from any competent person, that the learner is strongly recommended to avail himself of the latter means when practicable: for the use, however, of those who have no chess-playing acquaintance at command, the subjoined description will, it is hoped, suffice.
The "Pieces," by which title the eight superior officers are technically designated, in contradistinction to the "Pawns," all take in the same direction in which they move. This act consists in removing the adverse Piece or Pawn from the board, and placing the captor on the square the former occupied. To make this clear, we will begin with the King, and show his mode of moving and of capturing an adverse man.
The King can move one square only at a time (except in "Castling," which will be explained hereafter), but he can make this move in any direction, forwards, backwards, laterally, or diagonally. He can take any one of the adversary's men which stands on an adjoining square to that he occupies, provided such man is left unprotected, and he has the peculiar privilege of being himself exempt from capture. He is not permitted, however, to move into check, that is, on to any square which is guarded by a Piece or Pawn of the enemy, nor can he, under any circumstance, be played to an adjacent square to that on which the rival King is stationed. Like most of the other Pieces, his power is greatest in the middle of the board, where, without obstruction, he has the choice of eight different squares. At the sides, he may play to any one of five, but when in the angles of the board, three squares only are at his command.
No. 2.
BLACK.
WHITE.
Supposing diagram No. 2 to show the position of the men towards the conclusion of a game, and it being either party's turn to play, he could take the adverse Pawn from the board, and place his King on the square it occupied; and, by doing so, the King would not depart from the order of his march, which, as we have before said, permits him to move
one step in every direction. In each of these instances we have placed the Pawn in
front of the King, but he would be equally entitled to take it were it standing on any other part of the eight squares immediately surrounding him,
always provided it was not sustained or guarded by some other Piece or Pawn.
The Queen is by much the most powerful of the forces. She has the advantage of moving as a Rook, in straight lines, forwards, backwards, and sideways, to the extent of the board in all directions, and as a Bishop, diagonally, with the same range. To comprehend her scope of action, place her alone in the center of the board; it will then be seen that she has the command of no less than twenty-seven squares, besides the one she stands on. (Diagram No. 3.)
No. 3.
Thus placed in the middle of the board, the range of the Queen is immense. She has here the option of taking any one of eight men at the extremity of the board, on the squares respectively numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, should her line of march be unobstructed; and if these men were nearer, on any of the intermediate squares, she would be equally enabled to take any one of them at her choice. Like all the other Pieces and Pawns, she effects the capture by removing the man from the board and stationing herself on the vacated square.
No. 4.
BLACK.
WHITE.
The Rook, or Castle, is next in power to the Queen. He moves in a straight line, forwards, backwards, or sideways, having a uniform range, on a clear board, of fourteen squares, exclusive of the one he occupies.
The Rook has the same power in taking as the Queen, forwards, backwards, and sideways, but he cannot, like her, take any man diagonally.
For example, place the Rook in the center of the board, and an opposing man on each of the squares numbered, and the Rook has the power of taking any one of the four; and he has the same power if the Pieces are one or two squares closer to him, or immediately surrounding him, in the direction indicated by the four figures. (See Diagram No. 4.)
The Bishop moves diagonally forwards or backwards, to the extent of the Board. It follows, therefore, that he travels throughout the game only on squares of the same color as the one on which he stands when the game begins, and that each player has a Bishop running on white squares, and one on black squares. When placed on a center square of a clear board, he will be found to have a range of thirteen squares.
No. 5.
The Bishop takes, as he moves, diagonally, either forwards or backwards, his range extending, on unobstructed squares, to the extent of the diagonal line on which he travels. (See Diagram No. 5.)
in a straight line, and
one in an oblique direction; or it may be perhaps better understood by saying that he moves two squares
in a straight line, and
one in a side direction.
No. 6.
BLACK.
WHITE.
His power and method of taking an opponent's man will be seen from the diagram (No. 6) on page 14.
In this situation, in the center of the board, he would have the power of taking any one of the men stationed on the squares numbered, by removing the man and placing himself on the vacant square.
The Pawn moves only one square at a time, and that
straight forward, except in the act of capturing, when it takes one step diagonally to the right or left file on to the square occupied by the man taken, and continues on that file until it captures another man. It may, however, for its
first move advance
two steps,
provided no hostile Pawn commands the first square over which he leaps, for, in that case, the adverse Pawn has the option of taking him in his passage,
as if he had moved one step only. A Pawn is the only one of the forces
which goes out of his direction to capture, and which has not the advantage of moving backwards; but it has one remarkable privilege, by which, on occasions, it becomes invaluable,
whenever it reaches the extreme square of the file on which it travels, it is invested with the title and assumes the power of any superior Piece, except the King, which the player chooses. From this circumstance it frequently happens that one party, by skillful management of his Pawns, contrives to have two, and sometimes even three Queens on the board at once, a combination of force which of course is irresistible.
As we before observed, the Pawn is the only man which captures in a direction different from his line of march. Suppose, at the opening of the game, White begins by playing King's Pawn to King's fourth square (see the article on Notation), Black may reply in the same manner with King's Pawn to King's fourth square, and neither Pawn can do more than remain an obstruction to the onward march of the other, but if Black answer instead with King's Bishop's Pawn to Bishop's fourth, or as in the diagram, with Queen's Pawn to Queen's fourth, then White, if he choose, may take the adverse Pawn from the board and place his own in its stead.
No. 7.
BLACK.
WHITE.
The
next lesson will be one of the most important aspects for the serious chess student (and beginning chess player) -
chess notation.
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