Chess Strategy

Unless a player be exceptionally gifted, he will only learn after years of practice, if at all, what may be termed "positional play."

THE mental development of the chess player is a gradual struggle from a state of chaos to a clear conception of the game. The period required for such development largely depends upon the special gifts the learner may possess, but in the main the question of methods predominates. Most beginners do not trouble very much about any particular plan in their study of chess, but as soon as they have learnt the moves, rush into the turmoil of practical play

play of a beginner is planless, because he has too many plans, and the capacity for subordinating all his combinations to one leading idea is non- existent.

English ………….. K Q R B Kt P Castles
French ………….. R D T F C P Roq
Spanish ………….. R D T A C P Enrog
German and Austrian .. K D T L S O-O (O)
Italian ………….. R D T A C O-O (O)
Russian ………….. KP F L C K O-O (O)
Dutch ……………. K D T L P O-O (O)
Scandinavian ……… K D T L S O-O (O)
Bohemian …………. K D V S J O-O (O)
Hungarian ………… K V B F H O-O (O)

K stands for King; Q for Queen; B for Bishop; Kt for Knight; R for Rook; and P for Pawn.

O—O stands for castles on the King's side; O—O—O stands for castles on the Queen's side; : or x stands for captures; + for check.

If a player touches a piece with the sole object of adjusting its position, he must apprise his opponent of his intention by saying "J'adoube" beforehand.

Each move in a game of chess consists of the displacement of one piece only, with the exception of what is termed "castling," in which the King and either Rook can be moved simultaneously by either player once in a game. In castling, the King moves sideways to the next square but one, and the Rook to which the King is moved is placed on the square which the King has skipped over. Castling is only allowed if neither the King nor the Rook concerned have moved before, and if there is no piece between the Rook and King.

If a King is unable to move, though not attacked, and none of his remaining pieces can move, the King is said to be stale-mated, and the game is drawn. A game is also drawn when neither side has sufficient material left to enforce a mate. (Compare page 63.)

This is called capturing EN PASSANT.