Glossary

ATTACK: A move or series of moves with the intention or threat of checkmate or winning an advantage in material or position.

CASTLE: To play a special move with King and Rook that is possible only when the King has not moved previously in the game. To castle on the King-side involves moving the King to KN1 and the King Rook to KB1. In castling on the Queen-side, the King goes to QBI and the Queen Rook to Ql.

CHECK: To attack the hostile King directly. CHECKMATE: A check from which the King has no escape.

DEVELOPMENT: The process of bringing out the pieces from their original squares with a view to having them take an active part in the game.

DISCOVER CHECK: To move an intervening piece so that it exposes the hostile King to check by another hitherto screened piece.

DOUBLE CHECK: A discovered check which involves simultaneous check by the piece moving off the line of attack.

DRAWN GAME (or DRAW): A game which neither side wins. There is no winner, no loser.

EN PRISE: Subject to capture.

EXCHANGE: To capture a hostile piece for a piece of one's own. The units exchanged are usually of equivalent value—but not always. "THE EXCHANGE": A player is said to "win the Exchange" when he captures a Rook in return for a Bishop or Knight. To "lose the Exchange" is to give up a Rook in return for Bishop or Knight.

FIANCHETTO: Flank development of a Bishop to the KN2 or QN2 square.

FILES: The vertical rows of squares running up and down the board.

GAMBIT: An opening which involves the speculative offer of material.
PASSED PAWN: A pawn which is unopposed by hostile pawns on adjacent files.

PIN: An attack on a piece which is screening another piece from attack.

RANKS: The horizontal rows of squares running from side to side on the board.

RESIGN: To formally acknowledge defeat. This ends the game as if checkmate had taken place.

ROOK AND PAWN ENDING: An end-game in which only Kings, Rooks, and Pawns are left on the board.

SACRIFICE: To give up material for less valuable material of the enemy—with a view to achieving some object which is more important than the material sacrificed.

STALEMATE: A form of drawn game which results when the King, although not in check, is left only with moves that would put him in check.

TEMPO: A unit of time. (If a player takes two moves to do what he could have done in a single move, he is said to have lost a tempo.)