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|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
|_____|_____|_____|_____| Video Chess |_____|_____|____|____|
|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯| Atari 2600 |¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
|_____|_____|_____|_____| FAQ |_____|_____|____|____|
|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯| Version 1.00 |¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
|_____|_____|_____|_____| Mike Truitt |_____|_____|____|____|
|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯| Saturday, February 28, 2004 |¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
|_____|_____|_____|_____|_______________________________|_____|_____|____|____|
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¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Contents:
I About this FAQ
I I Version History
I I I Game Basics
I V Strategy
V The History of Chess
V I Notes & Thanks
•============================================================================•
| I ABOUT THIS FAQ |
•============================================================================•
_________________
Mission Statement
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
I was looking through a bunch of my older games and was wondering to myself
why I didn't write any FAQs for these classics. So I decided to write a guide
for one of my favorites. That is why this guide is here today. I hope it can
help you out.
____________
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•============================================================================•
| I I VERSION HISTORY |
•============================================================================•
____________
Version 1.00 I have got just about all of the FAQ completed. There may
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ be some more updates in the future.
_____________
Last Updated: Saturday, February 28, 2004
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•============================================================================•
| I I I GAME BASICS |
•============================================================================•
_________________________
O B J E C T I V E
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The objective of Video Chess, or any other Chess game for that matter is
to capture your opponent's King before he is able to capture yours.
_____________________________________
M O D E S O F P L A Y
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
___________________
Difficulty Settings
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Video Chess has a total of eight difficulty settings. The first setting
is the beginners level. From there, you will have levels 1 through 7
with each level getting harder than the one prior. Likewise, with each
level increase the computer will take a longer time to compute its move.
•============================================• These numbers listed
| Level | Average Time Per Move | come strait from the
•===========·================================• instruction manual,
| Beginner | 10 seconds | they are estimated
| Level 01 | 15 seconds | times. This is due to
| Level 02 | 30 seconds | the nature of Chess...
| Level 03 | 45 seconds | some situations are
| Level 04 | 2 minutes 45 seconds | much less complex than
| Level 05 | 3 minutes 15 seconds | others - so some moves
| Level 06 | 12 minutes 00 seconds | may be immediate, some
| Level 07 | 10 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds | may take a long time.
•===========•================================•
As you can tell the game can give you quite a challenge (if even waiting
for your turn. Most levels are not much more difficult than the one
before it, but it does create a challenge also.
______________________
C O N T R O L S
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The controls for Video Chess are quite simple. The easiest way to show this
is by chart.
•=========================================•
| Button | Action |
•==================·======================•
| Joystick - Up | Move cursor up |
| Joystick - Right | Move cursor right |
| Joystick - Down | Move cursor down |
| Joystick - Left | Move cursor left |
·------------------·----------------------·
| Action Button | Select / Move Pieces |
•=========================================•
________________
P I E C E S
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
In Chess there is a total of 16 pieces for each player. There are 8 pawns,
2 Rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops, 1 Queen, and 1 King. Each piece has its
own purpose and use. Here is a brief description of the pieces, what they
do and what they look like...
____
King
¯¯¯¯
___________
Description
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The king, for all intensive purposes in the game, is absolutely
useless. His capturing skills are weak at best, and can not play
defense at all. However, he is also your most important piece. It is
your other pieces' jobs to keep the king safe at all times, for if
you loose your King, the game is over.
_____
Moves
¯¯¯¯¯
The king can move one block in any direction, including diagonals.
That is all he can do... That is also the only way he can capture
other pieces.
________
Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
If you were trying to use the king for strategy, it must be one of
complete defense. Do not worry about attacking with him. Just make
sure that your king is safe.
__________
Appearance
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
##
######
## ## ##
#### ## ####
##############
##############
_____
Queen
¯¯¯¯¯
___________
Description
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
When used correctly, the Queen is the best piece in the game, she has
the most versatility, she can go as far as she would like, and can
pretty much own everything on the board. On the down side, if you
loose your Queen you will have an uphill battle all game.
_____
Moves
¯¯¯¯¯
The Queen can move in any direction, including diagonals. Unlike the
King, however, she can go as far as she would like (at least until
she hits another piece or the end of the board.
________
Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
When it comes to strategy with the Queen you have to be constantly
aware of the board. If you take your Queen out, the other player will
be gunning for it. Likewise, if the computer takes their Queen out, do
everything in your power to get it.
__________
Appearance
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
## ## ## ##
#### ####
##############
######
######
##############
____
Rook
¯¯¯¯
___________
Description
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Most people will consider the rook the third (and fourth) most
important pieces on the board. It has the ability to tactically
remove many pieces from the board very quickly and to trap opponents
into giving up. You can be slightly more lax about protecting the
Rook compared to the Queen, but you still do not want to loose this
gem.
_____
Moves
¯¯¯¯¯
The rook is able to move in one of two ways. It can either go across
rows, or it can go across columns. This means it either goes up and
down, or left and right, to both move and to capture other pieces.
________
Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
You should rely heavily on your Rooks to set up plans and to attack,
they are not too great for defense outside of the castle (which will
be described in the "Strategy" section). Try to use this piece as
often as possible, but do not use them as bait in a strategy, they are
too valuable.
__________
Appearance
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
## ## ##
## ## ##
##########
##########
##########
##########
______
Bishop
¯¯¯¯¯¯
___________
Description
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The bishop is one of the pieces that can really help you win a game
if you know what you are doing. Along with the Knight, the Bishop is
the unsung hero of a Chess game. Normally powerful by themselves, the
Bishops can rule the board when used in conjunction with its
counterpart.
_____
Moves
¯¯¯¯¯
The Bishop moves along any of the diagonals. They can move as many
spaces as they would like to go as long as their is not a piece in
the way. There are two different Bishops for each time, one on either
color.
________
Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The two Bishops can be used to push your opponents pieces. It is also
the most forgotten piece on the board when a person in thinking
defensively. This is why it is a must that you watch the other
player's Bishop.
__________
Appearance
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
##
######
##########
######
######
##########
______
Knight
¯¯¯¯¯¯
___________
Description
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The Knight is the most unique piece in the game. It is also the most
overused piece by many beginners. Due to the unblockable nature of
the Knights' attacks it can be very dangerous in the hands of a good
player.
_____
Moves
¯¯¯¯¯
Unlike every other piece in the game, the Knight does not move in a
line, it moves from one point to another point. The Knight is able to
move two blocks in any direction and then one block in any
perpendicular direction. Think of its movements as an "L". Also the
Knight can never be blocked, by any piece.
________
Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The Knight is often used as more of a distraction piece or a set-up
piece. Be careful when using this, many get over aggressive with the
Knight and end up setting themselves up for loosing it. Don't be
afraid to take this piece out early and get some easy pawns.
__________
Appearance
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
######
###### ##
############
#### ####
########
##############
____
Pawn
¯¯¯¯
___________
Description
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The pawn pretty much sucks. There is not much that you can do with
the pawn. He can do very little as far as strategy goes. However, if
you are able to control your pawns well, you will be able to take out
some important pieces when the other player gets sloppy.
_____
Moves
¯¯¯¯¯
The pawn has a strange movement pattern. To start off the game, you
can move your pawns either one block or two blocks. However, any move
after your first move, the pawn can only move one block forward. One
exception to this is when it captures another piece. In order to
capture another piece with the pawn you must attack one diagonal
direction forward to get the piece.
________
Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Pawns generally do not play a huge role in a strategy. If you are
able to advance your pawn to the last row of the other players side,
you will be able to promote your pawn to any other piece in the game.
__________
Appearance
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
##
######
##
######
_____________
R U L E S
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The game of Chess does not have too many rules (outside of how pieces move
and such). There are however some guidelines and such. They simply determine
how a game is won, lost, or tied. Be aware of what each term means.
When playing Chess, you main goal is to obtain "Checkmate" over your
opponent by making his King have no more legal moves left while he is in
check. A "legal" move for a King is described as; Any move that does not
put the King into check. However, if your opponent has no legal moves left
for his King, but is not in check, then the game is a Stalemate, or a draw.
_____
Check
¯¯¯¯¯
If you are in check or the other have the other player in check, that
simply means, that they have an attack the "could" capture the King.
However, if it is just check, then you have the ability to block the
attack by either capturing that piece, or bringing one of your pieces in
to block the move of the attacker.
_________
Checkmate
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Checkmate is a term used meaning that the game is over. No matter what
you do if you are in checkmate, the other player can capture your King.
Simply put, do not get yourself into checkmate. If a win is not
obtainable, fight for a stalemate.
_________
Stalemate
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
A stalemate is basically a tie. There are certain qualifications that
would force a game into stalemate.
_________
Reason #1
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Both of the players get tired of playing and agree to end the game
in a draw.
_________
Reason #2
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Draw By Repetition: If both players make the exact same series of
moves for three strait times then the game is ended because of
"Draw by Repetition"
_________
Reason #3
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
50 Move Rule: If neither player is able to successfully capture
one of his opponents pieces AND neither player has moved a pawn in
their last 50 moves.
_________
Reason #4
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Insufficient Materials: If both players have only the following
then the game is a draw due to "Insufficient Materials to
Checkmate"...
_____
Set 1
¯¯¯¯¯
Only one Knight left *no other pieces besides King*
_____
Set 2
¯¯¯¯¯
Only one Bishop left *no other pieces besides King*
_____
Set 3
¯¯¯¯¯
Only two Knights left *no other pieces besides King*
________
Quitting
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The final way that a game will end is if a player decides to quit the
game. This is done by simply lying down the King to the board. It is
often done as a show of respect to the other player when checkmate is
inevitable.
_____________________________________
K E E P I N G S C O R E
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
You will often see Chess games written down, but many do not know what
exactly those letters and numbers mean. This is a simple thing to figure
out, once you know what you are looking for.
First off, you need to know what the lowercase letters and numbers mean.
Simply follow the graph of the board to see what each one means...
_______________________________________________________________________
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
| a8 | b8 | c8 | d8 | e8 | f8 | g8 | h8 |
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
| a7 | b7 | c7 | d7 | e7 | f7 g7 | h7 |
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
| a6 | b6 | c6 | d6 | e6 | f6 | g6 | h6 |
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
| a5 | b5 | c5 | d5 | e5 | f5 | g5 | h5 |
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
| a4 | b4 | c4 | d4 | e4 | f4 | g4 | h4 |
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
| a3 | b3 | c3 | d3 | e3 | f3 | g3 | h3 |
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
| a2 | b2 | c2 | d2 | e2 | f2 | g2 | h2 |
|XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |
·--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------·
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
| a1 | b1 | c1 | d1 | e1 | f1 | g1 | h1 |
| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX| |XXXXXXXX|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
As you can tell letters are given to the vertical and numbers are given to
the horizontal rows. Once you have this basic concept down, then the rest
is quite simple. The letter in front of the series is the first letter of
the piece that moved. *Nd7* Can you figure out what piece moves where? If
so then you are fine. If there is an "x" between the letters, that
signifies a capture has taken place *dxe5*. If there is a "+" after the
series then that means there was a check *Qxe4+*. Finally, if there are two
"++" then that means checkmate *Bf2++*.
•============================================================================•
| I V STRATEGY |
•============================================================================•
______________________________________________
B A S I C S T R A T E G I E S
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
________
Castling
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Castling is one of the more basic moves that can get your King out of an
early jam or to further any protection that you might have already set
up. At first castling may seem a bit complicated, but once you have
learned how to do it, then you will realize just how simple this move is.
First off, you need to have your King and one of your Rooks in their
original spots. This means that neither one of them could have moved at
any point during the game. Secondly, there should be only blank spots on
the board between them. This means that you should have your Bishop,
Knight, and maybe your Queen moved before this move can be thought about
done. From there the last part is quite simple. All you need to do is
move your King two blocks in the direction towards the Rook and then
place the Rook on the opposite side of the King.
__________
En Passant
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is the most complicated move in the game. It is rather hard to
explain, but I will give it as good of a shot as I can.
If a pawn is in its original position on the board and their is another
pawn that has the ability to capture it the only safe move for the pawn
that is about to be captured is to move two spaces. If the soon-to-be
captured pawn only moves one space then it can be captures "en passant"
by the opponents pawn. To better understand this "en passant" in French
for "In Passing".
______________
Pawn Promotion
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
If you can get one of your pawns to the end of the board it will be
promoted to any piece of your choice, no matter how many of those pieces
you already have on the board. This means that you could theoretically
have nine queens on the board at one time. Note that you can not promote
your pawn to a King.
_______________
Mowing the Lawn
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
As you can tell by the name, this is the first "non-official" strategy.
It is simple, but can be highly effective. This can be done with either
the Rooks or the Bishops.
To start out you will need to have your Rooks in different rows and
columns. You will want them to be in tangent rows (this means ones that
are touching each other. Once you do this you can move the Rook that is
in the lowest row up to the row just higher of the previous one. If the
King is running away from this he will get trapped. Likewise you can
take out many pawns and other pieces with this maneuver.
___________
Quick Traps
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Often in Chess you will be able to trick your opponent into a quick
victory. Not all of the quick traps are wins, yet all of them trap your
opponent into losing their Queen or another piece that is listed. Here
is a list of some quick victories...
_________________
The Pastor's Mate
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 e5
2.Qh5?! Nc6
3.Bc4 Nf6??
4.Qf7++
__________________
The Scholar's Mate
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.Nc3 e5
4.Bc4 Bg4?
5.Nxe5 Bxd1??
6.Bxf7+ Ke7
7.Nd5++
_______________
The Fool's Mate
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.f3?! e5
2.g4?? Qh4++
___________________
Underpromotion Trap
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.d4 d5
2.c4 e5
3.dxe5 d4
4.e3? Bb4+
5.Bd2 dxe3!
6.Bxb4? exf2+
7.Ke2 fxg1=N+!!
8.Rxg1 Bg4+ wins queen.
________________
Smith-Morra Trap
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxc3 Nf6
5.Bc4 Nc6
6.e5 Nxe5?
7.Nxe5 dxe5
8.Bxf7+ wins the queen.
________________________
Caro-Kann Smothered Mate
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 c6
2.Nc3 d5
3.Nf3 dxe4
4.Nxd4 Nd7
5.Qe2 Nf6??
6.Nd6++
_____________________________
Shortest Game Between Masters
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.d4 Nf6
2.Nd2 e5?!
3.dxe5 Ng4
4.h3?? Ne3 wins queen else ++.
______________________
King's Gambit Debaucle
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 e5
2.f4 d5
3.fxe5? Qh4+
4.Ke2 Qxe4+
5.Kf2 Bc5 wins queen
_____________
Greedy Knight
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.c3 Nf6
4.Be2 Nxe4?
5.Qa4+ wins the knight.
_____________
Budapest Trap
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e5
3.d5 Bc5
4.Nf3?! d6
5.Bg5? Ne4!
6.Bxd8?? Bxf2++
__________________
King and Rook Fork
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.e4 e5
2.Qh5!? g6??
3.Qxe5+ winning the Rook.
________________________
Queen's Gambit Miniature
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1.d4 d5
2.c4 dxc4
3.e3 b5
4.a4 c6
5.axb5 cxb5?
6.Qf3! wins a piece.
_______________________________________________________
A D V A N C E D S T R A T E G I E S
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Unfortunately I do not have the ability to help you out here. In order to
practice advanced strategies you will need to have played Chess very often
and learn for yourself or go through tutorials that just are not possible
to make in a regular document. I would recommend checking out your public
library if you are interested or look through the Internet. There are
literally hundreds of sites that offer tests and daily strategies for free.
•============================================================================•
| V THE HISTORY OF CHESS |
•============================================================================•
I have always been interested in the game of Chess. In fact, a few years
back I had to write a brief paper on it. It is a very interesting read
for any Chess fan.
________________
HOW CHESS SPREAD
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Many legends and myths have credited the creation of Chess to many obscure
historical figures. Some devout Christian groups have given the credit to King
Solomon, who is often referenced in the Bible. However, others have said that
the Greek god Hermes was the rightful developer of this great game. Still
Hansing, the Chinese mandarin is also given credit for the creation of Chess.
Chess even owes its name to the Persian language. "Shah" the Persian word for
king, and "Shah Mat" meaning the King is dead is used for Check mate.
Through research and other methods, many scientist have come to believe
that the first variation of what is known today as Chess originated in the
fifth to seventh century AD. Some of these scientist have even claimed that the
exact year was 531 AD, but with so many disputes and actual date will never be
known. There are even some claims that the first game was played around 100 AD,
but with no proof to back the point up, the theory was quickly thrown out by
just about everyone. However, it is agreed by almost every historian that the
first variation, or variant, of Chess did originate in the area that is now
known as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and was known as
"Chaturanga" which is the name of the battle formation of the Indian army. The
formation known as the Chaturanga, was mentioned in the classic Indian novel,
"Mahabharata". Even the name Chess has been taken from the
Although the exact country of origin is unknown, historians do believe
that they know exactly how the early variants of Chess spread though out
Persia, and then Europe, and finally the world; It was in the eight century
that the Middle East was invaded by a militant group of Arabs, that called
themselves "The Moors" invaded Persia and the Middle East. The soldiers, being
captivated by the locals in these areas, soon after they had captured them,
about the game that they were playing. Not long after, the soldiers were taught
by the natives this newly developed game of strategy and skill. Throughout the
next decades, the many variants of Chess spread quickly through the Moor
population. In the year 711 AD, when the Moors chose to invade Spain, naturally
the brought their favorite game with them.
After the soldiers held a strong base in both Spain and Portugal, the
soldiers were eager to teach the Spaniards and the Portuguese the game they had
been taught not so long ago. Much like it did with the Moors, Chess spread
quickly though Spain, and then ravaged its way all around Europe.
Around the time period that Chess became popular in Europe, a group of
malicious invaders from Scandinavia known as the Vikings began their reign of
terror over Europe. Traveling from town to town, looting and destroying, the
Vikings were able to discover the mind game that captivated millions and
adopted it as if it were their own litter beserker. Through the travels of the
Vikings, they too spread the game that they had learned. Even the great Eric
the Red was not invulnerable to the power of Chess. Spreading the game on to
his lands in England and Iceland, and then later Leif Ericson (Eric's son...
get it?) passed it on to his conquered lands in Greenland. It was also the
Vikings that were credited for creating the first set of "modern day" chess
pieces, which were made entirely out of ivory.
It was these Europeans that devised the game the way it is known today.
Giving the pieces names and roles based on their society and lifestyle. Based
on the pieces and their meanings, one can get a good medieval history lesson by
simply studying the pieces. *Which, by the way, I will be giving you one later
on in this section*
During the pre-middle ages area, board games would often be banned by the
church or kings. Yet, Chess still maintained its popularity over time.
Eventually, the game of Chess became associated with only the most elite of the
elite and the rich society, the smartest people, and of course the rich. As
this association became more and more widespread, the kings and other nobles of
the area accepted Chess as an acceptable game in society. By the time the
Fifteenth century came around, Chess was widely known as "The Royal Game,"
which it is still often called today.
From this time until the mid Nineteenth century not much about Chess
changed. But in the middle of the Nineteenth century, a new rule was added. If
a Pawn made it to the back row while the Queen of the same color was still in
play, then the Pawn IS allowed to be promoted to a Queen. Before this rule was
set into play then the player had to give himself a different Bishop, Rook, or
Knight.
It was also during this era that a uniform set of pieces were made. Since
the Middle Ages, Chess pieces went through eras where they would be either
extremely detailed and fancy, or basic looking and plain. It was decided to
make the pieces plain and basic, the pieces chosen are the same ones that come
on standard sets today for a few reasons. For one, it was much cheaper to
produce a large supply of, and since you could produce more sets, then the
price of the sets would go down, which makes set more access able to the
public. All throughout Europe and Asia pieces were different too. The
"Elephant" in Russia and the "Fool" in France had both evolved into what is now
known as the Bishop. The Rook also had many odd counterparts. Everything from
ships to chariots were used to represent it, but during this era, it was
officially set up for it to look like the castle. The King was formally set to
be the largest piece on the board, and he was given a crown. Queens were also
made larger due to their generally more important stature. Just about the only
piece that didn't go through any change was the Pawn, which was always a
pathetic little piece. By 1835, the first official set of Chess pieces were
designed by Nathaniel Cook and produced by Howard Staunton. Not soon after,
these pieces were known as the Staunton set. To this day, only the Staunton set
of Chess pieces are used in competition.
Thirty one years later, the first international Chess champion was
crowned, Wilhelm Steinitz. This is often known as the first day of the modern
era of Chess.
_________
THE RULES
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Earlier in this section, I mentioned that the first known variant of Chess
was known as Chaturanga. The rules were very similar to how they are today.
First off, you had an eight by eight square board with many different pieces
placed on this board. Of these pieces, the most notable and powerful one was
the King (imagine that). In order for victory to be achieved, one had to
successfully capture their opponents King. However, turns were not based on the
"turn" cycle that we go by today. Dice were used to determine who moved and
what the had to move. Unlike the Chess of today, the Chataranga could have been
played with as many people as one chose.
Eventually, Chaturanga evolved into a much similar game known to its
players as "Shatrani". In Shatrani, a new piece was added to the set. This
piece was known as the counselor. Not much else about the Shatrini was
different from the Chaturanga, outside of the ways to victory. In Chaturanga
the only way to obtain victory was to successfully capture your opponents King.
But in Shatrani you could either capture the King, or you could win by
capturing every piece on the board except for your opponents King. It was also
brought about by Shatrani that the game of Chess was narrowed down to a two
player game.
Not much has changed from the introduction of the Shatrani version of the
game until around 1300. It was in this time frame when the Pawn's opening move
was changed from strictly one space move to the "one or two space move" that it
is today. This rule change was not accepted by many though. Many believe that
it took as many as 300 years for this rule change to be fully accepted into the
Chess society's rules.
Chess was still an underground game in the late 1400s until a couple of
new rules were introduced and the game's popularity rose very quickly from
there. There were two rule changes that took effect in the year 1475. For one,
if a Pawn were to reach the very back row of the opponents side, it could be
promoted to a Queen. Before this rule, it would only be promoted any every
other piece but the Queen. The "Elephant" piece, which could only move in two
spaces in the diagonal direction, was changed to the Bishop, which could move
in any amount of spaces in the same diagonal direction. These new rule changes
allowed for much more strategy to be used when playing, and due to this, Chess'
"game for the smart only" reputation began to be formed. During this era, the
"castle" move was first starting to be used. However, not much is known about
its usage until the late Eighteenth century, so many believe that it was used
only by the best Chess players, and only on extremely rare occasions.
____________________________
RELATION TO MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
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When most people first look at their Chess board, they simply see a bunch
of pieces and a board. Chess, however, is much more than just that. It is a
historical representation of how, exactly, Medieval society was ran.
The King, in Chess is the most valuable piece on the board and should be
kept at all cost. Similarly, in medieval society, the king was the supreme
ruler of the land, and the church in some areas. The parallelism can easily be
shown with this piece.
The Queen, in Chess is the most mobile, and best piece in many opinions.
Many believe that queens had very little power and almost no say in what sort
of governmental actions that were going on during her rule. Yet, this could be
no more further from the truth. Queens were greatly respected women in society
and would often have their say, directly in what was going on *not to mention
her ability to "influence" some of the king's decisions. This is no more
evident than in the great Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I.
Bishops are one of the more powerful pieces in chess and have a great
influence in how the game is played out in every game played. Similarly, the
Church in the middle ages was more important than just about everything,
including family in some instances. But, just like the kings ability to take
over the Church (Henry VIII) the Bishops do not have nearly as much power as
the King or the Queen in either situation.
Knights representing the military forces of medieval times. With their own
tactical strategy, knights show how the military would often use an unusual
technique when they would fight. Much like the fighters in the middle ages, the
Knights are one of the most feared pieces in the game.
The Castles which, in the game are greatly respected, but rarely have a
great effect on the game are easily comparable with the nobles of the Medieval
times. Both of them have a good reputation, but neither really do that much
when it comes down to it.
Finally, the Pawns. Much like the peasants of the era, they outnumber all
of the other pieces, and when played correctly can win the game for any player,
or overthrow a government (French Revolution), both similar, yet non-congruent
actions. Be mindful of these pieces, they are the ones that run the show.
•============================================================================•
| V I NOTES AND THANKS |
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