Pandolfini’s Ultimate Guide to Chess

by Bruce Pandolfini

  Student: I think that’s because of the “touch-move rule.” Whatever unit you touch has to be moved. People complain about that, whether or not they’ve touched a particular piece.

  Teacher: Unless the situation prohibits the unit from being moved legally, that’s correct. If a touched unit can’t be moved legally, the player may continue with any other legal move of his or her choosing.

  Turns are completed by moving or capturing. A move is defined by the transfer of a unit from one square to another. A capture is the replacement of an enemy unit by a friendly one. In chess, units are not jumped. A captured unit is taken from the board and can no longer participate. No move or capture is compulsory unless it’s the only legal play. Players capture enemy units, not their own. A unit may capture any enemy unit, if it’s a legal move. Two units can never occupy the same square. Two units can’t be moved on the same turn.

  Student: Unless you’re castling.

  Teacher: True. That’s the only time two units move at the same time, but we’ll get to that shortly. Let’s continue with what we can accept for certain: Two enemy units can never be captured on the same move. In the course of a game, all sixty-four squares can be used for legal moves and captures. Each side starts with a force of sixteen units: eight pieces and eight pawns. The lighter-colored force is called White and the darker Black, regardless of their actual colors. Each unit moves according to prescribed rules. Each side’s eight pieces consist of one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, and two knights.

  Student: You said eight pieces for each side. Don’t you mean sixteen?

  Teacher: No, eight. As I’ve said, everyday language allows us to refer to pawns as pieces, the specific terminology of chess doesn’t. None of the pawns are counted as pieces, and when chessplayers talk about material, which means the combined or relative value of playing units, they always distinguish between pieces and pawns. So there are sixteen units per side, but only eight pieces per side. Okay, now it’s time to explain how each unit moves.

  Student: All right. Could we start with the king?

  Teacher: It’s the royal thing to do. Kings move or capture by going one adjacent square in any direction: horizontally, vertically, diagonally, backward, or forward. In capturing, they simply make their move and replace whatever occupies their destination square.

  Diagram 10. The king can move to any of the marked squares.

  Diagram 11. Before: White’s king can take the queen.

  Diagram 12. After: The king has captured the queen.

  Student: Can the king ever move to a square where it can be captured?

  Teacher: No. The king can never move to a square where it can be taken. It’s against the rules. So in diagram 13, the White king couldn’t move to any of the squares marked by an X because either the opposing queen or king would then be in a position to capture it. This rule prevents you from losing the game in some foolish ways.

  Diagram 13. White’s king can only take the queen or move to the square marked by a bullet.

  Student: What about the expression I’ve heard, that “a king can’t take a king”? Doesn’t this allow me to move my king next to the enemy king with impunity?

  Teacher: The expression doesn’t come from chess but from people trying to encapsulate chess in convenient rules of thumb that aren’t quite right to begin with. It’s true that a king can’t take a king in a practical sense, because a king isn’t ever allowed to move into position to be taken by another king. The actual rule is that you’re not permitted to expose your king to capture at any time. Therefore, it’s not possible for a king to be moved close enough to the enemy king to be captured by it. That’s why a king can’t take a king. My advice? Forget that expression altogether.

  Student: Is there a similar restriction on other pieces as well? Are they also not allowed to move to squares where they can be taken?

  Teacher: No, you can legally move them where they can be taken, though in most cases it doesn’t make sense to expose them to capture needlessly. But for now, let’s just stick with how they move, not how to move them wisely.

  Student: How do they move?

  Teacher: The king, rooks, bishops, and queens move along prescribed paths as long as these are unobstructed by friendly units. Enemy units may be captured if the move is legal. Here, it may help to think geometrically. Rooks move along ranks and files, horizontally or vertically. Bishops move only on diagonals, forward or backward. If a bishop starts on a light square, its movement is confined to light-square diagonals and it can never move to or capture on a dark square. The opposite is true for a bishop beginning on a dark square. It can never move to or capture on a light square. The queen possesses the powers of a rook and bishop combined. It moves in any direction in a straight line along as many unblocked squares as desired. If an enemy unit is captured, that always ends a move, no matter which unit makes the capture or is captured.

  In diagrams 14-19, the White piece can move to any of the marked squares.

  Diagram 16. The bishop has thirteen different possible moves from d4.

  Diagram 17. The bishop has seven different possible moves from al.

  Diagram 18. The queen has 27 different possible moves from d.4.

  Diagram, 19. The queen has 21 different possible moves from al.

  Diagram 20. White’s rook may move to any of the marked squares. White’s rook may also take either Black's rook or knight. Neither capture is compulsory. If it were Black’s turn, either the bishop or the rook could take White’s rook, though neither has to.

  Diagram 21. White’s bishop may take Black’s bishop or move to any of the marked squares. If it were Black’s turn, Black’s bishop could take White’s bishop, which could also be taken by Black’s rook. None of the pieces have to take anything.

  Diagram 22. White’s queen may take any of Black’s pieces or move to any of the marked squares. If it were Black’s turn, either the bishop or the rook could take White’s queen.

  Student: When I watch people play, the knight seems to be the most complicated unit, at least when it comes to its movement.

  Teacher: The knight doesn’t move in straight lines, but it always makes a move of the same distance and design. A knight’s move has two parts. It can go two straight squares along a rank or file, then move one square at a right angle; or one square along a rank or file, then two straight squares at a right angle. The full move, from start to finish, backward or forward, left or right, looks like the capital letter L.

  Student: They’re tricky little creatures, aren’t they? Anything else I should know about them?

  Teacher: It might help if you remember that the knight always lands on a square of a different color from the one on which it started. If it moves from a light square, it must go to a dark square; if it moves from a dark square, it must go to a light one. Because it’s the only piece that can jump over obstacles, the knight can move and capture regardless of intervening friendly or enemy units, as if they didn’t exist. Nothing can block a knight.

  Student: Does this mean that the knight’s unique jumping ability makes it the only piece that can move in the opening position?

  Teacher: Yes, because a knight can scale the obstructing pawns. Other pieces can’t move until pawns are moved out of the way.

  Diagram 23. The knight can move to any of the marked squares.

  Diagram 24. The knight can move to either of the marked squares.

  Diagram 25. The knight can jump over obstacles. It can move to any of the marked squares.

  Diagram 26. The knight can take the rook, though it doesn’t have to. It can also move to any of the marked squares.

  Student: What about the pawns? How do they move?

  Teacher: Pawns pose complications of their own. For one thing, they’re the only units that move one way and capture another way. They’re also the only units that can’t move backward or to the side. They move one square straight ahead, except for a two-square option on each pawn’s first move, but they cap
ture one square diagonally ahead. They can’t capture straight ahead. Therefore, anything occupying the square immediately in front of a pawn prevents it from moving straight ahead. As I’ve just indicated, each pawn has an option on its first move: It can move either one or two squares forward. After its first move, however, it can never move two squares again, even if it didn’t go two squares initially.

  Diagram 27. The pawn on the left, at d2, can move one or two squares. The pawn on the right, at f3, can move just one square.

  Diagram 28. Neither pawn can move, being blocked by the other.

  Diagram 29. The pawn can capture either piece or move straight ahead to the marked square.

  Student: All right, I know how everything moves. But now what am I supposed to do?

  Teacher: Maybe you’d like to learn the actual object of a chess game, which is to checkmate the enemy king. The king is checkmated when it’s under direct attack, threatened by capture, and its capture on the next move cannot be prevented. The game ends at that point, without the capture actually taking place. This rule—not taking the king even though you’re in position to—is probably a throwback to a more chivalrous period of human history, when it was considered an affront to approach the king directly. It’s also probably the original inspiration for the expression you brought up earlier: “a king can’t take a king.” If the king is threatened, but its capture can be prevented, the king is merely in check, not in checkmate, and play may continue.

  Student: What do you do if your king is in check?

  Teacher: If your king is checked, you must get it out of check. There can be as many as three ways to get out of check. You can, if the situation legally allows it, (1) move the king to safety, where it can’t be captured; (2) block the check by putting a friendly unit in the way; or (3) capture the checking enemy unit. You can choose any method to end the check, if it’s legally available. If there’s no way to stop the check, it’s checkmate, or simply mate, and the game is over.

  Diagram 30. AVOIDING CHECKMATE BY MOVING: The Black king can get out of check by moving to the marked square, a7.

  Diagram 31. AVOIDING CHECKMATE BY BLOCKING: The rook can block the check by moving between the Black king and the White bishop to the marked square, b7.

  Diagram 32. AVOIDING CHECKMATE BY CAPTURE: The knight can capture the bishop to end the check.

  Three Examples of Checkmate:

  Diagram 33. Black has been checkmated.

  Diagram 34. White has been checkmated.

  Diagram 35. Black has been checkmated.

  Student: Does someone always have to win? Does the game ever end in a tie?

  Teacher: Yes, but we don’t call it a tie. We call it a draw. There are six ways a game can end in a draw: (1) agreement; (2) the 50-move rule; (3) threefold repetition; (4) insufficient mating material; (5) perpetual check; or (6) stalemate.

  Student: Can you explain this a little better?

  Teacher: Sure. Let’s go right through our list. A draw by agreement occurs when one side proposes a draw and the other accepts. Once the offer is accepted, the draw is final. A draw can be claimed by the 50-move rule if 50 moves have been played (50 for each side) without a pawn being moved or a unit captured. A draw can be claimed by threefold repetition if the same position occurs three times. The same conditions have to apply—that is, if castling were possible in the earlier position, it must be possible in the later position. The repetitions do not have to happen on consecutive moves. A draw by insufficient mating material occurs if neither player has enough material left to checkmate, even with the other side’s cooperation. For example, a king and a bishop can’t beat a lone king, even if the inferior side is trying to lose. A king-and-rook team is quite sufficient, however. Together, they can most definitely force mate against a solitary king.

  Student: What about perpetual check?

  Teacher: Such a draw is usually agreed to when one side begins an endless series of checks, especially if the checking side can’t force mate and the checks can’t be averted. We call this situation perpetual check because if the players didn’t agree to a draw once it was clear what was going on, the game would go on forever. Ultimately, perpetual check falls into the category of draws by threefold repetition of position, even though an actual threefold repetition doesn’t necessarily occur. It’s understood that eventually the position would surely be repeated three times without either player getting anywhere, so the players agree to draw because a draw is inevitable. Once it becomes clear a player intends to check perpetually to force a draw, the players generally end the game right there, splitting the point. This means that, in a tournament, each player would get half a point for drawing. A full point would be awarded for a victory, and nothing for a loss.

  Student: Any more points to draw on?

  Teacher: A draw by stalemate occurs if the side to play has no legal move with any unit whatsoever but is not in check. Even if one side has vast material superiority, stalemate can occur if the other side is not in check hut doesn’t have a legal play. In fact, luring the opponent into an “accidental” stalemate is often a losing side’s last hope.

  Student: I better make note of that, just in case.

  Diagram 36. If it’s Black’s move, the game is drawn. Black has been stalemated.

  Teacher: Let’s review distinctions: You are in check if your king is under direct attack but there’s a way or ways to get out of check. You’re checkmated if your king is under direct attack—in check—and there’s no way to get it out of check. You’re stalemated if you’re not in check but don’t have a legal move.

  Student: I’ve heard that castling is a way to try avoiding checkmate. How so?

  Teacher: The time has come to explain a very special rule. Castling is also an integral part of strategy, which we’ll discuss later. For now, let’s just concern ourselves with the rules. Castling is the only situation in which you can move two pieces on the same turn. Start by assuming that the king and at least one of your two rooks have not left their original squares. Now, if nothing occupies the squares between your king and that rook, you may castle. It doesn’t matter which rook, as long as your king and that particular rook haven’t yet moved. The move of castling has two parts. You castle by: (1) moving your king two squares along the rank toward the rook; and then (2) moving the rook in question next to the king on its other side. You can castle using either rook, provided nothing is in the way and neither the king nor the castling rook has moved before. If you castle toward White’s right, you castle kingside. If you castle toward White’s left, you castle queenside. If you castle toward Black’s right, you castle queenside. If you castle toward Black’s left, you castle kingside.

  Student: Is that it?

  Teacher: There are three other restrictions. You can’t castle if your king is in check, if your king would be in check after castling, or if in the act of castling the king has to pass over a square attacked by the enemy. Think prepositions: You can’t castle in check, into check, or through check. If you can get out of check without moving the king or the rook, and that means either capturing the checking piece or blocking the check with your other forces, you may still castle on future moves, assuming the move is then legal.

  Diagram 37. Before White castles kingside.

  Diagram 38. After White castles kingside.

  Diagram 39. Before Black castles queenside.

  Diagram 40. After castling queenside.

  Diagram 41. White can’t castle while in check.

  Diagram 42. White can’t castle through check.

  Diagram 43. White can’t castle into check.

  Student: It’s going to take me a while to digest all of that. I expect I’ll be reviewing my notes pretty carefully. But if I may, could I lead us in another direction concerning a different set of rules?

  Teacher: Most certainly. What were you thinking about?

  Student: I was curious. I was suddenly thinking back to our earlier discussion about pawns, and it occurred to me that
nothing was said about what happens when a pawn reaches the last square of the file it’s on.

  Teacher: That’s a very important concern, and this is a perfect time to explore it. When a pawn reaches the other side of the board, it must be promoted to either a queen, a rook, a bishop, or a knight.

  Student: So you can’t thumb your nose chessically at your opponent by just leaving your pawn a pawn on the last rank?

  Teacher: Nope. The pawn must be promoted, and you must indicate what piece you’re promoting to immediately. You can promote to a new queen even if you still have your original queen. You can promote to any type of piece, even if all the original pieces are still on the board. This way, you can have two, three, or more queens, rooks, bishops, or knights, in any combination. The choice is yours. Usually, an extra queen is decisive. But sometimes it might be desirable to underpromote to a knight, or even to a rook or bishop, under the right circumstances. Promoting to a knight is especially attractive if doing so gives immediate checkmate, or a clearly winning position that leads inevitably to checkmate.

  Student: How do you actually promote?

  Teacher: After you advance the pawn to the final square on the pawn’s file, you replace the pawn with something else. Either you take the new piece from one of the previously captured pieces, or lay the promoted pawn on its side and stipulate what it is to become by saying it aloud. To distinguish it thereafter, assuming you can’t find a replacement piece of some kind, you might try any of several other things. You could, for instance, wrap a rubber band around the promoted pawn. You could put tape on it. Or you could even tie a piece of string to it.