Glossary of Chess Terms

Kid Chess^®: Glossary of Chess Terms

Check out our list of BASIC chess terms that will help you learn chess as a beginner and improve your game as a more advanced player!

Active Piece

A piece that has free range of the board. White bishop on c4 is active; black bishop on f8 is not.

Algebraic Notation

System for writing down the moves of a chess game, based on labeling a chess board so that each of the 64 squares is denoted by a number and a letter, from a-1 to h-8; files (left to right) are a-h and ranks (top to bottom) are 1-8.

Attack

The process of going after your opponent’s king or vulnerability to win the game.

In this position black attacks white rook on a1 and white bishop on d2 forking them with their knight on b3. White could save material playing Rad1. But the best way for white is to attack black king with Qf5. Queen-bishop battery aims at h7, so checkmate is inevitable.

Back Rank Mate

A checkmate that occurs when your opponent’s king is trapped behind a wall (usually a wall of his own pawns) on the back rank, and your queen or rook attacks on the back rank.

In this position 1. Qh8# is back rank checkmate. But 1. Qa8+?? would be a terrible blunder, because of 1… Bxa8.

Battery

Two long range pieces (such as a queen and bishop) lined up and pointed in the same direction along a rank, file, or diagonal.

Blockade

The act of placing a piece in the path of a “passed pawn” to keep it from promoting.

Black king successfully blocks both white connected passed pawns. White rook blocks only one pawn (b2), the other one will promote.

Blunder

A really poor move that costs you a lot of material or even the game itself.

White move Qe3 is a blunder. It allows black to play Nxc2+ forking three most valuable pieces of white: the king, the queen and the rook.

Castling

Castling is a move in the game of chess involving a player’s king and either of the player’s original rooks.

Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player’s first rank, then moving the rook to the square over which the king crossed.

In this position, Black can castle queen side only. If they try to castle kingside, their king has to pass through f8, a square attacked by the white bishop. White cannot castle at all. They cannot castle on king side, since their rook has moved. They cannot castle on queen side, because of their own queen being in the way.

Castling may only be done if the king has never moved, the rook involved has never moved, the squares between the king and the rook involved are unoccupied, the king is not in check, and the king does not cross over or end on a square in which it would be in check.

Center

The squares d4, e4, d5, and e5. (Diagram) Basic center (4 green squares) broader center (16 yellow squares)

Centralize

To place pieces and pawns so they attack the center.

On this board both white knights are centralized, black knight on c6 is centralized, and black knight on h6 is not. The white bishop on e2 is not centralized, while black bishop on c5 is centralized.

Check

To directly attack or threaten to capture your opponent’s king. Your opponent must then immediately drop whatever he was doing to fix the problem.

Black’s king is in check now. To save the king black can either Capture the checking piece Bxe8 (the best option), Block the check Nf8, or Run away with Kh7.

Checkmate

To “check” your opponent’s king with no way for it to get out of check. That is, they cannot capture the attacking piece, they cannot block the attack with another of their own pieces, and they cannot move the king out of check. “Checkmate” ends the game.

Here, black is checkmated. There is no way to Capture the white rook on e8, Block the check or Run away with the king. As the king is trapped behind a wall of it’s own pawns, this is in fact also called a Back Rank Checkmate.

Connected Passed Pawns

Two or more passed pawns of the same color that are on files next to each other.

Control

Domination of an important square or group of squares (such as the “Center”).

White controls the center in this position. Playing d5 on the very next move, he gets even more space in the middle and forces black knight on c6 to go back.

Defense

One or more moves to counter your opponent’s threats or attacks.

White is simultaneously attacking black king and black knight on a5 with queen’s fork. There are two possibly defenses for black to block the check save the knight at the same time — Nc6 and [pawn to] c6. However black knight on c6 becomes pinned, so white can win him by putting more pressure with d5. So c6 is the best defense for black. White’s check is blocked, and the knight on a5 is protected by black queen.

Development

Development: The process of bringing your pieces into play in the opening to get ready for the middle game.

In this position white has developed all of their minor pieces and castled the king. Black has been moving their pawns and rooks. White has a big advantage now.

Discovered Attack

A chess tactic, when a piece moves to reveal an attack from previously hidden long range piece (i.e. bishop, rook or queen).

In this position 1.d5 attacks black knight on c6 and discovers the attack of b2-bishop on h8 rook. Black is losing one of the pieces.

Discovered Check

A special kind of discovered attack, when the hidden long range piece checks the king.

In this position, white plays 1. Rd4+, exposing the king to check from the bishop on d3 and attacking the black queen at the same time. Black must get their king out of check and white takes the queen next move. Note that 1. Re8+ would not work as black would simply respond 1…Qxd3 capturing the checking bishop.

Double Attack

Involves two different pieces of your own that simultaneously attack two different enemy pieces.

In this diagram Bb5+ would be a mistake for white. If black blocks with pawn to c6, two white pieces are attacked at the same time. One of them will be captured.

Double Check

A special kind of discovered attack/discovered check, when both pieces attack the opponent’s king at once. Double checks are super-powerful, because they cannot be stopped by capturing or blocking either piece.

In this position white sacrifices their queen to set up a mating attack with a double check on the next move. 1. Qxg7+! Kxg7 2. Nf5+! (2. Ne6+ is a double check as well, but it leads only to re-gaining the material). Kg8 (is the only move for black) 3. Nh6#

Doubled Pawns

Two pawns lined up one directly behind the other. Doubled pawns cannot protect one another and are therefore weak.

Draw

End of the game where neither side wins and neither side loses. See also “stalemate”.

This is a drawn position. Even if white has material advantage, they cannot possible checkmate with king and bishop. On the other hand black is ready to give up their bishop for white’s passed pawn ensuring a draw.

Dual Purpose Move

A move that accomplishes two or more different things.

In this position Black’s move 1… Nd6 has two goals: 1. It stops White threat of checkmate Qxf7. 2. It attacks white bishop on c4. Thus it is called a dual-purpose move.

En Passant

French term for a special capture move between two pawns. A pawn which on its first move advances two squares and passes an enemy pawn on an adjacent file that has advanced to its 5th rank, may be captured by that enemy pawn as if the first pawn had moved only one square. (Click here for an interactive illustration.)

Endgame

The final part of a game when both sides are down to kings and a few pawns, and maybe one or two pieces per side.

The diagram here is an example of a complicated endgame with few pieces. White is slightly down material wise, but has a good compensation in form of passed pawn on g6.

Equality

When neither white nor black has any material or positional advantage.

This is an equal position, Most likely this game ends up with a draw.

Exchange

A trade or swap of pieces. Bishop for bishop or knight for knight is considered a “swap”. Bishop for knight can also sometimes be called a “swap”.

White bishop on g5 is attacked by black pawn on h6. White has a choice: the bishop can retreat, or white can exchange it for black night on f6.

Exchange, The

Expressing the difference in piece value between a rook and your opponent’s bishop or knight. Gaining a rook for your own bishop or knight is called “winning the exchange”.

In this position black is an exchange up. After white plays Nxf6 black has the exchange for a pawn material advantage.

Fianchetto

Pronounced “fee-an-KETT-toe”.When you develop your bishops to b2, g2, b7, or g7. A necessary part of building a “house”.

File

A row of eight vertical squares.

Force

A general term for all your pieces and pawns.

White force consists of the king, the rook, the bishop, the knight and three pawns. Black force consist of the king, the queen and five pawns.

Forced

A move or series of moves you must play to avoid a bad game.

If white plays Re8+ black is forced to take it, leaving their queen unprotected.

Fork

Situation when a piece or pawn attacks two or more of your opponent’s pieces at the same time, but not along a rank, file, or diagonal.

General Principles

“words of wisdom” to serve a a guide in selecting a move. Such as in the opening: Activate your pieces, Be safe (castle), and Control the center.

Hanging

An unprotected piece or pawn, attacked by your opponent.

In this position black knight on f6 is hanging. However if white’s queen takes it, then white’s own bishop on d2 becomes hanging in turn.

House

The kingside formation of a centrally-developed knight, fianchetto’ed bishop, and castled king.

In Your Face Checkmate

A checkmate when the checkmating piece (usually a queen), supported by another piece is next to the opponent king.

In this position all 1-move checkmates Qf7# (supported by the white king), Qg7# (supported by the white bishop) and Rh8# are In Your Face checkmate.

Insufficient Mating Material

A type of draw, when neither side can ever checkmate the opponent. King vs King, King & Knight vs King, King & Bishop vs King, and even King & two Knights vs King are insufficient.

Interpose

(Also called “Block”.) Placing a usually lesser-valued piece in front of a more-valuable one to block its capture by your opponent. Typically used more than not to get your king out of check.

Isolated Pawn

A pawn with no friendly pawns next to it on adjoining files.

In this position white has an isolated pawn on a2, while black has two isolated pawns on a6 and c4.

Kingside

The e-h files. The right half of the board where the queens and the bishops, knights, and rooks next to them initially start. Compare to ‘queenside’.

Major Pieces

As in the Queen and Rooks. Also called Heavy Pieces.

Mate

Short for “Checkmate”.

Material

Any or all of your pieces and pawns, except the king.

Both sides have equal material, even if their forces are different. White has 5 (Rook) + 3 (Bishop) + 3 (Knight) + 3 ( 3 pawns) = 14 points worth of material. Black has 9 (Queen) + 5 ( 5 pawns) = 14 points worth of material.

Mating Attack

A series of moves made against your opponent with the specific goal of checkmating the king.

In this position black pieces invaded the holes around white king. Black is ready to checkmate with Qg2#, but white can start their own checkmating attack 1. Nf6+ (no matter what black does 1… gxf6 or 1… Kh8) 2. Qh7# mates.

Middlegame

The part of the game that comes after the Opening and before the endgame, where both sides seek advantage. Arrived at upon completion of development of back-row pieces

Minor Pieces

Name given to the bishops and knights.

Mobility

The freedom of movement that your pieces hopefully have.

Even though black is a whole bishop up their pieces are immobile: black king is tied to white’s protected passed pawn on h6, black bishop has only two squares to move between, all the black pawns are blocked. White can simply bring their king along the path from c5 to d6 to c7 and start mopping up the queenside pawns.

Occupation

Posting a piece or pawn on a square. Also used to describe temporary or permanent control of a file or rank, as in “two rooks occupying the 7th rank”.

Here, the White Rooks occupy the 7th raw (aka Pigs on the 7th)

Open File

A vertical row of 8 squares containing no pawns. Rooks typically should move to open files.

Opening

Known sequence of moves, usually published in a chess book. The Sicilian Scheveningen and The Colle’ are examples of openings.

Overloaded Piece

(Also known as “overworked”.) A piece that has two defensive tasks, therefore it cannot properly perform at least one of them.

It seems that black is going to win white knight on a4, since their rook is forking white queen and knight. But black’s queen is overloaded – it has to defend the rook and back rank at the same time. So white wins material after 1. Qxd4! If black re-takes 1…. Qxd4?? 2. Re8#

Passed Pawn

A pawn that has moved beyond capture by the other side’s pawns and has no other pawns in front of it.

Passive

A move that does nothing to fight for initiative; or, a position lacking activity.

In this position Ng5 is the most active move for white, while Nc3 or d3 are somehow active, h3 or a3 are not active/passive.

Pawn Center

Situation when the center is occupied by a player’s pawns.

In this position, White has a pawn center, while black is attacking on the queenside.

Pawn Chain

Two or more pawns of the same color linked together diagonally.

Perpetual Check

A special kind of Threefold Repetition Draw. It happens when one player keeps checking the other indefinitely.

In this position black king is in danger of unstoppable mate on a8. Black can force a draw by perpetual check by playing 1. …Qc1+ 2. Kh2 Qf4+ If white king goes to g1 or h1, black repeats the check Qe1+. If white plays 3. g3 then 3. … Qxf2+ 4. Kh1 Qf1+ with perpetual checks from f2 and f1.

Pigs on the Seventh

Two rooks acting together on the 7th rank. “Pigs on the 7th” typically gobble up all of your opponent’s pawns on that rank.

Pin

When a piece cannot move without exposing a higher-valued piece to immediate capture, that piece is said to be “pinned”.

Promotion

Making a new queen or other piece when a pawn reaches the 8th rank.

In this position both white and black ready to promote. Whoever starts easily wins by turning their passed pawn into a queen, then capturing the opponent’s pawn, whether or not it promotes.

Protected Passed Pawn

A passed pawn that is protected by a friendly pawn.

Queenside

The a-d files. The left half of the board where the queens and the bishops, knights, and rooks next to them initially start.

Rank

A row of eight horizontal squares.

Resigns

To give up the game and concede defeat before getting checkmated. Not to be confused with ‘forfeit’.

In this position white resigns, since 1… Ra1# is unstoppable, even if white promotes their g7 pawn to a queen.

Sacrifice

(May be abbreviated to and called “sac”.) To give up a piece or to exchange a piece for a lesser-valued opponent’s piece in order to gain a positional or tactical advantage.

In this position white sacrifices their queen 1. Qxh7+ ! The game is over after 1. … Kxh7 2. Rh1#

Scholar’s Mate

A very aggressive although speculative opening for white with an early queen and bishop attack on f7. If black blunders, the game ends on move 4, thus alternative name “4-move mate”. 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7# White can play this opening transposing moves 2 and 3.

Skewer

A tactic where you attack two of your opponent’s pieces at the same time along a rank, file, or diagonal, and the more-valuable piece is attacked first.

Stalemate

Position where a player “on move” is not in “check”, but also has no legal move. Such a game is considered to be a “draw”.

Starting Position

The initial starting position for the pieces and pawns at the beginning of a chess game. Notice the following important items:

* – White pieces are placed on rows 1 & 2; black pieces are placed on rows 7 & 8;
* – Each player’s right-hand corner square must be white;
* – The queens start on their own-colored squares. That is, the white queen starts on a white square, while the black queen starts on a black square;
* – Kings and queens face directly across from one another on their respective files.

In a tournament game, if it can be determined that the pieces were not set up in the correct starting position, the game can be canceled and a new game ordered, regardless of the current position on the board.

Symmetry

When you copy your opponent’s moves or they copy yours in the opening. That is, a position where both sides are arranged the same. Example as shown in the diagram: 1. Nf3 Nf6, 2. g3 g6, 3. Bg2 Bg7, 4. O-O O-O arrives at a symmetrical position. “Copycatting” usually doesn’t work, by the way, as your plans to copy everything your opponent does gets blown out of the water by the first check to your king!

Tactics

A sequence of moves that limits the opponent’s options and may result in sufficient gain. There are many kinds of tactics, see fork, pin, skewer, discovered attack, etc.

Tempo

(Latin for “time”.) Amount of relative time represented by a move. That is, you can open a game by moving your king pawn two squares and get to the e4 square in one move. Or you can spend two moves playing 1. e3, followed by 2. e4, and lose a tempo accomplishing the same thing.

Time Control

The amount of time you have on your clock to either complete your game or make a given number of moves. Exceeding the time control means you lose the game.

Trap

Provoking your opponent to make a really bad move that looks appealing for them often to capture material. See also Poisoned Pawn.

In this position, the seemingly good looking move Nd5 is a mistake for white. The knight is trapped in the middle of the board, and he is lost after pawn attack on c6.

Trapped Piece

A piece that is attacked (often by a less valuable piece) and has no safe place to retreat.

In this position white queen suddenly gets trapped after 1… Bd6. The only way for white to save the queen is a sacrifice 2.Bf7+ Kxf7 3. Qb5.

Underpromotion

Moving a pawn to the 8th rank and replacing it with a knight, bishop, or rook; instead of a queen.

You would want to do that in this position, under-promoting the pawn to a rook instead of a queen. If instead you chose a queen, black would have nowhere to move but wouldn’t be in check, and the game would be a stalemate, which is a draw.

Weakness

A square or pawn that is difficult or impossible to defend.

The dark squares around black king g7 and h6 are weak (aka holes). White has already placed their pawn on f6. The plan is to bring white queen to h6, after that the checkmate on g7 is unstoppable. The fastest maneuver is 1.Qd2/Qc1 followed by 2. Qh6.