Chess Insight

written by 10420 Lee Seungho

What do you know about chess? Chess is a two-player board game similar to janggi. A few years ago, there were a few people interested in chess in Korea since not many people were not familiar with it. Now, the number of chess players is increasing, and more chess leagues are in Korea.

Fundamentals 

Played on a black and white checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid, two players representing white pieces or black pieces try to out-think each other in a game of wits. In the beginning, each player has sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks and eight pawns. 

The objective is to create a checkmate by putting the opponent’s king in a location where it cannot escape. If you checkmate the king, you win the game. 

Players create strategies and capture the opponent’s pieces to make a checkmate situation. It is essential to exchange a lower-valued piece for a higher-valued one. The king’s value is unlimited because you are defeated once your king is captured. 

How to Move Chess Pieces

Each piece has a different way to move, so you need to know how to move them in a chess match. The king can move one square in any direction. The most powerful is the queen since she can go in any direction. Bishops can only go diagonally. Knights move by forming the shape of an L. While moving, the knight can jump over pieces to reach its destination. Rooks can move in crossed shaped areas. Pawns can only go one square forward after the initial movement. 

In most situations, a pawn has a one-point value. The knights and bishops are worth three-points. The rook is five-points. The highest chess piece beside the king is the queen, who is worth nine-points. You have to watch out for your queen since your opponent wants to capture your queen at any cost.

Special Rules

There are some special rules in chess. It makes a chess game more spectacle and unpredictable. A good chess player has to use these rules for his benefit.

Castling is used only one time in every game. Castling is when each king can make a particular move. Castling consists of moving the king two-squares along the first rank toward a rook and then placing the rook on the last square that the king just crossed.

En passant is when an opponent’s pawn makes a two-step advance from its starting position. The pawn next to it can capture it by just advancing one-step forward.

Promotion is when a pawn advances to the eighth rank. This pawn is then exchanged with another piece. Most players choose the queen as a replacement.

Ruy Lopez Opening 

There are some tactical opening systems in chess. At the beginning of a game, most players move their pieces following the great chess masters’ opening moves. However, there are uncountable certified ways. 

The Ruy Lopez way is to move your pawn from e2 to e4. Then move your knight from g1 to Nf3. The third move is to move your bishop diagonally to Bb5. Step four is to move your bishop from Bb5 to Ba4. For more information about the Ruy Lopez strategy, you can look at Chess Strategy Online. It is easy to follow and useful for beginners. 

If you keep some of these instructions in mind, then you will be on your way to be a good chess player. Chess is an exciting and strategic board game. How about playing chess with your family or friends this week?