Chess is a tactical board game first derived thousands of years ago continued through the middle ages and in to the present day. A Chess board is a board of sixty four squares with thirty two black or darker colored squares and thirty two white or lighter colored squares. The Chess player with the white or lighter colored squares begins the game first by moving a Chess piece first and is on the “offense.” The Chess player with the black or darker colored squares begins the game second by moving a Chess piece second and is on the “defense.” The Chess players with the highest rank in Chess are known as “Grand Masters” or simply “GM.” The Chess board is laid out in an eight by eight colored grid with the alphabetical letters from left to right on both the top and bottom of the Chess Board “A, B, C, D, E, f, G, and H” across the x-axis, while the numbers from bottom to top on both sides of the Chess Board, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8” across the y-axis of the Chess board. Some Chessboards, may not have any algebraic characters notated on the Chessboard at all. Chess boards can come in a variety of manufactured or design sizes and specifications. Some Chess boards can be manufactured in a wood type material such as cherry wood or mahogany. While more expensive Chess boards can be designed in marble or rare metals such as gold and silver or even rare gemstones such as emerald and diamond. A chess piece can be equally worthy in monetary value as the Chessboard itself. The far end of the Chess board spectrum can be anything from cheaply design plastic material for the Chess board and Chess pieces or as rare as a well designed Chess board made out of glass or multicolored glass.
Chess has been played by the every day servants and commoners during the feudal ages up to kings and prime minister’s during the early renaissance era. Each player of Chess is given six types of movable pieces, King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, Pawn. Each movable Chess piece is allowed to be moved across the Chess board in a select number of squares and moves, and is allowed to be played in any strategic way the Chess player can think of, in order to win the game. Each player of a Chess game is given, one King, one Queen, two Rooks, two Bishops, two Knights, and eight Pawns.
These Chess pieces are given specific values that do not necessarily have anything to do with winning an actual match of a game of Chess, but rather are given valuations for statistical purposes. Pawns, have a value of one, and though have the lowest value of any Chess piece, are not to be taken for granted, as Pawns can be extremely dangerous under the guidance of a well versed Chess player. Knights and Bishops, have a value of three, and are considered “Minor Chess Pieces.” Along with Pawns, these “Minor Chess Pieces” are usually played or moved first, also known as “Developing” before the higher valued Chess pieces. The higher value Chess pieces are the Rook and Queen. These two types of Chess pieces are known as the “Major Chess Pieces.” The Rook has a valuation of five, while the Queen has a value of nine. Rooks are usually are vary rarely developed and are instead, played with the King to protect him. The King is the only Chess piece that is not given a value since it cannot be captured by another Chess piece. Some computer programs will give the King some randomly high number or will simply assign the King as “undefined.” By moving a Chess piece onto an opponents square you “capture” the Chess piece that occupied that square.
Even though Chess pieces have a limited number of moves available to them, they are allowed to be played in any strategic way as the Chess player can think of and imagine. The typical Chess match by both players is to initially take control of the four central squares in the middle of the Chess board and then to “Check” and “CheckMate” which means one Chess player is preventing the other Chess player from moving their own King. Various tactics include anything from an early game “Pawn Rush,” to something more tactical such as a late game development of the Major Chess Pieces. Some chess players may choose to use their Pawns sparingly as whenever a Pawn reaches the last rank of the Chess board they are usually promoted to either a Queen or another Major or Minor Chess piece. Usually though Pawns very rarely reach the last rank or square on the opposite side of the Chess board, and when they do, the game would be already almost over anyways. Avoiding the sides of the Chess board especially with Minor and Major Chess pieces is a sometimes a good practice. Usually the best method for proper Chess piece development is to control the four central squares of the middle of the Chess board. Similarly to taking over the middle of a city in real life war or taking over the middle of the map in a real time strategy game, taking control of the center should be one of the top priorities of any Chess player. Control the center and you control the board. Remember proper development and a higher global rank involves both time, patience, and dedication. A Chess player needs to have a patience dedication of time in order to properly study and learn of both the basic and advanced methods of Chess piece development and proper board control.
Discussion Topic: Chess Tactics: Chess Piece Moves and Values
