Chess

LET'S
PLAY
CHESS
Chess, a board game of strategic skill for
two players, played on a checkered board.
Each player begins the game with sixteen
pieces that are moved and used to capture
opposing pieces according to precise rules.
The object is to put the opponent's king
under a direct attack from which escape is
impossible ( checkmate ).
HISTORY
Chess originated from the two-player Indian war game, Chatarung,

which dates back to 600 A.D. In 1000 A.D, chess spread to Europe
by Persian traders. The piece next to the king was called a ferz in
Persian, defined as a male counselor to the king. The Europeans
concocted a more romantic imagery, and changed the ferz to a
queen.
The game spread throughout
Asia and Europe over the
coming centuries, and
eventually evolved into what
we know as chess around the
16th century. One of the first
masters of the game was a
Spanish priest named Ruy
Lopez. Although he didn't
invent the opening named after
him, he analyzed it in a book
he published in 1561. Chess
theory was so primitive back
then that Lopez advocated the
strategy of playing with the
sun in your opponent's eyes!
Paul Morphy, born in 1837 in New
Orleans is hailed as the first
American chess legend. After
winning the 1857 American Chess
Congress, Morphy accepted an
invitation to Europe to take on
the best players in England,
France, and Germany. He crushed
Adolph Anderssen, who was
considered to be Europes leading
player. .
The first U.S Championship was held in 1845, and the
first women championship was held in 1937. The
National Chess Federation, which promoted many of
these tournaments, later became the USCF, officially
founded in 1939.
FACTS
about Chess
Initially, the Queen could only move
one square at a time, diagonally.
Later, she could move two squares
at a time, diagonally. It wasn’t until
Reconquista Spain, with its powerful
queen Isabella, that the Queen
became the strongest piece on the
board.
The word "Checkmate" in Chess comes from the
Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means"the King
is dead."
The folding chessboard was
invented by a priest who was
forbidden to play chess. The priest
found a way around it by making a
folding chessboard. When folded
together and put ona bookshelf, it
simply lookslike two books.
EQUIPMENTS
CHESS SET
The set includes the board plus all other pieces
(pawns, bishops, rooks, knights, the king, and the
queen). Chess sets are aesthetically attractive and
sleekly designed. The color and sizes of pieces are
precisely chosen to match and contrast with the
board’s squares. Chess sets come in special travel
versions, which are perfect for use during train,
plane, or car trips.
These sets usually have pegged or magnetic pieces
and a separate section or pocket to store the
remaining pieces. For people who want to add a “fun
touch” to their gaming experience, they can opt for
themed sets, which have special motifs and
designed armies that can battle each other. These
pieces are custom-made.
CHESS BOARD
On the chessboard, the squares are 1.25 inches, and the size of the
king’s base is 1.3 inches (approx. 65mm). Squares with a size of 57mm
are usually ideal for pieces in this age range. The darker squares on the
chessboard can vary from black to dark green, or brown the lighter
colored squares can either be white or off-white in color.
Although most chessboards have standard white and black squares, you can
also find special ones made from black and red squares. Though this looks
attractive, most players have said that these colors tend to strain eyes during a
play. For tournaments, special chess boards are made, which means they are
built right into gaming tables.
CHESS TABLE
For tournaments, the size of the table must have a minimum
length twice that of an actual chessboard, and the width
should be 15 to 20 centimeters more than that of a
chessboard. For FIDE tournaments, players must use a table
that is 120 by 80 centimeters. For both players, the height of
the table and chair has to be comfortable. It is necessary that
chairs and tables do not make any noise while players play.
CHESS PIECES
In 1849, the first-ever original pieces created were referred to as
“Staunton chess pieces.” They are still the standard ones used in all
matches and may be made out of plastic or wooden materials. They are
usually white or black. Sometimes, you will find them in other colors, like
dark wood or red.
Even though colors may vary, players still refer to them as “black” or
“white.” On a standard chessboard, the king must be 85 to 105
millimeters tall (this is about 3.35 to 4.13 inches). The diameter of the
king has to be approximately 50% of its actual height. All other pieces
need to be proportional to the king. This means pieces have to be well-
balanced for height, width, and shape.

CHESS CLOCKS
In chess games where players use time control, adjacent game
clocks (consisting of two buttons) may be used. One button
stops the clock and the other starts the timer. These buttons
prevent the clocks from simultaneously running. The clocks
can either be digital or analog.
Before the game starts, the arbiter has to decide which kind
should be used for the game. Historically, the first-ever clocks
used to record game time in a chess tournament were back in
the early 19th century. In that era, hourglasses with sand were
common clocks, keeping track of the time spent to finish the
game. Each player had separate hourglasses to track time.
They were eventually replaced by connecting two analog
clocks. The time on one player’s clock starts ticking as soon as
the other one makes a move and punches the clock.

TRAVEL CHESS BAG

Travel chess bag, which makes it a lot
easier to carry your board, clock, pieces,
and other equipment.
SCORE SHEETS
To record your chess moves, it is important to keep a score
sheet, especially in tournaments and matches. Usually, these
are distributed to players at the start of every round. However,
most players prefer to record their individual scores in
scorebooks.
BASIC SKILLS
VISUALIZATION
Avisualization is the ability to see in your mind the
positions reached when certain moves are made –
without making them on the board – and seeing them
so clearly you can accurately consider the
implications of each new position. Imagine how it
must be to visualize any combination of moves in your
mind and being able to “see” the outcome of it.
The skill to visualize moves long before they actually
appear on the board gives you a serious advantage
over any opponent who can’t do it. VISUALWIZE is a
revolutionary visualization training software that can
dramatically improve your visualization skill in a
matter of weeks.
CALCULATION
Calculation refers to your ability to calculate the consequences
of your opponent’s move, as well as the consequences of your
intended move.
A well-developed calculation skill can have a big positive impact
on your confidence. It is humanly impossible to calculate all the
moves in every position – you will quickly become fatigued and
start making blunders due to oversights. This means you need an
effective and efficient method to help you calculate the right
moves.
TACTICS
A chess tactic is a move (or a forced combination of
moves) whereby you achieve an objective. Such
objectives mostly refer to winning material or giving
checkmate, but can also refer to strategic objectives, ie.
using a tactic to secure a good square for your piece.
Many players train tactics by simply trying to solve
hundreds of chess tactics puzzles. This is not the best
way to improve your chess tactics skill. On this site you
will find the tools and methods to really make a big
difference in your results.

EVALUATION
Evaluation refers to your ability to tell who has a better position
and to specify which aspects of the position favors you, which
aspect favours your opponent, and make a call to say which side
has favourable winning chances, drawing chances, or whether
the position is dynamic (evaluation can easily change) or
unbalanced (factors are difficult to compare) or unclear (difficult
to say – things appear messy).
STRATEGY
So what is the plan? That is what strategy is all about. Bobby
Fischer said “tactics flow from a superior position.” If you
cannot reach superior positions you won’t get the
opportunity to demonstrate your tactical powers! The
purpose of your strategy is to achieve a superior position.
How often in your chess games do you reach the point where
you feel: “Now I am not sure what I should do next”? The plan
you finally decide on, reflect the level of your positional
understanding. Thus the first step in deciding on your chess
strategy, is to evaluate the position and find a suitable plan
based on your understanding of the relevant elements in the
position.

OPENINGS
All serious chess players have their favorite openings which they know in-
depth. That said, you have probably heard many times that beginner or
amateur players shouldn’t spend much time memorizing opening
variations and that you should just apply the opening principles. This is
only partly true, because even though you can do fairly well by applying
the basic strategic principles to your opening moves, you will get
significant benefit from knowing a few good openings. A good start to the
game will have a huge impact on your overall performance.
ENDGAMES
The endgame starts when most of the

pieces has been exchanged and it is safe
for the kings to join the action. The
endgame is very different to the opening
and middle-game mainly because the issue
of king-safety totally changes, pawns
increase in value, weaknesses in the pawn-
structure become much more vulnerable.
BENEFITS
Improves cognitive skills (including concentration, pattern recognition,
decision making, algebraic and geometric thinking, problem-solving, spatial
reasoning, and critical thinking)
Improves self-confidence and self-worth
Increases attention span
Increases memory capacity
Encourages understanding of choice and consequences for problem-
solving…helps students realize that they are responsible for their actions and
must accept the consequences of those actions
Offers a logical pattern and critical-thinking system
Provides competition, fostering interest and promoting mental alertness
Offers a variety of quality analytical problems from which to choose
Teaches good sportsmanship
Improves communication through written and oral presentation skills
Creates a learning environment organized around games, which is one of the
most motivational tools in a teacher’s repertoire to encourage problem-
solving and spend time quietly immersed in logical thinking.

Thank you
for playing!

Chess

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LET'S

Chess originated from the two-player Indian war game, Chatarung,

TRAVEL CHESS BAG

The endgame starts when most of the

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