Audio Pronunciation Key

Wouldn’t it be great if you could click on a chess term or chessplayer’s name and be able to hear the correct pronunciation?

 I don’t know about anyone else, but I know I’ve be embarrassed enough not to say some particular names or chess terms in the company of knowledgeable chess people because I was certain I would botch it up.

 One time, when in a chess venue, I was absolutely shocked when I overheard people talking about the Ruy Lopez. I wasn’t shock over the opinions or theory but how “Ruy” was pronounced.

 It was a long time before I heard the correct way to say Alekhine.  And believe it of not, Kasparov. I seemed to have a knack for putting the accent on the wrong syllable when pronouncing it without previously hearing it.

 I have no idea how to say Chiburdanidze.

 I believe the list of  names of famous chessplayer’s throughout history and  and current Grandmasters is a difficult one get through verbally.

 Then of course there is the dreaded chess terms.Not as difficult as Player’s names  but could be tricky  are words such as:

Fianchetto

En passant

En prise

Isolani

J'adoube

Zugzwang

I’m sure there are more.

Am I the only person who mangles these names?

Good idea. Hopefully someone will know how to say those words

I have little patience for people who are overly scrupulous about these pronunciation issues. And I say this as someone who is overly scrupulous in very, very,very many other areas regarding punctuation, grammar, spelling (for God's sake, get your LOSE and LOOSE correct, people).

For me, I will always be a PAT-zer, not a POT-zer; I will studiously avoid playing the Pir(k) Defense rather than the PEER-ts; and until my dying day ol' Alexander will have to be AL-ek-hine rather than his own preferred al-YEH-kheen (and please don't get us going on the YEH vs YOH debate...).

Maybe this makes me a bad person or a terrible chessplayer or a poseur who will never really appreciate the art of the game. But if I ever happen to sit down across from Maia Chiburdanidze, I will graciously say "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," and give her the best challenge I can muster.

greta I think that is an excellent idea, have you suggested it to Chess.com?

     We all know by now that fianchetto is an Italian word. However, if in America, one says "fian-SHET-to it is OK; because, the first rule worldwide of cross-border communication is "In Rome, do as the Romans do!" -- there fore in America, do as the Americans do!