Chess Terminology: The Ultimate Guide
Hello readers, and welcome to the ultimate guide for chess terms for beginner to advanced players! Ever wondered what a certain word meant or wanted to learn something new but didn't want to look it up and read a lengthy article about history and implications and blah blah blah? Well this list I have compiled contains quick, concise definitions for chess terms. It is sorted into alphabetical order and I have also included a chess titles section below. Let's get defining!
I strive to make these definitions as complete and accurate as possible. If you have any questions, want to suggest a word be added, or point out a correction, put it in the comments and I will make changes as soon as possible.
A
Active- When a piece can move to many squares and is able to involve itself in the game.
Alekhine's Gun- A powerful battery (see "battery" below) that consists of two rooks in front of a queen on a rank or file.
Attack- To take aggressive action against the enemy.
B
Backwards Pawn- A pawn that has protection from no other pawns because they either have overtaken the backwards pawn or no longer exist.
Bad Bishop- When a bishop's movement is restricted by its own pawns.
Battery- A setup of similar moving pieces (e.g. bishop and queen, rook and rook) aligned on the same rank/file/diagonal (see "rank" "file" or "diagonal" below)
Bishop- A minor piece (see "minor piece" below) that moves diagonally as many squares as desired and is worth 3 material points.
Bishop Pair- A powerful pair where both bishops are placed next to each other on open diagonals.
Block- Using a piece to restrict another from advancing.
Blockade- Placing a piece directly in front of a pawn to prevent its advance.
Boden's Mate- A checkmate pattern with two bishops in which a castled king is trapped by one and checkmated by the other.
Blunder- A mistake that leads to a positional or material loss.
C
Castle- [For "castle" the piece, see "Rook (informally "castle") below] A special move involving the king and one of the rooks, moving the king two squares towards the rook and placing the rook on the other side of the king.
Check- When a piece directly threatens the opponent's king, forcing it to move.
Checkmate- When the king is trapped and in check with no legal move to escape, leads to a victory for the attacking player.
Closed Game- A position in where most pawns are fixed and cannot move, which in turn restricts other piece movement.
Combination- A sequence of sacrifices or tactics played to achieve a specific tactical or positional goal.
Counterattack- An attack launched in response to an attack.
D
Decoy- Sacrifice to lure the opponent's piece to move to a less favorable square, often to allow an attack.
Deflection- Forcing a piece away from the square it defends, usually with a sacrifice, often leading to the capture of that square.
Desperado- A move in which a lost (trapped and about to be captured) piece captures another piece to reduce or eliminate material loss.
Develop- To move a piece from its starting square.
Defense- To deflect or prevent attacks.
Destroy- To take, to capture
Diagonal- A line of squares running at a slant across the board; this is what bishops move on.
Discovered Attack- When a piece moves to reveal an attack on an opponent's piece.
Discovered Check- When a piece moves to reveal a check from another piece behind it.
Distract- Making forcing moves or sacrificing to divert the attention of a piece.
Double Attack- Attacking two pieces with one move, similar to a fork.
Double Check- A check that occurs from two different pieces with both simultaneously checking the king, forcing it to move.
Doubled Pawns- A situation where two pawns are lined up directly vertical from each other, resulting from a capture.
Draw- When the game ends evenly.
Draw by Stalemate- A draw when a player has no legal moves on his/her turn but is not in check. (also known as/defined as stalemate)
Draw by Insufficient Material- A draw when neither player has enough material to win.
Draw by Timeout Vs. Insufficient Material- A draw when a player loses on time but his opponent does not have sufficient material to win.
Draw by Repetition- A draw that occurs after the exact same position is repeated three times in a row (also known as/defined as repetition).
Draw by Agreement- A draw when both players agree to end the game in a draw.
Draw by Fifty-Move Rule- A draw that occurs when fifty moves are played without a pawn move or capture.
E
Endgame: The final phase of the game.
En Passant- A special move in which a pawn captures a pawn on a file next to it, this is allowed if the captured pawn moves two squares on its first move and ends up directly next to the capturing pawn; it can only be played the very next move.
En Prise- (More French??) When an opponent can capture a piece with material gain.
Exchange Sacrifice- When a player sacrifices a rook for a bishop or knight.
Exchange- Even Exchange- Also known as trade, when two pieces of equal value are captured by both sides.
Uneven Exchange- When a piece of greater value is captured in exchange for a piece of lesser value or vice-versa.
F
Fianchetto- To place a bishop on the second rank, diagonal from the rook after moving the corresponding pawn; this is a very active diagonal.
Fifty Move Rule-A rule stating that the game can be declared a draw if 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without a pawn move or a capture.
File- A vertical line of squares on the chess board.
Forced: A sequence of moves where a player has no reasonable alternative to avoid a worse outcome.
Fork- A type of double attack in which a piece (typically a pawn or knight) attacks two or more pieces at once.
Fortress- A piece configuration, most commonly used to salvage losing endgames, that prevents the opponent from making progress.
G
Gambit- A specific move/set of moves, normally involving sacrifices, executed to win material.
Greek Gift- When a bishop is sacrificed to a castled king, but when captured the king is exposed, allowing for attacks on the king.
H
Hanging/hung- To give a piece free, to blunder.
Hypermodern Chess- The chess principle that the center can be occupied indirectly as opposed to having pieces in the center itself.
I
Insufficient Material- A draw in which neither player has enough material to win the game.
Interference- When a piece is placed between an enemy piece and its defender, making the enemy piece lose its protection.
Isolated Pawn- A pawn with no other nearby pawns protecting it.
Isolated Doubled Pawns- Two isolated pawns in a row, with the first one blocking the second.
K
Knight- A minor piece (see "minor piece" below) that can move three squares vertically or horizontally and then one square perpendicularly. It is the only piece that can jump over other pieces. It is worth three material points
Kick- To attack a piece and force it to move away
King- The most important piece that can move one square in all directions, when the king is in checkmate (see "checkmate" above) the attacker wins.
King Hunt- A situation in which multiple pieces “chase” the enemy king in hopes of checkmating.
L
Long Castle- Also known as castling queenside, the king castles with the queen's rook.
Lose Tempo- When a player needs to respond to a threat, therefore prolonging the development process and delaying piece movement (See "Tempo" below).
M
Major Piece- An important, higher valued piece, such as a queen or rook.
Middlegame- The middle phase of the game where most pieces are developed and both sides prepare and execute attacks.
Minor piece- A piece worth three material points, i.e. a bishop or knight.
O
Opening-The initial game phase, both players begin development and early attacks.
Open Game- When most central pawns are off of the board, allowing pieces (and attacks) to move more freely.
Opposition-A situation when two kings face each other being one square or an odd number of squares apart, restricting the other's movement.
Outpost- A square, typically on the 4th, 5th, or 7th ranks where one side can plant a piece that is not easy to dislodge.
Overloading- When a piece is given multiple pieces to defend and cannot defend them all properly (i.e. if a pawn is protecting two pieces and one is captured then it recaptures and now the second piece is defenseless).
P
Passed Pawn- A pawn that is unable to be captured or blocked by any other pawn, making it a candidate for promotion.
Pawn- A chess piece that moves straight along a file (see "file" above). On its first move, a pawn has the option to move two squares along its file. A Pawn captures pieces that are one square ahead on neighboring files (diagonally up one square) and (after its first move) moves one square up along its file. Pawns cannot travel in reverse. When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it can be promoted into any piece except a king (see "Pawn Promotion" below). Pawns also have a special move called En Passant (see "En Passant" above). Pawns are worth one material point.
Pawn Chain-A connected series of pawns on adjacent files, often controlling important squares and restricting piece movement.
Pawn Promotion- When a pawn promotes to another piece (excluding a king); this occurs when it reaches the other side of the board.
Pawn Storm- Advancing many pawns that protect each other in rapid succession.
Pawn Structure- A line or formation of pawns with each one protecting the one in front of it.
Pawn Majority- When a player has more pawns on one part of the board than their opponent; determining a pawn majority can be helpful in predicting who will win the endgame.
Perpetual Check- A drawing tactic in which an opponent repeatedly checks an opponent with few escape squares, leading the king to move back and forth and thus leading to threefold repetition.
Poisoned Pawn- A supposedly free pawn that, when captured, leads to material/positional loss for the attacker.
Pin- The opposite of a skewer, when a lower-valued piece is attacked but cannot move or a higher valued piece behind it will be captured.
Prophylaxis- A concept where if a player sees the threat that an opponent is trying to make he prevents it before it is played.
Q
Queen- The most powerful piece on the board. The queen moves (as many squares as desired) along a diagonal (see "diagonal" above) or along a rank or file (see "rank" or "file" above). The queen is worth nine material points.
Queen Sacrifice- A type of sacrifice (see “sacrifice” below) that gives a queen, leading to losses if captured.
R
Rook (informally "castle")- A major piece (see "major piece" above) that can move as many squares as desired along a rank or file (see "rank" below and "file" above). A rook is worth five material points.
Rank- A horizontal row on the chessboard
Removing The Defender- When a player executes an exchange that removes the defender of a square, allowing for the capture of that square and usually material gain.
S
Sacrifice- When a piece is offered "free" or in exchange for one of lesser value; this is executed with the aim to regain equal or greater value as a result of the enemy's capture of the offered piece.
Scholar's Mate- A four-move checkmate on the f7 square by a queen and bishop.
Semi-Open Game- A position where some pawns are off the board but the position is not open (see "open" above) yet.
Skewer- A move where a powerful piece is attacked with a less powerful piece behind it, forcing it to move and facilitating the capture of the lesser-valued piece.
Smothered Mate- A checkmate when the king is surrounded by its own pieces with no legal squares to move to.
Stalemate- A situation in which the player whose turn it is has no legal moves, but their king is not in check. The game ends in a draw.
T
Tempo- The time it takes for a player to move a piece or progress a position (see "Lose Tempo").
Trapped piece- A piece that has no legal escape squares, allowing its capture.
Triangulation- A situation where a king moves in a right triangle across four squares, forcing the opponent to move out of the way of that king's passed pawn.
U
Umbrella Method- A tactic ij which a king uses the opponent's pawn to shield itself.
Underpromote- To promote a pawn to a piece other than a queen, normally to gain more material or checkmate, but sometimes to decrease chances of capture.
W
Windmill- A devastating and powerful tactical sequence where a piece (usually a rook or queen) repeatedly gives check, forcing the opponent's king (typically with few escape squares) to move back and forth along a rank or file, usually by the means of a discovered check (In which the checking piece moves to capture but cannot be recaptured because it simultaneously reveals a check) allowing the attacking player to capture multiple unprotected pieces along the way.
Z
Zwischenzug- German for "in-between move", in which a player, instead of playing the expected move (often a recapture), plays another move that forces the opponent to respond, often winning material, and then proceeds to play the initially expected move; leading to more material gains.
Zugzwang- Where if a player makes any move it would lead to an advantage for the opponent.
Chess Titles
Here is a list of the official chess titles awarded by FIDE (the International Chess Federation) and some national federations:
FIDE Titles (Open):
GM: Grandmaster (highest title)- Rating of at least 2500, 3 GM norms
IM: International Master- Rating of at least 2500 and 3 IM norms
FM: FIDE Master- Rating of at least 2300
CM: Candidate Master- Rating of at least 2200
FIDE Titles (Women Only):
WGM: Woman Grandmaster- ELO of at least 2300 and 3 WGM norms
WIM: Woman International Master- ELO of at least 2200 and 3 WIM norms
WFM: Woman FIDE Master- ELO of at least of 1900
WCM: Woman Candidate Master- ELO of at least 1800
FIDE Arena Titles (for online chess):
AGM: Arena Grandmaster- Performance rating of 2000 or higher, maintained for 50 rapid, 100 blitz, or 150 bullet games.
AIM: Arena International Master- Performance rating of 1700 or higher, maintained for 50 rapid, 100 blitz, or 150 bullet games.
AFM: Arena FIDE Master- Performance rating of at least 1400, maintained for 50 rapid, 100 blitz, or 150 bullet games.
ACM: Arena Candidate Master- Requires a performance rating of at least 1100, maintained for 50 rapid, 100 blitz, or 150 bullet games.
National Titles
NM: National Master- awarded by many national federations like US Chess and the English Chess Federation, with varying rating requirements
Senior Master: US Chess Federation, rating of 2400 and norms
Life Master: US Chess Federation, rating of 2300
Expert: US Chess Federation, rating 2000-2199
Regional Master: English Chess Federation, rating of 2100 ECF
Country Master: English Chess Federation, rating of 2000 ECF
Club Master: English Chess Federation, rating of 1800 ECF
Team Master: English Chess Federation, rating of 1600 ECF
Chess Maestro: English Chess Federation, rating of 1400 ECF
Master: Chess Federation of Canada, rating of 2200 and norms
If you've made it this far, I hope you've learned something new about chess. Thank you for reading and have a great rest of your day!
