1. Beginner Principles Flashcards
Rank?
File?
Rank is the horizontal row- think how highly ‘ranked’ an endgame pawn would be
File is the vertical column -
Insufficient Material
Can’t reach checkmate
- Includes K + B and K + N !
Stalemate
You’re not in check
But you can’t move.
Draw Agreement / 50 move rule
Players can reach a draw agreement at any time.
50 moves each without a capture is a draw.
Threefold
Repetition
Rule
If the exact same position is reached three times (with the same person to play again) it is a draw.
The weaker player can sometimes force a draw this way with a perpetual check. The opponent only has one move, and then can be forced back to the exact same position.
What is a Hanging piece?
An unprotected piece that can be freely captured
What is a trapped piece?
Examples
A piece that can’t move
For instance trapped by pawns and can’t escape.
Examples:
- King trapped in back rank checkmate
- opening bishop trapped by pawn net
What is a ‘pawn mate’?
Requires two pawns beside each other (attacking 4 squares on the same rank) with a king behind them.
What is a ‘back rank mate’?
After castling a king can sometimes be trapped behind his own pawns and checkmated.
The Uncastled King (or opening setup)
weakest square?
The f7 (f2) square. Before castling, only the king protects this square.
This weakness can be attacked and exploited.
Eg. a protected queen there can be checkmate!
The (kingside) castled King checkmate
weakness(es)
After castling kingside, the h7 (h2) square is only protected by the king.
-what about g7 (g2)?
What is an ‘Arabian mate’?
- King in the corner
- knight is two spaces diagonally out from the corner, attacking the square to the side of the king and the one below (or above)
- rook comes in and checks the king on one of those squares (protected by the knight), also checking the diagonal escape route.
What is a rook roller?
Rooks control two ranks (occasionally files) and push the king to the side for checkmate.
Endgame king?
Active king!
The king is now a very powerful piece!
Passed Pawns
What are they?
In chess, a passed pawn is a pawn with no opposing pawns to prevent it from advancing to the eighth rank; i.e. there are no opposing pawns in front of it on either the same file or adjacent files.
Protected Passed Pawns
How are they strong?
Two pawns chained, or protected cannot be both taken by the enemy king. The foremost is protected, and if the king captures the other, the foremost can move forward out of reach
Pawn Box
Describe
A Pawn Box is an imaginary box the pawn makes as it moves to promotion.
It is drawn from the pawn to the side and back of the board.
If the king can be within the pawn box (including being on the line) it will be able to capture the pawn either before, or as, the pawn is promoted
Three main opening principles?
- Develop pieces (minor pieces)
- Control the centre
- Protect the king (castle)
Development principle
Develop all pieces before moving pieces further.
Strongest five first moves for white:
- e4
- d4
- c4
- Nf3
- g3
Strongest first moves for white:
1st strongest (and why)
- e4 ‘King’s Pawn Openings’
- central control
- bishop and queen both able to develop (Q diagonally)
Strongest first moves for white:
2nd strongest (and why)
- d4 ‘Queen’s Pawn Openings’
- central control,
- bishop and queen able to develop (Q not diagonally, but up the partially open ‘d’ file)
Strongest first moves for white:
3rd strongest (and why)
- c4 - ‘English Openings’
- advancing the Queenside pawns,
- the queen can come out diagonally,
- doesn’t block Nc3
Strongest first moves for white:
4th strongest (and why)
- Nf3 ‘Knight f3 Openings’
- develops a piece immediately
- controls the centre,
- doesn’t block the Queenside pawns.
- can often be followed by d4
(aka ‘Zukertort Opening’ often leading to transpositions of d4 openings, or to the Kings Indian Attack)
Strongest first moves for white:
5th strongest (and why)
1.g3 - prepares to fianchetto the kingside bishop, which also protects the (kingside) castled king
What is a ‘race position’?
When players have castled in different directions, both players will try to move forward and attack the enemy king as fast as possible.
Whoever breaks through first (pawns?) will usually win.
Pawn capture principle when two different pawns can capture
Capture ‘towards the centre’
Otherwise they’re moving away from the central action.
Rook development
Occupy central files, even if they’re not open.
What is the ‘fried liver attack’?
King’s Knight and King’s Bishop both attacking the weak f7 (f2) square,
- taking the pawn for free
- threatening knight fork against queen and rook
- forcing the king to move
- further threatening knight fork against king and rook.
ie. winning a pawn. and then a rook for free!
Very aggressive play!
(Continuation of 1.e4, 2.Nf3, 3.Bc4 - followed by the aggressive 4.Ng5)
Queen opening principle
Don’t move the queen till all the minor pieces are developed (knights and bishops,) and the king has castled.
If the opponent brings their Queen out early, how should you respond?
Look for opportunities to push the queen around and develop pieces at the same time.
- the queen is weak because she can’t be defended. (Any ‘defended’ queen is just an opportunity for a favourable trade so she can be easily pushed around.)
If the opponent doesn’t castle early, how should you respond?
Be active and aggressive, create lots of threats and pins against their king.
If you win a material advantage,
how should you respond?
Trade off pieces and get into the end game where the material advantage is much more significant.
(Equal trades of course, by points.)
Castling
- when kingside, and why
- when queenside, and why
Kingside: used in most openings. Because the queen doesn’t need to be developed first.
Queenside: specifically when you want to attack their kingside because you can now move your kingside pawns forward
Winning with the new Queen
- what’s the checkmate pattern for
K and Q vs K ?
- Queen makes a box
- Queen squeezes the box smaller by always staying a knight’s jump away and copying the King’s move exactly
-bring up your king as the opponent’s king moves back and forth. Once your King gets close enough to protect her, put your Queen 1 square diagonally out from the corner and it’s always #!
K and Q vs. K
- what to be careful of?
- when the King hits the corner, STOP! and do not create a stalemate!
