Table Of ContentTHE ENDORSED BY THE
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U.S. CHESS FEDERATION
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strategies behind H
this popular game! E
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If you’re looking to learn about the game The Everything® Chess Basics Book also
S CHESS BASICS®
of chess—and win—The Everything® Chess features information on:
Basics Book provides you with the perfect
• Notation, scoring, and timing
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introduction. Endorsed by the United States
• Basic strategy—focusing on king safety
Chess Federation and coauthored by Peter
• Special moves, such as castling A
Kurzdorfer, editor of Chess Life magazine, The
Everything® Chess Basics Book is an authoritative • Threats, including convergence
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guide that will improve your skill level.
• How to plan ahead by controlling
From understanding the chess pieces to the center I BOOK
learning the basic moves to forming a winning
• Chess ethics and sportsmanship C
strategy, The Everything® Chess Basics Book teaches
Packed with hundreds of clear diagrams, The
readers all they need to know to sharpen their
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Everything® Chess Basics Book will have you
skills and pick up a few advanced techniques
declaring “Checkmate!” in no time.
and tricks along the way.
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ENDORSED BY THE
The United States Chess Federation (USCF) is U.S. CHESS FEDERATION O
the official governing body for chess in the United
States. It is a not-for-profit organization dedicated
to its 95,000 members.
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Peter Kurzdorfer is the editor of both Chess Life and
School Mates magazines. Mr. Kurzdorfer gained his
Master rating in 1981 and earned the Original Life THE K
Master title in 1991. He began teaching chess in the The rules, the moves, and the strategies—
early 1980s and served as Resident Chess Master in
Bradford, PA, throughout most of the 1990s. He lives
in Franklinville, NY. all you need to know to play the game
CHESS BASICS®
Illustrations by Barry Littmann
$15.95 (CAN $17.99) Games
ISBN-13: 978-1-58062-586-9 K
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ISBN-10: 1-58062-586-X BOOK RU
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DOCF U. S. Chess Federation & Peter Kurzdorfer
R &
www.everything.com FER Editor of Chess Life magazine
586-X pp000i-xii.qxd 9/2/2010 11:12 AM Page i
The
Chess Basics Book
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586-X pp000i-xii.qxd 9/2/2010 11:12 AM Page ii
The Series
®
Editorial
Publishing Director Gary M. Krebs
Managing Editor Kate McBride
Copy Chief Laura MacLaughlin
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Development Editor Lesley Bolton
Production Editor Khrysti Nazzaro
Production
Production Director Susan Beale
Production Manager Michelle Roy Kelly
Series Designers Daria Perreault
Colleen Cunningham
Cover Design Paul Beatrice
Frank Rivera
Layout and Graphics Colleen Cunningham
Rachael Eiben
Michelle Roy Kelly
Daria Perreault
Erin Ring
Series Cover Artist Barry Littmann
Interior Art provided by the U.S. Chess Federation
Visit the entire Everything® Series at everything.com
586-X pp000i-xii.qxd 9/2/2010 11:12 AM Page iii
THE
CHESS BASICS
BOOK
By the U.S. Chess Federation
and Peter Kurzdorfer
Endorsed by the U.S. Chess Federation
Adams Media Corporation
Avon, Massachusetts
586-X pp000i-xii.qxd 9/2/2010 11:12 AM Page iv
To Caissa,
the goddess of chess, for her inspiration. —Peter
Copyright ©2003, F+W Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything® Series Book.
Everything® and everything.com® are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-58062-586-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-58062-586-9
Printed in the United States of America.
J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kurzdorfer, Peter.
The everything chess basics book / The U.S. Chess Federation and Peter
Kurzdorfer.
p. cm. (Everything series)
ISBN 1-58062-586-X
1. Chess. I. United States Chess Federation. II. Title. III. Series.
GV1446.K87 2003
794.1--dc21
2003000371
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with
regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the pub-
lisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice.
If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent
professional person should be sought.
—From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their
products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book
and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been
printed with initial capital letters.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, call 1-800-289-0963.
586-X pp000i-xii.qxd 9/2/2010 11:12 AM Page v
Contents
About the U.S. Chess Federation / viii
Acknowledgments / ix
Top Ten Reasons to Learn the Game of Chess / x
Introduction / xi
1
What Is Chess? / 1
Early Chess 2 • Modern Chess 3 • American Chess 5 • Computer Chess 7 •
World Chess Champions 8 • The United States Chess Federation 12
2
The Chessboard / 15
The Battlefield 16 • Checkered Squares 17 • Ranks 18 • Files 20 • Diagonals
21 • Highways 23 • Squares 24
3
The Pieces and Pawns / 27
To Begin 28 • The King 29 • The Rook 30 • The Bishop 32 • The Queen 33 •
The Knight 35 • Types of Pieces 37 • The Pawns 38
4
Ending the Game / 41
Check 42 • Checkmate 46 • Winning and Losing 49 • Draw by Agreement 51
• Stalemate 51 • Insufficient Mating Material 53 • Three-Position Repetition
54 • Fifty-Move Rule 56
5
Special Moves / 57
Touch Move 58 • Promotion 59 • En Passant 62 • Castling 65 • The Clock 71
v
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THE EVERYTHING CHESS BASICS BOOK
6
Notation / 73
Why Keep Records? 74 • You Already Know the Basics! 75 • Algebraic
Notation 78 • Other Notations 80 • Diagrams 82 • Game Scores 87
7
Basic Strategy / 89
Principles to Follow 90 • King Safety 90 • Greater Force 94 • Control
the Center 98 • Control More Squares 101 • Develop the Pieces 102 •
Healthy and Unhealthy Pawns 107 • Whenever Possible, Operate with
Threats 113
8
Threats / 115
Forcing Moves 116 • How to Meet a Threat 118 • En Prise 123 •
Convergence 125 • Blindfold Play 127 • Battery 128 • Promotion 130 •
Opposition 134
9
Planning Checkmate / 137
The Basic Checkmates 138 • Two Rooks 142 • Rook and King 144 •
Queen and King 148 • The Two Bishops 152 • Bishop and Knight 155 •
Other Checkmates 158
10
How to Plan Ahead / 165
Tactics 166 • Strategy 168 • Seeing Ahead 169 • Planning Greater
Force 172 • Controlling the Center 174 • Getting All Your Pieces
Involved 176 • Exposing the King 179 • Planning Defense 181
11
What the Pieces Can Do / 187
Double Attack 188 • Fork 188 • Discovered Attack 192 • Discovered
Check 196 • Pin 200 • Skewer 203
vi
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CONTENTS
12
Tactical Weapons / 205
Removing the Defender 206 • Overload 208 • Interference 209 •
Zwischenzug 210 • Desperado 212 • No Retreat 214
13
Putting It All Together / 217
Time or Force? 218 • The Opening 219 • The Threats Begin 220 •
Forming a Plan 225• Evaluation 227• The Initiative 230• Counterattack
232 • Removing the Defender 236 • Winning a Won Game 237
14
The World of Chess / 243
A Parlor Game 244 • Chess Clubs 245 • Chess Instruction 246 •
Simultaneous Exhibitions 248 • Composed Problems 249 • Serious
Competition 252 • Correspondence Chess 254 • Chess Books and
Magazines 255 • Chess in Education 256 • Other Forms of Chess 256
15
Chess Computers / 259
A Modern Invention 260• Machines That Play Chess 261• Software That
Plays Chess 262 • Analysis Engines 263 • Chess Databases 263 • Online
Chess 265 • Internet Sources 268
Appendix A • Glossary / 271
Appendix B • Frequently Asked Questions / 275
Index • 283
vii
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THE EVERYTHING CHESS BASICS BOOK
About the
U.S. Chess Federation
The United States Chess Federation (USCF) is the official governing body
for chess in the United States, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to its
95,000 members. Since 1939 it has worked to promote the game of chess,
providing a rating system for players, giving national titles, supporting
chess teams in international play, and working to build scholastic chess
competition in the nation.The award-winning Chess Life magazine is one
important member benefit; affiliates receive the USCF Rating List six times
a year, necessary to efficiently run chess tournaments. Many other
publications are offered to USCF members. Another key member benefit:
discounted prices on USCF’s extensive product catalog offerings which
include books, sets and boards, computers, software, teaching materials,
and accessories (to request a free catalog please call S1-800-388-KING
[5464] or shop online at wwww.uschess.org). USCF memberships are
offered in twelve categories.
Internet chess is fast gaining popularity and USCF members can go to
U.S. Chess Live (wwww.uschesslive.org) to play chess online. Chess Live
features Grandmaster Simuls, “Battle of the Minds,” Master Challenges,
interactive chess exercises, rated tournament play, and more.
The World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum has been
located in Miami, Florida, since 2001. The Hall features chess history and
houses a growing collection of artifacts comprising some of the world’s
most interesting and important pieces of chess history, such as the Paul
Morphy silver beverage set and the playing table from the 1972 Fischer-
Spassky match. (The Web site is wwww.worldchesshalloffame.org.) Sid
Samole was a pioneer in the invention of the commercial chess
computer. He founded Excalibur Electronics, a well-known manufacturer
of chess computers and other electronic games, and is the benefactor of
the Museum.
viii
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to USCF’s Executive Director Frank Niro, Jami L. Anson, Jean
Bernice, Tom Brownscombe, George DeFeis, Paula Helmeset, Al
Lawrence, Kathleen Merz, Michele Stowe, Chess Author Bruce
Pandolfini, and Hall of Fame Grandmasters Arthur Bisguier and Lev
Alburt for their help, guidance, and patience. Thanks also to those
wonderful modern inventions, the personal computer and e-mail.
