Individual and Dual Sports
Chess Game
Roberto B. Dionisio
Alfredo A. Julio
47
Table of Contents
Module 4: Chess Game
Introduction
Learning Outcomes
Lesson 1 Definition of Chess Game
Lesson 2 Chess History and Background
47
47
48
49
Lesson 3 Place in Culture
Lesson 4 History of Chess in the Philippine
Assessment Task
Summary
55
57
59
60
References
61
Module 5: Rules of Chess
Introduction
Learning Outcomes
62
63
Lesson 1 Rules of Chess
Assessment Task
63
76
Summary
References
76
77
MODULE 6: Chess Piece Value
Introduction
78
Learning Outcomes
Lesson 1 Chess piece Value
78
78
Lesson 2 Chess Notation for Recording Moves
Lesson 3 Stages of Chess
83
90
Assessment Task
93
Summary
References
95
96
Module 7: The Responsibilities of Arbiters
Introduction
Learning Outcomes
96
97
48
Lesson 1 The Responsibilities of the Arbiters
Lesson 2 Organization of Competition
Lesson 3 Title and Rankings
Summary
References
97
100
102
103
105
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MODULE 4
Chess Game
Introduction
Chess is very old and wise game which was invented in India about 2000 years ago.
In the very beginning, only Indian kings played this game. Instead of going to war two Indian
shahs (kings) just set down with the chess board between them and decided whose land is
whose and who is stronger. This way they saved their armies and lives of thousands of
innocent people. The game of chess was called the game of kings (Markushin, 2009)
The rules were almost identical to the modern chess. Queen was able to move only
one square in each direction. There was no “castle” and “en passant”.
The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable
threat of capture. To this end, a player's pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's
pieces, while supporting one another (Markushin, 2009).
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Identify major events in the history of Chess
2. Create a clear description of what chess is
3. Name values needed to be a chess player
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Lesson 1. Definition of Chess Game
Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board with
64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. Played by millions of people worldwide, chess is believed
to be derived from the Indian game chaturanga sometime before the 7th century. Chaturanga
is
also
the
likely
ancestor
of
the East
Asian strategy
games xiangqi (Chinese
chess), janggi (Korean chess), and shogi (Japanese chess). Chess reached Europe by the
9th century, due to the Umayyad conquest of Hispania. The pieces assumed their current
properties in Spain in the late 15th century, and the modern rules were standardized in the
19th century (Chess, 2003).
Play involves no hidden information. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king,
one queen,
two rooks,
two knights,
two bishops,
and
eight pawns.
Each
piece
type moves differently, with the most powerful being the queen and the least powerful the
pawn. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable
threat of capture. To this end, a player's pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's
pieces, while supporting one another (Chess, 2003).
During the game, play typically involves exchanging pieces for the opponent's similar
pieces, and finding and engineering opportunities to trade advantageously or to get a better
position. In addition to checkmate, a player wins the game if the opponent resigns, or, in a
timed game, runs out of time. There are also several ways that a game can end in a draw
(Hockey, 2020).
The first generally recognized World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his
title in 1886. Since 1948, the World Championship has been regulated by the Fédération
Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), the game's international governing body. FIDE also awards
life-time master titles to skilled players, the highest of which is Grandmaster (GM). Many
national chess organizations have a title system of their own. FIDE also organizes
the Women's World Championship, the World Junior Championship, the World Senior
Championship, the Blitz and Rapid World Championships, and the Chess Olympiad, a
popular competition among international teams. FIDE is a member of the International
48
Olympic Committee, which can be considered recognition of chess as a sport. Several
national sporting bodies (e.g. the Spanish Consejo Superior de Deportes) also recognize
chess as a sport. Chess was included in the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games. There is also
a Correspondence Chess World Championship and a World Computer Chess Championship.
Online chess has opened amateur and professional competition to a wide and varied group
of players (Chess, n.d.).
There are many variants of chess that utilize different rules, pieces, or boards. One of
these, Fischer Random Chess, has gained widespread popularity and official FIDE
recognition.
Lesson 2. History and Background
The history of chess goes back many years, decades and even centuries. But who
really invented the game we all love? What was the origin of this famous mental exercise
many millions of people play? Chess is known the world over, played by numerous fans, but
its roots and origins are not clear and are highly debatable. (History of Chess: A guide to the
Origins of the Game of Kings, 2018). There are a variety of legends, stories, and plain
guesses, starting from a dispute over where it came from and ending with when chess began.
However, most people can agree that there was not just one individual who invented the
established game because it is far too complex with all its rules and concepts for any single
simple human mind to have created (History of Chess: A guide to the Origins of the Game of
Kings, 2018).
History of Chess: A Guide to the Origins of the Game of Kings (2018) outlined the
significant events in the history of chess:

The history of chess can be traced back around 1500 years; started in the North of
India and then spread throughout the Asian continent.

Chess made its way via the expanding Islamic Arabian empire to Europe.
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
The first modern chess tournament was organized by Howard Stauton, a leading
English chess player, and was held in London in 1851. It was won by the German
Adolf Anderssen, who was hailed as the leading chess master. His brilliant, energetic
attacking style was typical for the time. Sparkling games like Anderssen's Immortal
Game and Evergreen Game or Morphy’s Opera Game were regarded as the highest
possible summit of the chess art.

The rule of chess changed numerous times until the 1880’s (the romantic era of
chess).

The first official World Chess Championship was hosted in 1886.

The 20th century revolutionized chess with the invention of databases and chess
engines.

Wilhelm Steinitz became the first official World Chess Champion in 1886, the game
of chess was in a steady flux. It was a game we could well have difficulty recognizing
when we think about today’s chess: from a game dominated by intuitive decisionmaking, to a fight between chess engines.
Chess History- A Famous Legend
One ancient legend that many children might even find in their math books is about
the tyrannical Indian king, Shahram, and a wise man in his kingdom. The wise man wanted
to convince Shihram of the importance of each resident of his kingdom. So, he invented a
game to represent the kingdom consisting of the king himself, his queen, rooks, bishops,
knights, and pawns, all of which were important. The king liked the game very much and
understood that the game was just like real life. So, he ordered everybody in his kingdom to
play chess! Shahram offered the man all the gold and silver that he wanted, but the wise man
didn’t want any treasure. Together with the king, he went to a chessboard and asked him to
put one grain of wheat on the first square, two on the second and to keep doubling it until the
chessboard was full. First of all, the king felt highly offended, but then he ordered his servants
to fulfill the man’s wish. Desperately, the servants conveyed that such an enormous amount
of wheat did not exist. The king understood that the wise man had given him a second lesson.
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Just like the pawns in chess, you should never underestimate the small things in life (History
of Chess: A guide to the Origins of the Game of Kings, 2018).
Harold James Murray was keen on getting closer to the roots of the game of chess.
He decided to share his discoveries with the world by writing a book, “A History of Chess”, in
1913. In his book, Murray assumes that the history of chess started in the North of India,
traveled to Persia, and then spread throughout the Asian continent. In the Eastern World, for
example in India or Persia, chess became a part of the courtly education of the nobility (History
of Chess: A guide to the Origins of the Game of Kings, 2018).
In those days words like “Shāh!” – Persian for the king – or “Shāh Māt!” – the king is
helpless – were used in the games. These words are very similar to the terms we use
today with “check” and “checkmate”. The rules were already quite similar to the chess rules
we know nowadays.
In History of Chess: A guide to the Origins of the Game of Kings (2018), Murray
describes the original mold of chess, called Shatranj. Then he presents the role of medieval
chess in Europe during the Middle Ages, how it traveled from the Middle East to Russia and
then to Western Europe. Finally, in the third part of his book on chess history, the author
arrives at the beginning of modern chess in the 19th century as we know it today.
China Origin Theory
There are not only those who believe chess comes from India, but some people
believe that chess was invented in China. The legend says that chess was invented around
200 B.C. by a commander, Hán Xin, who invented the game to represent a particular battle.
Soon after the battle, an important battle in Chinese history, the game was forgotten and then
resurfaced in the 7th century A.D. with several new rules. The game became popular under
the name “XiangQi” which means the “elephant game”, losing its reference to the ancient
battle. The elephant game was very dissimilar to the chess game that we know today (History
of Chess, n.d.).
They had other pieces, another board, and even other rules. According to this belief,
chess went from China to India and Persia afterward, where it slowly modified into the chess
51
game we know today with an 8×8 square chessboard and the chess pieces that we are familiar
with (History of Chess, n.d.).
Chess History: From the Romantic Era to the Digitalized Era
Until the end of the 15th century, chess changed numerous times, survived sanctions
by the Christian Church as well as complete prohibitions from time to time. Right up until the
1880’s, the game developed into the shape of the modern chess game. This period is
known as “the romantic era of chess”. (History of Chess: A guide to the Origins of the Game
of Kings, 2018).
Chess slowly gained its competitive character and concrete rules, growing in
popularity among the people. Strategical planning or long study of the theory were subordinate
topics. In the foreground, there were issues like quick tactical motifs and the reliance on
intuitive moves. The first chess tournaments started to take place and even the first official
World Championship was hosted in 1886 where Wilhelm Steinitz became the first official
World Chess Champion.
After the end of the 19th century, the number of master tournaments and matches held
annually quickly grew. The first Olympiad was held in Paris in 1924, and International Chess
Federation was founded initially for the purpose of organizing that event. In 1927, the
Women’s World Chess Championship was established; the first to hold the title was CzechEnglish master Vera Menchik (Chess, 2003).
A prodigy from Cuba Jose Raul Capablanca, known for his skill in endgames, won the
World Championship from Lasker in 1921. Capablanca was undefeated in tournament play
for eight years, from 1916 to 1924. His successor (1927) was the Russian-French Alexander
Alekhine, a strong attacking player who died as the world champion in 1946. Alekhine briefly
lost the title to Dutch player Max Euwe in 1935 and regained it two years later (Chess, 2003).
After the death of Alekhine, a new World Champion was sought. FIDE, which has
controlled the title since then (except for one interruption), ran a tournament of elite players.
The winner of the 1948 tournament was Russian Mikhail Botvinnik.
52
In 1950 FIDE established a system of titles, conferring the titles of Grandmaster and
International Master on 27 players. Some sources state that in 1914 the title of
chess Grandmaster was first formally conferred by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia to Lasker,
Capablanca, Alekhine, Tarrasch, and Marshall, but this is a disputed claim.
Botvinnik started an era of Soviet dominance in the chess world. Until the end of the
Soviet Union, there was only one non-Soviet champion, American Bobby Fischer (champion
1972–1975). Botvinnik revolutionized opening theory. Previously Black strove for equality, to
neutralize White's first-move advantage. As Black, Botvinnik strove for the initiative from the
beginning. In the previous informal system of World Championships, the current champion
decided which challenger he would play for the title and the challenger was forced to seek
sponsors for the match. FIDE set up a new system of qualifying tournaments and matches.
The world's strongest players were seeded into Interzonal tournaments, where they were
joined by players who had qualified from Zonal tournaments. The leading finishers in these
Interzonals would go on the "Candidates" stage, which was initially a tournament, and later a
series of knockout matches. The winner of the Candidates would then play the reigning
champion for the title. A champion defeated in a match had a right to play a rematch a year
later. This system operated on a three-year cycle. Botvinnik participated in championship
matches over a period of fifteen years. He won the world championship tournament in 1948
and retained the title in tied matches in 1951 and 1954. In 1957, he lost to Vasily Smyslov,
but regained the title in a rematch in 1958. In 1960, he lost the title to the 23-year-old Latvian
prodigy Mikhail Tal, an accomplished tactician and attacking player. Botvinnik again regained
the title in a rematch in 1961.
Following the 1961 event, FIDE abolished the automatic right of a deposed champion
to a rematch, and the next champion, Armenian Tigran Petrosian, a player renowned for his
defensive and positional skills, held the title for two cycles, 1963–1969. His successor, Boris
Spassky from Russia (champion 1969–1972), won games in both positional and sharp tactical
style. The next championship, the so-called Match of the Century, saw the first non-Soviet
challenger since World War II, American Bobby Fischer, who defeated his Candidates
opponents by unheard-of margins and clearly won the world championship match. In 1975,
however, Fischer refused to defend his title against Soviet Anatoly Karpov when FIDE did not
53
meet his demands, and Karpov obtained the title by default. Fischer modernized many
aspects of chess, especially by extensively preparing openings.
Karpov defended his title twice against Viktor Korchnoi and dominated the 1970s and
early 1980s with a string of tournament successes. Karpov's reign finally ended in 1985 at the
hands of Garry Kasparov, another Soviet player from Baku, Azerbaijan. Kasparov and Karpov
contested five world title matches between 1984 and 1990; Karpov never won his title back. In
1993, Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short broke with FIDE to organize their own match for the
title and formed a competing Professional Chess Association (PCA). From then until 2006,
there were two simultaneous World Champions and World Championships: the PCA or
Classical champion extending the Steinitzian tradition in which the current champion plays a
challenger in a series of many games, and the other following FIDE's new format of many
players competing in a tournament to determine the champion. Kasparov lost his Classical
title in 2000 to Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. The World Chess Championship 2006, in which
Kramnik beat the FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov, reunified the titles and made
Kramnik the undisputed World Chess Champion. In September 2007, he lost the title
to Viswanathan Anand of India, who won the championship tournament in Mexico City.
Anand defended his title in the revenge match of 2008, 2010 and 2012. In 2013, Magnus
Carlsen beat Anand in the 2013 World Chess Championship. He defended his title the
following year, again against Anand. Carlsen confirmed his title in 2016 against the
Russian Sergey Karjakin and in 2018 against the American Fabiano Caruana, in both
occasions by a rapid tiebreaker match after equality in 12 games of classical time control, and
is the reigning world champion.
Until the middle of the 20 th century, there were tendencies towards romantic chess
play, when players relied on tactics and extremely dynamic play. However, the 20th century
revolutionized chess, with the invention of databases, chess engines and several methods for
comfortable and efficient strategical preparations. Chess websites and online games were
invented so that the romantic era was finalized, and a new technological, digitalized era
began.
All in all, there are a variety of hypotheses about the history of chess and there is no
specific person who invented this well-known game. It has changed throughout the centuries
54
and will probably keep changing with the times (History of Chess: A guide to the Origins of
the Game of Kings, 2018).
Lesson 3. Chess and Culture
Chess in the Arts (Chess, 2004)
In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, chess was a part of noble culture; it
was used to teach war strategy and was dubbed the "King's Game". Gentlemen are "to be
meanly seen in the play at Chestes", says the overview at the beginning of Baldassare
Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier (1528, English 1561 by Sir Thomas Hoby), but chess
should not be a gentleman's main passion.
Many of the elaborate chess sets used by the aristocracy have been lost, but others
partially survive, such as the Lewis chessmen.
Chess was often used as a basis of sermons on morality. An example is Liber de
moribus hominum et officiis nobilium sive super ludo scacchorum ('Book of the customs of
men
and
the
duties
of
nobles
or
the
Book
of
Chess'),
written
by
an
Italian Dominican monk Jacobus de Cessolis c. 1300. This book was one of the most popular
of the Middle Ages. Different chess pieces were used as metaphors for different classes of
people, and human duties were derived from the rules of the game or from visual properties
of the chess pieces.
Chess (2003) stated that during the Age of Enlightenment, chess was viewed as a
means of self-improvement. The article “The Morals of Chess” written by Benjamin Franklin
was cited in Chess (2003) where the author said that the games of chess is not merely an idle
amusement and that several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human
life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions;
for life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries
55
to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some
degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it.
By playing at Chess then, we may learn:

Foresight, which looks a little into futurity, and considers the consequences that may
attend an action (Chess, 2004)

Circumspection, which surveys the whole Chessboard, or scene of action: – the
relation of the several Pieces, and their situations (Chess, 2004)

Caution, not to make our moves too hastily (Chess, 2004).
Chess was occasionally criticized in the 19th century as a waste of time (vizier chess
piece, n.d.).
Chess is taught to children in schools around the world today. Many schools host
chess clubs, and there are many scholastic tournaments specifically for children.
Tournaments are held regularly in many countries, hosted by organizations such as the United
States Chess Federation and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation (vizier chess piece,
n.d.).
Prohibition in religion
The game of chess, at times, has been discouraged by various religious authorities,
including Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Jewish scholars Maimonides and Kalonymus ben
Kalonymus both condemned chess, though the former only condemned it when played for
money while the latter condemned it in all circumstances. In medieval times both
the Catholic and Orthodox churches condemned chess. Though the 16th century Russian
Orthodox Domostroy condemned the game, chess nevertheless remained popular in
Russia. In 1979, Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ruled against chess, but later allowed it
as long as it did not involve gambling. Iran now has an active confederation for playing
56
chess and sends players to international events. Saudi Mufti Abdul-Aziz ash-Sheikh similarly
ruled against chess, arguing that it constituted gambling. Iraqi Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said
chess was forbidden "even without placing a bet” (vizier chess piece, n.d.).
Lesson 4. History of Chess in the Philippines
(Ang, 2019)
Hon. Florencio Campomanes, is someone who all chess-loving Filipinos should
remember. He, together with Ramon Lontoc Jr., share the distinction of being the first Filipino
National Masters (in 1956). He was also the Philippine national champion in 1956 and 1960
and represented the country at five Chess Olympiads: Moscow 1956, Munich 1958, Leipzig
1960, Varna 1962 and Havana 1966.
It started out as a passion for chess playing, but this passion soon consumed his entire
being and the vision of Florencio Campomanes, the man, became an obsession to make a
mark in the chess world, not just for him but also for his country.
Mr. Campomanes was born February 22, 1927 in Manila. He earned for himself
college, university and departmental scholarships at the University of the Philippines where
he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science cum laude in 1947.
Believing in the chess percept that “there is no other move than the best move,”
Campomanes pursued his studies in the United States, earning a Master’s degree at Brown,
1951 and undertook Doctoral Studies at Georgetown University, District of Columbia.
Shortly after he returned to the Philippines, Campomanes was one of the founding
members of the Philippine Chess Federation in 1956 and prime mover to the creation of the
first Chess Olympiad team to play for Philippine flag in Moscow also in that same year.
His closeness with then President Carlos P. Garcia enabled the country to experience
a chess renaissance of sorts, for it was then that big names like Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, Renato
Naranja, Glircerio Badilles, and Ramon Lontoc Jr. would emerge.
57
Campomanes put the Philippines on the world map and in many international
publications when the big names of the sport came to our shores in the early ‘70s, with the
Marlboro Chess Classics. Suddenly, the tournaments in Europe turned out almost empty,
because everybody wanted to compete in this part of the world.
It was also in that period when the national juniors were held and the emergence of a
promising, long-haired lad by the name of Eugene Torre, started off another era. Torre would
later on become Asia’s first grandmaster taking a road directly and indirectly charted by Mr.
Campomanes.
In 1978, the Philippines became the center of the chess world, when the World Chess
Championship between Anatoly Karpov and challenger Victor Korchnoi was held in Baguio
City. It turned out to be one of the most celebrated matches in chess history.
With the brown man from Southeast Asia getting much attention and recognition for
his successful projects, Campomanes made it easily to the FIDE presidential elections of
1982, beating Iceland’s Grandmaster Fridrik Olafsson for the post, the first non-European to
do so.
In 1992, Manila hosted the biggest international conclave in local sports history. The
1992 Manila Olympiad was to be the grandest Philippine sports spectacle ever as a hundredodd nations participated.
Campomanes, in his term, made chess a spectator sport, and forever erased the idea
of it being a nerd’s game or simply a boring pastime. He made Russians Garry Kasparov and
Anatoly Karpov instant millionaires by vastly increasing the pot money in big-time tournaments
and the World Championships.
This idea of creating bigger tournaments with juicy prizes has given much reason for
players to become serious achievers. Getting serious with the sport or any other endeavor,
would mean curbing other negative forces in order to be successful. That is why sports is one
of the best solutions to the drug menace, juvenile delinquency and other ills of society.
58
In the ‘60s and ‘70s Campomanes housed several promising players, giving them
everything they needed — food, shelter and a little clothing — his ancestral house in Calle
Campomanes in San Miguel, Manila.
One name that is inextricably linked to Campomanes is IM Andronico Yap. “Boyet”
Yap was an orphan who Campo took in as a ward and housed, fed, and clothed. He always
gave Boyet odd jobs around chess tournaments, and one day assigned him a job as a “board
boy” (someone operating the demonstration boards) during the 1979 Marlboro Chess Classic
in Manila. When one of the foreign invitees had to cancel on the last minute due to visa
problems, Yap was picked to take his place — apparently because he was the strongest chess
player among the staff. Imagine that — from being board operator he jumped to one of the
participants in a major (Grandmaster) GM tournament. In the very first round Boyet, unknown,
untitled and unrated, defeated the 1977 Soviet chess champion.
Campomanes’ international fame and contribution to the sport has given him the
prestigious sports awards by the two sports organizations in the Philipines — the Philippine
Sportswriters Association (PSA) and the Sports Communicators Organization of the
Philippines (SCOOP). Both have put him in the Sports Hall of Fame. What’s more, the PSA
named him as Sports Leader of the Millennium.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE), on its Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Paris in
December 1999, awarded Campo the Grand Knight of FIDE, the highest award of the
International Sports Organization (Ang, 2019).
Assessment Task
1. Get additional information about the persons involved in the development of chess all
over the world.
Wilhelm Steinitz
Jose Raul Capablanca
59
Robert Fisher
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik
Howard Stauton
Florencio Campomanes
Harold James Murray
Eugene Torre
Garry Kasparov
Vera Menchik
2. Write a brief description of their contribution to the development of chess. Attach an
image as well. Upload your work at the link provided in your respective group chat.
Summary
Nearly 1,500 years ago, Chess was first played. It was originated in northern India in
the 6th century AD then consequently spread to Persia. Chess also became popular in the
Muslim world when the Arabs conquered Persia and when the Moorish conquest Spain, it
also spread to Southern Europe. And eventually, start to be played in other countries as well
(Wikipedia, 2020).
However, during the 15th century, movements of pieces in Chess game start to
change which is how the modern Chess game is being played today. The first modern Chess
tournament played was in the second half of the 19th century where Chess clocks were first
used and the first world chess championship was held. Moving with time, World Chess
Federation (FIDE) was established in the 20th century where they saw advances in Chess
theory and where Chess engines (i.e. software or programs that play chess), and Chess data
bases became important (Wikipedia, 2020).
60
References
Ang,
B.
(2019,
February
25).
Chess Piece. Retrieved from bworldonline.com:
https://www.bworldonline.com/memories-of-campo/
Chess.
(2003,
December
4).
Retrieved
from
en.wikipedia.org:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess
Chess.
(2004,
August
21).
Retrieved
from
en.wikiquote.org/wiki/chess:
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chess#:~:text=16%20October%202006),The%20Game%20of%20Chess%20is%20not%20merely%20an%20idle%20amuse
ment,gain%2C%20and%20competitors%20or%20adversaries
Chess.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
makicord.fandom.com:
https://makicord.fandom.com/wiki/Chess
Eade,
J.
(2020).
Understanding
Chess
Notation.
Retrieved
from
Dummies:
https://www.dummies.com/games/chess/knowing-the-moves-that-chess-pieces-canmake/
History of Chess. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://stauntoncastle.com/pages/history-of-chess:
https://stauntoncastle.com/pages/history-of-chess
History of Chess: A guide to the Origins of the Game of Kings . (2018, June 27). Retrieved
from ichess.net: https://www.ichess.net/blog/history-of-chess/
Hockey, U. (2020, August 14). Sports. Retrieved from popularsportsprogram.online:
https://www.popularsportsprogram.online/
Markushin, Y. (2009, October 6). Introduction to chess. Retrieved from thechessworld.com:
https://thechessworld.com/articles/general-information/introduction-to-chess-how-itall61
begins/#:~:text=Chess%20is%20very%20old%20and,whose%20and%20who%20is
%20stronger.
vizier
chess
piece.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
kantaking.com:
https://www.kantaking.com/site/7500cd-vizier-chess-piece#
Wikipedia. (2020, September 17). History of chess. Retrieved from Wikipedia.Org:
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chess#:
62
MODULE 5
Rules of Chess
Introduction
The rules of chess (also known as the laws of chess) are set of guidelines used to play
the game of chess. Today, the standard rules are set by FIDE (Fédération Internationale des
Échecs), the international governing body for chess. However, there are still slight variations
on the rules in some national organizations to include own purposes (Bodlaeder, 1999).
The goal in chess is delivering a checkmate – trapping your opponent´s king.
Chess is played between two players each having 16 chess pieces (dark/light). Players
alternate turns moving their pieces on a 64-square board of alternating dark/light
colors. There are 6 different types of chess pieces, each with it's own unique method to move
on the chessboard and defined starting position. The game ends when one side's king piece
is "checkmated," meaning it is threatened and cannot escape the threat by capturing the
threatening piece, moving to another square, or blocking the threatening piece's line of attack
(The University of Chicago, 2020).
Learning Outcomes
63
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Set the chessboard in the starting position correctly
2. Identify the different types piece and their movements in playing chess
3. Demonstrate the basic rule in playing chess
Lesson 1. Rule of Chess
The rules of chess are published by FIDE, chess's international governing body.
FIDE's rules were most recently revised in 2018.
By convention, chess game pieces are divided into white and black sets. Each set
consists of 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight
pawns. The pieces are set out as shown in the diagram and photo. The players of the sets
are referred to as White and Black, respectively (Chess, 2003).
The game is played on a square board of eight rows (called ranks, denoted 1 to 8 from
bottom to top according to White's perspective) and eight columns (called files,
denoted a to h from left to right according to White's perspective). The 64 squares alternate
in color and are referred to as light and dark squares. The chessboard is placed with a light
square at the right-hand corner nearest to each player. Thus, each queen starts on a square
of its own color (the white queen on a light square; the black queen on a dark square) (Chess,
2003).
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Figure 5.1 Starting position of a chess game (McCraine, 2008)
Movement of the pieces (Polardragon 123, 2019)
In competitive games, the colors are allocated by the organizers; in informal
games, the colors are usually decided randomly, for example by coin toss, or by one player's
concealing a white and black pawn in either hand and having the opponent choose. White
moves first, after which player’s alternate turns, moving one piece per turn (except for castling,
when two pieces are moved). A piece is moved to either an unoccupied square or one
occupied by an opponent's piece, which is captured and removed from play. With the sole
exception of en passant, all pieces capture by moving to the square that the opponent's piece
occupies (Polardragon 123, 2019).
Moving is compulsory; it is illegal to skip a turn, even when having to move
is detrimental. A player may not make any move that would put or leave the player's own king
in check. If the player to move has no legal move, the game is over; the result is
either checkmate (a loss for the player with no legal move) if the king is in check,
or stalemate (a draw) if the king is not (Polardragon 123, 2019).
65
The Rook (Polardragon 123, 2019)
The rook moves in a straight line, horizontally or vertically. The rook may not
jump over other pieces, that is: all squares between the square where the rook starts its move
and where the rook ends its move must be empty. (As for all pieces, when the square where
the rook ends his move contains a piece of the opponent, then this piece is taken. The square
where the rook ends his move may not contain a piece of the player owning this rook.).
Figure 5.2 Moves of a rook (Bodlaeder, 1999)
The bishop (Polardragon 123, 2019)
The bishop moves in a straight diagonal line. The bishop may also not jump over other
pieces.
Figure 5.3 Moves of a bishop (Bodlaeder, 1999)
The queen (Polardragon 123, 2019)
66
The queen has the combined moves of the rook and the bishop, i.e., the queen may
move in any straight line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.
Figure 5.4 Moves of a Queen (Bodlaeder, 1999)
The knight (Polardragon 123, 2019)
The knight makes a move that consists of first one step in a horizontal or vertical
direction, and then one step diagonally in an outward direction. The knight jumps: it is allowed
that the first square that the knight passes over is occupied by an arbitrary piece. For instance,
white can start the game by moving his knight from b1 to c3. The piece that is jumped over is
further not affected by the knight: as usual, a knight takes a piece of the opponent by moving
to the square that contains that piece.
Figure 5.5 Moves of a Knight (Bodlaeder, 1999)
The pawn
67
The pawn moves differently regarding whether it moves to an empty square or whether
it takes a piece of the opponent. When a pawn does not take, it moves one square straight
forward. When this pawn has not moved at all, i.e., the pawn is still at the second row (from
the owning players view), the pawn may make a double step straight forward. For instance, a
white pawn on d2 can be moved to d4. When taking, the pawn goes one square diagonally
forward. The pawn has two special moves: the en passant capture and promotion.
Figure 5.6 Moves of a Pawn (Bodlaeder, 1999)
There is one special rule, called taking en-passant. When a pawn makes a
double step from the second row to the fourth row, and there is an enemy pawn on an adjacent
square on the fourth row, then this enemy pawn in the next move may move diagonally to the
square that was passed over by the double-stepping pawn, which is on the third row. In this
same move, the double-stepping pawn is taken. This taking en-passant must be done directly:
if the player who could take en-passant does not do this in the first move after the double step,
this pawn cannot be taken anymore by an en-passant move (Chess, n.d.)
68
Figure 5.7 A double pawn step and a following en-passant capture (Bodlaeder, 1999)
Pawns that reach the last row of the board promote. When a player moves a pawn to
the last row of the board, he replaces the pawn by a queen, rook, knight, or bishop (of the
same color). Usually, players will promote the pawn to a queen, but the other types of pieces
are also allowed. (It is not required that the pawn is promoted to a piece taken. Thus, it is for
instance possible that a player has at a certain moment two queens.)
Figure 5.8 Before and after a promotion (Bodlaeder, 1999)
King (Polardragon 123, 2019)
The king moves one square in any direction, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
There is one special type of move, made by a king and rook simultaneously, called castling:
see below.
69
The king is the most important piece of the game, and moves must be made in such
a way that the king is never in check: see below.
Figure 5.9 King in check (Bodlaeder, 1999)
Castling
Under certain, special rules, a king and rook can move simultaneously in
a castling move (Chess, n.d.)
The following conditions must be met:

The king that makes the castling move has not yet moved in the game.

The rook that makes the castling move has not yet moved in the game.

The king is not in check.

The king does not move over a square that is attacked by an enemy piece during the
castling move, i.e., when castling, there may not be an enemy piece that can move (in
case of pawns: by diagonal movement) to a square that is moved over by the king.

The king does not move to a square that is attacked by an enemy piece during the
castling move, i.e., you may not castle and end the move with the king in check.

All squares between the rook and king before the castling move are empty.

The King and rook must occupy the same rank (or row).
When castling, the king moves two squares towards the rook, and the rook moves
over the king to the next square, i.e., black's king on e8 and rook on a8 move to: king c8, rook
d8 (long castling), white's king on e1 and rook on h1 move to: king g1, rook f1 ( short castling).
70
Figure 5.9 Position before and after castling: white short, and black long (Bodlaeder, 1999)
En passant (The University of Chicago, 2020)
When a pawn makes a two-step advance from its starting position and there is an
opponent's pawn on a square next to the destination square on an adjacent file, then the
opponent's pawn can capture it en passant ("in passing"), moving to the square the pawn
passed over. This can be done only on the very next turn; otherwise the right to do so is
forfeited. For example, in the animated diagram, the black pawn advances two steps from g7
to g5, and the white pawn on f5 can take it en passant on g6 (but only on White's next move).
Figure 5. 9 Pawn Special Moves (Lyctc, 2009)
Promotion
71
When a pawn advances to the eighth rank, as a part of the move it is promoted and
must be exchanged for the player's choice of queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color.
Usually, the pawn is chosen to be promoted to a queen, but in some cases another piece is
chosen; this is called underpromotion.
Check
When the king of a player can be taken by a piece of the opponent, one says that the
king is in check. For instance, the white player moves his rook to a position such that it attacks
the black king, i.e., if black doesn't do anything about it, the rook could take the black king in
the next move: we say that the white rook gives check. It is considered good manners to
say check when one checks ones opponent.
It is not allowed to make a move, such that one’s king is in check after the move. If a player
accidently tries to make such a move, he must take the move back and make another move
(Bodlaeder, 1999).
Figure 5.10 Check (Bodlaeder, 1999)
Mate (Polardragon 123, 2019)
72
When a player is in check, and he cannot make a move such that after the move, the
king is not in check, then he is mated. The player that is mated lost the game, and the player
that mated him won the game.
Note that there are three different possible ways to remove a check:
1. Move the king away to a square where he is not in check.
2. Take the piece that gives the check.
3. (In case of a check, given by a rook, bishop or queen :) moves a piece between the
checking piece and the king.
Figure 5. Mate (Bodlaeder, 1999)
Stalemate
When a player cannot make any legal move, but he is not in check, then the player is
said
to
be stalemated.
In
a
case
of
a
stalemate,
the
game
is
a
draw.
Figure 5. Black must move, the game is a stalemate (Bodlaeder, 1999)
End of the Game
73
Win
Games can be won in the following ways (Chess, 2003):

Checkmate: The player whose turn it is to move is in check and has no legal move to
escape check.

Resignation: Either player may resign, conceding the game to the opponent.

Win on time: In games with a time control, a player wins if the opponent runs out of time,
even if the opponent has a superior position, as long as the player has a theoretical
possibility to checkmate the opponent.

Forfeit: A player who cheats, violates the rules, or violates the rules of conduct specified
for the particular tournament, can be forfeited (Chess, 2003)
Draw
There are several ways games can end in a draw (Chess, 2003):

Draw by agreement: Draws are most commonly reached by mutual agreement between
the players. The correct procedure is to verbally offer the draw, make a move, then start
the opponent's clock. Traditionally, players have been allowed to agree to a draw at any
point in the game, occasionally even without playing a move; in recent years efforts have
been made to discourage short draws, for example by forbidding draw offers before move
thirty.

Stalemate: The player whose turn it is to move has no legal move and is not in check.

Threefold repetition: This most commonly occurs when neither side is able to avoid
repeating moves without incurring a disadvantage. In this situation, either player can claim
a draw; this requires the players to keep a valid written record of the game so that the
claim can be verified by the arbiter if challenged. The three occurrences of the position
need not occur on consecutive moves for a claim to be valid. A 2014 amendment requires
the arbiter to intervene immediately and declare the game a draw after five occurrences
of the same position, consecutive or otherwise, without requiring a claim by either player.
FIDE rules make no mention of perpetual check; this is merely a specific type of draw by
threefold repetition.

Fifty-move rule: If during the previous 50 moves no pawn has been moved and no capture
has been made, either player can claim a draw. A 2014 amendment requires the arbiter
74
to intervene and immediately declare the game drawn after 75 moves without a pawn
move or capture, without requiring a claim by either player. There are several known
endgames where it is possible to force a mate but it requires more than 50 moves before
a pawn move or capture is made; examples include some endgames with two knights
against a pawn and some pawnless endgames such as queen against two bishops.
Historically, FIDE has sometimes revised the fifty-move rule to make exceptions for these
endgames,
but
these
have
since
been
repealed.
Some correspondence
chess organizations do not enforce the fifty-move rule.

Dead position: If neither player can checkmate the opponent by any sequence of legal
moves, the game is drawn. For example, if a player has only the king and a knight, and
the opponent has only the king, then checkmate is impossible, and the game is drawn by
this rule. On the other hand, if both players still have a knight there is a highly unlikely yet
theoretical possibility of checkmate, so this rule does not apply. This rule supersedes the
previous rule which referred to "insufficient material", extending it to include other
positions where checkmate is impossible such as blocked pawn endings where the pawns
cannot be attacked.

Draw on time: In games with a time control, the game is drawn if a player is out of time
and the opponent has no theoretical possibility to checkmate the player (Chess, 2003).
Other rules
Resign and draw proposals
A player can resign the game, which means that he has lost and his opponent has
won. After making a move, a player can propose a draw: his opponent can accept the proposal
,in which case the game ends and is a draw, or refuse the proposal, in which case the game
continues (Bodlaeder, 1999)
Repetition of moves
75
If the same position with the same player to move is repeated three times in the game,
the player to move can claim a draw. When the right to make a certain castling, move is lost
by one of the players between positions, then the positions are considered to be different (The
University of Chicago, 2020).
Touching pieces
When a player touches one of his own pieces, he must, if possible, make a legal move
with this piece. When a player touches a piece of the opponent, he must, if possible, take this
piece.
Chess clocks and time
Often, players play the game with chess clocks. These clocks count the time that each
player separately takes for making his own moves. Additional rules are then used, saying how
many (possibly all) moves must be made before a player has used a certain time for his
moves.
In competition, chess games are played with a time control. If a player's time runs out
before the game is completed, the game is automatically lost (provided the opponent
has enough pieces left to deliver checkmate). The duration of a game ranges from long (or
"classical") games, which can take up to seven hours (even longer if adjournments are
permitted), to bullet chess (under 3 minutes per player for the entire game). Intermediate
between these are rapid chess games, lasting between 20 minutes and two hours per game,
a popular time control in amateur weekend tournaments (Chess, n.d.)
Time is controlled using a chess clock that has two displays, one for each player's
remaining time. Analog chess clocks have been largely replaced by digital clocks, which allow
for time controls with increments.
Time controls are also enforced in correspondence chess competition. A typical time
control is 50 days for every 10 moves (Markushin, 2009).
76
Assessment Task
Define the following terms. Describe the movement of the chess pieces.
Upload your answers at the link provided in your respective group chat.
Bishop
Mate
Castling
Pawn
Check
Promotion
En passant
Queen
King
Rook
Knight
Stalemate
Summary
Every type of piece in chess game moves differently another position. These
movements can also capture an opponent´s piece by replacing it with its own piece. However,
a piece cannot be moved through or over any other pieces except the knight. To win chess
game, a player must trap the opponent’s king or where the situation is called “checkmate”. In
a game of chess, the white is always the first to move then the black and continue to play
alternately. However, if a player is still not in “checkmate” but has no possible move, the game
is at “stalemate” and ends as a draw (The University of Chicago, 2020).
References
77
Bodlaeder, H. (1999, November 28). The Chess Variant. Retrieved from chessvariants.com:
https://www.chessvariants.com/d.chess/chess.html#touch
Chess.
(2003,
Decemebr
4).
Retrieved
from
en.wikipedia.org:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess
Chess. (n.d.). Retrieved from wegasoftonline.com: http://wegasoftonline.com/traineesportfolio/faizan/sports/chess.html
Chess.com.
Chess
(2020).
Piece
Value.
Retrieved
from
Chess.com:
https://www.chess.com/terms/chess-piece-value
Eade,
J.
(2020).
Understanding
Chess
Notation.
Retrieved
from
Dummies:
https://www.dummies.com/games/chess/knowing-the-moves-that-chess-pieces-canmake/
Lyctc.
(2009,
August
6).
en.wikipedia.org.
Retrieved
from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChessPawnSpecialMoves.gif
McCraine,
J.
(2008,
December
2).
Wikimedia
Commons.
Retrieved
from
commons.wikimedia.org:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ChessStartingPosition.jpg#filehistory
Polardragon
123,
P.
(2019,
August
17).
Chess.
Retrieved
from
chess.com:
https://www.chess.com/blog/polardragon123/chess-co-vua
Sportsmatik. (2020). Arbiter. Retrieved from Sportsmatik.com: https://sportsmatik.com/sportscorner/sports-know-how/chess/rules?tab=officials&
The University of Chicago. (2020). IM Rules: Chess. Retrieved from The University of Chicago
Athletics: https://athletics.uchicago.edu/intramurals/im-rules-chess
78
MODULE 6
CHESS PIECE VALUE
Introduction
The chess piece values identify the value of the different chess pieces and how they
relate to each other. Knowing the primary importance a piece helped a player plan the
movements of pieces and what piece should be traded for another piece. However, to win the
game is to deliver checkmate, not to capture the most pieces though chess piece values can
provide good idea of which player is in the advantage, or if the position is level (Chess Piece
Value, 2020).
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:
1. Identify the value of each piece in game of chess
2. Demonstrate chess notation and recording moves
3. Describe the different stages in the game of chess
LESSON 1. Chess Piece Value
79
Chess piece values indicate the value of the different chess pieces and how
they relate to each other. Every piece has different strengths and weaknesses, so they are
valued differently. Chess piece values give us a relative worth for each piece. This information
helps us determine what piece should be traded for another piece, how we evaluate an
exchange, and even how computer engines evaluate a position. These point values don't
determine who wins a game, the goal of chess is to deliver checkmate, not to capture the
most pieces. However, chess piece values give us a good idea of which player is better or
winning, or if the position is level (Chess Piece Value, 2020).
As mentioned, each piece has a different value. It should come as no surprise
that the piece values are directly tied to a piece's strength. A pawn is worth one point, a
knight or bishop is worth three points, a rook is worth five points and a queen is worth nine
points. The king is the only piece that doesn't have a point value. This is because the king
cannot be captured (an attacked king is in check), and also because checkmating the king is
the true goal of any chess game (Chess Piece Value, 2020).
Engine Evaluations
Engines give evaluations based on a numerical assignment. These evaluations
are directly correlated to chess piece values! For example, a +1 evaluation means that White
is ahead one point (the value of a pawn) while a -1 evaluation translates to Black being ahead
one point. If a computer engine evaluates a position as +5, then White is leading by the value
of a rook! Engines often give an evaluation with a decimal, like -1.5. This should be interpreted
as Black being ahead by one and a half pawns (Chess Piece Value, 2020).
Exchange Test
80
Exchanging pieces can be tricky. Equal exchanges, like trading a pawn for a pawn or
a queen for a queen, are ok when it comes to piece values—but what about a queen for two
rooks? Well, a queen is worth nine points, and two rooks are worth ten points! In some cases,
a queen is better than two rooks, but these situations are rare (Chess Piece Value, 2020).
A common exchange is trading two minor pieces (knights or bishops) for a rook and a
pawn. Even though this is trading six points for six points, it does not necessarily make the
exchange equal! The other factors of the position must be taken into consideration. In the
following position, Black has made the common error of trading a knight and bishop for White's
rook and f-pawn with Nxf2 (Chess Piece Value, 2020).
Figure 6.1 Trading two minor pieces for a rook and pawn (Chess Piece Value, 2020)
In general, two minor pieces are more valuable than a rook and a pawn. In the
diagram below, we can see the position that occurs after the exchanges on f2: White's two
minor pieces are more active than Black's rook and pawn.
81
Figure 6.2 White's minor pieces are stronger than
Black's rook and pawn (Chess Piece Value, 2020)
Most of the time, simple math can help us determine what exchanges we
should pursue, and which exchanges we should avoid. Let's try a test! In the following
position, Black has just played Rh6. Should White capture the rook on h6 with their darksquared bishop on c1? (Chess Piece Value, 2020)
Figure 6.3 White to capture the rook on h6 (Chess Piece Value, 2020)
82
White should capture the rook on h6 with the bishop on c1 because the rook is worth
five points while the bishop is worth 3 points (Chess Piece Value, 2020).
In the following position, should the White queen capture the rook on the e8square?
Figure 6.4 White queen to capture the rook on e8 (Chess Piece Value, 2020)
White should capture the rook on e8. The point is that White is getting two rooks for
the queen (ten points for nine points), but more importantly because Black's king is in great
danger and checkmate will soon follow on the eighth rank. Here is the position after Black
captures the queen and White recaptures on e8:
83
Figure 6. 5 White to checkmate Black on the next move (Chess Piece Value, 2020)
LESSON 2. Chess Notation for Recording Moves
Chess notation is the act of recording or writing down the moves of a chess game.
Over the years various methods and ways have been used to record the moves, but they have
all disappeared except for the current standard for chess notation: algebraic notation.
Physically writing down the moves of a game is required in many over the board tournaments,
but on Chess.com the moves are recorded for you! When playing a game on Chess.com, the
moves of the game are displayed live as you and your opponent make them (Chess Notation,
n.d.).
Chess notation has an important role in the world of chess because it preserves the
game’s history. It allows people to record games for posterity and gives them the chance to
review the history of the game’s development to date. Notation also allows people to
overcome language barriers and communicate with one another in a universally understood
manner (Chess Notation: How to Write Down Chess Moves, 2018).
84
Many kinds of chess notation exist, from forsythe (a notation that computers
understand) to different notations for various languages. One kind of notation, however, is
universally understood: algebraic, which uses a single letter and number to name each square
and
a
letter
for
each
chess
piece . This
notation
system
replaced
the
older
English descriptive notation — which used an abbreviated form of a verbal description of the
moves because chess is for all people, not just English-speaking people (Chess Notation,
n.d.).
The numbering and lettering of the chess board is oriented to the white player’s
position and looks like this:
Figure 6.6 Numbering and lettering of the chess board (Eade, 2020).
85
Chess notation combines the chess piece moved with the new square it has moved
to, on the chess board. Chess notation uses abbreviations for each piece, using capitalized
letters below (Chess Notation: How to Write Down Chess Moves, 2018).
King = K
Queen = Q
Bishop = B
Knight = N
Rook = R
Pawn = no notation.
Capturing an enemy piece sees an “x” placed between the piece moved and the
square the captured piece was upon. When the opponent’s king is threatened by check, a “+”
sign is added to the end of the notation. Chess games and positions are recorded using a
system of notation, most commonly algebraic chess notation. Abbreviated algebraic notation
generally records moves in the format:
Abbreviation of the piece moved – file where it moved – rank where it moved
The pieces are identified by their initials. In English, these are K (king), Q (queen), R
(rook), B (bishop), and N (knight; N is used to avoid confusion with king). For
example, Qg5 means "queen moves to the g-file, 5th rank" (that is, to the square g5).
If the piece makes a capture, "x" is inserted before the destination square.
Thus Bxf3 means "bishop captures on f3". When a pawn makes a capture, the file from which
the pawn departed is used in place of a piece initial, and ranks may be omitted if unambiguous.
For example, exd5 (pawn on the e-file captures the piece on d5) or exd (pawn on the e-file
captures a piece somewhere on the d-file). Particularly in Germany, some publications use ":"
rather than "x" to indicate capture, but this is now rare. Some publications omit the capture
symbol altogether; so exd5 would be rendered simply as ed (Chess Notation: How to Write
Down Chess Moves, 2018).
86
Remember that the letters must be capitalized to indicate a piece; otherwise, they
indicate a square. The pawn does not get its own designation. If a move indicates only a
square, you can assume that the move involves a pawn.
If you play in tournaments you will have to record the game, so it is a good idea to
practice as soon as you begin playing. You can also later go over your games to find out
where you or your opponent made mistakes (Chess Notation: How to Write Down Chess
Moves, 2018).
The moves are written in two numbered vertical columns like this:
Table 6.1 Examples of recorded moves (Chess Corner, 2000)
WHITE
BLACK
1.f2-f4
e7-e5
2.f4xe5
d7-d6
3.e5xd6
Bf8xd6
4.g2-g3
Qd8-g5
5.Ng1-f3
Qg5xg3+
6.h2xg3
Bd6xg3#
The first column is for the White moves and the second column is for the Black
moves. First of all, the symbol for the piece is written, then the square on which this piece
was standing, then a hyphen (-), then the square to which this piece moves. If a pawn
moves the symbol is omitted. (Chess Notation: How to Write Down Chess Moves,
2018)
87
For example, 1. f2-f4 means on the first move the pawn on the f2 square moved to the f4
square. 5. Ng1-f3 means the Knight on the g1 square moved to the f3 square.
If you wish to refer to a Black move by itself you put three dots before the move. For
example, 4. ... Qd8-g5 means on move 4 Black moved his Queen on d8 to g5.
x indicates a capture took place so: 5. ... Qg5xg3+ means the Black Queen on g5 captured
a piece on g3 and the + means with this move the opponent's King was checked.
# means checkmate so: 6. ...Bd6xg3# means the Black Bishop on d6 moved to g3 and
checkmated the White King.
This is what this game would look like on the chessboard:
1. f2-f4 e7-e5
2. f4xe5 d7-d6
3. e5xd6 Bf8xd6
4. g2-g3 Qd8-g5
88
5. Ng1-f3 Qg5xg3+
6. h2xg3 Bd6xg3#
Abbreviated Algebraic Notation
In this type of notation, the starting square of the chess piece is left out and only the
destination square is written. If a pawn makes a capture then the file on which the pawn was
standing is indicated (Chess Corner, 2000).
In the diagram on the right, both the
White Rooks can move to d1. To
make it clear which one moves, the
file on which the piece stands
before it moves is indicated (Chess
Corner, 2000).
89
The diagram shows the Rook on f1
has moved to d1. This is written
Rfd1 (Chess Corner, 2000).
Sometimes it may be possible that two pieces on the same file can move to the same
square.
In the diagram on the right, both the
Rooks can move to the d5 square.
To show which Rook moves there
we indicate the rank the Rook has
moved from (Chess Corner, 2000).
The diagram on the right shows the
Rook on the seventh rank has
moved to d5. We write this as R7d5
(Chess Corner, 2000).
90
LESSON 2. Stages of Chess
A game of chess can generally be loosely subdivided into three phases or stages of
play: the opening, followed by the middlegame, then last the endgame (Chess Phases, 2014).
Opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a game (the "opening moves").
Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings and have been given
names such as the Ruy Lopez or Sicilian Defense. They are catalogued in reference works
such as the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. There are dozens of different openings,
varying widely in character from quiet positional play (for example, the Réti Opening) to very
aggressive (the Latvian Gambit). In some opening lines, the exact sequence considered best
for both sides have been worked out to more than 30 moves. Professional players spend
years studying openings and continue doing so throughout their careers, as opening
theory continues to evolve (Chess Phases, 2014).
The fundamental strategic aims of most openings are (Chess Phases, 2014):

development: This is the technique of placing the pieces (particularly bishops and knights)
on useful squares where they will have an optimal impact on the game.

control of the center: Control of the central squares allows pieces to be moved to any part
of the board relatively easily, and can also have a cramping effect on the opponent.

king safety: It is critical to keep the king safe from dangerous possibilities. A correctly
timed castling can often enhance this.

pawn structure: Players strive to avoid the creation of pawn weaknesses such as isolated,
doubled, or backward pawns, and pawn islands – and to force such weaknesses in the
opponent's position.
Most players and theoreticians consider that White, by virtue of the first move, begins
the game with a small advantage. This initially gives White the initiative. Black usually strives
91
to neutralize White's advantage and achieve equality, or to develop dynamic counterplay in
an unbalanced position (Chess Phases, 2014).
Middle Game
The middlegame is the part of the game which starts after the opening. There is no
clear line between the opening and the middlegame, but typically the middlegame will start
when most pieces have been developed. Because the opening theory has ended, players
have to form plans based on the features of the position, and at the same time take into
account the tactical possibilities of the position. The middlegame is the phase in which
most combinations occur. Combinations are a series of tactical moves executed to achieve
some gain. Middlegame combinations are often connected with an attack against the
opponent's king. Some typical patterns have their own names; for example, the Boden's
Mate or the Lasker–Bauer combination (Chess Phases, 2014).
Specific plans or strategic themes will often arise from particular groups of openings
which result in a specific type of pawn structure. An example is the minority attack, which is
the attack of queenside pawns against an opponent who has more pawns on the queenside.
The study of openings is therefore connected to the preparation of plans that are typical of the
resulting middlegames (Chess Phases, 2014).
Another important strategic question in the middlegame is whether and how to reduce
material and transition into an endgame. Minor material advantages can generally be
transformed into victory only in an endgame, and therefore the stronger side must choose an
appropriate way to achieve an ending. Not every reduction of material is good for this purpose;
for example, if one side keeps a light-squared bishop and the opponent has a dark-squared
one, the transformation into a bishops and pawns ending is usually advantageous for the
weaker side only, because an endgame with bishops on opposite colors is likely to be a draw,
even with an advantage of a pawn, or sometimes even with a two-pawn advantage.
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Endgame
The endgame (also end game or ending) is the stage of the game when there are few
pieces left on the board. There are three main strategic differences between earlier stages of
the game and the endgame (Chess Phases, 2014).
1. Pawns become more important. Endgames often revolve around endeavors
to promote a pawn by advancing it to the furthest rank.
2. The king, which requires safeguarding from attack during the middlegame, emerges
as a strong piece in the endgame. It is often brought to the center where it can protect
its own pawns, attack enemy pawns, and hinder moves of the opponent's king.
3. Zugzwang, a situation in which the player who is to move is forced to incur a
disadvantage, is often a factor in endgames but rarely in other stages of the game. In
the example diagram, either side having the move is in zugzwang: Black to move must
play 1...Kb7 allowing White to promote the pawn after 2.Kd7; White to move must
permit a draw, either by 1.Kc6 stalemate or by losing the pawn after any other legal
move.
Endgames can be classified according to the type of pieces remaining on the
board. Basic checkmates are positions in which one side has only a king and the other side
has one or two pieces and can checkmate the opposing king, with the pieces working together
with their king. For example, king and pawn endgames involve only kings and pawns on one
or both sides, and the task of the stronger side is to promote one of the pawns. Other more
complicated endings are classified according to pieces on the board other than kings, such
as "rook and pawn versus rook" endgames (Chess Phases, 2014).
Assessment Task
93
Identify the following position of piece using chess notation. Upload your answers at
the link provided in your respective group chat.
1. What piece is on d6?
2, How many pieces are there
are on the board?
4. Is there a queen on
the board? ________
7. Which piece is attacking black pawn at a6?
5. Does white have
knight? ______
8, Is a7 under attack
by white bishop? ________
3. How many black pieces
are on the board?
6. Is b2b3 a legal move?
______
9. Is black in check?
______________
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10. What is the material
11. Who has material
12. Does black has castling
advantage of black? ___
advantage? ______
right? ________
13. Can white castle?
14. Is this checkmate?
_______________________
___________________
15. Is this s stalemate?
_____________________
SUMMARY
Chess notation is the universal way to allow people to understand and review the
history of the game’s development to date. There are many kinds of chess notation
from forsythe (i.e. a notation that computers understand) to different notations for various
languages. On the other hand, algebraic, which uses a single letter and number to name each
square and a letter for each chess piece, serves as the universal notation. This notation
95
replaced the older English descriptive notation because chess was not just English-speaking
people (Eade, 2020).
References
Chess
Corner.
(2000,
Mar
2).
Retrieved
from
http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/basic/notation/notate.htm
Chess Notation. (n.d.). Retrieved from chess.com: https://www.chess.com/terms/chessnotation
Chess Notation: How to Write Down Chess Moves. (2018, June *). Retrieved from ichess.net:
https://www.ichess.net/blog/chess-notation/
Chess
Phases.
(2014,
September
14).
Retrieved
from
chessshredder.com:
http://chessshredder.com/chess-phases.php
Chess Piece Value. (2020). Retrieved from Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/terms/chesspiece-value
Eade,
J.
(2020).
Understanding
Chess
Notation.
Retrieved
from
Dummies:
https://www.dummies.com/games/chess/knowing-the-moves-that-chess-pieces-canmake/
96
MODULE 7
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ARBITERS
Introduction
The officials in the game of chess are called arbiters. They are responsible for keeping
a watch over the match in the tournament to avoid cheating and conflict between the players.
They also keep a keen eye on the clocks of the players and must not give biased decisions.
Whenever an illegality is committed by a player in the game, the arbiter is the one who is
authorized to provide penalties to the player whosoever has violated the rules and regulations
of the same. And in official chess tournament, FIDE appoints the arbiters (Sportsmatik, 2020).
Having an arbiter in an official chess game is necessary to observe the trends, moves
and positions made by players in a game. Learning the responsibilities of arbiters in
tournaments will also help players understand their role in ensuring that the situations in the
playing area are all in order. Above all, players will learn how to value the presence of arbiters
in official games.
As stated in the official chess rules, arbiters must avoid giving bias decisions in case
their intervention in a particular game is needed. It is also essential that arbiters have a closer
look on the clocks of the players. Whenever illegalities are committed in the game, the arbiter
is in-charged to provide penalties to the player who violated the official chess rules (The
Responsibilities of Arbiters in Chess Games, 2009).
Learning Outcomes
97
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:
1. Examine the responsibilities of arbiter in of chess
2. Identify the different title and rank in game of chess
3. Demonstrate understanding in organizing chess competition
Lesson 1. Responsibilities of Arbiter
Considered by many people as a game that challenges the minds of players who are
knowledgeable about the effective application of military strategies and tactics, chess is a
sport that depicts situations in warfare. Players who want to be successful in this game should
have a background on the offense and defense techniques that are used in military activities.
With this in mind, players will be more equipped when they play actual games of chess (The
Responsibilities of Arbiters in Chess Games, 2009).
Being knowledgeable about the techniques, strategies, and tactics that they can
employ in chess, it is also important that players learn the official rules implemented in chess
tournaments to have more chance of winning. Knowing the official chess rules will give
players advantages in the game as well as help them deal with other players and officials who
are in-charged of monitoring their games (The Responsibilities of Arbiters in Chess Games,
2009).
The following is based upon the FIDE Laws of Chess (Welcome to FIDE Network, n.d.)
The role and purpose of the Arbiter is to make sure that the games are played in
accordance with the Laws of Chess, under the best conditions possible.
It is clear that it is impossible to cover every situation that may arise, so the decisions of the
Arbiter must also be based on arriving at a fair solution to problems by means of sound
98
reasoning and practical common sense. References as to the duties of the arbiter are to be
found throughout the Laws, however Article 13 clearly details the role of the arbiter.
Following is the complete text. (Welcome to FIDE Network, n.d.).
Article 13: The role of the arbiter
13.1 The arbiter shall see that the Laws of Chess are strictly observed.
3.2 The arbiter shall act in the best interest of the competition. He should ensure that a good
playing environment is maintained and that the players are not disturbed. He shall
supervise the progress of the competition.
13.3 The arbiter shall observe the games, especially when the players are short of time,
enforce decisions he has made and impose penalties on players where appropriate.
13.4 The arbiter can apply one or more of the following penalties:
(a) warning,
(b) increasing the remaining time of the opponent,
(c) reducing the remaining time of the offending player,
(d) declaring the game to be lost,
(e) reducing the points scored in a game by the offending party,
(f) increasing the points scored in a game by the opponent to the maximum available
for that game,
(g) expulsion from the event.
13.5 The arbiter may award either or both players additional time in the event of external
disturbance of the game.
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13.6 The arbiter must not intervene in a game except in cases described by the Laws of
Chess. He shall not indicate the number of moves made, except in applying Article 8.5,
when at least one player has used all his time. The arbiter shall refrain from informing a
player that his opponent has completed a move.
13.7 Spectators and players in other games are not to speak about or otherwise interfere in a
game. If necessary, the arbiter may expel offenders from the playing venue.
LESSON 2. Organization of Competitions
Contemporary chess is an organized sport with structured international and national
leagues,
tournaments,
and congresses.
Chess's
international
governing
body
is FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Most countries have a national chess
organization as well (such as the US Chess Federation and English Chess Federation) which
in turn is a member of FIDE (Chess, 2003).
FIDE is a member of the International Olympic Committee, but the game of chess has
never been part of the Olympic Games; chess has its own Olympiad, held every two years as
a team event (Chess, 2003).
The current World Chess Champion is Magnus Carlsen of Norway. The reigning
Women's World Champion is Ju Wenjun from China.
Other competitions for individuals include the World Junior Chess Championship,
the European Individual Chess Championship, and the National Chess Championships.
Invitation-only tournaments regularly attract the world's strongest players. Examples include
Spain's Linares event,
Monte
Carlo's Melody
Amber tournament,
the Dortmund
Sparkassen meeting, Sofia's M-tel Masters, and Wijk aan Zee's Tata Steel tournament.
Regular team chess events include the Chess Olympiad and the European Team
Chess Championship. The World Chess Solving Championship and World Correspondence
Chess Championships include both team and individual events (Chess, 2003).
100
Besides these prestigious competitions, there are thousands of other chess
tournaments, matches, and festivals held around the world every year catering to players of
all levels. Chess is promoted as a "mind sport" by the Mind Sports Organization, alongside
other mental-skill games such as contract bridge, Go, and Scrabble (Chess, 2003).
The Filipino Chess Championship is organized by the National Chess Federation of
the Philippines (NCFP).
Figure 6.1 Former world champion Viswanathan Anand (left) playing against his predecessor
Vladimir Kramnik (Ygrek, 2011).
LESSON 3. Title and Rankings
101
The best players can be awarded specific lifetime titles by the world chess organization
FIDE:

Grandmaster (shortened as GM; sometimes International Grandmaster or IGM is used) is
awarded to world-class chess masters. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the
highest title a chess player can attain. Before FIDE will confer the title on a player, the
player must have an Elo chess rating (see below) of at least 2500 at one time and three
favorable results (called norms) in tournaments involving other grandmasters, including
some from countries other than the applicant's. There are other milestones a player can
achieve to attain the title, such as winning the World Junior Championship (Singh, 2020).

International Master (shortened as IM). The conditions are similar to GM, but less
demanding. The minimum rating for the IM title is 2400 (Chess Title, 2011).

FIDE Master (shortened as FM). The usual way for a player to qualify for the FIDE Master
title is by achieving a FIDE rating of 2300 or more (Chess Title, 2011).

Candidate Master (shortened as CM). Similar to FM, but with a FIDE rating of at least
2200.
All the titles are open to men and women. Separate women-only titles, such as Woman
Grandmaster (WGM), are available. Beginning with Nona Gaprindashvili in 1978, a number
of women have earned the GM title, and as of 2020, all of the top ten rated women hold the
unrestricted GM title.
As of 2018, there are 1725 active grandmasters and 3903 international masters in the
world. The top three countries with the largest numbers of grandmasters are Russia, the
United States, and Germany, with 251, 98, and 96, respectively (Chess Title, 2011).
In order to rank players, FIDE, ICCF, and national chess organizations use the Elo
rating system developed by Arpad Elo. Elo is a statistical system based on the assumption
that the chess performance of each player in his or her games is a random variable. Arpad
Elo thought of a player's true skill as the average of that player's performance random variable,
102
and showed how to estimate the average from results of player's games. The US Chess
Federation implemented Elo's suggestions in 1960, and the system quickly gained recognition
as being both fairer and more accurate than older systems; it was adopted by FIDE in 1970. A
beginner or casual player typically has an Elo rating of less than 1000; an ordinary club player
has a rating of about 1500, a strong club player about 2000, a grandmaster usually has a
rating of over 2500, and an elite player has a rating of over 2700. The highest FIDE rating of
all time, 2881, was achieved by Magnus Carlsen on the March 2014 FIDE rating list (Chess,
2003).
Assessment Task 1
Prepare a 2-minute video presentation on actual chess game. You may choose your
friends or relatives as your opponent.
Online chess activities
Summary
A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon
players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life.
The international chess governing body grants several titles, the most prestigious of
which is Grandmaster; many national chess federations also grant titles such as
"National Master". More broadly, the term "master" can refer to any highly skilled chess
player.
103
Master titles are often awarded by national chess federations as a way of
honoring the strongest players in their country.
The most prestigious titles are granted by FIDE, which is the World Chess
Federation. These titles require high FIDE ratings, and the highest titles also require
strong performances in tournaments against other elite players. Once granted, FIDE
titles are not taken away from players, even if their performance drops. The FIDE titles
and their requirements are as follows:

Candidate Master: This title is awarded to any player with an established FIDE rating
of 2200 or higher. This is the least prestigious title awarded by FIDE.

FIDE Master (FM): The FIDE Master title is awarded to any player who establishes a
FIDE rating of at least 2300. Many international junior tournaments also award the
FIDE title to winners; for instance, one may earn the FM title by winning a section at
the Pan-Am Youth Games, even if they do not meet the rating requirement.

International Master (IM): To earn the IM title, a player must normally have an
established FIDE rating of 2400. Like the FM title, however, there are potential
shortcuts to winning the IM title, such as by being the runner-up at the World Junior
Championship.

Grandmaster (GM): The GM title is the most difficult title to earn for any chess player.
To become a grandmaster, a player must establish a FIDE rating of at least 2500.
Also, he or she must go through the same norms process required of an IM, but with
a higher standard required to achieve each norm. Only a few tournaments award a
GM title outside of this system; winning the World Junior Championship or the World
Senior Championship are two ways in which a player might earn the GM title despite
not otherwise qualifying for it (Chess, 2003).
104
References
Chess.
(2003,
Decemebr
4).
Retrieved
from
en.wikipedia.org:
Retrieved
from
en.wikipedia.org:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess
Chess.
(2003,
December
4).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess#Organization_of_competitions
Chess
Title.
(2011,
December
22).
Retrieved
from
en.wikipedia.org:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_title
Singh,
H.
(2020,
July
Jagran
20).
Josh.
Retrieved
from
jagranjosh.com:
https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/when-is-a-chess-player-calledgrand-master-1522761906-1
Sportsmatik. (2020). Arbiter. Retrieved from Sportsmatik.com: https://sportsmatik.com/sportscorner/sports-know-how/chess/rules?tab=officials&
The Responsibilities of Arbiters in Chess Games . (2009, February 21). Retrieved from
rules4chess.com: http://www.rules4chess.com/the-responsibilities-of-arbiters.html
Welcome
to
FIDE
Network.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
from
web.archive.org:
https://web.archive.org/web/20020118174821/http://handbook.fide.com:80/handbook
.cgi?level=E&level=E1&level=01&
Ygrek.
(2011,
November
14).
SchachWM.
Retrieved
from
en.wiki.org:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SchachWM2008.jpg
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