Chess

Chess is played on a board of 64 squares arranged in eight vertical rows called files and eight horizontal rows called ranks

Setup

• The eight ranks are numbered 1 through 8 beginning with the rank closest to White
• The files are labelled a through h beginning with the file at White's left hand

 -------------------------------
| *R| *N| *B| *K| *Q| *B| *N| *R| 8 Black
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|           ^
| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| *P| 7         |
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|           |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 6         |
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|           |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|          file
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|           |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 3         |
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|           |
| P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 2         |
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|           |
| R | N | B | K | Q | B | N | R | 1 White
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

  ----------- rank ----------->

Algebraic Notation (AN)

AN is the standard method for recording and describing the moves in a game of chess

It is language of chess

• K: King
• Q: Queen
• R: Rook
• B: Bishop
• N: Knight
• P: Pawn (omitted from notation)

Special Symbols:

• x: captures
• 0-0: kingside castle
• 0-0-0: queenside castle
• +: check
• #: checkmate
• !: good move
• ?: poor move
• more !s and ?s can be added for emphasis

Movements

White moves first

King

• 1 square in any direction

 -------------------------------
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   | . | . | . |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   | . | K | . |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   | . | . | . |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

• Castling: The king moves two spaces to the left or to the right, and the rook moves over and in front of the king, all in one move!
  • Rules for castling:
    • Your king can not have moved
    • Your rook can not have moved
    • Your king can NOT be in check
    • Your king can not pass through check
    • No pieces can be between the king and rook

Queen

• 9 Points

 -------------------------------
| . |   |   | . |   |   | . |   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | . |   | . |   | . |   |   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   | . | . | . |   |   |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| . | . | . | Q | . | . | . | . | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   | . | . | . |   |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | . |   | . |   | . |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| . |   |   | . |   |   | . |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   | . |   |   |   | . | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

Rook

• 5 Points

 -------------------------------
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| . | . | . | . | . | R | . | . | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

Bishop

• 3 Points (3.25 - 3.15)

 -------------------------------
| . |   |   |   |   |   | . |   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | . |   |   |   | . |   |   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   | . |   | . |   |   |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   | B |   |   |   |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   | . |   | . |   |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | . |   |   |   | . |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| . |   |   |   |   |   | . |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | . | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

Knight

• 3 Points

 -------------------------------
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   | . |   | . |   |   |   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | . |   |   |   | . |   |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   | N |   |   |   |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | . |   |   |   | . |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   | . |   | . |   |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

Pawn

• 1 Point

 -------------------------------
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   | . |   |   |   |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   | P |   |   |   |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | . |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | P |   |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

• Promotion: to queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color, when a pawn advances to its eighth rank, as part of the move (mandatory)

  • Promotion to a queen is known as queening
  • Promotion to any other piece is known as under-promotion

• En Passant

Situations

Check

Checkmate

• Fool's mate: 2 move checkmate

  1. f3 e6
  2. g4 Qh4#

• Scholar's mate: The 4 Move Checkmate

Stalemate

Others

• Zugzwang

Phases

3 Phases in Chess:

1. The opening, where piece development and control of the centre predominate

2. The middlegame, where maneuvering in defense and attack against the opponent's king or weaknesses occurs

3. The endgame, where, generally after several piece exchanges, pawn promotion becomes the dominant theme

Opening

Setups:

• Sicilian Defence:

  1. e4 c5

• London system

• Evans Gambit

• King's Gambit:

  1. e4 e5
  2. f4

• King's Indian Defence:

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 g6

• Benko Gambit (or Volga Gambit):

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. d5 b5

What is the first worst move that a white can play at the starting position?

• F3 with the Pawn?

What is the best opening?

• Caro–Kann Defence (e4, c6)

Middlegame

• Strategic play
• Tactical play

Endgame

Names of Moves

• Scholar's Mate: The 4 Move Checkmate
• Sicilian Defence
• Wing Gambit
• Rossolimo Attack Variation

Games

• Adams vs Fabrego (1988) (white checkmates in 2 moves)

 -------------------------------
| *R|   |   |   |   | *K| *R|   | 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | *B|   |   | R |   | *N|   | 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| *P| *Q|   |   |   |   | *P|   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   | Q |   |   |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | *P|   |   |   |   | P |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   | P |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
| P | P | P |   |   |   |   | P | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   | K |   |   | R |   |   |   | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

• The Gold Coin Game: Stefan Levitsky vs Frank Marshall (1912)

• Opera Game: Paul Morphy vs Duke Karl (1858)

Puzzles

• Paul Morphy (white checkmate in 2 moves)

 -------------------------------
|   |   |   |   |   | K | *B| *K| 8
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   | *P| *P| 7
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   | P |   | 6
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 5
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 4
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 3
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 2
|---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R | 1
 -------------------------------
  a   b   c   d   e   f   g   h

Elo Rating

Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess

• Developed by Arpad Elo in 1960

Each player has a rating which is a number. The difference in the ratings of the winner and loser determines the total number of points gained or lost after a game

• 400 points difference: 10:1 odds
• 200 points difference: 5:1 odds
• 100 points difference: 2:1 odds

Elo Probability Formula

$$E_a=\frac{1}{1+{10}^{\frac{(R2-R1)}{400}}}$$$$E_b=\frac{1}{1+{10}^{\frac{(R1-R2)}{400}}}$$

Where:

• $E_a$: Expected score of player A
• $E_b$: Expected score of player B
• $R1$: Rating of player A
• $R2$: Rating of player B

Elo Rating Formula

$$R_A^{\prime }=R_A+K\cdot (S_A-E_A)$$

Where:

• $R_A^{\prime }$: New rating of player A after the game
• $R_A$: Rating of player A before the game
• $K$: Weight of the competition (32 for rapid, 24 for blitz, 16 for standard)
• $S_A$: Score of player A (1 for win, 0.5 for draw, 0 for loss)
• $E_A$: Expected score of player A (from the probability formula)

Chess Engines

• Stockfish
• LeelaChessZero

References

• Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual