Game Control
To select a chess piece, place the mouse cursor over the piece you want to move and press and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the piece while holding the button down to move it. Then let go of the mouse button when you are ready to release the piece.
When you select a chess piece, the squares where you can move the piece will be highlighted. If you try to make an illegal move, the piece will return to its original position. The only exception to this is on the set up board where any move is allowed.
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Chess Terms
Castling: A special move for the King that involves the Rook. To castle on the Queen's side, move the King two squares towards the Queen's Rook, then move the Rook to the square on the other side of the King by jumping the Rook over the King. To castle on the King's side, move the King two squares towards the King's Rook, then move the Rook to the square on the other side of the King by jumping the Rook over the King.
Check: When a King is under attack but can escape.
Checkmate: When a King is under attack and cannot escape. This ends the game.
Diagonal: A line of squares diagonally across the chess board.
Endgame: The last part of a chess game.
En Passant: Pronounced "on passon" which is French for "in passing." It is a special move for the Pawn that is used to capture an opponent's piece. If a Pawn moves two squares on its first move and in doing so moves past a square where it could have been taken by an opponent's Pawn, the opponent's Pawn can capture him as though he had only moved one space instead of two. The opponent's Pawn can only capture this Pawn if it does so on the very next move.
File: A line of squares up and down the chess board.
Fork: When a piece attacks two pieces at the same time.
Legal Move: A move that is allowed in chess.
Opening: The first 10 to 15 moves of a game.
Perpetual Check: When one player puts the other player in check three consecutive times. The game ends in a draw.
Queening: The promoting of a Pawn to a Queen, Bishop, Knight, or Rook because it reaches the opposite side of the chess board from which it began.
Rank: A line of squares that run side to side on the chess board.
Stalemate: A game which ends in a draw because one of the players cannot make a legal move and the player is not in check.
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Game Options
RESTART GAME
Select this menu item to restart the game. The difficulty level, player option, and character set will be maintained.
PLAYER OPTIONS
If you select another person as your opponent, you take turns using the mouse to select your chess pieces. If you choose the computer as your opponent, you will control the white chess pieces. To practice specific moves, select the set up board and you will have freedom of movement with the chess pieces.
UNDO LAST MOVE
If you want to take back your move, undo it and make your move again.
CHESS PIECES
Choose from ten different character sets for your chess pieces. Your game will restart after you make your selection.
DIFFICULTY
Choose from ten different levels of difficulty. 1 is the easiest and they progressively become harder with 10 being the hardest. Your game will restart after you make your selection.
MUSIC
Cut the music on or off using this setting.
CHECK
When you are in check, the menu item "Check" will become active. You can then select the "escape moves" that will allow you to get out of check. All four ways to escape from any check will be displayed but only the ways to get out of your current check situation will be darkened. This is just a hint option and you do not have to select it before you make your move.
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Game Options
The player with the white pieces goes first. Each player then takes turns moving one piece at a time. Each chess piece has its own unique movement. Only one piece of the same color can occupy a single square.
Your objective is to attack your opponent's king and have him trapped so that he is unable to make a legal move. If your opponent's king is unable to move and none of your opponent's other pieces can block or take your attacking piece, then you win. This is called checkmate and the game is over.
CHESS PIECES AND THEIR MOVEMENT
Each player has eight Pawns, two Knights, two Bishops, two Rooks, a Queen, and a King. The Knights, Bishops, and Rooks are labeled as belonging to the Queen or King (e.g. Queen's Knight) depending on which side of the King or Queen they start on. The Pawns are labeled in reference to the piece located behind them (e.g. Queen's Bishop's Pawn).
PAWN
Pawns can only move forward, never backwards. They can move one or two squares on their first move, and only one square on subsequent moves. To capture an opponent's piece, the Pawn must attack diagonally forwards. If a chess piece is in front of a Pawn, the Pawn cannot move unless it is able to attack another piece diagonally.
Pawns have a special move that it can make to capture an opponent's piece. This move is called "en passant" (pronounced "on passon") which is French for "in passing." If a Pawn moves two squares on its first move and in doing so moves past a square where it could have been taken by an opponent's Pawn, the opponent's Pawn can capture him as though he had only moved one space instead of two. The opponent's Pawn can only capture this Pawn if it does so on the very next move.
The eight Pawns are the least valuable of your chess pieces. But if a Pawn can make it safely to the opposite side of the chess board, he can be promoted. He can be promoted to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight. This process is called "Queening."
KNIGHT
Knights are the only chess pieces that can jump over other pieces. This makes them ideal pieces to move at the beginning of the game because they can jump over the pawns. Knights can move in any direction three squares at a time in an L-shape. If a Knight lands on a square that is occupied by an enemy piece, the enemy piece is captured.
BISHOP
Bishops can move diagonally any number of squares but they cannot jump over any pieces. If there is an enemy piece in the path of the Bishop's diagonal move, the Bishop can capture the enemy piece.
ROOK
Rooks can move either on the squares forwards or backwards (called the files) or on the squares side to side (called the ranks) any number of spaces but they cannot jump over any pieces. If there is an enemy piece in the path of the Rook's move, the Rook can capture the enemy piece.
Rooks are sometimes referred to as Castles.
QUEEN
The Queen can move on the squares forwards or backwards, on the squares side to side, or diagonally any number of spaces but cannot jump over any piece. If there is an enemy piece in the path of the Queen's move, the Queen can capture the enemy piece.
The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board.
KING
The King can move in any direction one space at a time. If the King moves on a square that is occupied by an enemy piece, the enemy piece is captured.
The King has a special move that it can make with the rook to protect itself. This move is called castling. To castle on the Queen's side, move the King two squares towards the Queen's Rook, then move the Rook to the square on the other side of the King by jumping the Rook over the King. To castle on the King's side, move the King two squares towards the King's Rook, then move the Rook to the square on the other side of the King by jumping the Rook over the King.
You can castle only under certain conditions: 1.) There must be no pieces on the squares between the King and the Rook. 2.) The King nor the Rook must not have moved since the beginning of the game. 3.) The King cannot have been in check. 4.) The squares that the King must pass over cannot be under attack.
The King is the most important piece on the board. If an enemy piece attacks your King and you cannot escape or block the attack, you lose.
CHECK, CHECKMATE, AND STALEMATE
When you attack your opponent's King, you say, "Check." This warns your opponent of a possible upcoming checkmate. If you attack your opponent's King and your opponent is unable to get out of the attack, you say, "Checkmate" or "Check and Mate" which means the game is over and you win. If during the course of the game, either player is unable to make a legal move with any of the remaining pieces the player has on the board and the player is not in check, the game is a stalemate which means a tie. Two players can also agree to a draw if they think neither can win.
STRATEGY
1. In the beginning of the game (first 10 -15 moves) try to gain control of the center of the board (the four center squares). Do this by moving the King's Pawn or Queen's Pawn up two squares. Then move the Knights to the center of the board on subsequent moves. The Bishops are also good pieces to move early in the game.
2. Try to castle early in the game to keep your King safe. During the course of the game, always keep your king well defended.
3. In the middle of the game try to weaken your opponent's defenses by taking unguarded pieces while avoiding being taken yourself.
4. Avoid making wasted moves. Have a reason for each piece you move.
5. Use your less powerful pieces to guard your more powerful ones.
6. Plan moves that cause your opponent to move his pieces in vulnerable positions or positions that clear the way for you to checkmate your opponent.
7. If you wait until the end of the game to checkmate your opponent, it becomes more difficult because most of the pieces have been removed from the board. If you reach this stage of the game and you have any pawns left, try to promote them to queens. Study the King's position on the board and try to attack any weak spots in the King's defense.
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