III
The squares running across the board are termed ranks; those running up and down, files; and those in a slanting direction, diagonals. The squares, as will be seen, are named from the pieces, which, at starting, occupy their first rank; thus the square at the lower right-hand corner is White’s King’s Rook’s Square (K R sq); the square immediately in front is White’s King’s Rook’s second (K R 2)—the word square being omitted; the next in front is White’s K R 3, and so on till you come to White’s K R 8. In a similar way you get White’s K Kt sq, or 2 or 3, etc., or White’s K or Q sq, or 2 or 3, and so on. Similarly, by turning the board round, you count the squares from the Black side as Black’s K R sq, or 2, etc., or Black’s K or Q sq, or 2 or 3, etc. The files are also named in a similar manner; thus the file running from White’s K sq to Black’s K sq is called the K’s file, and so with all the other files. The ranks are simply called first rank, second rank, etc. The diagonals have no special name, with the exception of the two running direct from one corner of the board to the other—that is, the diagonal from White’s K R sq to Black’s Q R sq, and that from White’s Q R sq to Black’s K R sq. These are called the long diagonals. Of course, some of the very sharp boys who read this will at once exclaim, “Why, they are the only diagonals a square can have, for a rectangular figure can only have two diagonals.” Well, that is all right in mathematics, but in chess, use or custom has brought about the practice of calling all the sloping lines of squares diagonals, and the two which, according to mathematics, are really diagonals, the long diagonals.
Having thus described the board, I next proceed to describe the moves of the various men.
The King.—The King is by far the most important man on the board, inasmuch as a successful attack upon him (as will be explained later on) involves the loss of the game. On the other hand, his moves are much more circumscribed and his powers of attack more limited than those of any other man except the Pawn. He moves only one square at a time, but that move can be made in any direction—that is, to any adjacent square, either forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally. Place the king on his own square and he can move to Q sq, Q 2, K 2, K B 2, or K B sq. Similarly, if he be placed on a centre square, he can move on to any of the eight adjacent squares. The King captures in the same direction in which he moves; that is, if any one of the enemy’s men stands on an adjacent square to his own, he can occupy that square, the other piece being removed from the board, or “taken” or “captured,” as it is termed. The King cannot move on to any square commanded by an enemy’s man, or, as it is technically called, he cannot move into check; neither can the two Kings occupy adjacent squares. Once during the progress of each game the King has the option of an extension of his ordinary move, but this I will describe under its proper head of castling.
The Queen.—The Queen is by far the most powerful piece on the board, as she possesses such a wide range of moves. Like the King, she can move in any direction—forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally; but these moves are not confined to the adjacent squares, for the only limits to her range of moves are the sides of the board, provided no piece or Pawn is in the way of her march. Place the Queen on her own square, and she can be moved to any one of twenty-one squares, namely, Q B sq, Q Kt sq, Q R sq, K sq, K B sq, K Kt sq, K R sq, Q 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 squares, Q B 2, Q Kt 3, Q R 4, K 2, K B 3, K Kt 4, and K R 5. Similarly placed on a centre square, say Q 4 or 5, or K 4 or 5, and it will be found that she commands (that is, can be moved to) no less than twenty-seven squares on a clear board. The Queen takes in the same direction as she moves; this she does by displacing the enemy’s man, and occupying the vacated square herself.
The Rook.—Next in importance comes the Rook. This piece moves forward, backward, or sideways, as far as the open board permits, but not diagonally. Place the K R on its own square, and it can move to fourteen squares, namely, R’s 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 squares, K Kt sq, K B sq, K sq, Q sq, Q B sq, Q Kt sq and Q R sq. Placed on any position on the open board, in a corner, at the side, or in the centre, it will be found that it always commands fourteen squares, neither more nor less. It captures in the same direction as it moves in a similar manner to the King or Queen; that is, by removing the enemy’s attacked man and occupying the square so vacated.