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Gambit.—See “Game.”
Game.—Besides its ordinary meaning, the word is used in a technical sense, such as “open game,” “close game,” etc. A game of chess has three phases more or less well defined. The “opening,” the “mid game,” and the “end game.”
The “Opening.”—The first or developing moves in a game, wherein the pieces are brought from their original comparatively inoperative position into active co-operation, both for attack and defence. It is here that book play comes in, and in the study of openings the young student of chess will find wide scope.
The “Mid Game.”—That portion of the game immediately following the opening; the pieces being developed on both sides, combinations result, and attack, defence, and counter-attack take place. It is here that the native skill of the player finds full scope for its display.
The “End Game.”—The final scene of all, after the bustle and life of the mid-game pieces have been exchanged, the board stripped of the men, and the combat reduced to narrower bounds. Here again book knowledge is of the greatest benefit to the player.
It is to be noted that some games never pass into the third stage, for the attack in the mid-game may have been so strong that surrender was imperative forthwith. Nay, in the hands of a weak player, or by some gross blunder, a game may be finished even in the “opening” stage.
The “openings” may be thus classified—
(a) Games, when neither player offers any sacrifice of material force in order to gain some strategical advantage.
(b) Gambits, when the first player offers to sacrifice some material force in order to quickly develop his game, or otherwise to gain some advantage in position. A Pawn is generally sacrificed in the gambits.
(c) Counter Gambits, when the second player makes the sacrifice.
(d) Defences, when the game gains its distinctive character from the line of play adopted by the second player. Some “defences” may properly be termed Counter Attacks.
There are many well-known openings, all of which have a distinctive name, sometimes that of their inventor, sometimes that of a well-known player who may have made them familiar, sometimes from some place or incident with which they have been connected. Thus there are the “Scotch Game,” the “Steinitz Gambit,” the “Greco Counter Gambit,” the “Philidor Defence,” and “Petroff Defence,” the latter of which should be more properly termed “Petroff Counter Attack.” Then there are many other recognised openings.