- 1. A piece exerts no force against that point upon which it is posted;
- 2. That whatever power a piece exerts, always is exerted against some other point than the point upon which it stands; and that;
- 3. In order to exert such power, it is an all-essential that the piece move from the point which it occupies to the point at which its power is to be exerted.
Hence, it is obvious and may be mathematically demonstrated, that,
- 1. A piece which cannot move, cannot capture.
- 2. A piece which cannot capture, does not exercise any threat of capture; and
- 3. Consequently, a piece deprived of its right to move; which cannot capture nor exercise any threat to capture, obviously and by mathematical demonstration, cannot give check, inasmuch, as “check” merely is the threat by a piece to move and capture the adverse King.
Therefore, whatever may be the normal area of movement belonging to a piece, whenever from any cause such piece loses its power of movement, then,
It no longer can capture, nor exercise any threat of capture, upon the points contained within said area; and consequently such points so far as said immovable piece is concerned, may be occupied in safety by any adverse piece including the adverse King, for the reason that:
An immovable piece cannot move; and not being able to move it cannot capture, and not being able to capture, it does not exercise any threat of capture, and consequently it cannot give check.
This incongruity of permitting an immovable piece to give check constitutes the second mathematical blemish in the game of Chess, as at present constructed.
This fallacy, the correction of which any schoolboy may mathematically demonstrate, is defended, even by many who would know better, if they merely would take time for reflection; by the inane assumption, that:
A piece which admittedly is disqualified and rendered dormant by all the fundamentals of the science of Chess, and which therefore cannot legally move and consequently cannot legally capture anything; by some hocus-pocus may be made to move and to capture that most valuable of all prizes, the adverse King; and this at a time and under circumstances when, as is universally allowed, it cannot legally move against, nor legally capture any other adverse piece.