The above position represents the appearance of the forces on each side towards the end of a game, and will assist to explain the application of two or three of the technical terms described in the present section, as well as to exhibit the King in a situation of checkmate. You already understand that the moves at chess are played by each party alternately; in this case it is White's turn to play, and he will checkmate his antagonist in two moves. Place the chess-men on your board exactly in the order they stand in the diagram; having done this, suppose yourself to be playing the White men, and take the Black King's Pawn with your Queen, in the manner before shown, i.e., by taking the Pawn from the board and stationing your Queen on the square it occupied. By this act, you not only take his Pawn, but you attack his King, and must apprise him of his danger by calling "check." He has now two ways only of parrying this check. It is clear he cannot move his King, because the only two squares to which he could move without going into check are occupied by his own men; he is forced then either to take the Queen with his K. B's Pawn, or to interpose the Bishop at King's second square. If he take the Queen with his K. B's Pawn, you must reply by playing your King's Bishop (which you will know by the color of the diagonal on which he travels) to K. Kt's sixth square, crying "check." Examine the position attentively, and you will find that Black has no square to which he can move his King, the only vacant one being attacked by your Queen's Bishop, that he has nothing wherewith to take the Bishop that has given check, and neither Piece nor Pawn with which to interpose between it and his King, and that consequently, he is not only checked, but checkmated. In like manner, if, at his first move, instead of capturing your Queen, he interpose his Bishop at King's second square, you immediately take the Bishop with your Queen, who is protected by her Bishop, and say "checkmate."[A]
[A] We append a diagram here, showing a position which has frequently been misapprehended by unpractised players.
By inspecting the diagram it will be seen that the White King is in check of the Black Queen. By the simple move of the White Rook to K. Kt's 5th square, checking the Black King, and at the same time discovering check by the White Queen, Black is checkmated, although having by far the strongest force of men. We give the position to show that any Piece or Pawn, although employed in covering a check of its own King, has nevertheless the power to check the adverse King.
No. 10.
BLACK.
WHITE.
Perpetual Check.
The diagram on page 28 will enable you to understand what is meant by perpetual check as well as the most elaborate arrangement of the men could do. Place the men on your chess-board according to the diagram, suppose yourself to be playing the white Pieces, and that it is your turn to move. Your adversary, you will observe, has the advantage in point of force, but this is counterbalanced by the situation, which enables you to draw the game. To do this, you must first play your Queen to one of the three squares where she will check the King, i.e., to K's 4th, Q's 5th, or Q. B's 6th; it is indifferent which, say, therefore, Q. to K's 4th (check). Black has no option, his King cannot move, he must interpose his Queen. If now you were to take the Queen you would lose the game, on account of his two Pawns; but instead of doing so, you play the Queen to King's 8th sq, giving check. The black Queen must again interpose; you repeat the check at K's 4th, Black can only parry it with his Queen, and you may persist in giving the same two checks, ad infinitum. In such cases, the game is resigned as "drawn by perpetual check."
No. 11.