1st. Each player begins by moving his King's Pawn to King's 4th square, and the first player then moves King's Knight to King's Bishop's 3d square. This is called the King's Knight's opening.
2d. Each player commences by moving his King's Pawn to King's 4th square, and then he who has the first move plays King's Bishop to Queen's Bishop's 4th square. This is known as the King's Bishop's opening.
3d. Each player opens with King's Pawn to King's 4th square, and the first plays Queen's Bishop's Pawn to Bishop's 3d square. This is termed the Queen's Bishop's Pawn's opening.
4th. Each player begins with King's Pawn to King's 4th square, and the first follows with King's Bishop's Pawn to Bishop's 4th square. This is called the King's gambit.
Of these four openings on the King's side there are many modifications, of which each has its appropriate appellation; there are also several openings begun on the Queen's side, but the four above-named are those most generally practised, and with them you should be thoroughly conversant before advancing further.
PRELIMINARY GAME.
Preparatory to the investigation of the several openings treated of in the following chapters, it may not be uninstructive to give a short game which shall exhibit the application of some technical phrases in use at chess, and at the same time show a few of the most prominent errors into which an inexperienced player is likely to fall.
In this game, as in all the analyses which follow, the reader will be supposed to play the White Pieces and to have the first move, although, as it has been before remarked, it is advisable for you to accustom yourself to play with either Black or White, for which purpose it is well to practise the attack, first with the White and then with the Black Pieces.
| WHITE. | BLACK. |
| 1. K's P. to K's 4th. | 1. K's P. to K's 4th. |