When the men are first arranged in battle order, it is seen that the only Pieces which have the power of moving are the Knights, and that to liberate the others it is indispensably necessary to move a Pawn. Now, as the King's Pawn, on being moved, gives freedom both to the Queen and to the King's Bishop, it is more frequently played at the beginning of the game than any other. You will remember, in speaking of the Pawns it was shown that on certain conditions they have the privilege of going either one or two steps when they are first moved.
| 2. K's B. to Q's B's 4th. | 2. K's B. to Q's B's 4th. |
Thus far the game illustrative of the King's Bishop's opening is correctly begun. Each party plays his King's Bishop thus, because it attacks the most vulnerable point of the adverse position, viz., the King's Bishop's Pawn.
| 3. Q. B's Pawn to B's 3d. | 3. Q's Knight to B's 3d. |
In playing this Pawn your object is afterwards to play Queen's Pawn to Queen's 4th square, and thus establish your Pawns in the centre; but Black foresees the intention, and thinks to prevent its execution by bringing another Piece to bear upon the square.
| 4. Q's Pawn to Q's 4th. | 4. Pawn takes Q's Pawn. |
| 5. Q's B's Pawn takes Pawn. | 5. K's B. takes Pawn. |
Here you have played without due consideration. Black's third move of Queen's Knight to Bishop's 3d square was a bad one, and afforded you an opportunity of gaining a striking advantage, but omitting this, you have enabled him to gain a valuable Pawn for nothing. Observe, now, your reply to his third move was good enough, (4. Queen's Pawn to Queen's 4th square), but when he took your Pawn with his, instead of taking again, you ought to have taken his King's Bishop's Pawn with your Bishop, giving check: the game would then most probably have gone on thus:—
| 5. K's B. takes K. B. Pawn (ch.) | 5. K. takes Bishop. |
| 6. Queen to K. R's 5th (check). | 6. K. to his B's square. |
| 7. Queen takes K's Bishop (check). |
In this variation, you see Black has lost his King's Bishop's Pawn, and what is worse, has lost his privilege of castling, by being forced to move his King; and although for a moment he had gained a Bishop for a Pawn, it was quite clear that he must lose a Bishop in return by the check of the adverse Queen at King's Rook's 5th square. It is true that he need not have taken the Bishop, but still his King must have moved, and White could then have taken the King's Knight with his Bishop, having always the better position.
But now to proceed with the actual game:—