In order to strengthen your overall gameplay standards and improve your chances of setting up for checkmates, having a deep understanding of the knight’s characteristics becomes imperative.

A knight helps a chess player develop a strong formation in the opening rounds of a game. In traditional chess sets, the knight chess piece is shaped in the form of a horse. Each chess competitor starts with two knights at the start of a chess game.

They are positioned in between the rooks and the bishops, on both sides of the king and the queen. A knight has a value of three points, which is the same as that of the bishop.

How Does the Knight Move in Chess

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of a knight is the manner in which it makes its movement across the board. Knights move in an ‘L’ shape, unlike all other chess pieces. In other words, a knight will take two steps vertically and then take the third step horizontally or the first two steps horizontally and vertically.

Another exciting facet of the knight is its capacity to be able to jump over other chess pieces while in motion. It does not matter to the moving knight whether it has to jump over friendly or enemy pieces. As long as it is moving, it can leap over any chess piece on the board. A knight captures enemy pieces by occupying their spots.

When a knight has started moving from a white square, it will end up on a black tile. The reverse takes place when it begins its journey from a black square. In the latter case, it will eventually end up on a white block.

How Does the Knight Move in Chess: Principles to Apply in your Game

Over the ages, great chess players confessed that their game was significantly elevated because of their grasp of the fundamental principles of the knight chess piece. Becoming a competent chess professional will not be an easy affair unless you get sharp with your knight movements.

So, let us check out the key features of the knight chess piece that make it a standout piece on the board.

Make Sure You Occupy the Centre of the Chess Board

First and foremost, due to its limited range of motion, a good chess play will involve placing the knights in and around the centre of the chess board as quickly as possible. Moving only in an ‘L’-shaped path, knights are the most effective from the centre of the board.

This is because they get a broader reach in all directions from the central part of the board. If you place a knight somewhere on the margins, its efficacy will diminish exponentially. If you notice the next time you play a game, keeping the knights in the centre will give them control over several squares. On the other hand, a knight resting on the edge will threaten just three or four tiles.

In a similar vein, if you place a knight at any of the corners of the board, it will get to choose from only two possible moves.

Keep a Lookout for Outposts at All Times

We have already established that a knight is the most lethal when positioned in the centre of the chessboard. That being said, you must remember that, at times, these centre squares could become vulnerable. You have to ensure that your centrally located chess knights are not in the line of attack from the rival pieces. The rival pawns are the biggest threat to a knight when it is placed somewhere in the centre.

Keeping this in mind, you must be clever enough to find a chess block that is the least affected by the advancing enemy pawn structure. The blocks in and around the centre of the board where it is least to be attacked by rival chess pieces are called ‘outposts’.

Be wary of reading your opponent’s gameplay and figure out where exactly to place your knights to keep them safe from any onslaughts. Always remember that if you keep one or two ‘outposts’ under your control for a more significant part of the game, chances are high you will secure a victory over your opponent in the long run.

Do Not Delay in Developing Your Knights

A great many chess players like to bring their knights out from their starting positions early on in the game. This is a great habit, one which pays back valuable dividends. Knights being the only chess pieces that can come out to the central part of the board even before pawns can, you should take advantage of this distinctive facet.

Nothing can stop a white knight from stepping out of its rest position and becoming the very first piece on the main playing field. Taking control over the centre of the chess board is one of the cardinal necessities of playing a good game of chess, and knights provide the means to achieve this end.

One more advantage of playing your knights early is making space for enabling your king’s ‘castling’. While going for the kingside castling, both the bishop and the knight standing between the king and the rook must be removed. Likewise, to fulfil a queenside castling, the bishop, the knight, and the queen need to move out of the space between the king and the rook.

Execute ‘Fork’ Attacks while Being Wary of Traps

Seeing as the knight moves across the chess board in a peculiar ‘L’–shaped path, you should take maximum advantage of the same as a player. Only a knight can execute a ‘fork’ attack in gameplay. A ‘fork’ attack is an instance when two rival chess pieces are attacked by a knight in a single move. Imagine if you can manage to do this on the enemy king and the queen at the same; it will create havoc in your opponent’s camp.

Always be on the lookout for rival bishops while charging up and down with your knights. Knights are the most susceptible to bishops on the board at any given time, and bishops tend to cut off the number of tiles a knight can attempt to cover.

Learn More About Chess Pieces and Strategies on Square Off

With that, we have come to the end of our piece on ‘How does the knight move in chess’. Continue learning about chess by visiting the Square Off website and browsing through our wide array of blog topics. You may search for subjects like ‘how does the rook move in chess’ and ‘how does the king move in chess’. 

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Someone new to chess should spend enough time studying the principle theories related to chess openings in order to sharpen their overall skills. Since chess opening is one of three chief segments of a chess match, the other two being the middle game and endgame, it is imperative that you have sufficient knowledge about the same. Without a solid grasp of the fundamentals of chess openings, you will find it increasingly difficult to win games in the long run.

In the following few segments of this Square Off blog, we are going to discuss chess openings for white. 

Here we have endeavoured to streamline the best chess openings for white. This will most likely make it easy for you to read and then integrate the newfound data into your gameplay. Let us learn about these aggressive chess openings for white and discover the associated ideas and strategies.

The Lay Down Sacrifice

We begin our list of chess openings for white with the Lay Down Sacrifice opening technique. This one is an offensive style of chess opening typical in elite-level competitions. The objective of this technique is to move white chess pieces in front of the kingside of the black pieces. You can see this strategy work most effectively when the opponent is left with no choice but to obtain the material being offered by white.

As the one playing with white chess pieces, it becomes necessary to put black in a position from which it would be hard to not capture the offered black piece. Hence, it takes time, patience, and practice to master this opening. 

The King’s Gambit

Arguably one of the oldest chess openings for white, the King’s Gambit is a technique that has stood the test of time. Several greats of the game, such as former world chess champions Bobby Fischer, Mikhail Tal, and Boris Spassky, made use of this combative chess opening technique to further their respective styles of play. They vouched for the King’s Gambit because it provided them with a host of possibilities.

The idea of applying the King’s Gambit in one’s gameplay is to challenge blacks’ attempt to control the centre of the chess board. On top of that, sticking to this technique will also allow white to go for lethal strikes on black kingside from the very outset of the match. In more instances than one, there is a chance that black may falter in each step owing to the constant threat from white.

The Vienna Game

The Vienna Game is a sound chess opening used by white, allowing it to go for creative gameplay. This technique sets off with white raising the curtains by playing the e-pawn to e4. This is followed by black responding with e5. In its second move, white moves its knight from b1 to c3.

This is where the stage is set for the Vienna Game to take shape. This strategy pays heed to most of the central opening principles of chess and supports both white and black in exploring several possibilities on the board. One of the pluses of this technique is that it is easy to learn and can be mastered by a chess novice in no time. It is no wonder that the Vienna Game is very popular among both newcomers and advanced chess players.

Applying this strategy to one’s game will allow you to increase your chances of diversifying your attacking options. This is because you will find an amount of time to develop your minor pieces and, at the same time, resort to keeping the pressure on black.

The Scotch Game

The Scotch Game is one of the best beginner chess openings for white. This is one of those methods that has regained some of its lost charms in recent days. This is mainly because the world’s top chess professionals have started using the Scotch Game in elite competitions with the objective of surprising their rivals.

If you are playing with black, it is better that you recognise at the very outset of a match whether or not white is applying the Scotch Game. Otherwise, chances are that very soon, white will get close to a win in no time, thanks to the inherent offensive nature of the Scotch Game.

Concluding Remarks on Chess Openings for White

When you are playing with white, you will have a flurry of attacking options early on in a game. As a beginner, you should make your offensive style sharper by having a penchant for taking risks and leveraging moves in order to break your rival’s opening formations.

Even though it may take a long time before you are good enough to get the better of your opponent, early setbacks will be part of the learning process. So, have fun while engaging in risky moves in the game’s opening half. Try to apply the chess openings for white you have learnt in this blog, and see yourself becoming a more competent chess player in the long run.

One of the best options you will have in your arsenal of strategies will be the e-pawn to e4 move. This advantageous first move will ensure you will have in front of you several attacking possibilities. The more alternatives you have, the higher the chances that the chess game will become more dynamic and aggressive.

You may hear some chess masters talking negatively about aggressive chess openings for white; it is always good to acquire as much knowledge about chess as possible. You may surprise yourself at times by how fast you destroy your opponents by opting to go a handful of aggressive opening moves.

Further Learning with Square Off

In this Square Off blog, we have shared some of the best chess openings for white that a chess player can apply in a match. If you are curious to know about chess openings for black, you can type in the same on the internet and go through the results. During your chess journey, you will require to have a broad knowledge of the various terms and concepts of the game.
To that end, you will find more engrossing blogs about chess on the Square Off website. Click on the link and discover a host of articles covering a wide range of topics on our favourite game. Also, check out the excellent range of AI-powered automated chess boards that Square Off has brought forth to give chess players the best chess-playing experience one can imagine.

So, let us sit back and enjoy the sensational chess records that have been established since the time chess was recorded in the annals of history.

For the convenience of our readers, we have divided the chess records segment into 10 parts. Each part will consist of significant achievements made in the field of competitive chess over the ages. So, without further delay, let us dive right into the record charts!

The ‘Bests’ in Chess Records 

The chess player with the best success record is William Steinitz. He played a total of 27 competitive games from 1862 to 1896 and had a streak of 25 wins. On the whole, Steinitz achieved victory in 160 chess matches, with 70 losses and 57 draws.

The all-time best-selling book about chess is none other than legendary world chess champion Bobby Fischer’s work ‘Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess’. This outstanding book has sold over a million copies since its release worldwide and continues to sell considerably.

The credit for the best world championship record of all time goes to Vera Menchik-Stevenson. She was the first officially recognised women’s world chess champion and held on to her title from 1927 until her death in 1944. During her long reign as world champion, Ms. Menchik-Stevenson made a successful defence of her title a whopping 6 times.

In her professional chess career, Ms. Merchik-Stevenson came victorious in 78 matches, drew in 4 games, and tasted defeat once.

The ‘Highests’ in Chess Records 

The highest chess rating ever to be recorded is a staggering 3358. This computer rating, recorded on April 5, 2016, has been accorded to the chess engine ‘Komodo 9’. In contrast, the reigning undisputed world chess champion Magnus Carlsen is rated at 2851.

Talking about Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, the chess superstar has recorded the highest Elo chess rating ever achieved by a human being – 2882. He reached this peak rating in May 2014. On the other end of the spectrum, the highest a woman chess player has been able to score on Elo rating is 2735. This outstanding feat was achieved by former women’s chess world champion Judit Polgar in July 2005.

Former chess champion Bobby Fischer had the highest performance rating in chess at 3080, and he cemented this achievement after beating Bent Larsen by a score of 6-nil. In the year 2007, another incident took place that came close to Fischer’s feat.

This time Gata Kamsky got a performance rating of 3047 while competing in the Candidates’ matches against the Elo 2709-rated Etienne Bacrot. Their contest finished at 30, with Kamsky taking three wins and securing a draw in the fourth match.

Among the women chess masters, it was the sister of Hungarian former world champion Judit Polgar, Sofia Polgar, who made an effort to get a performance rating of more than 2900 after scoring 8.5 out of a possible 9 in an elite-level tournament in Rome in 1989.

The ‘Largests’ in Chess Records

The largest public library anywhere in the world is the J. W. White Collection, which is part of the Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This collection boasts more than 32,000 chess books and in excess of 6,000 issues of bound periodicals. When it comes to the largest private library, that crown is worn by grandmaster (GM) Lothar Schmid. In his personal collection, GM Schmid has at least 20,000 books on chess.

The largest chess tournament of all time occurred in 1935-36 in the USSR. It was then that the USSR Trade Unions Chess Championship was held. The competition saw participation from 700,000 candidates, a number unimaginably big. Then in the UK, the 2004 edition of the UK Chess Challenge for school children witnessed 71,000 kids from around 2000 schools taking part in the competition.

This tournament is currently the largest active chess competition on the planet. Two other chess meets worth mentioning here are the US Scholastic Championships of 1985 and the New York Chess Congress of 1973, which hosted 1572 and 1487 chess players, respectively.

It is common knowledge that avid chess players have the habit of collecting all sorts of chess sets. In light of this, it is apt to talk about the largest chess set collection that a person has managed to gather under one roof.

This laurel goes to a man named Floyd Sarisohn, who is the proud owner of about 670 chess sets. Mr. Sarisohn has been an avid chess set collector for the past forty-odd years and is continuing to grow his empire with each passing year.

The ‘Mosts’ in Chess Records 

The record for the most chess matches played simultaneously goes to Hungarian chess legend Susan Polgar. In July 2005, Ms. Polgar broke the previous record of 321, held by International Master (IM) Andrew Martin, and competed against 326 contestants concurrently. She came out as a winner in 309 bouts, drew 14 games, and lost only three times. She did all this with a win percentage of a staggering 96.93 %.  

The most elaborate world chess championship chess match ever played was the one that transpired between former champion Anatoly Karpov and challenger Viktor Korchnoi. The former is considered one of the most dominant chess champions of all time.

At the same time, the latter is widely accepted as one of the strongest chess players who could not reach the absolute pinnacle of professional chess and become a world champion. This memorable encounter took place during the championship meet in 1978 in Baguio City, The Philippines. In the fifth game, both participants played a total of 124 moves to reach a stalemate. 

The last entrant in our list of chess records is the tag of the most number of titles won by a single person. There are a bunch of players who we would like to mention here. Firstly, the American chess player Arkadijs Strazdinis captured the New Britain, Connecticut Chess Club Championship on 30 different occasions, winning the first in 1952 and the final in 1994.

Secondly, another American chess player, named John Kalish, was an International Master who grabbed the national championship of Okinawa, Japan, consecutively for 25 years – from 1959 to 1984. The closest to this marvellous feat anyone has got is Estonian-born New Zealander Ortvin Sarapu. He was crowned the chess champion of New Zealand 20 times between 1952 and 1990.

Discover More About Chess with Square Off 

Once you have gone through our chess world records compilation, switch to more fascinating blogs available on the Square Off website. While you are at it, remember to browse through our exquisite range of AI-powered chess boards. One of the most sought-after automated boards that we bring to you – the Square Off Pro, is a chess board that records moves and helps you develop your game at a pace of your accord.

Despite being a complex game, the basic rules and regulations that govern chess can be understood by a child. It only gets more complicated once someone starts climbing the ladder of the professional chess circuit. Here, only the very experienced and skillful players stand a chance to win big tournaments. 

The chessboard is the place where all the action of a chess game takes place. It is a simple checkerboard having 64 squares or tiles divided into black and white colours. Anyone can purchase a chessboard from any local shop that sells toys and such things.

But over the years, chess aficionados have produced exquisite chess boards that completely take the breath away. If you can get a chessboard set for a meagre sum of money, there exist others that go up to the millions.

As they are usually referred to, these ‘works of art’ attract the wealthiest on the planet and are generally sold at auctions. When we think of the most expensive chess set, we naturally tend to picture chess boards fitted with the choicest gemstones and jewels in our minds. And that is indeed the case with these unique boards. They simply capture the imagination of the rich and the famous.

In the following section of this Square Off article, we shall look at the luxury chess sets categorised as the most pricey and the most beautiful chess sets in the world.

The Art of War Chess Set

Many of you may have heard about the ancient Chinese philosopher named Sun Tzu. His celebrated work, ‘The Art of War’, is an all-time classic work on statecraft and warfare. Taking a leaf out of this book, the creator of ‘The Art of War Chess Set’ has made this stunning chess set out of solid gold and precious stones.

Designed by Victor F. Scharstein, every single chess piece on this board has been handmade out of solid gold. The surface of the parts has been detailed with a flurry of gems such as sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. This Asian-influenced chess set comes with a price tag of USD 750,000.

Game of Kings Chess Set

The second chess set that we have put on our list is known as the ‘Game of Kings’ chess set. One of the most unique chess boards ever to have been produced, this Aztec and Maya-inspired board took a couple of years to be completed. A plethora of artists from around the world contributed to giving life to this lifelike set.

Weighing more than a ton and containing a mind-boggling 110 pounds of silver, Game of Kings has human-like figures in place of chess pieces. These figurines have been made in the likeness of Aztec and Maya warriors. This stellar piece of art has been priced at USD 3 million.

Pearle Royale Chess Set

For long holding on to the title of the ‘most expensive chess set’, the Pearle Royale chess set is a 4 million dollar chess set designed by the Australian jeweller Colin Burns. Accepted across the globe as the most beautiful chess set ever to be made, the Pearle Royale was crafted from solid 18-carat white gold and more than 510 carats of certified diamonds.

The manner in which the artist cum designer has blended the diamonds and gold into chess piece figurines is beyond comprehension. Except for those of the king and the queen, the rest of the heads of the chess pieces have been made from pearls. Mr. Burns used Ceylon blue sapphires to prepare the base of the heads of the kings and the queens.

J. Grahl Chess Set

The J. Grahl chess set, completed in 1972, stands out as one of the top luxury chess sets on the planet. Made out of solid gold and silver, this set was produced for the Cole family. The idea behind the J. Grahl chess set came from the iconography of 14th-century Europe. The designer took special care in making sure the chess pieces were modelled after the visual aesthetics of mediaeval Europe.

The observer will notice that all the chess pieces on this board have been carved with impressive detail and precision. Not only the board but the material that has been used to create the chessboard is also pure ebony wood. This wooden base has been topped with glittering silver to give the structure a stunning appearance. This handcrafted piece of art comes at a price of USD 450,000.

Jewel Royale Chess Set

The frontrunner for the tag of the ‘most expensive chess set’ is currently in the grip of the Jewel Royale chess set. This most impressive, fully jewel-based chess set is not yet complete and is going through the final rounds of development. Once done, the Jewel Royale is believed to make chess observers go berserk, beholding its beauty.

The idea behind the production of this chess set came from the jewellery-making organisation Boodles and Jewel Royale. Their combined effort at producing the world’s most expensive is steadily gaining traction, and they have already stunned the world with their release of pictures of the first chess piece that they have finished – a king. This was done to kill rumours that the project is, in fact, a hoax. The first chess piece of this set, the king, is said to be priced at USD 59,742 and is made of 18-carat solid gold.

Several chess columnists and observers have commented on this project in various media channels. They are of the view that the Jewel Royale will astonish people to a whole different level and will be nothing like anything that has been done to date. Analysts have made the prediction that the Jewel Royale will be priced at almost 9.8 million dollars once the whole set is finished and released for market valuation.

Learn More about the Game on the Square Off Website

So, that concludes our list of the world’s most expensive chess sets. If you are interested to know more about the chess game and how it has evolved over the centuries, check out our blog titled ‘Learn the Rich History and Origin of Chess’.
While browsing through our blog section, do remember to peek at our store, where you will find top deals and offers on our award-winning AI-powered, fully automated chess boards.

However, you should keep in mind that this particular technique will not work for experienced chess professionals. It will only come in handy when you are playing against someone who happens to be a beginner.

What is the Two-Move Checkmate?

The two-move checkmate is also called the ‘Fool’s Mate’. This set of chess moves allows a player to control the black chess pieces during a chess match to defeat their opponent in just two moves. This chess pattern happens to be the fastest possible chess checkmate in the fray. But it can only be successfully realised when the player handling the white chess pieces commits two back-to-back chess blunders.

Getting the better of a chess opponent playing with white chess pieces in as little as two moves rests entirely on the white player’s inability to gauge the depth of the mistakes they made in their gameplay’s first two opening moves.

Therefore, the two-move checkmate/Fool’s Mate is mainly witnessed among players who have just begun playing the game. It could also occur during speed chess tournaments when seasoned chess players make mistakes due to the speed with which they make their moves.

From what we have discussed so far, it is clear that the two-move checkmate technique is a rare occurrence in the professional chess circuit. It rests entirely on your opponent’s inexperience or fatal error. But one has to be always ready to cease an opponent’s blunders. A well-established truth in chess is that a good player knows how to take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes.

So, the two-move checkmate sequence may not turn you into an overnight chess maestro, but it can give you enough ammunition to become a better chess player.

How to win chess in 2 moves – Steps by Step Guide

One of the first things you should know about the two-move checkmate is that it can only be produced by the chess player handling the black pieces. In other words, you will never be able to use this technique playing with white chess pieces during a match. The following section will talk about the steps through which the two-move checkmate technique can be realised.

1. White f-pawn moves to f3 or f4 – Since white always goes first in a chess game, it will be up to them to lay the foundation of this pattern. At first, white will either move its f-pawn to f3 or f4. The moment white goes with this move, black gets the chance to utilise the exposed diagonal kingside. The f3 or f4 movement (Bird Opening) is not a poor opening from white’s perspective. It is only when white follows this up with a misconstrued second move that it gets into real trouble.
2. Black e-pawn moves to e6 – Once white has played its first move, it is then the moment black makes the first move and sets the two-move checkmate pattern in motion. Black begins by moving its e-pawn, the king’s pawn, to the e6 block. This move opens up the black queen’s left diagonal side and allows the scope to move to the left side of the chess board unhindered.
3. This is a safe option at the start, as the black queen planning to leave its starting position so early in the game leaves the black king rather well-defended by other black chess pieces. In chess, the rule of thumb states that the more pieces left to guard the king, the better the odds of winning the match. After this particular move from the player overseeing the black side, it all depends on what the white player will do on the next move.
4. White plays its g-pawn to g4 – The moment black places its g-pawn to g4, black gets the taste of an early victory. The odds that your rival player will make this error is very slim. However, as witnessed over the years, even big names in the chess circuit make occasional blunders. So, you never know how your opponent will react to your previous move.
5. In case white does not play this move, you should be ready to opt for a different plan altogether. It should also be noted that there could be instances when white could play the required moves in the reverse order. 
6. Black plays queen to h4 and checkmate – The opportune moment when black finally nails the two-move checkmate technique arrives now. After white has played its g-pawn to g4, it is now up to black to end the game with the lethal second move. This is when black places its queen from its starting spot to h4.

The instant this takes place, the white king gets cornered completely in its position. There will be no escape route for the black king to escape the check meted out by the black queen. And it will be subjected to a thorough checkmate.

Other Fast Checkmating Options for Chess Players

The two-move checkmate technique may be the fastest checkmating pattern, but it should not be the only one you should keep in your mental armoury. There are several other quick checkmate techniques that are equally effective in fetching you that quick victory in a game.

The ‘Reverse Two-Move Checkmate’ pattern is similar to the two-move checkmate pattern. Whereas the one discussed in this article can be applied only by players handling black chess pieces, the reverse technique is reserved for anyone playing with white.

One of the greatest chess players of all time, Bobby Fischer, used to vouch for this technique during his playing days. In order to give life to this technique, white must play their d-pawn and e-pawn to d4 and e4, respectively, in back-to-back moves. At the opposite end of the chess board, black should respond to the other side’s actions by placing their f-pawn and g-pawn to f6 and g7, respectively. Once this happens, the stage becomes set for white to use its queen to trap the black king in its starting place and achieve a checkmate.

Learn More About Chess with Square Off

Just like the topic – ‘How to win chess in 2 moves?’, you can learn about ‘how to win chess in four moves’, ‘how to win chess in three moves’, or ‘how to win chess in five moves’, simply by searching for the same on the internet. 

Alongside this, it will be essential that you expand your knowledge of chess by going through other interesting Square Off blogs. Click on the Square Off website link today and discover a host of materials that will boost your overall grasp of the game we all love.

And while you are at it, check out the sublime range of AI-powered, fully automated chess boards from the house of Square Off. They would definitely give you the finest chess-playing experience you have ever had!

One may think that going after the opponent’s king with your own king is the ideal platform for a decisive victory. However, this is not as simple as it looks from the outside. In fact, the game’s rules make it rather tricky to go ahead with such a game plan. In this Square Off article, we shall go over the circumstances under which a king can be used offensively to attack rival chess pieces.

Chess Rules Concerning the King

As its name suggests, the chess ‘king’ is the most important chess piece. This piece is central to the game, and its existence can be traced to the very earliest days of chess. The chess king is known as the ‘Shah’ in Persian and has different names in different languages. An entire game of chess revolves around the centrality of the king under constant threat from the opposition.

As many of you have noticed while playing chess, the king rarely moves out of its position in the match’s early stages. It is only during the middle and the latter phases that it enters the gameplay.

Can a King Kill a King in Chess?

To return to the day’s topic – ‘Can kings kill a king in chess? The direct answer will be a ‘no’. A better way to define a situation when you are about to finish a chess match is by using the term ‘capture’. A chess king can capture an enemy chess piece one block in any given direction. However, a king can accomplish this task only if it is not allowing itself in check or expose a discovered attack to do likewise.

Throughout the progress of a chess match, two kings are routinely manoeuvred to be at a safe distance from each other. In other words, chess players from the word ‘go’ try to avoid their kings from meeting each other on the chess board. However, this cannot happen all the time, and there are occasions when two rival kings can get too close to each other.

When a king faces the opposite king, it is termed as a ‘direct opposition’. Two other variations of this case also exist in chess; one is called ‘diagonal opposition’, and the other is known as ‘distant opposition’.

For a king to kill another king, they have to be in close contact with one another. In a chess match, such a situation arises when the game reaches the final stages. At this point, both players are usually left with very few chess pieces. Both players have no choice but to engage their respective kings in the gameplay to eke out a win. On many occasions, the two kings have just a handful of pawns to support them on the chessboard.

Can a King be Next to a King in Chess?

On a chessboard, two rival kings can never move directly adjacent to each other. The rules of the game state very clearly that two kings can never create a mutual impediment on the chessboard. When a tight blockade is set up on the chess board in situations like this, the chess player who gets the chance to not make a move is said to ‘have the opposition’.

The player mandated to make a move at such a juncture is said to be at a disadvantage. In chess jargon, this condition is called a ‘zugzwang’, which is German for ‘compulsion to move’.

Can the King Kill in Chess When in Check?

Yes, the king can kill a rival chess piece at any game stage, even if it is in check. The only thing to consider is whether the rival piece attempting to check the king is supported by another rival piece. Suppose an opposition chess piece comes to check your king without the backup of any other rival chess piece; then, you will be free to capture it.

The piece you are being checked with could be a queen, a rook, a bishop, a knight, or a pawn. If left unguarded, your king will have the liberty to defend itself by capturing any piece that approaches to check it.

Can a King Kill Diagonally in Chess?

The king in chess can move only one square/tile/block in any direction. Similarly, the king can capture a rival chess piece in any order, one block at a time. 

A king can capture a rival chess piece – forwards, backwards, sideways, and diagonally, only when the captured piece is not defended by another rival piece.

What Can Kill a King in Chess?

A king can be killed or captured by any given opposition chess piece during gameplay in a chess game. To end a chess match, any chess piece can strike a decisive blow on the rival king, from the pawn to the queen.

In the case of a pawn, it has to be nearest to the rival king to corner it. So, it needs to be backed up by another chess piece of the same colour. If that is not the case, the king will have the power to capture the pawn.

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A gambit is helpful on most occasions as it helps to develop chess pieces in a better way, leads to the weakening of the rival king, and allows for the opening of attacking channels. If you are wondering ‘how many gambits are there in chess’, the answer is plenty. There is not one ‘best gambit in chess’, and the game witnesses a host of chess gambits being applied by both novice and professional chess players all the time.

The efficacy of chess gambits makes them an absolute favorite of chess enthusiasts the world over. Even great chess players down the years have also vouched for gambits. If undertaken after careful consideration, gambits can elevate a person’s chess abilities to higher levels. Besides its game benefits, chess gambits also make lengthy matches more fun and intriguing.

One of the most famous of all chess gambits is the ‘Queen’s Gambit’. This has especially become a show-stealer since the release in October 2020 of Netflix’s limited series titled ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. The show, starring American actress Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role, made headlines all across the planet and turned millions towards chess.

The show’s massive popularity did excellent service to chess by bringing the glamour back to the game. During the latter half of 2020 and the early months of 2021, online chess portals Chess.com and Lichess.Org registered a record number of online chess players. 

Now that we have answered the question – what is a gambit in chess, let us focus on the various types of chess gambits employed in a chess match. Since the Queen’s Gambit is the most celebrated chess gambit, we shall start our list with the same.

The Queen’s Gambit

Clearly the most well-known of all chess gambits out there, the Queen’s Gambit takes its name from the d-pawn, lying in front of the white queen, moving up to the d4 square. In reply to white’s move, black would play its d-pawn to the d5 tile.

At this juncture, white would try and lure the black pawn placed on the d5 block by moving its c-pawn to c4. This would be done by white with the hope that black would capture its c-pawn and thus clear out the central zone of the chessboard.

Recommended: How The Popular Netflix Show ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Introduced The Game To The Current Generation

The King’s Gambit

Much like the Queen’s Gambit, there exists a chess gambit in which the king chess piece takes centre stage. It is widely believed that the King’s Gambit was first played for the very first time in 1560. In this style of play, the first move that white plays is to place the e-pawn, also known as the king’s pawn, on e4.

In reply, white would make its e-pawn move forward and meet the white pawn head-on at e5. The idea behind this gambit technique is to take control of the centre squares of the chess board using pawns. When white follows it up by playing its f-pawn to f4, it invites black to capture its f-pawn.

In all honesty, this may not happen every time you play a match. But the odds are pretty high that there will be people who want to capture a piece early in the game. If that happens, the very objective of the King’s Gambit will be met.

The Wing Gambit

The Wing Gambit technique is a delightful handy gambit mechanism that helps white breach the Sicilian and French defences. To deal with these two sharp defensive formations coming from the side of the black, the player commanding the white chess pieces chooses to sacrifice the white b-pawn within an opening couple of rounds.

This is done to divert the black pawn sitting on c5 to shift further towards the flanks, whereas the white e-pawn makes its way to occupy the central zone of the chessboard. After taking control over the centre, the experienced player handling the white pieces begins to conjure up plans to attack the rival on its kingside.

The Stafford Gambit

The fourth and final chess gambit that this Square Off blog will discuss is the ‘Stafford Gambit’. This one is a black-only gambit that is characterised by a certain degree of dubiousness. What makes this gambit technique unique is its number of associated tricks and pitfalls. If white is not careful from the moment black attempts to initiate this gambit, a win could be nearer than usual for black.

It all begins when white plays its e-pawn to e4. In exchange, black moves its e-pawn up to e5. A classic start also termed as the ‘Petroff Defense’, the two e-pawns locked face to face when white brings one of its knights into the foray and moves it to f3. Black goes with a similar move and advances a white knight to the f6 square. Instead of getting the better of the white knight sitting at f3, black tries something different and brings its second knight to the c6 block.

From here, the game starts to gravitate towards black, as white is fooled into making some serious mistakes. By combining the powers of a knight and a bishop, black slowly builds up the platform from where it would launch a flurry of attacks on the kingside of white. In situations like this, white mostly succumbs to blacks’ continuous onslaught from the flanks.

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This is where we have reached the end of the article on what is a gambit in chess. We have seen different types of chess gambits and the ways in which they can be inculcated in one’s gameplay. One of the primary objectives of sharpening one’s chess gambit knowledge is to ramp up one’s attacking prowess. A thorough understanding of a gambit and how to best use it constructively is the key to improving one’s overall gameplay. With a few tricks up your sleeve, you will have the quality to surprise your opponents when they least expect it.

With the ideal dose of imagination and calculations, gambits can wreak havoc in rivals’ camps. All that is needed is regular study and practice of gambit techniques. The history of the game shows that whenever great chess players have employed gambits in their gameplay, more often than not, they have gone on to create classic encounters. That being said, the first thing you would require to do to sharpen your gambit skills is playing lots of chess matches.

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As stated above, the queen in chess is the most powerful among the chess pieces on a chess board. Whereas the king chess piece holds the key to the result of a chess match and is hence the most important chess piece, the queen gets the vote of the most dominant one.

Similar to the king in chess, the queen is a unique chess piece. Its characteristics are a combination of what is seen in a rook and a bishop. Interestingly, this mighty chess piece was not a part of earlier chess sets. The equivalent article to that of the modern queen chess piece was known by the names’ vizier’, ‘fers’, or even at times, the ‘counsellor’ until the fifteenth century. And on top of that, this piece did not have the powers that its eventual successor currently enjoys.

The queen chess piece became its own sometime in fifteenth century Spain, where chess sets having the queen as a helpful piece were identified as a different version of chess – ‘Queen Chess’. Once its authority was firmly established on chess boards, the queen chess piece became an integral part of several top-notch strategies of chess masters.

A queen is equal to three ‘minor’ chess pieces on a chess board and is almost as prized as two rooks. If you put all your pawns together, your queen will still be more profitable in your gameplay than them. It is due to this reason that it is considered unwise to deliberately lose one’s queen in order to capture a rival chess piece. Only in exceptional circumstances can the voluntary sacrifice of the queen be deemed a clever move on the player’s part.

The lessons from history teach us that very few chess players have been able to win matches after losing their queens early on in the game. One of the glaring examples of a successful queen sacrifice occurred during the playing days of legendary world chess champion Bobby Fischer. When he was just 13 years old, the young Bobby Fischer defeated Donald Byrne in a highly-celebrated match dubbed the ‘Game of the Century’. But only the gifted players can pull off wins after going for outlandish moves involving the sacrifice of the queen chess piece.

Where Does the Queen Go in Chess? Rules and Conventions

The official rules and regulations of chess, as ratified by the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), state that the queen in chess should start a game placed on the first rank, right next to the king chess piece. Whereas the white begins its journey from the d1 block, its black counterpoint gets to take up the d8 spot. It is pertinent to note here that the d1 block meant for the white queen is a white square. On the other hand, the d8 tile, reserved for the black queen, happens to be a black tile.

In other words, the white and the black queens start a chess match positioned on blocks that match their respective colours. This is in direct contrast to the convention that binds the two kings to see themselves placed on opposite-coloured squares at the commencement of a game. This element in chess allows us to divide the chess board into two halves – the kingside and the queenside.

Like any other game or sport, chess also has strict rules to which players must adhere during a contest. The laws of the game state that the queen reserves the right to move in any direction of the chess board and to any number of squares. But it can only fulfil this on empty squares; occupied blocks will hinder the free flow of a queen. This particular aspect of the queen gives it the most incredible range on the board.

Whereas bishops and rooks can move to any number of unoccupied tiles in one axis only, the queen gets to do both. When you control a queen, you will be open to moving it anywhere diagonally, onwards, backward, and sideways. The versatility of the queen turns it into the most valued chess piece on the board.

There are special chess moves linked to the king, the rook and the pawn. In the king and the rook’s case, we get to see the particular move sequence called ‘castling’. In this move, a king can move either to its side or the queen’s side and get into a solid defensive position. The rook is also involved in this move; during castling, the rook jumps over the king and takes the place of a guard.

The least valued chess piece, the pawn, has a unique move associated with it. It has the right to capture enemy pawns in an unusual motion known as ‘en passant’. However, the chess queen does not participate in any exceptional move whatsoever.

Where Does the Queen Go in Chess? Techniques and Strategy

One of the mistakes that novice chess players regularly make is that they bring the queen out into active gameplay too early. This is done with the intention of finding that quick checkmate. As has been deliberated by chess masters repeatedly, this is never a good strategy. Understandably, being the most versatile chess piece in your arsenal, you would want to make the most of it as soon as possible.

But bringing out the queen from its starting position and placing it somewhere in the centre or elsewhere only invites unnecessary danger from enemy lines. A much better plan is to first develop the minor pieces – the knights, the bishops, and the rooks during the opening rounds.

Once you get a foothold on the chess board and understand the flow of the game, only then is it wise to utilise the queen’s prowess to the maximum. Many great chess players have displayed the tendency to hold on to their queen until the middlegame or the endgame stages.

After a chess match enters the middlegame phase, players usually start involving their queens to try and dictate the game’s dynamics. In the middlegame, it becomes vital to attack the rival chess pieces with the queen and defend them from incoming attacks from the opposite end. In many instances, when both participants in a chess match lose their respective queens, the game steers towards the final phase – the endgame.

If someone manages to hold on to their queen until the latter stages of a match, that becomes a significant advantage on their part. The queen being such a potent chess piece, it becomes slightly easier to get that elusive checkmate.

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So, with that, we have come to the end of our discussion about ‘Where does the queen go in chess?’ If you are looking forward to learning more about chess, visit the Square Off website today. We have a wide range of topics related to chess waiting for your perusal.

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History of Chess

People used to play Chaturanga or ‘catur’ on an 8×8 grid. This archaic form of chess had pieces that resemble the chess pieces of today. From there, the game slowly spread across South Asia and reached Europe via the western trade routes.

The modern version of the game of chess evolved in the European continent over the next few centuries. Sometime around the 16th century, the game took the shape of the version we can identify with. However, who or what caused this game’s evolution remains a mystery.

Who Invented Chess in India?

While dealing with the theme – ‘how old is chess’, it is pertinent to note that almost all chess observers have reached a consensus that chess has its origins in India. Some researchers opined that chess’s birth occurred in the ancient Indian city of Kannauj when it was the capital of the Maukhari kingdom. One of the historical records states that a Maukhari ruler named Sharva Varman had presented a chaturanga/catur set to the Persian king Khushrau II in exchange for saltpetre.

Further Reading

Now that we have discussed in some detail ‘how old is chess’, we would like you to learn more about the game. Visit the Square Off website today to find more interesting blogs on our favourite strategy game. Also, check out the sublime chess boards that Square Off has ingeniously produced.

A basic chessboard has 32 chess pieces at the start of a game. Each player has control over 16 pieces, and chess piece moves are determined per standard chess rules.

Chess Pieces Names

Pawn – Every player gets eight pawns at the beginning of a game, and they are of the lowest value and can generally move one square/tile forward at a time.

Knight – The first of the ‘minor’ pieces, knights are worth three points. They can be moved in a unique pattern, comprising three squares in an ‘L’ shape in any direction.

Bishop – Another ‘minor’ piece, bishops can only move in the diagonal direction of the board, and this ensures that a bishop will always remain on the same coloured squares from where it starts its play.

Rook – The rook is a ‘major’ chess piece worth five points. Rooks usually come in handy at the latter stages of a match, when there are enough empty ranks and files for the rooks to move freely. 

Queen – The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and the second most important after the king. It is worth nine points and can move to any number of squares in any direction.

King – The most valuable piece of them all, a chess match revolves around a player’s capacity to capture the opponent’s king while protecting their own king at all times.

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That concludes our piece on ‘how many pieces in chess’. If you want to know more about chess, visit the Square Off website today.