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CHESS MEN.

[graphic]

49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

THE CHESS BOARD.

eight pawns, or common men, upon the eight squares of the second line; the white on 49 to 56, and the black on 9 to 16 inclusive.

The pieces, and pawns, on the side of each king, take their names from him, as those on the side of the queen do from her, and are called the black or white king's bishop (6 and 62); the king's knights (7 and 63); the king's rooks (8 and 64); the king's pawns (13 and 53); the king's bishop's pawns (14 and 54); the king's knight's pawns (15 and 55); the king's rook's pawns (16 and 56); the black or white queen's bishops (3 and 59); the queen's knights (2 and 58); the queen's rooks (1 and 57); the queen's pawns (12 and 52); the queen's bishop's pawns (11 and 51); the queen's knight's pawns (10 and 50); and the queen's rook's pawns (9 and 49). The squares are named from the pieces, viz. where the king stands, is called the square of the king: where his pawn stands, is called the second square of the king: that before the pawn is called the third square of the king; that beyond it is called the fourth square of the king; and so of all the rest.

The kings (stiled Chah by the Orientals) move every way, but only one square at a time (except in the case of castling), and must always be at least one square distant from each other. Suppose the king placed on No. 37, he may be moved from thence to 28, 29, 30, 36, 38, 44, 45, or 46. The king may leap once in the game, either on his own side, or on the side of his queen, (viz. the rook is moved into the next square to the king; and the king moves to the square on the other side of him, which is also called castling;) provided nevertheless no piece is between him and the rook; nor after this rook hath been played;

nor after the king hath been moved; nor when the king is in check; nor when the square over which he means to leap is viewed by an adverse man, who would check him in his passage.

The black king castles on his own side, by moving from 5 to 7, and placing the rook (8) on 6; on his queen's side by moving to 3, and placing the rook (1) on 4. The white king castles on his own side, by moving from 61 to 63, and placing the rook (64) on 62; on his queen's side by moving to 59, and placing the rook (57) on 60.

The queen (originally pherz, general) possesses the moves and powers of the rook, and bishop, in a straight line, and also angularly. The queen may be moved from 37 to 1, 5, 16, 33, 40, 58, 61, 64, or any intermediate squares in those directions.

The bishops (formerly fil, an elephant) move only angularly, backward or forward, in the same colour as each are at first placed, but can take at any distance when the road is open. As from 36 the bishop may be moved to 8, 9, 57, or 63, and from 37 to 1, 16, 58, or 64, or any of the intervening squares.

The knights (horse-soldiers) move obliquely, backward or forward, upon every third square, including that which they stood on, from black to white, and from white to black, over the heads of the men, which no other is allowed to do. As from 36 a knight may move to 19, 21, 26, 30, 42, 46, 51, 53, passing over any pieces on 28, 35, 37, or 44; and from 37 the knight can be moved to 20, 22, 27, 31, 43, 47, 52, 54, passing over any thing placed on 29, 36, 38, or 45.

The rooks (at first rat'h, an armed chariot, afterwards rokh, an hero) move in a right line, either forwards, backwards, or sideway, through the

whole file, can stop at any square, and take at any distance when no other piece intervenes.

A rook placed on 37 may be moved to 5, 33, 40, 61, or any intermediate square.

A pawn (pedone, foot soldier) moves one square at a time, in a straight line forward, and takes the enemy angularly. He may be moved two squares the first move, but never backwards, and is prohibited from quitting his own file, except in case of making a capture, when he is moved into the place of the captive, and afterwards advances forward in that file. If a white pawn is placed on 37, and a black on 28, either of them could take the other; but suppose the white pawn on 37, a black rook on 29, a black bishop on 28, and a black knight on 30, the pawn then could not take the rook, but might take either the bishop or the knight.

If the square over which any pawn leaps is viewed by an adversary, that man may take the pawn, and then must be placed in the square over which the pawn hath leaped. A pawn getting to the head of the board upon the first line of the enemy (stiled going to queen) may be changed for any one of the pieces lost in the course of the game, and the piece chosen must be placed on the square at which the pawn had arrived.

The men can take the adversaries who stand in their way, provided the road lies open; or they may decline it, and must be set down in the same squares from which the contrary men are taken. If the white queen is on 60, and a black knight on 46, the queen can take the knight, which then is to be moved off the board and the queen placed on 46; but if the knight is on 45, then the queen cannot take him, though he can take the queen, who then

must be removed, and the knight placed on 60; or suppose a white rook on 61, and a black bishop on 13, the rook can take the bishop, and afterwards is to be placed on 13.

When the adversary's king is in a situation to be taken by you, you must say check, to him; by which you warn him to defend himself, either by changing his place, or by covering himself with one of his own men, or by taking the man who assaults him: if he can do none of these things, he is check-mated (chahmat, the king is dead) and loses the game. The king cannot change his square, if he by so doing goes into check; and when he has no man to play, and is not in check, yet is so blocked up, that he cannot move without going into check, this position is called a stale-mate, and in this case the king, who is stalemated, wins the game in England, but in France this situation makes a drawn game. Place the black king on 33, with pawns on 30 and 39; the white king on 44, a white bishop on 34, with pawns on 38 and 47; if the white king is moved to 35, black wins the game by a stale-mate, because the black king cannot be moved to 25 or 41, on account of the white bishop; nor to 26, 34, or 42, owing to the white king, as 'tis requisite that the kings should always be at least one square distant from each other; neither can the black pawns be moved, their progress being stopped by the white.

Many chess players give notice when the queen is in danger of being taken, by saying check to the queen.

Several variations have at different periods been introduced into chess. In some of the eastern games the power of the pherz or minister (the piece we call queen,) was very limited, being allowed only to move from square to square, and

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