Chess glossary

This chess glossary is your quick index to the training section. I won’t explain everything here in depth: my goal is to send you straight to the explanation you need at each moment.

Rules and board

The concepts in this section are the foundation. If you’re not clear on them yet, start here.

• Board: the 64-square surface where the game is played. See board.
• Check: a direct threat on the king. See check.
• Checkmate: a situation where the king can’t escape. See fast checkmate.
• Draw: a tie caused by various rule-based situations. See draws.
• Castling: a special move involving king and rook. See castling.
• Promotion: replacing a pawn that reaches the last rank with another piece. See pawn promotion.

Openings and development

The first moves shape the whole game. Here are the terms you’ll hear most.

• Opening: the first phase of the game. See openings.
• Fianchetto: developing the bishop along the long diagonal. See fianchetto.
• Transposition: a different move order leading to a known structure. See transposition.

Tactics

This is where you win or lose material. Learn these strikes and start seeing the board differently.

• Fork: one piece attacks two targets at once. See fork.
• Pin: a piece can’t move without losing something bigger. See pin.
• Skewer: a long-range piece attacks the king or queen, forcing it to flee and capturing the piece left behind. See skewer.
• Double attack: a single move creates two threats. Synonym for fork. See fork.
• Discovered attack: a piece moves aside and reveals another piece’s attack. See discovered attack.
• Sacrifice: voluntarily giving up material for initiative, attack or compensation. See sacrifice.

Endgames and technique

Many games are decided here. Master these concepts and you’ll know how to convert your advantages.

• Zugzwang: a position where having to move forces you into a worse spot. See zugzwang.
• Rule of the square: a visual shortcut for knowing if a pawn will promote. See rule of the square.
• King and pawn vs king: a basic endgame for learning opposition and conversion. See king and pawn vs king.

Study and competition

If you already play games or want to measure yourself against others, you’ll run into these terms right away.

• ELO: a rating system to measure relative strength. See ELO.
• FIDE: the international federation. See FIDE.
• PGN: a format for saving games. See PGN and FEN viewer.
• FEN: a text description of a position. See FEN notation.

Want an ordered path instead of loose definitions? Continue with Learn chess and I’ll walk you through it step by step.