Chess Terminology (S)

Chess Terms Starting With "S"

Sacrifice: When one player voluntarily gives up material in return for an advantage such as space, development, or an attack. A sacrifice in the opening is called a gambit.

Scholar's mate: A four-move checkmate (common among novices) in which White plays 1. e4, follows with Qh5 (or Qf3) and Bc4, and finishes with 4. Qxf7#.

Score: A record that each player must keep of the moves of the game, usually in algebraic notation.

Semi-open game: Any chess opening that results in some open lines, but not many. Often begins with White playing 1.e4 and Black playing a move other than 1...e5 (which are also called Half-open or Asymmetrical King Pawn openings.) See also Open game and Closed game.

Simplification: A strategy of exchanging pieces of equal value. This strategy might be used defensively to reduce the size of the attacking force, or to amplify a material advantage. Also trading.

Simultaneous chess: A form of chess in which one (usually expert) player plays against several (usually novice) players simultaneously. Is often an exhibition.

Skewer: An attack to a valuable piece, compelling it to move to avoid capture and thus exposing a less valuable piece which can then be taken. Sometimes called a Thrust.

Smothered mate: A checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move owing to it being surrounded (or smothered) by its own pieces.

Space: The squares controlled by a player. A player controlling more squares than the other is said to have a spatial advantage.

Spanish bishop: A White king bishop developed to the b5 square. This is characteristic of the Ruy Lopez, also known as the Spanish Opening.

Stalemate: A position in which a player's king is not in check and the player has no legal move. A game is drawn if one of the kings is stalemated.

Swindle: A ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected loss.

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Copyright 2006 Chess Strategies Blog

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.

A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

Chess Terminology (T)

Chess Terms Starting With "T"

Tabia or Tabiya: (from Arabic) The initial position of the pieces in Shatranj
The final position of a well-known chess opening (from 2) The opening position from which two players familiar with each others' tastes begin play.

Tactics: Play characterized by short-term attacks and threats, often requiring extensive calculation by the players, as distinguished from positional play.

Tempo: An extra move, an initiative at development. A player gains a tempo (usually in the opening) by making the opponent move the same piece twice or defend an enemy piece. In the endgame, one may wish to lose a tempo by triangulation to gain against the opposition. (Plural: tempi).

Threefold repetition: The game is drawn if the same position occurs three times with the same player to move, and with each player having the same set of legal moves each time (the latter includes the right to take en passant and the right to castle).

Thrust: See Skewer above.

Time: Opportunities to make moves. A move that does not alter the position significantly is described as "wasting time", and forcing the other player to waste time is described as "gaining time".

Time pressure, time trouble or zeitnot: A player having very little time on their clock (especially less than five minutes) to complete their remaining moves. See Time control.
Touched piece rule/touch move rule: The rule stating that a player who touches a piece with at least one legal move is obliged to move that piece. Castling is considered a move of the king and not of the rook. If an opponent's piece is touched it must be captured if possible. A player wishing to touch a piece to adjust its position on a square without being required to move it signals this intent by saying "J'adoube" or "I adjust".

Transposition: Arriving at a position using a different sequence of moves.

Triangulation: A technique used in king and pawn endgames (less commonly seen with other pieces) to lose a tempo and gain the opposition.

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Copyright 2006 Chess Strategies Blog

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.

A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

Chess Terminology (U)

Chess Terms Starting With "U"

Underpromotion: Promoting a pawn to a rook, bishop, or knight instead of a queen.

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Copyright 2006 Chess Strategies Blog

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.

A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".