So you want to learn how to play chess. Chess is a great game. I myself have enjoyed Chess for about seventeen years. It is a game of planning and thought. In time you will be able to anticipate your opponents next move. Maybe even next two or three moves.
Chess has a rich and long history. Chess is the oldest skill game in the world. Chess however, is more than just skill. Just look at the way a chessboard is set up, next learn about the different pieces and how they are used, you will probably notice strong militaristic similarities. The set up is reminiscent of battle field strategy on maps.
Noone can say for sure where Chess originally started. We do know Chess has been played for centuries in countries such as China, India, and Persia. In the eighth century, the Moors invaded Persia. During this time The Moors learned to play Chess. Later when The Moors invaded Spain, they brought Chess with them. Right away the Spanish were playing Chess, and from there it quickly spread throughout Europe.
The names for Chess pieces that we know today originated in Europe. Translating from Persian probably proved to be a tough task for Europeans at the time, hence the names we have today. Today's names aren't very modern, however, a thousand years ago they were an accurate representation of the way people lived in social classifications.
Pawns represent the commoners or pheasants. That's why this is the piece a player has the most of. They were expendable. In the medieval times, serfs(pheasants or commoners) were considered the property of landowners. Life was excruciatingly tough for this class during the medieval times. They were usually worked very hard and died very poor and young. Often they were traded, used as a decoy, sometimes they were even sacrificed so a landowner could escape.
Pawns, who represent the aforementioned commoners, can move forward only. Two spaces on their first move and only one space there after. Once a Pawn reaches the last square of enemy territory it can be traded for a more valuable piece.
The castle piece, commonly known as the Rook, is considered a safe haven or home. The logic behind this being castles were usually were home was made, or were you could at least be safe. In the game of chess each player has two Rooks, one on each end of the board. Rooks can move as many squares as a player would like but, only horizontally, forward or backward, never diagonally.
Next is the oftenly horse head shaped piece called a Knight. This piece would represent army personnel. As with all soldiers their job is to protect persons of a higher rank or importance. Like the Rooks, you have two Knights on the back line behind the front row of pawns. They are second from the end next to the Rooks. Knights are more important than Pawns, but not as important as Bishops, Queens, or Kings. Obviously they're job, just like the Pawns, is the protection of the more important pieces. Knights can only move in the shape of an "L", for a total of 3 squares as long as it's not moved diagonally.
Our next piece is the Bishop, and you can probably guess, this piece represents the church. Religion played a large part in every person's life in medieval times. The church was also a rich and mighty force. So it should be no surprise that a piece that represented religion found its way into the game. Bishop was the name for a higher ranking priest in the Catholic church. And like Rooks and Knights you have two of these as well. They are positioned on the next squares available from the end on either side of the King and Queen. Bishops can only move diagonally as many spaces as they like.
With only two pieces left we will discuss the royalty next. The Queen is the only female piece. The Queen is the most powerful piece, big surprise huh?. Each player only has one Queen. The King was often guided by his Queen's advice. A King could have multiple wives on the side or even imprison them with the approval of the church, he didn't need the Queen's approval either. The stories of a Queen working against or for her King are well noted throughout history in the medieval times, often a Queen carried more power than the King.
Last but not least, we have the King. The King is the tallest piece on the board. Obviously the piece your opposing player wants to capture. Capturing the King is how the game is won. In medieval times, surrendering the King signified the loss of a kingdom. The king is the most important, but not the most powerful piece in chess. If you do not protect your King, you lose the game.
So next time you set up a chessboard, think of chess as a medieval history lesson. The pieces on the board represent a way of life that no longer exists, and the real life drama that occurred in medieval time is now merely a game.
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Avid Chess Player
Carson E. Koziol
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carson_Koziol
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