Wednesday, 4 September 2013

80

This is it. the final shebang. Its over. The end.

Whether or not anyone can hear me; I'd like to say this was fun, but then I'd be lying. Having to remember to post, whether ill or away or preoccupied or working. Better yet remembering to write something, and worse still, trying to find stuff to write about. The whole shorthand thing is the only saving grace of this project, It allows to actually say that I managed to at least try to learn something this summer, and at best that I managed to teach someone else something too.

So if your there, thanks. I know I'm not the most interesting thing to read, nor are my curiosities, and most of you four people that seem to always appear probably found this by accident, and probably not a happy one. Either way I'm glad I did this and that I can be assured that someone looked at it at some point.

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

79

Promotion;
The pawns have an ability to change; if they reach the other side of the board they can become another chess piece, any piece. There is the common misconception that a pawn can only be exchanged for a piece that has been captured, that's not true. A pawn is usually promoted to a queen, and specifically pawns, as they are the only piece capable.

En Passant;
Which is French for "in passing". It applies to when a pawn moves out from its first position, moving two squares, and if it does this and lands side by side with an opposing pawn, meaning that it can;t be captured. Except that it can, by using the "en passant" rule, in the move immediately following the opponents pawn's two square jump move, you can capture it as it passes by.

Castling;
This can allow you to both get your king to safety, and get your rook out of the corner and actually into the game. Its achieved by one player moving the king two squares to one side, followed by the rook moving from that side's corner to the right next to the king on the opposite side he moved. this will only work if its both the kings and the rooks first move, that the king isn't in check and there must be no other pieces in between them.

Check & checkmate;
The whole point of the game. Checkmate is achieved when a king is put in check and cannot get out. there are three ways a king can escape check; by moving, by blocking the check with another piece, or to capture the threatening piece.

Monday, 2 September 2013

78

The pieces;
The pawn:
It moves forwards, on their first move they can move up to two spaces, but after that they can only move one square, and despite their ability to only move forward, they capture diagonally, and to the front of them, as they cannot move backwards or sideways. If a piece is directly in front of them they cannot move past, or capture it.

The knight:
Which moves over three squares at a time, two squares in one direction, then another at a 90 degree angle, and are the only pieces that can move over other pieces.

The bishop:
The bishop can move as far as you like, although only in a diagonal direction. The two bishops cover up each others weakness, which is since they start on one colour or another, they can only stay on that colour, due to their diagonal movement.

The rook:
Can move as far as you like, although only in forwards, backwards, or to the sides, if you manage to keep hold of both to the end, they can be powerful pieces in unison.

The queen:
Literally the most powerful piece on the board, she can move in any direction; forwards, backwards, diagonally, or to the sides. As far as you like, until you run into one of your own pieces that is, and if she runs into an opponents piece, she must capture it, and her turn is over on the captured pieces square, like all other pieces.

The king:
Is the complete opposite of the queen, in that although it is the most important, it is the weakest. As the king can only move one square in any direction; forwards, backwards, sideways. The king can't move into a check, that is anywhere he could be captured.

Sunday, 1 September 2013

77

The white time player always goes first, the decision about who should play as white depends on the two persons who are playing; either flip a coin, a game of rock, paper, scissors, etc. The players then alternate turns until the end.

Each piece of the two teams move differently to each other, and you should note that pieces cannot move through other pieces, or onto a square with any of your own pieces on; except the knight who can jump over them. The aim with moving your pieces is to either defend your own pieces or gain control of important squares, or to capture your opponents pieces.

To capture a piece you simply replace them with your own.

Strategy wise you need to play and practise and take a look at the rules to discover your own methods, although each match is not going to play out like in any strategy books as no situation is going to be exactly the same.

However here are some basic rules to strategy to guide yourself by;
no.1 - Protect your king.
You should attempt to get your king to a corner as soon as. It doesn't matter how close you are to checkmating your opponent if you're checkmated first.

no.2 - Don't give pieces away.
Not if you can help it. As each piece is worth something and is important, as you can't win a game with no pieces to checkmate the opponent with. The system I was told to keep track of the value of each piece was; a pawn is 1, a knight is 3, a bishop is 3, a rook is 5, a queen is 9 and the king in infinite. The value isn't involved with anything aside your own understanding of what you are throwing away with a bad move, or if a piece gets taken.

no.3 - Control the centre.
If you control the centre you will have the most room to move your pieces around and will restrict your opponent from being able to do the same.

no.4 - Use every piece.
Your pieces are to be used, you should try and move all your pieces around, don't reserve any of them. That way you have more opportunities to attack the king, only using one or two won't work against a practised player.

Saturday, 31 August 2013

76

Due to the fact that my friend is trying, ever-so-patiently to teach me to play chess. As he is involved in a series of chess matches in our town. Hence here I am for the last five posts to try to understand at the very basics of chess.

As you undoubtedly know, chess is a game played between two persons, a game played on a board of 64 squares with alternating colours. The 'teams' of each persons consists of sixteen pieces; a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. The aim is to checkmate the other king, 'checkmate' being when the king is either getting captured or in an inescapable position.

The board is set with the opposing colours at each end of the board, the teams lined up in two rows, with a light or white coloured square to the right hand corner. All the pawns at the front, with the second row containing the rest in the following sequence; the rook, the knight, the bishop, the queen, on her corresponding colour, and the king next to her, the bishop, the knight, and the rook.

Friday, 30 August 2013

75

The definition of "definition"(noun), is derived from the late 14th century, meaning "decision, setting of boundaries". Which is taken from the Old French "definicion", the Latin "definitionem", used as a noun for action from the past principle of "definire".

Word; (noun) from the Old English for "speech, talk, utterance, word" which is taken from the Proto-Germanic "wurdan" for "speak, say". Old Frisian "word", Dutch "word", Old High German, "wort", Old Norse "ord", Gothic "waurd". "Word processor" was first recorded in 1973, "a word to the wise" is from the Latin Phrase "verbum sapieti satis est", "a word to the wise is enough". The phrase "word of mouth" is recorded from 1550's.

Paragraph; (noun) from the late 15th century from the Middle French "division of text", from Medieval Latin "paragraphus", "sign for start of a new section of discourse". The Greek "paragraphos", meaning "short stroke in the margin marking a break in sense", and also "a passage so marked".

Thursday, 29 August 2013

74

Beginning; (noun) late 12th century, "time when something begins", from begin, meaning "act of starting something" from early 13th century. Originally from the Old English "fruma". "Ab initio" is the Latin for "from the beginning" from 1600.c, from "initium" meaning "entrance, beginning", which is related to "inire" (verb) for "to go into, enter upon, begin".

Start; (noun) "a sudden movement" from late 14th century, from the verb start meaning the "act of beginning to build a house" originating from 1946. The use as an "opportunity at the beginning of a career or course of action" is from 1849. The phrase "false start" is believed to be from 1850.

Middle; (adjective) from Old English "middel", from the West Germanic "middila" which can be traced back to "medjaz". "Middle name" is back to 1815, as "one's outstanding characteristic", colloquial from 1911, American English.  "Middle-of-the-road", the figurative sense, is based from 1894, and "middle finger" from 1000.c.

Progression; (noun), meaning "action of moving from one condition to another" from the late 14th century and is taken from Old French , "progression" and is directly linked to "progressionem" from Latin for "a going forward, advancement, growth, increase" from the past participle of "progredi" for "go forward". This is taken from "pro", "forward and "gradi", "to step, walk". ("gradi" is from "gradus" for "step".)

Ending; (noun) "a coming to an end" from Old English "endunge", the verbal noun from "end".

Over; (prep) from Old English "ofer" for "beyond, above, upon, in, across, past; on high", which is from Proto-Germanic "uberi". As an adjective from Old English "uffera", and as an adverb from late Old English. The use in the sense of "finished" is derived from the late 14th century, as the meaning "recovered from" is from 1929. The phrase "over-the-counter" is attested to 1875, originally used for stocks and shares.