Additional Chess Terminology

The current crop of Additional Chess Terminology refers to Attacking- and Defensive- terms, respectively …

Attacking Play is when a player goes on the offensive – either with a single chess piece, or with a collective force of pieces, all acting together to overwhelm the opposition.

This page is a reference to some of the common terms you hear, related to the fun concept of Attacking the enemy …

Defensive Play is when a player organizes their troops for the purpose of thwarting attacks by the enemy.

Defences can involve as little as one pawn providing support and/or protection for another piece …

While, at the other extreme, multiple pieces can be arranged to provide Defensive back-up to pieces in a specific region of the Board.

This page is a reference to some of the common terms you hear, related to the tactical art of Defending your position.

Additional Chess Terminology

The additional Chess Terminology guide kicks off with the Attacking Play terminology; beneath that section, you’ll find the group containing the Defensive Play terminology …

Attacking-Play Terminology

1) Attack
Attacks occur when any chess piece moves to a square and, when there, it is able to capture an enemy piece, on its next turn, should the opponent not move it to safety.

2) Berserker
When a piece CONTINUES to attack the opposing army, in quick succession, it takes on a different personality: the “Berserker”.

3) Breakthrough
A “Breakthrough” is made when a player gets a piece through to attack the enemy’s back row.

4) Counterplay
A collective series of offensive moves, maybe by more than one piece, of any one side, which includes attacks, captures and positional play, for the benefit of more attacks, is referred to as Counterplay.

5) Force
A larger army will often win against opposition with fewer troops to call upon … The more material at a player’s disposal, the more overwhelmed the smaller opposition will become … and that’s, basically, how the principle of Force works.

6) Initiative
The Initiative ISN’T played when you simply attack another piece … the “Initiative” IS played when you attack another piece and your opponent is FORCED to react to protect it.

7) Support Point
When it comes to Attacking Play, the best type of Support Point will often allow one of your heavy-duty pieces to sit at the head of a line of Pawns and remain there, for many turns.

8) Weakness
As in “find a Weakness to exploit and attack!”.

 

Defensive-Play Terminology

1) Blockade
A Blockade is used to stop an enemy Pawn advancing any further … it’s a last-gasp maneuver to prevent the Pawn from achieving Promotion. Pawns, Knights, and Bishops are the pieces used to create Blockades.

2) Blocking
Blocking differs from a Blockade, as the Block is used to get a player’s King out of “Check”, whereas the Blockade is used to stop a Pawn advancing any closer to Promotion. The piece that Blocks the Check, simply steps in between its King and the attacking enemy pieces.

3) Castling
Castling allows a player to quickly swap the position of their King and ONE Rook – whether it’s the Queenside Rook (which would be Queenside Castling), or the Kingside Rook (which would be Kingside Castling).

4) Defence Openings
Defence Openings are documented Opening sequences, played from the perspective of Black’s army … All other ‘textbook’ Openings are played from the perspective of the player controlling the White army.

5) Support Point
Watch the video and see how the Support Point works, in terms of Defensive Play.

6) X-Ray Attack, Definition 3
There are 3 different types, or ‘definitions’ of “X-Ray Attack” … A Definition 3 X-Ray refers to a piece that will defend a friendly piece, “through” that friendly piece, to warn the attacking enemy piece that it will get captured, if they persist in capturing their intended victim.