It is considered to be worth nine pawns. It is equivalent to two rooks. There are black and white varieties, they occupy cells d1 and d8, respectively.
Move
A queen is a piece that, according to the rules of modern chess, can move in any direction to an arbitrary number of free squares. In this way he combines the capabilities of the bishop and rook. Being on one of the central squares, the queen is able to attack a maximum of 27 squares, on the edge of the board - 21. According to the early rules of chess, this piece could move diagonally, horizontally and vertically. However, only for one field. In ancient Russian chess, there was the term “every queen” - this figure, by agreement, could additionally move like a knight.
In the party
The queen is a piece that, at the beginning of the game, is provided to each side in a single copy. The fields occupied by these figures are similar to their own color. This is confirmed by the famous expression. It is commonly said that “the chess queen loves her color.” This phrase is actively used when training novice players.
Experts note that in the opening it is better to be careful when deploying the queen. The fact is that this figure, during actions in the opponent’s camp, becomes extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks. She demonstrates her own capabilities much better in the endgame and middlegame. It is believed that in the first case, the king and queen always win against the opponent if he only has minor pieces left. There is also a high probability of winning if the opponent has a rook.
It should be remembered how important a pawn is in the endgame. The queen can be obtained from it with a tactically correct advance. This task can be considered one of the main ones at the final stage of the game. Victory in a certain game often depends on it. The rules do not provide restrictions on the number of queens that can be on the board at the same time. So in theory, in addition to the figure given at the beginning of the game, you can get 8 additional ones. To do this, you need to convert all the pawns. In practice, as a rule, the situation is different. Most often, only the second queen appears on the board, and only on one side. When attacking the "queen" the term "guard" is often used, but the announcement is not mandatory and does not appear in the official game rules.
Etymology
Queen is a “vizier” or “commander” translated into Russian. In many European languages, this figure is called a “queen”. This term is also typical for spoken Russian. There are two versions regarding the origin of the name. According to the first, the word is borrowed from the French language (“maiden”). The second version is based on the fact that the appearance of the “queen” figure, which replaced the queen, as well as giving it significant strength, is associated with a significant increase in the power of Isabella of Castile in Spain at the end of the fifteenth century. This piece is a frequent participant in various chess problems.
Chessmen. From left to right - King - Queen - Bishop - Knight - Rook - Pawn
Chess is played with special pieces. Let's see what each of them looks like, is called and what rules follow. In addition, chess pieces have their own specific value, classification, strengths and weaknesses. Let's start the description with the most important piece - the king, and then continue from the strongest - the queen, to the weakest - the pawn.
King
The French king Louis XIV said: “The state is me!” The chess king is the state, that is, the personification of the player. This is the most important piece in the game, since the inability to defend one’s king leads to defeat, and an irresistible attack on the enemy king leads to victory in the game. Despite such importance in the game, the king is a rather weak piece; it can move in any direction, but only one square per turn. Therefore, protect the king from the very beginning of the game until the end of the game.
QueenThe queen is often called the queen, and in many chess sets this piece is depicted as a woman. The king and queen are similar in appearance, so do not confuse them, immediately determine which one is which. The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard; it can move as many squares as it wants in any direction horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The loss of a queen is often an irreparable loss for the player, and he often gives up in such situations.
RookThe rook in the classic set of chess pieces looks like a defensive tower of a castle, this appearance corresponds to its European name. Also, this figure can be depicted as a war chariot or it can look like an ancient naval combat unit - a rook. In terms of strength, this piece takes an honorable second place after the queen. The rook can move any number of squares vertically and horizontally. At the beginning of the game, each player has 2 rooks.
ElephantIn the classic set of pieces, the chess bishop is not at all similar to the elephant from the animal world. In height it is second only to the king and queen. The upper part of this figure externally represents the personification of the robes of Western priests, which corresponds to the English name for the elephant - bishop, which translates as bishop. Bishops move in any direction diagonally on any number of squares. At the beginning of the game, you have two bishops, each of which retains the diagonal colors for the entire game, that is, one will move only along diagonals from light squares, and the second only along dark squares, hence they are called light-squared and dark-squared bishops, respectively.
Horse Chessmen. Horse
The only piece on the board that everyone outwardly immediately identifies, even the smallest children just starting to play chess. Only a knight can jump over its own and other people’s pieces, and the trajectory of this piece’s moves is also unusual. The knight moves first two/one cells vertically or horizontally and then one/two cells horizontally or vertically perpendicular to the original direction. This description of the knight's move sounds very tricky, but remembering how a knight moves is simple - it moves with the Russian letter "G". The bishop and knight are approximately equal in strength and they are inferior to the rook in value, but superior to the pawn.
Pawn Chessmen. Pawn
At the beginning of the game you have 8 of them and the pawn is the weakest piece. The pawn moves only forward one square, eats forward diagonally and also only one square. From the starting position, the pawn has the right to jump 2 squares forward on its first move. With this 2-move jump, if the enemy’s pawn is directly to the side of yours, then the opponent can take your pawn on the next move, placing his own not in the place of yours, but 1 square closer to you - this is called an en passant capture. During the game, the weakest piece can become the strongest, so a pawn, having reached the last rank, turns into any piece at the discretion of the player, even a queen.
We described what chess pieces are called, look like and move. In the next article we will touch on strengths and weaknesses and recommendations on what to do with them in a given position or stage of the game.
, bishop, knight and pawn. Chess is played by two opponents: one plays with white pieces, the other with black. Each player has 16 pieces - one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. Each of these pieces moves on the chessboard.
Descriptions of figures
King, queen, bishop, rook, knight, pawn
King
The most valuable piece, since the unavoidable threat of capture (this situation is called "checkmate") means the loss of the game. Moves one square vertically, horizontally or diagonally. In addition, it can participate in castling. In a set of chess pieces, the king is usually the tallest piece, or one of the two tallest pieces (the second is the queen).Queen
The strongest piece, since it moves to any number of squares vertically, horizontally or diagonally, combines the moves of the rook and bishop. Initially (in the old Arab shatranj) the queen moved only one square diagonally and was a weak piece. The transformation of the queen into the most powerful piece has already occurred in European chess. In modern chess theory, the queen is a “heavy piece” (along with the rook). The appearance of the piece in traditional "Stauntonian" chess is similar to the king, but the piece is topped with a small ball and, unlike the king, is usually somewhat lower (the king is usually taller than the queen and is topped with a cross).Rook
Moves to any number of fields vertically or horizontally. Can participate in castling. At the beginning of the game, each player has two rooks located on the outer squares of the first or eighth ranks - white rooks on a1 and h1, black ones on a8 and h8. Like the queen, the theory classifies it as a “heavy piece.” The figure usually has the appearance of a stylized round fortress (or siege) tower (which corresponds to its European name - “tura” - translated from different languages as “fortress tower”). In old Russian chess sets it looked like a stylized ship (rook). According to some assumptions, the various names of this figure are related to its original name and appearance. In chaturanga it was called “chariot”, that is, “rath”. In Arabic Shatranj the name became "Rukh" (meaning the Roc Bird). Its stylized images, according to chess historians, in Rus' were taken for images of a visually similar Russian rook, which is where the Russian name of the figure came from. In Europe, the image of the figure was associated with a name consonant with “rook” (cliff, tower), as a result, the corresponding European chess piece began to be depicted in the form of a fortress tower.Elephant
Moves to any number of fields diagonally. In chaturanga and shatranja, he walked across one field diagonally, being, like a horse, a “jumping” piece (while moving, he stepped over his own and other people’s pieces standing in the way). Due to the geometry of the chessboard, the bishop moves only on squares of the same color. Depending on the color of the diagonal fields along which this figure moves, the bishop is called light-squared or dark-squared. At the beginning of the game, each player has two bishops - light-squared and dark-squared, white c1 and f1, black c8 and f8. Belongs to the class of “minor pieces” (together with the knight). In a chess set, the bishop is usually lower in height than the king and queen. Its upper part has the shape of a drop (or hood) with a point upward, representing a stylization of the attire of Catholic and Anglican bishops. The English name for elephant is “bishop”.Horse
Can go to one of the squares closest to the one on which he stands, but not on the same horizontal, vertical or diagonal, i.e. he walks with the Russian letter "G" (or Latin "L"). Always lands on a field of the opposite color. One of two pieces (the second is the king), the move of which has not changed since chaturanga. At the beginning of the game, each player has two knights located next to the rooks - white knights b1 and g1, black knights b8 and g8. Refers to “light pieces”. In the chess set it looks like a horse's head on a round stand. The English name "knight" is knight.Pawn
Moves one field vertically forward. From the starting position, he can also make the first move two fields forward. Hit one field diagonally forward. When making a move on two squares, it can be captured on the pass by the opponent's pawn with the next move. The only piece in chess whose normal move and capture move are different. If during the game the pawn reaches the last rank, it turns into any piece the player wishes, except the king. As a rule, the pawn is promoted to the most powerful piece - the queen, but there are exceptions. At the beginning of the game, each player has eight pawns, which are located on the second horizontal row from the player, covering the pieces. The figure is the smallest of all in the set. Despite their weakness, pawns are very important in a chess game, as they often form the basis of a player’s defensive structure, being both “filler” of the field and “cannon fodder.” In the endgame, the role of pawns increases many times over, usually due to the potential ability to reach the last rank and become a strong piece.Classification
Figures are divided into:
- Easy pieces- horse and elephant.
- Heavy figures- rook and queen.
- King- due to its special role in the game, it is neither a light nor a heavy piece. The most valuable figure.
- Pawn- just like the king, it is neither a light nor a heavy piece.
There is ambiguity in the terminology: in the narrow sense figures all chess pieces except pawns are called. Usually the word “piece” in a commentary on a chess game is used in this sense, for example, an expression like “loss of a piece” means the loss of a light or heavy piece, but not a pawn. In conversation, the word “piece” often means a minor piece, for example, “I managed to win a queen for a piece,” “sacrifice a piece for 2 pawns.”
Comparative Strength and Value of Pieces
The problem of the comparative strength and value of certain groups of pieces constantly arises in chess games when there is a question of exchange. In chess theory, the value of pieces is usually measured in pawns. The following relationships are generally accepted:
| Figures | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Pawn | 1 | |
| Horse | ~3 | |
| Elephant | ~3,5 | |
| Rook | ~5 | |
| Queen | ~9,5 | |
| King | ∞ |
These ratios are not at all sufficient for an objective assessment of certain actions in a particular party. The game adds numerous additional considerations to these. The comparative value of pieces can be influenced by the type of position being played, the stage of the game at which the exchange is made, and the position of specific pieces. Thus, almost any piece in the center of the board has more squares under attack than on the side and, especially, in the corner, so exchanging your corner piece for an equivalent central piece of the opponent can be profitable. The knight and bishop are formally considered to be of equal value, but in practice their comparative value very much depends on the position. Two bishops are almost always stronger than two knights. A bishop is stronger than a knight in a game against pawns, and a bishop and pawns are stronger in a game against an enemy rook than a knight and the same number of pawns. A bishop and rook are usually stronger than a knight and a rook, but a queen and knight are often stronger than a queen and bishop. Two bishops can checkmate a lone king with precise defense of the weaker side, but two knights cannot. The actions of ranged pieces are almost always limited by other pieces, while the knight can jump over them. It is impossible to protect yourself from a check of a knight - you must either retreat with the king or take the knight.
A particular issue is the relative strength of the king. On the one hand, the imminent threat of capturing the king (i.e. checkmate) means losing the game, and therefore its value is infinite. In the opening and middlegame, the uncovered king is easily vulnerable, and therefore he does not actively participate in the chess battle, trying to be protected by other pieces; For this purpose castling is usually carried out. On the other hand, towards the end of the game the king becomes more active and becomes an important attacking and defending piece, and his strength is equal to 3-4 pawns.
Impact force of figures
The ability of a piece to simultaneously attack one or another number of squares on an empty chessboard is called the striking power of this piece.
“The upper part of the figures is crowned by a symbolic skeleton, in the image of which almighty death laughs at the game of chess.”
… Tours could pass for glasses, king- for the samovar or the general. Shishaki officers looked like light bulbs. A pair of blacks and a pair of whites horses it was possible to harness them to cardboard carriages and set up a cabbie exchange or a carousel. Both were especially convenient queens, queen, lady).
Rook - tower, cannon, ship, chariot, castle. Elephant - alfil (Arabic name for elephant), runner, messenger, hunter, shooter, jester, bishop. Horse - jumper, knight, rider. Pawn - soldier, peasant. Unicode characters
The Unicode encoding has special characters that represent chess pieces.
Name King Queen Rook Elephant Horse Pawn White Symbol ♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙ Code U+2654 U+2655 U+2656 U+2657 U+2658 U+2659 , 1990. - P. 59, 413, 425 - 426. - 624 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-85270-005-3. HTML ♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙
There are six different (types or names) of chess.figures - king, queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. Chess is played by two opponents; one plays with white pieces, the other with black pieces. Each player has 16 pieces - one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. Each of these pieces moves on the chessboard in its own way.
Descriptions of the figures:
King
Moves one square in any direction. In addition, he can participate in castling. The most important piece, since the inability to protect the king from an enemy attack (this situation is called “checkmate”) means losing the game. In a set of chess pieces, the king is usually the tallest piece, or one of the two tallest pieces (the second is the queen).
Queen
Moves to any number of squares vertically, horizontally or diagonally (combines the moves of a rook and a bishop). In general, the most powerful piece on the chessboard. Initially (in the old Arab shatranj) the queen moved only one square diagonally; His transformation into the most powerful figure already occurred in European chess. In modern chess theory, the queen is one of the “heavy pieces”, along with the rook. The appearance of the piece in traditional "Stauntonian" chess is similar to the king, but the piece is topped with a small ball and is usually somewhat lower, unlike the king, which is usually taller than the queen and topped with a cross.
Rook
Moves to any number of fields vertically or horizontally. Can participate in castling. The player begins the game with two rooks standing on the outer squares of the first rank. Like the queen, it is theoretically classified as a “heavy piece.” The figure usually has the appearance of a stylized round fortress tower (which corresponds to its European name, which is translated from different languages as “fortress tower”). In old Russian chess sets it looked like a stylized ship (rook). According to some assumptions, the various names of this figure are related to its original name and appearance. In chaturanga it was called “chariot”, that is, “rath”. In Arabic Shatranj the name became "Ruh" (meaning a mythical bird). Its stylized images, according to chess historians, in Rus' were mistaken for images of a visually similar Russian rook, which is where the Russian name of the figure came from. In Europe, the image of the figure was associated with a name consonant with “rook” (cliff, tower), as a result, the corresponding European chess piece began to be depicted in the form of a fortress tower.
Elephant
Moves to any number of fields along diagonals. In chaturanga and shatranja, he walked across one field diagonally, being, like a horse, a “jumping” piece (while moving, he stepped over his own and other people’s pieces standing in the way). At the beginning of the game, the player has two bishops - a light-squared and a dark-squared. Due to the geometry of the chessboard, bishops move only along the diagonals of their color. Belongs to the class of “minor pieces”, along with the knight. The figure is usually below the king and queen, the upper part has the shape of a drop (or hood) with a point up, representing a stylization of the attire of Catholic and Protestant priests, which corresponds to the English name “bishop” - “bishop”.
Horse
It moves in the Russian letter "G" (or the letter "L") - first on two fields vertically or horizontally, then on another field horizontally or vertically perpendicular to the original direction. The only piece in modern chess that does not move in a straight line and is “jumping” - it can “jump” over its own and enemy pieces. One of two pieces (the second is the king), the move of which has not changed since chaturanga. At the beginning of the game, each player has two knights, standing on the second to the left and to the right of the fields of the first horizontal line from him. Refers to “light pieces”. The figure looks like a horse's head on a stand. The English name "knight" is knight.
Pawn
Moves one field vertically forward. From the starting position, he can make one move two fields forward. Hit one field diagonally forward. When making a move on two squares, the next move can be captured on the pass by the opponent’s pawn (the so-called capture of “enpassan”). The only piece in chess whose quiet move and capture move are different. Each player has eight pawns in a set of pieces; in the initial position, the pawns stand on the second horizontal line from the player, covering the pieces. If during the game the pawn reaches the last rank, then it turns into any piece the player wishes, except the king. With rare exceptions, a pawn is usually promoted to a queen. The figure is the smallest of all in the set. Despite their weakness, pawns are very important in a chess game, as they often form the basis of a player’s defensive structure, being both “filler” of the field and “cannon fodder.” In the endgame, the role of pawns increases many times over, usually due to the fact that some of them are so-called “passed pawns”, potentially capable of reaching the last rank and becoming a piece.
Classification
The figures are divided into:
- Light pieces - knight and bishop.
- Heavy pieces - rook and queen.
- The king, due to its special role in the game, is neither a light nor a heavy piece.
- The pawn, like the king, is neither a light nor a heavy piece.
There is ambiguity in the terminology: in a narrow sense, all chess pieces except pawns are called pieces. Usually the word “piece” in a commentary on a chess game is used in this sense, for example, an expression like “loss of a piece” means the loss of a light or heavy piece, but not a pawn.
Comparative strength of figures
The problem of the comparative strength and value of certain groups of pieces constantly arises in chess games when there is a question of exchange. In chess theory, the strength of pieces is usually measured in pawns. The following approximate ratios are generally accepted:
It should be taken into account that the above ratios are not at all sufficient for an objective assessment of certain actions in a particular party. The game adds numerous additional considerations to these. The comparative value of pieces can be influenced by the type of position being played, the stage of the game at which the exchange is made, and the position of specific pieces. Thus, almost any piece in the center of the board has more squares under attack than on the side and, especially, in the corner, so exchanging your corner piece for an equivalent central piece of the opponent can be profitable. The knight and bishop are formally considered to be of equal value, but in practice their comparative value very much depends on the situation. Two bishops are almost always stronger than two knights. A bishop is stronger than a knight in a game against pawns, and a bishop and pawns are stronger in a game against an enemy rook than a knight and the same number of pawns. A bishop and rook are usually stronger than a knight and a rook, but a queen and knight are often stronger than a queen and bishop. Two bishops can checkmate a lone king, but two knights cannot. In chess, the actions of long-range pieces are almost always limited by other pieces, while the knight can jump over them. It is impossible to protect yourself from a knight's check - you must either retreat with the king or take the knight.
The next most powerful chess piece after the queen on the chessboard is rightfully considered the chess rook. The chess rook looks the same both on the demonstration and on the chess board - this figure is similar to a fortress tower. Sometimes she has small teeth on her head that look like little bricks.
Chess rook - its names - Tura, Fortress, Tower
In many countries of the East, the Chess Rook was very loved, as it was considered the most powerful piece, even much stronger than the Queen. She did not always stand in place like a fortress. There was also a war chariot - Rathi - the most formidable weapon of that time, rushing across the fields and along the board.
And in Iran, the chess rook was even called Fate - Roc. The Roc bird, the patroness of the army, appeared at the most important parts of the battle and could at any moment decide the Fate of the chess battle.
After fighting, the army always returned to the city and spent the winter behind the high fortress towers. Sometimes they took the towers with them, put them on wheels and it turned out to be a real Gulyai-city. Such a fortress tower rode on wheels across fields and roads.
Thick logs were placed under especially large towers and rolled. A hundred soldiers fired cannons at the enemy. The rest of the army was hiding behind the fortress walls, ready to rush in and attack the enemy at any moment. The appearance of such walking fortresses in the Shah's army was completely unexpected for the enemy.
In all countries this chess piece is called: Fortress, Tower, Tura (many grandfathers call this piece exactly that), they are used to it and cannot get out of the habit.
History of the chess rook and its name in Russia
There are so many fortresses in Russia, and yet for some reason this chess piece is called a chess rook. Where did this name come from?
A long time ago there were no large ships, and people sailed in boats if the wind was fair, or even just rowed. In the old days these large boats were called Rooks.
Once upon a time, merchant sailors sailed to India on their boats. The distance between India and Russia is quite large, and besides, these are the huge insurmountable mountains of the Himalayas - all covered in snow and 8 kilometers high, and behind them the hot Kara-Kum desert. And now such a journey through the mountains is almost impossible. Therefore, the merchants had a route only through the seas and oceans. The path is difficult, dangerous, but the only one. Traders brought furs, honey, grain and other goods to India, and brought various spices and precious stones to Russia.
One day, Russian merchants brought various toys for children, but no one wanted to buy them. They were surprised, of course - don’t Indian children really play with toys?! And they answer: “We play, but only the most interesting game – Chaturanga.” This is what Chess was called in India before. The Russians marveled at this game, and they liked it so much that they decided to take it with them to Russia and teach their children to play chess. The Rooks sailed back to Russia and brought a chess field for battle and combat chess pieces.
On the way home, the merchants were so carried away by the game that they did not even notice the approaching storm. And when a strong wind blew and terrible waves rose, the merchant sailors rushed to save their ship, not having time to collect the chess pieces. The storm was strong and long, and when it subsided, the merchants saw that most of the chess pieces had been washed away by the waves. But the Russians have always been good craftsmen and quickly carved new pieces from wood for playing chess, even more beautiful than the Indians had.
The only trouble is that they couldn't remember what some of the figures looked like. After all, there are no Elephants in Russia, and the merchants simply did not reach the fortress towers of the glorious Indian walking city. Therefore, instead of bishops and chess rooks, the sailors cut out their own pieces, which they liked better: military officers, adjutants and assistants of Their Majesty instead of bishops, and instead of fortress towers, chess rooks floated across the chessboard.
After all, the Rooks were like beloved children among the merchant sailors. They were loved, cherished, talked to. Therefore, it is not surprising that ships sailed across the Russian chessboards.
In some halls of the Hermitage, antique chess sets are displayed, where elegant sailboats stand as pieces at the edges of the chessboard.
And on one board, museum employees mixed up the arrangement of chess pieces, deciding that the pedestal-shaped bishops were fortresses, and placed them on the side verticals. It turned out that the King can immediately mount the Chess Rook and set off on his chess journey.
Whether the ships in Russian chess sailed long or short, famous chess players began to come to us from other European countries. Of course, it was unusual for them to see another figure instead of a fortress tower.
The Russian chess players had to meet the wishes of the guests and change the appearance of the piece, turning it into a chess tower familiar to Europeans. But the name of the chess piece remained. A heavy chess fortress - tour - tower in Russia is called a chess rook.
Fabulous chess stories about chess rooks and fortresses
What famous fortresses do you know? Let's remember what fortress Alexander Suvorov took with his hero soldiers?
You should definitely visit the Suvorov Museum in St. Petersburg, where you can find out how the impregnable Turkish fortress of Izmail fell. The Turkish general shouted for a long time from the walls of the city that “the Danube would sooner flow backwards than his Fortress would fall.” Did not help! After the Russian soldiers, led by Suvorov, launched an assault, the fortress did not last even a day.
And what heroic fortress held out the Nazis for a long time in the first months of the war of 1941-1945? Already in the very first days of the war, the Germans announced that the Brest Fortress was surrounded, and their troops went far ahead. But the fortress lived, fought, inflicted enormous damage on the enemy, and for a long time attracted several enemy divisions.
What wonderful fortresses are there in our city of St. Petersburg, in our region? If you walk along the Neva, it is simply impossible not to notice the Peter and Paul Fortress with its golden spire. You should definitely visit it and be amazed at the thickness and height of the fortress walls. By the way, when our northern enemies, the Swedes, with whom Peter I fought for so long, first saw the Peter and Paul Fortress, their desire to attack Russia disappeared forever.
And not far from our city there is a whole constellation of famous fortresses: the sea fortress of Kronstadt with its forts, which reliably covered St. Petersburg from the sea. Petrofortress - Shlisselburg - the famous Oreshek fortress on Ladoga, at the source of the Neva, protected all of Ladoga and the city from the east. Koporye, Yamburg, Ivangorod became directly opposite the Narva fortress.
At one time, they held back the knights of the Teutonic Order who wanted to visit Russia for evil purposes. Our glorious warriors at one time annexed the fortified cities of Vyborg and Korela-Priozersk to Russia and thus ensured the security of our northern borders; and from the south the city is protected by Tikhvin and Staraya Ladoga.
Vsevolod Viktorovich Kostrov
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