Chess: history, terminology. Life is a game: zugzwang is an extra motivation, not an end

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Chess and checkers are one of the most popular modern games. It is difficult to find a modern person who has never in his life moved figures around a black and white board, thinking through ingenious maneuvers. But few people, except for professional players, are familiar with chess terminology. However, these concepts are often used to describe real events in public life. "Zugzwang" is one such term.

A bit of history

Chess and checkers are fairly ancient games. Scientists around the world have not been able to determine when they appeared. It is believed that checkers was played in ancient Babylon. Chess appeared a little later - about one and a half thousand years ago, in India. Today, both games are considered intellectual and occupy a significant place in the leisure time of people who want to learn how to think logically. And thanks to the development of computers and smartphones and the ubiquity ofhigh-speed Internet, now you can fight with a virtual opponent everywhere, and not wait for friends to gather at the table. At the same time, you can choose a player according to your level, and not be afraid that zugzwang is the only possible way to end a gambling match.

Most important

The study of any new subject always begins with a conceptual apparatus. In order to be able to independently come up with an interesting maneuver, you must first familiarize yourself with the descriptions of thousands of already played combinations. And this cannot be done without knowing the terms. Training in any section begins with a story about how the figures are called. The trainer explains to the beginners that queen, tour, officer and horse are incorrect designations. The listed figures are called as follows: queen, rook, bishop and knight. The first two are classified as "heavy", the second - "light". In total, each player has eight pawns, two bishops, a knight and a rook, one queen and one king. All pieces move differently. Pawns - horizontally and vertically, bishops - diagonally, horses - the letter "G". Queens and kings are more mobile pieces, so they combine the styles of others.

Board and notation of moves

The chess field consists of 64 cells: one half is white, the other is black. On both sides of it are "white" and "black" troops. The conditional line that separates them is called the demarcation line. The beginning of the game, or its debut, is a variety of gambits and defenses. The second and longest phase is the middlegame. It ends in defeatdraw and win. Zugzwang is only an intermediate result. If a player has exceeded the allotted time for thinking about a move, then he is considered a loser. In this case, they say that he is in time trouble.

The moves of each player are recorded on a special form. In their description, both the abbreviated names of the figures (Kr, F, S, L, K) and the designations of horizontals (Latin letters) and verticals (numbers) are used. Castling is written as zero.

Chess terminology

The names of many game situations are used to explain real events in public life. It is difficult to find a person who does not know what a checkmate is. Unlike the check, in such a situation it is no longer possible to save the king, and the outcome of the game becomes a foregone conclusion. A stalemate is effectively a forced draw, since neither player has the opportunity to make a move. Castling in chess is associated with the protection of the king, it can be short and long. Zugzwang is a position in which any next move by one of the parties will lead to a deterioration in the game situation for it. A fork is a situation when two enemy pieces are under attack at once.

Zugzwang position

For the first time this term is found in German chess literature dating back to the 19th century. Its English counterpart became widespread after its use by world champion Emmanuel Lasker in 1905. But the very concept of zugzwang was known to players long before the term appeared. In 1604 Alessandro Salvio, oneof the first researchers of chess, first described this state of affairs. Although some scholars claim that zugzwang was described in Persian texts about shatranj, which date back to the 9th century AD.

Life is a game

Little girls and boys love dolls and soldiers. They use them to simulate real life situations. With age, we accumulate experience, but the need to simulate events does not disappear. Checkers, and especially chess, is a prime example of this. They allow you to escape from real life, and at the same time train concentration and memory. Zugzwang in chess teaches that sometimes there is simply no better way out, so you need to act, and not procrastinate, looking for a non-existent move. Sometimes it’s good to let things take their course, wait, and then take matters into your own hands. Shah is not the end, but the motivation to put in more effort. The main thing is to prevent checkmate! Although no one has yet canceled the opportunity to improve your skills and replay the game, so it's all up to you!