Today's collection of 10 Chess Terms are as follows...
#1 Active Bishop
When a Bishop serves some sort of active function it's often referred to as an "Active Bishop". Typical functions include guarding critical squares of the enemy's territory, or Pinning an enemy piece against its King.
#2 Back Rank
A Rank is made up of a single horizontal row of 8 squares on the chessboard. In total, there are 8 Ranks and they're labeled '1' to '8'.
Ranks 1 to 4 are in White's territory; while Ranks 5 to 8 are in Black's territory.
The Back Rank is the one where a player's King sit upon, at the start of each game. Therefore, White's Back Rank is Rank 1; while Black's Back Rank is Rank 8.
#3 Caissa
The Goddess Caissa is the spirit that Chess player's turn to for good luck. If a chess player feels they were lucky in a game, they might say "Caissa was with me".
#4 Demonstration Board
This is basically a large, 2D chessboard, which is fixed in an upright position, usually on an easel or some type of stand - so that chess tutors can demonstrate tactics, strategy, games, and so on, to their students.
The board and pieces are usually magnetic, though some makes incorporate cutouts into which the pieces are slotted.
#5 Endgame
This refers to the final phase of a game of chess, during which the game may be Won/Lost, or end in a Draw (Stalemate).
The other two phases are the Opening and Middlegame.
The moment the Middlegame finishes and the Endgame begins is a little hazy; but, a rough guide is that there are usually only a few pieces remaining, plus Pawns (and King, obviously).
#6 FIDE
This is the World Chess Federation, responsible for organizing Chess, from competitions to maintaining rules. FIDE is to Chess what FIFA is to Football/Soccer.
FIDE is the abbreviation for the Federation Internationale des Echecs. The organization was founded in Paris, France, on July 20th 1924.
#7 Grande Combination
In chess, a Combination is defined as a "forced series of moves accompanied by a sacrifice, which combine to take advantage of any potential for gaining a positional or material advantage".
A Grande Combination takes it one step further and includes multiple tactics, such as Pins, Forks, Discovered Attacks, and so on.
Like a martial artist who delivers a mixed array of kicks and punches, the combinations aim to overwhelm an opponent into submission, or defeat. A Grande Combination is just more devastating.
#8 Hanging Piece
When you leave material unprotected and exposed to potential capture, they're left "Hanging". A Hanging Piece means you've left a Knight, Bishop, Rook, or Queen unprotected. If you've left a Pawn unprotected, it's known as a "Hanging Pawn".
#9 Illegal Move
A move that isn't permitted by the official rules of chess is an Illegal Move. For instance, a player who moves their Bishop along the straights would be committing an Illegal Move, as Bishops can only move along the diagonal paths.
Alternatively, if you move another Pawn or Piece when your King is in Check, and that move doesn't get your King out of Check... that would be deemed an Illegal Move, as King's cannot be left in Check. "Them's the rules", so to speak.
#10 KGA
This is an abbreviation for a specific Gambit Opening known as the "King's Gambit Accepted". The sequence for the King's Gambit is 1. e4 e5, 2. f4...
The sequence for the KGA is 1. e4 e5, 2. f4 exf4, when Black's e5 Pawn captures White's Pawn on the f4 square. The Gambit was played (by White); the capture was made, the Gambit was "Accepted" (by Black).
And that concludes this collection (#5) of 10 Chess Glossary terms.
