Changes

Modern international chess has a powerful, sweeping [[queen]] who was not a piece provided in the original game.  The long reach of bishops today was also lacking at first.  Maneuvers such as castling or capturing ''en passant'' have been developed within the past few hundred years.

Modern international chess has a powerful, sweeping [[queen]] who was not a piece provided in the original game.  The long reach of bishops today was also lacking at first.  Maneuvers such as castling or capturing ''en passant'' have been developed within the past few hundred years.

Today, chess is one of the most popular board games in the world.  International competitions, including world [[champion]]ship events, are organized by an organization called FIDE and American competition organized by the USCF ([[United States Chess Federation]]). The only American world champion was [[Bobby Fischer]], although [[Paul Morphy]] of [[Louisiana]] was likely the strongest player in the world in the 1850s, before a formal world champion was determined.  The current World Chess Champion is [[Norway|Norwegian]] Magnus Carlsen.  Prior to that, the world champion was [[India|Indian]] Viswanathan Anand|Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand.

Today, chess is one of the most popular board games in the world.  International competitions, including world [[champion]]ship events, are organized by an organization called FIDE and American competition organized by the USCF ([[United States Chess Federation]]). The only American world champion was [[Bobby Fischer]], although [[Paul Morphy]] of [[Louisiana]] was likely the strongest player in the world in the 1850s, before a formal world champion was determined.  The current World Chess Champion is [[Norway|Norwegian]] Magnus Carlsen.  Prior to that, the world champion was [[India]]n Viswanathan Anand|Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand.

Chess presents interesting intellectual challenges.  It is said that {{Cquote|Chess has an advantage over most school subjects: it combines both [[theory and practice]]. Ideas are honed and tested in the crucible of competitive play. Poor formulation or poor execution of ideas loses games. Careless, faulty thinking is ruthlessly refuted on the chessboard.<ref>[http://users.eniinternet.com/bradleym/NoAlt.html]</ref>}}

Chess presents interesting intellectual challenges.  It is said that {{Cquote|Chess has an advantage over most school subjects: it combines both [[theory and practice]]. Ideas are honed and tested in the crucible of competitive play. Poor formulation or poor execution of ideas loses games. Careless, faulty thinking is ruthlessly refuted on the chessboard.<ref>[http://users.eniinternet.com/bradleym/NoAlt.html]</ref>}}

The method most often used is:

The method most often used is:

*[[Image:chesspawn.jpg|20px]] Pawn--1

*[[Image:chesspawn.jpg|20px]] Pawn—1

*[[Image:chessknight.jpg|20px]] Knight--3 (some say 2.5, as Knights are generally regarded as slightly inferior to Bishops in many middlegame and endgame situations)

*[[Image:chessknight.jpg|20px]] Knight—3 (some say 2.5, as Knights are generally regarded as slightly inferior to Bishops in many middlegame and endgame situations)

*[[Image:chessbishop.jpg|20px]] Bishop--3

*[[Image:chessbishop.jpg|20px]] Bishop—3

*[[Image:chessrook.jpg|20px]] Rook--5

*[[Image:chessrook.jpg|20px]] Rook—5

*[[Image:chessqueen.jpg|20px]] Queen--9

*[[Image:chessqueen.jpg|20px]] Queen—9

*[[Image:chessking.jpg|20px]] King--Priceless, since its loss means the loss of the game.  However, as an active piece in the endgame it is usually considered to have a value of 3.

*[[Image:chessking.jpg|20px]] King—Priceless, since its loss means the loss of the game.  However, as an active piece in the endgame it is usually considered to have a value of 3.

<BR>(The value to the player of some pieces will actually vary during the course of the game, for instance, in an endgame, the King has an attacking power of about 3)

<BR>(The value to the player of some pieces will actually vary during the course of the game, for instance, in an endgame, the King has an attacking power of about 3)

===Movement===

===Movement===

The pieces move as follows.

The pieces move as follows.

*The '''pawn''' moves one square forward, except when moving from its opening position, when it can optionally move two.  The pawn is the only piece that captures in a way different from the way it moves.  It captures opposing pieces by capturing one square diagonally forward.  When another piece is on the square directly in front of a pawn it cannot move unless it is making a capture.  <br>

*The '''pawn''' moves one square forward, except when moving from its opening position, when it can optionally move two.  The pawn is the only piece that captures in a way different from the way it moves.  It captures opposing pieces by capturing one square diagonally forward.  When another piece is on the square directly in front of a pawn it cannot move unless it is making a capture.   

*The '''knight''', which is the only piece that can jump over other pieces, moves one square in one straight direction and two in the other.<br>

*The '''knight''', which is the only piece that can jump over other pieces, moves one square in one straight direction and two in the other.

*The '''bishop''' can move as many squares as desired diagonally.<br>

*The '''bishop''' can move as many squares as desired diagonally.

*The '''rook''' can move as many squares as desired in a straight direction.<br>

*The '''rook''' can move as many squares as desired in a straight direction.

*The '''queen''' is the most powerful piece in the board. It can move as many squares as desired (without jumping over another piece), either straight or diagonally.<br>

*The '''queen''' is the most powerful piece in the board. It can move as many squares as desired (without jumping over another piece), either straight or diagonally.

*The '''king''', which is the most important piece on the board, moves one square, either straight or diagonally.

*The '''king''', which is the most important piece on the board, moves one square, either straight or diagonally.

P = Pawn

P = Pawn

(In strict chess parlance, the pawns are not considered pieces; officially, a standard chess set consists of sixteen pieces <i>and</i> sixteen pawns.)

(In strict chess parlance, the pawns are not considered pieces; officially, a standard chess set consists of sixteen pieces ''and'' sixteen pawns.)

=====Moves=====

=====Moves=====

==Chess Variants==

==Chess Variants==

There are a number of games based on chess with rule variations, and these are referred to as ''chess variants''. One of the most popular of these is ''Bughouse'', a partner-based game in which a player who captures his opponent's piece can give it to a partner on another board to drop on a square of his choosing. Another is ''Kriegspiel'', a game in which a player can see his pieces but not that of his opponent. <ref>http://www.chessvariants.com/incinf.dir/kriegspiel.html</ref> A simpler variant is ''Antichess'', which is also called ''Suicide chess'', in which a player must make a capturing move if any legal captures exist on the board, and in which the goal is to run out of pieces first.

There are a number of games based on chess with rule variations, and these are referred to as ''chess variants''. One of the most popular of these is ''Bughouse'', a partner-based game in which a player who captures his opponent's piece can give it to a partner on another board to drop on a square of his choosing. Another is ''Kriegspiel'', a game in which a player can see his pieces but not that of his opponent.<ref>http://www.chessvariants.com/incinf.dir/kriegspiel.html</ref> A simpler variant is ''Antichess'', which is also called ''Suicide chess'', in which a player must make a capturing move if any legal captures exist on the board, and in which the goal is to run out of pieces first.

In 1996, [[Bobby Fischer]] introduced a variant called FischerRandom Chess, which involves scrambling the positions of the pieces on the first and eighth ranks before starting play. A number of rules govern the precise manner in which the pieces can be arranged; for example, the king must be somewhere between the two rooks, so that castling to either side is still possible, and the black and white positions must mirror one another. The rules provide for 960 possible starting positions, and for this reason the game is sometimes called Chess960. Fischer hoped his variant would encourage creative thinking and avoid the memorization associated with opening play in modern chess.

In 1996, [[Bobby Fischer]] introduced a variant called FischerRandom Chess, which involves scrambling the positions of the pieces on the first and eighth ranks before starting play. A number of rules govern the precise manner in which the pieces can be arranged; for example, the king must be somewhere between the two rooks, so that castling to either side is still possible, and the black and white positions must mirror one another. The rules provide for 960 possible starting positions, and for this reason the game is sometimes called Chess960. Fischer hoped his variant would encourage creative thinking and avoid the memorization associated with opening play in modern chess.