Chess Set Pieces: The Role Of The Pawn

The game of chess, and the chess set pieces, can be back 1500 years or more and the earlier form of chess was effectively a game of war. The chess set pieces all represented warriors and their commanders - none more so than the pawn.

 

The pawn of course is the most numerous of the chess set pieces. It represents the foot soldier, the cannon fodder if you like. In any game of chess the pawns have to be moved first. In any battle, the foot soldiers have to be used if you want to capture the opponent's King or ruler.

 

When you are playing a game with your best chess set, you must also move the pawns in order to move the more valuable pieces behind. To not move the pawns would hold the other chess set pieces in position. Pawns always move forward, not back, at one square at a time unless it is the first move when the pawn can move two squares.

 

A pawn only stays in the 'file' (the line of squares leading away from the player) it starts in unless it takes one of the opposing chess pieces when it moves diagonally.

 

Each pawn is given a name depending on the chess piece behind. For example, the pawn starting in front of the King is called the 'King Pawn.'

 

Of course it is easy for a pawn to get into a stalemate simply by moving up until it faces the opposing pawn. As neither can move forward they have to wait until one of them is taken by another piece.

 

The goal of any pawn is to reach the far side of the board when this piece can be upgraded to any other piece on the board. Most people of course change it into a Queen as this is the most powerful and versatile piece on the board.

Looking to find the best chess set for your needs or as a gift that will never be forgotten? Visit ChessSetHeaven.com for a range of high quality themed chess sets that will suit you perfectly.

Buy A Chess Set: Historical View of Chess - Chess, the game of kings

Chess, the game of kings, has its origins appropriately shrouded in mystery.

The chess board and it's pieces are indicative of medieval life. The six different chess pieces on the board represent a cross section of medieval life with its many ceremonies, grandeur, and wars. The castle piece on a chess board is the home, or the refuge, just as it was a home in medieval times. The pawns on the chess board represent serfs, or laborers. The is a bishop in the game of chess, who represents the church. The king is the tallest piece on the board, and is as well defended on the chessboard as in medieval life. The king is the most important, but not the most powerful piece in chess.

The squares on the chess board were all the same color until the 13th century. This afforded the players the illusion that the chessmen were floating across the board. Europe was ultimately responsible for chess' move to a checkered board.

The laws of chess and the rules governing movements of the pieces have been standard since the sixth century. It was during the 8th century in India, considered the birthplace of Chess that the game evolved to sixteen pieces on a side. In the eighth century, the Moors invaded Persia and, as the two cultures intertwined, chess became popular with the Moorish soldiers. The Muslim world, on the threshold of its greatest scientific and cultural accomplishments, welcomed chess with unbounded delight. As the Muslims expanded their empire, in the seventh through eleventh centuries, again, chess traveled with them.

When the Moors later invaded Spain, the soldiers brought the game of chess with them. The Spanish were soon also playing chess, and from there, it quickly (in historical terms) spread throughout all of Europe.

About the middle of the 15th century, the French made the single most profound change in the evolution of the game of Chess, two hundred years after Arab conquerors brought chess to southern Europe, a chess queen appear on the board. In the 16th and 17th centuries the evolution of chess took a quantum leap; the queen became the most powerful piece on the board. The queen, the only piece to represent a woman in the game of chess held a powerful yet precarious position.

From 1600-1850, it was believed that chess originated from Persia. but evidence clearly shows that chess did originate in India, rather than China or Persia as some have claimed. So by the eighteenth century chess had completely broken away from its medieval inheritance.

Since the late eighteenth century the popularity chess has increased dramatically, especially with the introduction of matches and tournaments. The current rules of chess were finalized in the early 19th century, except for the exact conditions for a draw and today it thrives as an intellectual game.

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Looking to find the best chess set for your needs or as a gift that will never be forgotten? Visit http://www.ChessSetHeaven.com for a range of high quality themed chess sets that will suit you perfectly.

Chess Sets Online: What Is The Attraction To Playing Chess?

 
By John Skelly

 

The best way to pinpoint the reasons why playing chess games is one of the favorite pastimes of people is by looking into the characteristics of the game itself. Those characteristics will account for why people like to play this game.

 

First of all, the element that makes playing chess games different from most other games is that it is not a game of chance. The element of chance is still in it, but greatly reduced and chance will only figure in it because it is impossible to predict what the opponents move will be. That is why even in computer versions of the game, a well programmed robot will not always come out winning the game.

 

However, deliberately planned moves characterize how players play chess games. The need to coordinate one's moves with the position of the pieces on the board is paramount for success. The role of the mind in this game outweighs the role of chance, unlike other games where the results are mostly left to the roll of dice.

 

Secondly, because it is not a game of chance, the player controls his own destiny. It will only be through being unaware of options open to the opponent that one can lose the game.

 

You need great mental focus to play chess games. The kind of focus, moreover, is involved with the entire board. Gathering all the data retrieved by the eyes and consolidating their implications is important for winning the game. And this has to be done constantly in the course of the game.

 

Excellent power of memory retention are also advantageous for chess games to be won. The capacity to create and store different approaches to the play and to apply one approach when needed is necessary in chess.

 

The willingness to face challenges and to persist in spite of setbacks towards the end of winning the game is an essential psychological attribute in chess playing.

 

From all those characteristics we know that chess is attractive to people who do not like games of chance. Chess is not a game for gamblers or roulette aficionados. Chess offers a respite from the seemingly random way life proceeds. Lots of professionals and businessmen resort to a game of chess in the evening to get back the sense of logics in their lives. At the same time, because chess involves a lot of intuitive reasoning, people sometimes play it to gain inspiration for solving real-life problems.

 

People who like games that give them a great amount of control like playing chess. These will be people with realistic mind-sets. Included in this group will be professionals and businessmen who, even during their leisure time like to hone their logical powers. Playing chess is also one way of getting logic back into the thinking process. Sometimes the helter-skelter of modern life bounces the mind of the right track. Chess is one way to get back on the tracks.

 

People who like taking responsibility for their actions love to play chess games. The game is all about being responsible for your actions. At the same time, this implies that all moves should be well thought of. In this group you will have those who like managing and running things. Playing chess is one good way to improve their insight into issues. Not a few people derive inspiration for real solutions to real problems as they play chess.

 

People who want to hone their memory rentention are also motivated to play the game

 

Finally, young people who like mental challenge in their games, who are not easily discouraged and who know how to persist in attaining their goals, also play chess a lot.

 

About the Author:
John Skelly is an avid chess player and loves to not only play the game but talk about it with others. He particularly enjoys writing about the intricacies and dynamics of chess. He invites everyone to find out more about Quality-Chess.net and to play chess as often as they can.


 

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

 

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/What-Is-The-Attraction-To-Playing-Chess/1392493#ixzz1tKDqzQO8

 

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Chess Store: Gary Kasparov

One of the greatest chess players to pick up chess set pieces, certainly in modern times, has been Gary Kasparov.

 

Like everyone who has lives through the last years of the USSR, Kasparov has seen major changes but in many ways he has been a catalyst for some of them.

 

Born in 1963 in Azerbaijan, he started playing as early as in 1968 at the age of 5 years old. He went on to be the Soviet Junior Champion in 1976 and 1977 and World Junior Champion in 1980. Kasparov finally made it to be World Champion in 1985 (the youngest player ever to do so) and continued to dominate the world championships until 2000. He remained the world's number one player until 2006.

 

His matches against Anatoly Karpov made world news and raised the game of chess to widespread popularity.

 

In 1996, Kasparov played IBM's Deep Blue computer and the challenge was abandoned at one match each. This has to be considered in the light of the computers ability to analyze 50 billion moves of chess set pieces in three minutes: in this way you get some idea of Kasparov's abilities.

 

Away from the chessboard, Gary Kasparov has always been a leader of the anti-Communist movement, despite many threats to his life. In recent years he has appeared on television, both on advertisements and talk shows, writes for the Wall Street Journal, has authored several books on chess and it's lessons and is now a popular public speaker.

 

In 2005, Kasparov retired from using chess set pieces competitively and has now thrown himself into charity and political work. He is passionate about embedding true democracy into Russian society.

 

Find out more about this fascinating man on his website Kasparov.com.

 

Discover the best chess set for your game on ChessSetHeaven.com. 

Chess Sets Online: History And Some Interesting Facts About Chess

By Cody Watson, http://ezinemark.com/u/cody-watson/30066187/

Chess is the abbreviated term of Chariot Horses Elephant Soldiers Save. Though the game has been played on for such a long time, the traditional pieces have remained unchanged right from the sixth century. Ultimately, the king, queen, bishop, rook, knight, and the pawn still remain in the game! However, players over the years have brought about a few changes to increase the pace of the game. For instance, the First Move Order (FMO) wherein the pawn moves two steps (instead of one) has been a welcome change for the game. However, the origin of chess is quite unclear.

Printings in David Li’s book, “Genealogy of Chess” indicates that chess was formulated in China in the 2nd century B.C. Nevertheless, there are acceptable indications in literatures that chess was being played in the 7th century. An Old Persian poem mentions that chess was first played in India before being migrated over to Persia during the period of King Chosroe-I Annshiravan in the 6th century. The Persian book penned during the sixth century has also mentioned in detail about some of the popular chess terminologies and the pieces that are identical to the ones being used today. The world-famous Forbes in its edition, Forbes, History of Chess, 1860 has mentioned that chess was invented about 4000-5000 years ago by the wife of King Ravana in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Moving away from history, today Chess has gained an International appeal as it is evident from the fact that it is being played by 149 countries registered in FIDE (Federation International e des Echecs), the world chess federation.

For ardent lovers of the game, I have compiled a few interesting facts about chess that you probably didn’t know about.

You would have played some long chess games in your career but how long were they? 50, 60 moves? Don’t be surprised if I say the longest recorded game of chess was played between I.Nikolic and Arsovi in Belgrade in 1989. The match that tamely ended in a draw lasted for about 269 moves! And theoretically a chess game can be played in as many as 5949 moves.

The word “Checkmate” is originally derived from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means “the King is dead”. Over the years, chess experts have programmed the computer’s memory with a lot of theories and variations. With regard to this, ‘Deep thought’ was the name given to the first ever computer to beat a grandmaster in 1988 in California.

Gary Kasparov, one of the greatest legends in the history of the game, rewrote record books when he became the youngest world champion at the age of 22. However, this stupendous record was later surpassed by Russia’s Ponomariov and Maia Chiburdanidze (women’s champion).

The folding chessboard that is commonly used in all the tournaments was first contrived by a priest who didn’t quite like the hard woody chessboard. Whatever the reason might have been, let us give a thumps up to the priest for his innovative idea! The folding chessboard is so easy to carry; and good enough to keep chess players puzzling for moves even while travelling.

Chess is exciting, skill-demanding, and challenging. Even a minor lapse of concentration will cost you the game. Generally, chess players are brilliant and have sharp memory than others. It is one game that doesn’t involve physical activities. People in any age groups can play chess. There are still men well over 50 playing at the top-most level. Chess would be one of the best games to teach your kids. These days, there are so many websites on which chess is being played online. You may log in to the online sites using any of the Fastest Internet connection and start playing.

About the Author:
Cody is a freelance writer and blogger. He writes on all categories including entertainment, technology, health, sports and games. He is an amateur chess player. He spends his free time playing chess with one of the Fastest Internet connections he has availed recently.

Articles Source: History And Some Interesting Facts About Chess


Discover themed chess sets to reawaken or expand your interest in playing chess at ChessSetHeaven.com.

Chess Set Pieces: Tips For Playing Good Chess

Taking out your best chess set and playing a good, enthralling game with your chess set pieces brings great rewards. But there are several tips that can help you get the best out of the game.

Make a sustained effort to become perfect in that wise and captivating game which is chess. ("There are people who play chess, and others who play at chess," said the great Franco-Polish master Janowski). Avoid - especially if you are young - wasting time and energy on the game, even if you have hopes of reaching the top of the ladder. Play chess as a relaxation; it the most beautiful of all games, but it is - a game. Its laurels are deceptive, its ambitions shallow.

Whatever your temperament - vivacious, superficial, timorous, ingenious, matter-of-fact or intuitive - know how to control it. You will thus be better able to bring your qualities to the fore, and your opponent will find it more difficult to exploit your weakness.

Never consider your cause lost from the first (that would be defeatism!), but, on the other hand, do not underestimate your opponent's powers. Know that there are two degrees of strength, the one you imagine you possess and the one that is actually yours: only too often is the last-named the lesser.

(These tips on how to get the most out of your chess game come from 'A Breviary Of Chess' by S. Tartakower)

To play a good game of chess requires a good choice of chess set pieces. Find an inspiring source of chess pieces for sale at ChessSetHeaven.com.

Themed Chess Sets: The Art Deco Style

If you asked me to choose from the themed chess sets available, I would have no hesitation in deciding which carved chess set I would love to own.  For me, the best chess set would be Art Deco themed.

 

Why Art Deco? Well, I spent a year working in Brussels. There I was able to feast on some amazing examples of the style. I didn’t have a car and spent a lot of time walking around this lovely compact city with amazing examples of two styles of architecture, namely Art Nouveau and Art Deco. 

 

Brussels is known particularly for its stunning examples of Art Nouveau.  However, the First World War changed people’s approach to their buildings.  A new and eclectic style began in Paris in the 1920s and spread widely.  Art Deco was born. This new style drew on a variety of influences. Very mathematical in its style, it included zigzags and geometric shapes and the result was a cleaner and more angular style of building.  However, Art Deco also drew on art and design from many ancient civilisations such as those in Egypt, Mexico and Africa.  The reason for this is ascribed to the great interest in archeology in the 1920s, for example the tomb of Tutankhamun and Pompeii.

 

Wandering around the area of Brussels that I lived in – Ixelles – it is possible to see some of wonderful examples of twentieth century architecture, from Art Nouveau, to Art Deco and then onto Modernism.  This is true in particular of the area around the Ixelles Ponds.

 

For me, my stay in this city was a very happy time. Being able to admire an Art Deco carved chess set in my home would bring back the best of memories.

 

I visited New York a few years ago and was excited to see the Art Deco spire of the Chrysler building and, of course, the Empire State Building. Also, in New York, the Rockefeller Centre has 14 original Art Deco buildings amongst its total of 19 buildings. It is not just in New York, but also in others of its large cities that the United States boasts excellent specimens of the style.

 

Closer to home, there are some splendid examples of Art Deco architecture in the UK.  In the seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, the mayor, Earl De La Warr held a competition for the design of a new leisure complex for the town.  The winning design was built between 1934 and 1935. Named after the mayor, the De La Warr Pavilion is a stunning example of Art Deco architecture. 

 

My focus on architecture could be misleading. The Art Deco style influenced all areas of design, including interior design.  In South East London, you can visit Eltham Palace. Originally a medieval palace, the site provides a treasure in the form of an important private house built by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld in the 1930s. The interior design is a feast of Art Deco. Even if you have never visited Eltham Palace, you may well have seen the interior as many films and television programmes have been filmed there.   

 

You will also see the influence of Art Deco style in the jewellery and fashion of the period.  It also affected the arts and industrial design.

 

If I have tempted you, why not look at the chess sets for sale at  ChessSetHeaven.com and get yourself an Art Deco carved chess set.

Themed Chess Sets: Canterbury Cathedral

You may not know about the range of themed chess sets that are available.  If you are looking for chess sets online, have a look at the chess sets for sale at ChessSetHeaven.com.  If the carved chess set that inspires your interest is the one based on the theme of Canterbury Cathedral, you might like to know something about the history and life of that amazing building set in South East England, in the lovely county of Kent.

 

Canterbury Cathedral has a very long and enthralling history.  We have to go all the way back to 596 AD to find the origins of the cathedral.  They date back to the time of St. Augustine.  Augustine was sent as a missionary to England by Pope Gregory the Great. The Pope made Augustine an Archbishop and he established his seat in the in the Roman city of Canterbury on the river Stour.  The word cathedral comes from the Latin word for seat, which is ‘cathedra’.

 

The Saxon and Viking eras saw many changes on the site at Canterbury.  These included the building of a baptistry, the lengthening of the nave and the addition of a Benedictine abbey.

 

Unfortunately, the Danish raids of 1011 badly damaged the cathedral.  However, it was rebuilt by the Norman Archbishop Lanfranc and was dedicated in 1077.

  

If you knew anything about Canterbury Cathedral before looking at themed chess sets it was probably the brutal murder of one of its archbishops within the building itself.   In December 1170, the knights of King Henry II killed Thomas Beckett in the northwest transept of the cathedral. 

 

Then, only four years later, disaster struck again – this time in the form of a devastating fire, which destroyed a large part of the building. The rebuilding of the cathedral was, for the most part, paid for by the income from pilgrims who visited Becket’s shrine.  Even if you didn’t read any of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales at school, you will surely have heard of his stories of some of pilgrims to Canterbury.

 

A visitor to Canterbury in the 12^th century would have seen separate groups of buildings. It would have been possible to distinguish the church, the menial buildings and those devoted to monastic life.  The work of the cathedral as a monastery ended in 1540.   This followed further disaster and rebuilding when an earthquake in 1382 caused great damage and the nave was rebuilt.

 

The cathedral experienced further damage from the Puritans during the English Civil War in the 17^th century. Much of the old stained glass was destroyed and horses were stabled in the nave.  It took several years to repair the damage.

 

In the 19^th century, Lanfranc’s North West tower was found to be dangerous.  It was demolished and replaced with a copy of the South West tower.

 

During the Second World War, the diligence of a team of firewatchers ensured that, although the Precincts were badly affected, the cathedral itself was not seriously damaged.        

 

Visitors from all over the world still flock to Canterbury Cathedral every day.  They marvel at its architecture and its history.  Many appreciate the time they can spend in this place of prayer that has been a focus for pilgrimages for so many years.

 

Go to ChessSetHeaven.com to find Canterbury Cathedral themed chess sets made with hand painted chess set pieces.

Chess Sets Online: Chessboard Mathematics

On ChessSetHeaven.com we have talked about the history of chess quite a lot. We have talked about chess set pieces came about and how the game developed. But even the humble chessboard from your best chess set has a history and it revolves largely around its mathematical significance.

 

The story goes that an inventor or the creator of chess in ancient India (it depends which story you listen to) presented his idea to the king. The king was delighted and asked what reward the inventor wanted.

 

The man was very clever and, after a little thought, he asked that the king take his best chess set and board and place one grain of wheat on the first square, two on the second, four on the third and so on, doubling the quantity on each successive square.

 

The king thought this was a feeble request and asked his ministers to go away and sort this out for him. After a week the ministers came back and said it could not be done as the reward was far too high. The king was a little miffed that he had been outsmarted and cut off the inventor's head.

 

The answer is of course, on the last square of the chessboard there would need to be 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains of wheat - or so I am told.

 

There are many versions of this story but whatever the original setting, this is the first, and perhaps most famous, connection of the chessboard with mathematics.

The nature of the chessboard design has meant it has been used as a calculating tool for centuries.

 

If you look up at the top of a column in the north transept of Winchester cathedral in the United Kingdom, you might be lucky to glimpse a small carving of a man holding a chess board, looking as if he wants to play with his chess set pieces.

 

In reality this carving shows a man using the chessboard as a calculating tool. This was quite common in Medieval Europe and the board represented a sort of flat abacus.

 

The use of a chess or chequer board in this way is still reflected in the name of the highest financial official in the land - the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Centuries ago the nation's finances were calculated on a chequer board and so this important calculator became forever connected to the post.

 

So next time you pull out you best chess set for a game, you may reflect on the significance of even the board you play upon.

Looking to find the best chess set for your needs or as a gift that will never be forgotten? Visit ChessSetHeaven.com for a range of high quality themed chess sets and chess boards that will suit you perfectly.

Chess Sets Online: Origins Of Chess In India

Have you ever handled chess set pieces and wondered where the game of chess originated?

Hopefully you were not thinking about this when you were in the middle of a game but nonetheless the story of the game is fascinating and extends over many centuries - and will continue for a long time, especially as it is easy to get chess sets online now.

Many traditions started in India. It is believed martial arts began in that great country before moving into China and Japan so it should not be a big surprise that such a significant game as chess began there too.

It is difficult to establish just when the game began but the first references to chess set pieces are recorded by Ratnakara around the year 850. It would be fascinating to examine a carved chess set from that period but sadly the earliest example of an Indian chess set dates from the 16th century - actually newer than the Isle of Lewis set found in Scotland - although a carving of a bowman in the Museum of Indian Art in Berlin (dating from around the twelfth or fourteenth centuries) may well be a chess pawn.

The names of the pieces reflect their origins. The earliest king was called 'Raja' which, indeed, means 'king' but the queen was a 'Mantri, ' which actually means 'minister.' Interestingly the bishop was originally known as 'Hasty' or 'elephant,' an animal that features much in the early history of the game. Indeed, early chess kings and queens would appear in palanquins strapped to the back of an elephant.

The knight was an 'Ashwa' or 'horse' and the rook a 'Ratha' or 'chariot,' thus showing just how far the fascinating history has developed over the years. Perhaps not surprisingly however, the lowly pawn was always a 'Padah' or 'soldier': the piece has always been seen as the infantry of the set.

So when you pick up a piece from your best chess set, you might reflect on how many people though the ages have done the same thing.

Wondering where to buy chess sets? Take a look at the quality chess sets to be found at ChessSetheaven.com and pick up your own piece of history.

Deploying Your Chess Set Pieces – Further Useful Terminology

You may have had a carved chess set for Christmas or are thinking of buying a themed chess set. Or, you may have found the best chess set years ago. Your chess set may be out all the time as an aesthetic addition to your décor. Chess sets can be lovely to look at. See ChessSetHeaven.com for some great examples.

However, the best thing about chess is the way it stimulates the intellect – providing a thrilling way to spend time with friends and family. Making the most of your chess set pieces requires you to understand the many technical terms in use in this great game.

In two previous blog posts, I detailed a selection of chess terms. Here are some more for the keen player to learn:

• Advantage refers to a supremacy in terms of material or position.

• Attack is a general way of describing manoeuvres which force the opponent into a position where their options for responding are either passive defence or counter-attack.

• Exchanges refers to the situation where pieces of the same worth are seized on either side.

• File is a vertical line on the chessboard, encompassing eight squares of alternate colours. When there are no pawns on any of its squares it is referred to as open. This is very important for stronger action by the Rooks)

• Fork describes a pawn attacking two pieces at the same time.

If you don’t have your own set, you can find a selection of chess sets online at ChessSetHeaven.com.

H.G.

Using Your Carved Chess Set: Useful Terminology

Before you can deploy the chess set pieces in your new carved chess set, you will need to know some of the many technical terms that are used in the game. Here is a selection:

· The Centre refers to the four squares at the centre of the board. Here is where a range of chess set pieces exercise their greatest power when placed here unhindered.
· Check is a move that threatens the King and the player must announce it.
· Checkmate This marks the death of the King and the end of the game.
· Diagonal refers to an oblique line of the same coloured squares.
· En prise refers to a piece which can be captured. This French expression is used in all languages.
· Piece is used to describe the King, Queen, Rook, Knight and Bishop as opposed to the Pawns. The Queens and Rooks are major pieces and the Knight and Bishop minor pieces. All of the 32 chessmen are referred to as units.
· Middle-Game is the phase after deployment of the pieces and when the ‘battle’ takes place in earnest.
· Move is the movement of a unit from one square to another or a capture on the square of arrival.

If this whets your intellectual appetite, you can find a selection of chess sets online at ChessSetHeaven.com.

Using Your Carved Chess Set – The Middle Game

Now you have your new carved chess set, you will want to start developing and improving your game.

 

If you want to win at chess, the important thing is always to be able to see further ahead than your opponent. Some specific advice to bear in mind is:

 

·      Attacking will give you the advantage.

·      Don’t make things too complicated for yourself and use your chess set pieces economically

·      A threat made has more power than carrying it out will do. 

 

It is important to always keep in mind the relative value and individual strength of each of your chess set pieces.  You should take note of the following:

 

·      The King is the most important piece, on which the result of the game depends.  It is vital to keep the King out of range, in a place of safety.

·      The Queen is a powerful piece and should not be made vulnerable by a too hasty sortie.

·      The Rook is a strong piece and, by being placed behind a pawn, can be used in the middle game to support the pawn and help it advance.

·      The Bishop is of lesser arithmetic value than the Rook but dynamically superior to the Knight. The beginner should avoid exchanging a Bishop against a Knight if it is not essential. 

·      Beware that the Knight is the piece often handled the least well by players of all standards.

·      Look after your Pawns  - each sacrifice is likely to add to the dynamics of the game and your eight infantrymen are not an inexhaustible army.

 

If this whets your appetite for chess and you don’t have a set, why don’t you buy a chess set from ChessSetHeaven.com where you can find a great selection, with one to suit everyone.

 

By Jillian Lovejoy

Chess Sets Online: The Three Phases Of Chess

 

The 32 chess set pieces represent material, one of three elements within a game of chess. The others are space or territory, represented by the 64 squares and time, represented by the moves.

 

Time can be divided into three main phases, namely the opening, the middle-game and the end-game.   In the opening of the chess game, both players are focused on developing their forces. The players then move on into the middle-game.  This is where the battle is at its height and their forces reduce.  That diminution of forces decreases the danger of a ‘mate’ during the end-game. However, during that phase, the opponents must take great care and precision over every move, as it is very easy to make mistakes and very hard to make amends for any unwise decisions.  For those who are interested in finding out more, it is worth looking more closely at some of the World champions to learn from their expertise in end-game play.

 

It is important to emphasise that there is no clear demarcation between the phases and the distinction between them is in no way clear-cut.  In some games, a sudden and early termination can stop the middle-game happening at all!

 

Increase your own enjoyment of chess by treating yourself to a carved chess set from the selection of chess sets for sale at ChessSetHeaven.com.

 

By Jillian Lovejoy

Buy Chess Sets: Chess – A Game To Exercise The Mind

Buy a chess set and you can enter into an absorbing world of intellectual battles that stimulate your mind and tax your wits.

Chess has been likened to a real battle in which two kings, face to face, are surrounded by their respective armies. That is nonsense though as, in chess, the opposing sides start out as equal and chess set pieces operate in an ordered world of rules. Casualties of the game are not harmed – unless you are talking about the Wizard Chess depicted by JK Rowling in the world of Harry Potter.   

The word ‘Mate’ is Arabic and signifies (the King is) dead.  The object of every game of chess is to mate the adversary.  That means, capture the King or enforce surrender.  However, a King cannot be captured or place himself en prise (where he would be captured in the following move). Mate is therefore a position in which the King has to surrender, as the enemy would capture him on the next move.  Subtle tactics and mental exertions are required to get to that point and chess is the perfect way to keep your mind active.

So, buy a chess set for yourself or for friends and family. A great selection of themed chess sets is available at ChessSetHeaven.com so take a look now to find the best one for you.

By Jillian Lovejoy

Chess Set Pieces: The History Of The Bishop

Among the other chess set pieces the bishop tends to be overlooked.

 

In the original version of the game, known as 'chaturanga', in India some 1500 years ago, the bishop was known as the elephant, or 'alfil.' It could leap two squares diagonally - even over another piece. No alfil could attack another.

 

The modern bishop seems to have first appeared around 1200AD but the word 'alfil' does still appear in some languages in modified form. Among the chess set pieces in Italy (alfiere), Spain (alfil) and France (aufin) the bishop still held its old name for some time.

 

The bishop was first named as such in the 1500s although the relevant piece in the Isle of Lewis chess set pieces dating from the 12th century is clearly an ecclesiastical figure. Indeed, Icelandic texts show the name 'biskup' as far back as the 1300s, which is consistent, as the Isle of Lewis chess set pieces are believed to be of Nordic origin.

 

The design of the piece reflects the bishop as shown in the standard Staunton chess set originally made in 1849, which is still the standard design today. Interestingly, the grooves carved into the bishop's mitre may reflect the origins of the piece as an elephant.

 

The history of this useful chess piece is further shown in the names still given to it in other languages. In France the bishop is known as the 'fou' or fool as the belief is the cap is similar to that of a jester. In Turkey and Russia the names given still mean 'the elephant.'   

 

It is fascinating how each of the chess set pieces has its own history. When you next buy a chess set you can imagine all the history it represents.

Looking to find the best chess set for your needs or as a gift that will never be forgotten? Visit ChessSetHeaven.com for a range of high quality themed chess sets that will suit you perfectly.

Buy Chess Sets: Chess In The Face of Defeat

So you get out your best chess set and challenge a friend to a game. Perhaps you lose or maybe your opponent does but whatever happens you will probably enjoy a game that challenges the mind and leaves you thinking more clearly.

 

Could this be why some leaders have been found pulling out their own best chess set and playing when all around them is crashing down?

 

In June this year, Libyan state television showed footage of Colonel Gadhafi playing chess against a visiting champion. This was of course just as his country was in the grip of a revolution. Perhaps diplomatically his opponent, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, allowed Gadhafi to win but was the Colonel attempting to escape the disaster looming over him or was he trying to look as normal as possible?

 

Playing chess in the face of adversity has been reported before. In the year 762 AD the city of Baghdad was under siege and men were being killed by the hundred. Defeat seemed imminent but Muhammed al-Amin, the caliph of the Abbasid Empire, based on Baghdad, was calmly playing chess with one of his eunuchs.

 

Even urgent messengers arriving with news of yet another defeat would not disturb the game. Eventually the invading hordes broke into the room and the caliph was beheaded.

 

Serious chess players bent over their chess set pieces would perhaps have sympathy with the Colonel and with the caliph. It is very easy to be so absorbed in the chess set pieces that time and the world around you seems to fade away. 

 

See the video of Colonel Gadhafi playing perhaps his last game of chess in this video.

Looking to find the best chess set for your needs or as a gift that will never be forgotten? Visit ChessSetHeaven.com for a range of high quality themed chess sets that will suit you perfectly.

Chess Set Pieces: Winning The World Championship

 

 

 

How many of us have moved our chess set pieces in a game at home and dreamed of becoming a top player?

 

Here is an interesting video from Russian Ladies World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk on winning the 2008 world chess championship.

 

 

Alexandra's blog can be found at http://chessqueen.com.

Looking to find the best chess set for your needs or as a gift that will never be forgotten? Visit ChessSetHeaven.com for a range of high quality themed chess sets that will suit you perfectly and will make you feel like a champion.