Sergio X. Madrigal, Ph.D.
A Pithy Primer of Chess
Your Move
Your Move Contents
Preface 1
Section 1 - Rules of Chess: How To Play
Chapter 1 – The Setup: The Board, the Pieces, and the Pawns
The Board 7
The Pieces and the Pawns 8
Starting a Game 9
Chapter 2 – The Action: The Moves and the Captures
The Queen 11
The Rook 13
The Bishop 16
The Knight 19
The King 21
The Pawn 24
Chapter 3 – The Object of the Game: Checkmate
Check 29
Checkmate 33
Resignation 35
Draw by Mutual Agreement 35
Draw by Stalemate 35
Object of the Game 36
Chapter 4 – The Special Moves: Castling, Pawn 39 Promotion, and Capturing “en
passant”
Castling 39
Pawn Promotion 42
Capturing “en passant” 45
Chapter 5 – The Style: The Rules of Etiquette
Chess Sets 50
Chapter 6 – The Written Record: Standard Algebraic Notation (SAN) and FEN
How To Write Down Moves 53
How To Write Down Captures 54
Ambiguous Notation 54
Check and Double Check and Checkmate 55
Castling 56
Pawn Promotion 56
En Passant Capture 56
Miscellaneous Notation 56
Example Annotation of a Brief Game 57
FEN Notation 57
Section 2 - Strategies of Chess: How To Play Well
Chapter 7 – The Phases of the Game
Phase One : The Opening 63
Phase Two: The Middle Game 66
Phase Three: The Endgame 68
Rationale For Sequence of Exposition 70
Chapter 8 – The Endgame 73
Minimum Requirements To Force Checkmate 74
Rule of the Square 78
Bad Bishop 80
Activate the King 82
Create and/or Push a Passed Pawn 82
Outside Passed Pawn 83
King and Pawn vs. King 84
Chapter 9 – Relative Values of the Chessmen
Chapter 10 – The Middle Game
A. The Fork Attack 90
B. The Pin 90
C. Under-
D. Over-
E. Fianchetto 93
F. Open and Semi-
G. Relative Power on a Square 95
H. Combinations 96
I. Doubled Pawns That Are Weak 97
J. The Discovered Attack 99
K. Isolated Pawn 101
L. Passed Pawn 101
I-
M. Doubled Pawns That Are Not So Weak 102
N. Weak Pieces 103
O. Weak Squares 103
P. Double Check 104
Q. The Sacrifice 105
Chapter 11 – The Elements of Chess
Material 107
Space 107
Time 108
The Sacrifice 108
Position 111
Chapter 12 – The Opening
Development of the Pieces 113
Control of the Center 114
Security of the King 116
Dynamic Pawn Structure 116
Some Popular Openings 118
Spanish Opening 119
Italian Game 120
Sicilian Defense 120
Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation 122
Queen’s Gambit Accepted 122
Queen’s Gambit Declined 123
Queen’s Indian Defense 124
Grunfeld Defense 124
Semi-
Chapter 13 – The Strategies of the Game
The Early Historical Period 127
The Modern Historical Period 128
The Romantic Period 129
Philidor’s Defense 129
The Modern Period 134
Queen’s Gambit Declined 135
The Hypermodern Period 141
King’s Indian Defense 141
Chapter 14 – Wins, Losses, and Draws
Case 1 and 2: Win By Checkmate and Loss By Resignation 149
Case 3: Loss By Exceeding the Time Limits 150
Case 4: Draw By Mutual Agreement 151
Case 5: Draw By Stalemate 151
Case 6 -
Case 6: Draw By Perpetual Check 152
Case 7: Draw By Three-
Case 8: Draw By Fifty-
Chapter 15 – Best Practices
Chapter 16 – Chess Variants and Handicapping
Variant One: Handicapping 161
Variant Two: Chess960 (Fischer Random Chess) 162
Appendix – A Brief History of the Birth and Evolution of Chess
The Hindu Game 165
The Persian Game 166
The Muslim Game 167
The European Game 168
The Modern Global Game 170
Bibliography
Copyright 2021 Sergio X. Madrigal, Ph.D.
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