Chess Moves: Winning By Design

In the game of chess each piece moves in a particular way. Usually a piece is not allowed to pass through squares occupied by other pieces of its same color but can move to a square occupied by an enemy piece. When a piece moves to a square occupied by the enemy, it is said to 'capture' that piece. The captured piece is thereby eliminated from the board.

There are six different pieces in a game of chess: King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn. The King moves orthogonally and diagonally across only one square at a time. The Queen moves orthogonally or diagonally across any number of squares. The Rook moves forward, backward, left or right across any number of squares. The Bishop moves diagonally across any number of squares. The Knight moves in two squares in one direction and one space adjacent to it. It is the only piece that is allowed to jump over other pieces; the remaining cannot jump over a square occupied by another piece.

The Pawn can move only one square at a time backward or forward. However, if the Pawn is used in the opening move of the game, it can move two squares forward for that turn only. The Pawn can move one square diagonally in front to capture an enemy piece; it cannot capture an enemy piece by moving straight forward.

There are some special chess moves as well. One such move is called castling and involves the King and the Rook. If the King and the Rook have not moved yet and the squares between them are blank, the King moves two squares forward in the direction of the Rook. At the same time the Rook moves the two spaces the King has just jumped over. This move cannot happen if the King is threatened or has to pass through a dangerous square.

Another special chess move involves the Pawn. If the Pawn moves two squares forward on its first move, it can be captured on the square it has jumped over, as if it had moved one square only, during the turn immediately after its two-square move. This can be done only by another Pawn. This move is called capturing 'en passant'.

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