What is chess?
A: Chess is a board game played between two players.
It is sometimes called Western chess or international
chess to distinguish it from what?
A: Related games such as xiangqi and shogi.
Where did the current form of the game emerge?
A: In Spain and the rest of Southern Europe during the second half of the
15th century.
What did it evolve from chaturanga?
A: A similar but much older game of Indian origin.
Chess is an abstract strategy game and involves no
what?
A: No hidden information.
It is played on what?
A: A square chessboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid.
At the start, each player (one controlling the white
pieces, the other controlling the black pieces) controls how many pieces?
A: Sixteen: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and
eight pawns.
The object of the game is to what?
A: Checkmate the opponent's king, whereby the king is under immediate attack
(in "check") and there is no way for it to escape.
There are also several ways a game can end how?
A: In a draw.
When did organized chess arise?
A: In the 19th century.
Chess competition today is governed internationally by
whom?
A: FIDE (International Chess Federation).
Who was the first universally recognized World Chess
Champion?
A: Wilhelm Steinitz, in 1886.
One of the goals of early computer scientists was to do
what?
A: Create a chess-playing machine.
In 1997, Deep Blue became the first computer to do
what?
A: To beat the reigning World Champion in a match when it defeated Garry
Kasparov.
Today's chess engines are significantly stronger than
the best human players and have deeply influenced what?
A: The development of chess theory.
Chess pieces are divided into two different what?
A: Colored sets.
While the sets may not be literally white and black
(e.g. the light set may be a yellowish or off-white
color, the dark set may
be brown or red), they are always referred to as what?
A: White" and "black.
The players of the sets are referred to as what?
A: White and Black, respectively.
By convention, the 64 squares alternate in color and
are referred to as what?
A: Light and dark squares; common colors for chessboards are white and
brown, or white and dark green.
The correct positions of the king and queen may be
remembered by what phrase?
A: The phrase "queen on her own color" ─ i.e. the white queen begins on a
light square and the black queen on a dark square.
Which color moves first?
A: White moves first, after which players alternate turns, moving one piece
per turn, except for castling, when two pieces are moved.
