BRING YOUR VISION INTO ACTION
If you want to improve your chess rating, win tournaments, or become FIDE rated, you must first understand the language of chess.
At Chess Visionaries, we believe clarity creates confidence.
Here is your complete chess terminology roadmap explained simply in 2–3 lines per concept.
BEGINNER CHESS TERMS (1–50)
1. Chessboard
An 8×8 board with 64 squares where the game is played.
2. Rank
A horizontal row numbered 1 to 8.
3. File
A vertical column labeled a to h.
4. Diagonal
Squares connected corner to corner.
5. Pawn
Moves forward but captures diagonally. Can promote when reaching the last rank.
6. Rook
Moves in straight lines — horizontally and vertically.
7. Bishop
Moves diagonally across the board.
8. Knight
Moves in an “L” shape. It can jump over pieces.
9. Queen
The strongest piece. Moves in all directions.
10. King
The most important piece. If checkmated, the game is lost.
11. Check
When the king is under attack.
12. Checkmate
The king is attacked and cannot escape. Game over.
13. Stalemate
No legal moves but not in check. The game is drawn.
14. Castling
A special move to protect the king and connect rooks.
15. En Passant
A special pawn capture when a pawn moves two squares.
16. Promotion
When a pawn reaches the last rank and becomes another piece.
17. Capture
Taking an opponent’s piece from the board.
18. Draw
Game ends equally with no winner.
19. Resignation
When a player accepts defeat.
20. Illegal Move
A move that breaks the rules.
21. Opening
The first phase of the game where pieces develop.
22. Middlegame
The fighting stage with tactics and strategy.
23. Endgame
The final stage with fewer pieces.
24. Development
Bringing pieces out from starting squares.
25. Center
The most important squares: e4, d4, e5, d5.
26. Tempo
A move that gains time.
27. Fork
One piece attacks two pieces at once.
28. Pin
A piece cannot move because a more valuable piece is behind it.
29. Skewer
A valuable piece is attacked and must move, exposing another piece.
30. Discovered Attack
Moving one piece reveals an attack from another.
31. Double Check
Two pieces check the king at the same time.
32. Back Rank Mate
Checkmate on the last rank.
33. Blunder
A serious mistake.
34. Tactic
A short-term combination to win material.
35. Strategy
A long-term plan.
36. Material
Total value of pieces on the board.
37. Exchange
Trading a rook for a minor piece.
38. Piece Activity
How effective your pieces are.
39. King Safety
How protected your king is.
40. Space
Control of more squares.
41. Opposition
Kings facing each other in endgame.
42. Passed Pawn
Pawn with no enemy pawn ahead.
43. Doubled Pawn
Two pawns on the same file.
44. Isolated Pawn
Pawn with no friendly pawn beside it.
45. Connected Pawns
Pawns protecting each other.
46. Open File
A file with no pawns.
47. Semi-open File
A file with only one pawn.
48. Weak Square
A square that cannot be defended by pawns.
49. Initiative
The ability to control the game’s pace.
50. Advantage
Better position in material, space, or activity.