CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



The power also which the bishops possess of 

 ' pinning ' the adverse knights and rooks on the 

 same diagonals with the king or queen, ought 

 never to be lost sight of. Two bishops are gener- 

 ally to be preferred to two knights, either in 

 attack or defence : the former, too, aided by their 

 king, have- power to give checkmate on a clear 

 board ; the latter have not. Do not, unless com- 

 pelled, play your Q pawn one square before 

 deploying your king's bishop, as you thereby shut 

 in a very attacking officer. 



5. On the Knight. The knights should come 

 early into the field, and their bishop's 3d squares 

 are commonly the best seats for them. They 

 should not often be moved to the rook's files, as 

 they are then deprived of half their power, and 

 liable to be captured at great disadvantage. The 

 knight at the K B 3d threatens to advance to the 

 K Kt's 5th, attacking the adverse K B pawn, and 

 this assault not unfrequently proves very serious, 

 because the K bishop and queen so often command 

 the same point When your opponent has moved 

 the O Kt to B 3d, you will often do well to prevent 

 a further incursion of this Kt by playing your Q B 

 pawn one. If you can plant a knight in your 

 adversary's game, and support him with a pawn 

 on each side, you will find him worth full as much 

 as a rook, provided no hostile pawn be able to 

 dislodge him. When the board is bare, and the 

 king on each side is left with a few pawns, a single 

 knight is to be preferred to a single bishop, as he 

 can attack squares of both colours. 



6. On the Pawn. The judicious play of the 

 pawns is of the utmost importance in chess. Not 

 only does their value depend on their prospect of 

 becoming superior pieces, but their united strength 

 as a chain or hedge of attack and defence is 

 so great, that the loss of one pawn, like one link 

 gone from a chain, is sufficient to lose the game 

 between first-rate players. Seek to drive away 

 or keep back your opponent's pieces with your 

 pawns ; and if he gives you an opportunity, plant 

 your K pawn and Q pawn at the fourth squares, for 

 by so doing you occupy the centre of the board, 

 which is an immense advantage. Having your K P 

 and Q P so placed, do not hastily advance either 

 of them : they are stronger at the 4th than on the 

 5th line, and should not be pushed on until an 

 onward movement is forced. It is generally bad 

 play to exchange a centre pawn for a side pawn, 

 and good to exchange a side pawn for a central 

 one. A doubled pawn that is, two on the same 

 file is most frequently a disadvantage : do not, 

 however, be overmuch afraid of such a position, as 

 it is not a very serious detriment. To double a 

 rook's pawn on to the knight's file is often an 

 advantage rather than otherwise, but a knight's 

 pawn doubled on the rook's file is generally lost. 

 As the union of pawns constitutes their great 

 strength, beware of having one isolated ; and for 

 the same reason, if you have two bodies of pawns, 

 unite any other with them on the side on which 

 they are strongest. It is not safe to castle on a 

 side where you have already pushed up the pawns, 

 as they are wanted, for a time at least, to fortify 

 their monarch. If you are a pawn minus, do not 

 lightly change off all the minor pieces, for your 

 chance of drawing would be thereby diminished. 

 Carefully avoid having any two of your pieces 

 ' forked ' by an adverse pawn. Beware of moving 

 the king's bishop's pawn one square, as this move 



676 



exposes your king, blocks in your K 'knight, and 

 is almost always bad play. A pawn which is not 

 opposed in front or on either side by an adverse 

 pawn is called a passed pawn, and is of great 

 value, as it will often cost the enemy a piece to 

 prevent his queening. Two passed pawns abreast 

 and unattacked on the 6th line, will win against a 

 rook or any minor piece, the kings being out of 

 reach. To refrain from castling on the same side 

 as your opponent has done, in order to attack 

 him with your pawns, is seldom safe policy, espe- 

 cially if he has castled with the king's rook. If 

 your opponent has an isolated pawn, make it an 

 object to bring so many of your pieces to bear 

 upon it as may occasion him its loss. The king 

 and one pawn at the end of a game will often not 

 win against the adverse king alone : this, however, 

 depends on the relative positions and play of the 

 two kings. A single rook's pawn will never win 

 if the adverse king can come up in time to oppose 

 it.* Towards the end of a game, remember that 

 by giving up a piece for a pawn which is running 

 to queen, you may often draw a game otherwise 

 lost. 



In the conduct of the game, and in the practice 

 of chess, the following rules, precepts, and hints 

 will be found very generally useful : 



Play forth your minor pieces early, and castle 

 your king in good time. You may sometimes 

 delay castling with advantage, but not often. 



Do not expect to be able to establish an endur- 

 ing attack with half your forces at home. 



Seek to let your style of play be attacking ; and 

 remember the gaining or losing of time in your 

 measures is the element of winning or losing the 

 game. 



Never touch a piece without moving it, nor 

 suffer yourself or your opponent to infringe any 

 other of the laws of the game. 



You will find that the opening springing from 

 your playing ist King's pawn two, and then your 

 King's Knight to the Bishop's 3d, when first 

 player, is one of the best that you can adopt ; but 

 do not adhere to any one opening only. 



If you wish to adopt a purely defensive opening, 

 you may play ist king's pawn one, and follow up 

 with Q P 2, and Q B P 2. 



Next to playing with good players, nothing 

 will conduce to improvement more than looking on 

 at two expert players whilst they play. Wanting 

 these advantages, it is best to play over openings 

 of games, and actually played games, from chess- 

 books or journals. 



To prevent blunders and oversights, always 

 endeavour to perceive the motive of your adver- 

 sary's move before you play ; and look often 

 round the board, to see that you are not losing 

 sight of any better move than the one you in- 

 tended, or that you are not suffering yourself to be 

 tempted by a bait cunningly laid. 



The Laws of Chess. 



The following are the principal rules of the 

 game as now played in chess-clubs throughout 

 Great Britain : 



I. If any error have been committed in the placing of 

 the board or men, either player may insist on its being 



* Not even with the aid of a bishop, if the bishop is of the 

 colour that does not command the square on which the R pawn 

 queens. 



