The Complete Chess Course: From Beginning to Winning Chess!

2015

Introduction

Although seven of the eight sections of this book were originally published as separate volumes, they were written with their coordination as a complete chess course in mind. Conveniently prefaced now by a new summarized review of the basic elements of chess, the resulting comprehensive whole provides the instruction that any chessplayer needs to develop a respectable degree of skill.

The integrated progression of subjects is treated in the following order. A player who knows the elements but little more about chess may not need the introductory steps revealed in Book One, but he does need to be warned about the types of mistakes – neglected development and the like – that beginning and intermediate players make so frequently. He can then go on to study opening play in its larger aspects, and examine its consequences in the ensuing middlegame. From this point he proceeds to study the endgame stage, which evolves out of the middlegame previously studied. And finally, having seen the logical relationship which binds together opening, middlegame, and ending, the student is now ready to go back to the initial stage and study the chief openings in rewarding detail.

With this overall scheme in mind, the reader is in a better position to appreciate the detailed treatment in each section.

Book One is a summary of chess fundamentals that provides the first springboard into the royal game for beginners, and also serves as a refresher for the more advanced player.

Book Two is a study of the nine most common mistakes made by chessplayers. These include such typical errors as failing to guard against hostile captures, underestimating the opponent’s threats, and making pawn moves that weaken the castled position. Many examples are given to show how these and other mistakes prove disastrous in the opening and middlegame.

Now that the reader has been made aware of the kinds of mistakes he must avoid, he is ready to study the problem of planning the opening so as to get a promising middlegame position. First the subject is treated from White’s point of view (Book Three). Dealing with such problems as control of the center, how to exploit superior development and mobility, and the like. But it is at least equally important to deal with opening problems from Black’s point of view, and this brings us to Book Four; here problems of counterattack and defense are emphasized.

These studies of middlegame play lead logically to a treatment of the endgame stage, for whatever happens in the final part of the game is the consequence of what happened earlier in the opening and middlegame. As a rule, the chief practical problem of endgame play is how to win with a material advantage which has been obtained in the middlegame. In Book Five the different types of endings are classified and studied; many practical examples are explained, and the reader acquires an excellent grasp of the vital problem of converting a material advantage into victory.

But to know how to make use of advantages is not enough; so in Book Six we go on to the related problem of how to make the most of disadvantageous positions. This section contains many valuable pointers that will help the reader to salvage many an apparently lost game.

Now that opening, middlegame, and endgame have been surveyed, what remains? It is now time to survey the chess openings in some detail, paying particular attention to the way in which opening moves are intertwined with the ensuing middlegame play. This material appears in Books Seven and Eight. Each opening is presented with explanations of is basic ideas – the plans of each player, their middlegame goals, the clash that follows their attempts to enforce their disparate conceptions.

Throughout, my aim has been to give the reader a better idea of the fine points of chess as it is played by the masters. The appreciative comments I have had from readers encourage me to believe that a much wider circle of new readers will enjoy this material and apply it profitably in their own games.

Fred Reinfeld

Book One

The Basic Rules of Chess

Chess is played by two opponents, White and Black, who take turns making their moves. White always makes the first move. The chessboard (Diagram 1) has eight horizontal rows (ranks) and eight vertical rows (files). Each row is therefore made up of eight squares.

All 64 squares are used in the play, and in order to make it easier to tell them apart, they are alternately light colored (light squares) and dark colored (dark squares). (D)

The Chessboard

At the beginning of a game, each player has 16 chessmen, always placed as in Diagram 2. (D)

The Opening Position

White always takes the light colored chessmen; Black has the dark colored chessmen. The names of the forces shown in Diagram 2 are:

An important point to remember is that in the opening position the right-hand corner square nearest to White must be a light square.

Another important point about the opening position: the two queens face each other along the same vertical row (the d-file). Each queen is placed on a square of its own color, the white queen on a light square, the black queen on a dark square.

Both kings likewise face each other across the e-file.

The king bishop is placed next to the king, on the f-file.

The king knight is placed next to the king bishop, on the g-file.

The king rook is placed next to the king knight, on the h-file.

The queen bishop is placed next to the queen, on the c-file.

The queen knight is placed next to the queen bishop, on the b-file.

The queen rook is placed next to the queen knight, on the a-file.

The white pawns are set out on the second row (the second rank), in front of the pieces just named.

The black pawns are set out on the seventh row (the seventh rank), in front of the pieces just named.

Each pawn is named for the file it stands on.

Thus, the pawn on the e-file (where the kings begin the game) is the e-pawn.

How the Pieces Move

Each of the men moves in a different way. In describing the moves it is necessary to refer to ranks, files, and also diagonals. (A diagonal is a row of squares of the same color all going in the same direction. In Diagram 2 the row of light squares from White’s king rook to Black’s queen rook is a diagonal.)

The King

The king (subject to limitations that are described later on) moves one square in any direction. (D)

White’s king has eight possible moves, indicated by an X.

The king captures the same way it moves; when it captures an enemy piece it displaces that piece (occupies the square of the captured unit). (D)

White’s king can capture any one of the black men.

The Queen

The queen is the most powerful of all the chess forces. Like the king, the queen can move in any direction – but with this important difference: the queen can move the whole length of any available line, as long as there is no obstacle in the way. (D)

The queen can move to any of the squares indicated by an X; it moves in only one direction at a time.

There are two possible obstacles: friendly pieces, which the queen cannot displace or leap over; or enemy pieces, which can be captured by displacement. (D)

The white queen can capture the black rook or bishop or either black knight.

The Rook

The rook (next most powerful piece after the queen) moves horizontally (on ranks) or vertically (on files) – one direction at a time. (D)

The rook can move to any square indicated by an X.

The rook captures hostile pieces by displacement, but it cannot displace or leap over its own forces. The rook captures in the same way it moves. (Some players call the rook a castle, but rook is the proper term.) (D)

The rook can capture the bishop or knight, but not the pawn.

The Bishop

The bishop, moving in one direction at a time, moves and captures diagonally. (D)

The bishop can move to any of the squares indicated by an X.

The bishop captures hostile pieces by displacement. It cannot displace or leap over its own forces. (D)

The bishop can capture either of the black pawns.

The Knight

The knight is the only piece that can leap over other units – his own or the opponent’s. The knight is also the only piece that has a move of fixed length. It moves a total of three squares – in either one of two ways:

(a) One square forward or backward; then two squares to the right or left.

(b) One square to the right or left; then two squares forward or backward.

The knight captures only on the terminal square of his move, displacing the piece it captures. (D)

The knight has the option of moving to any square indicated by an X.

This is one of the eight possible moves available to the knight in Diagram 11.

Note that the knight changes the color of its square each time it moves. It goes from a light square to a dark square or from a dark square to a light square. (D)

The white knight can capture Black’s bishop.

The knight leaps over two pawns to capture the most distant pawn.

The Pawn

The pawn is the only unit that is limited to moving in only one direction: straight ahead.

With one exception (to be noted shortly), a pawn moves one square forward unless its path is blocked by one of its own units or by a hostile unit.

The path for white pawns (as seen in Diagram 2) is directly forward from the opening position. How a white pawn moves is shown in detail on Diagrams 15 and 16. (D)

The white pawn is about to move.

The white pawn has moved.

The path for black pawns (likewise seen in Diagram 2) is also directly forward from the opening position. How a black pawn moves is shown in Diagrams 17 and 18. (D)

The black pawn is about to move.

The black pawn has moved.

The pawn has one important option. When any pawn is moved from its opening position – even if this occurs at a late stage of the game – that pawn on its first move has the option of moving one square or two. Thus, in Diagram 2 (the opening position) all the pawns, while on the second rank (for White; seventh for Black) have the option of moving one square or two. (D)

White has accepted his option by advancing his e-pawn two squares.

Black has done likewise.

White has accepted the option of advancing his e-pawn two squares. Black, however, has advanced his d-pawn one square.

The pawn’s capturing methods differ from the way it moves.

The pawn moves by advancing straight along a file. In capturing, however, the pawn can take a hostile unit only if it is located on either of the diagonally-forward adjoining squares – that is, one square forward to the right or left. (D)

The white pawn can capture the black bishop.

The pawn cannot capture a hostile unit which is directly in front of it. (D)

The white pawn cannot capture the black bishop.

Check and Checkmate

The king is the most important piece in chess.

The basic method of winning a game of chess is to attack the hostile king in such a way that it cannot escape. This is called checkmate. (The king is actually not captured; its inability to escape from attack is what constitutes the checkmate.)

Any attack by a piece or pawn directly on a king is called a check. When a king is checked, it must immediately get out of check. The king cannot be allowed to remain in check.

If it is a player’s turn to move and his king is not in check, he cannot make any move that exposes the king to check. The king must never come within the capturing range of hostile pieces.

There are three ways to get out of check:

(1) to capture the unit that is giving check;

(2) to move the king out of the line of attack – but not into the line of attack of some other unit;

(3) to interpose one of your own units between the king and the hostile unit that is giving check.

If none of these three methods can be applied, then the king is checkmated.

In Diagrams 23 and 24 the black king was in check, but it was possible to get out of check. In Diagram 25 the attacked king is able to escape; but in Diagram 26 the attacked king is checkmated. (D)

White’s queen is checking the black king. Black has a choice of three different ways of getting his king out of check.

Black has captured the white queen, getting out of check. Black could also have moved his king, or interposed his rook.

Black’s king is checkmated. White’s queen is giving check and Black’s king cannot capture the white queen, which is protected by a white bishop. Having no flight square, or way of interposing a friendly unit, Black’s king is trapped.

Black’s king is in check from White’s rook but it has a loophole. By playing his king diagonally forward to the right, Black escapes from the check.

The positions in Diagrams 26, 27, and 28 are all examples of checkmate. In each case the checking piece cannot be captured; the attacked king cannot move out of the capturing range of the hostile forces; and no friendly unit can be interposed on the line of attack between the checking unit and the checked king. (D)

Black’s king is in check from White’s rook and has no escape, as its own pawns block the exit. This is an example of checkmate.

White’s king is checkmated. White has no escape from the black bishop’s check. Note that Black’s knight and bishops command all the possible squares available to White’s king, and White cannot interpose any of his own units.

Discovered Check

This is a special kind of check, caused by removing a unit to unmask a line of attack by another unit. For example, in Diagram 29 White’s bishop can give check without moving; the check is discovered by moving the white rook which has been blocking the diagonal. The result appears in Diagram 30. (D)

White can give a discovered check with his bishop by moving his rook.

By moving his rook, White has opened up an attacking line for a discovered check by his bishop.

Double Check

This is a discovered check with an added feature: the piece that unmasks an attacking line for the discovered check also gives check. (D)

By moving his bishop to give check, White can give double check with his queen.

As Black’s king cannot move out of check, he is checkmated. The double check was devastating.

The double check is the most difficult kind of check to meet, as capture or interposition is impossible. For if either checking unit is captured, the other unit continues to give check. Similarly, an interposition to one check still leaves the other check functioning.

The only possible reply to a double check, then, is to move the attacked king. Where this is not feasible, the king is checkmated.

Castling

We have seen what happens when the king is exposed to attack. The special move known as castling offers a valuable method for safeguarding the king against attack.

Castling is the only move in chess which is really two separate moves – a king move and a rook move. Castling, as well, is the only move that each player can carry out only once during a game.

It is possible to castle with the king and king rook (kingside castling) or with the king and queen rook (queenside castling). Diagrams 33 and 34 show how kingside castling is accomplished. (D)

Before kingside castling (king and king rook)

After kingside castling

To castle kingside, a player moves his king two squares, landing next to the king rook.

He then moves his rook to the other side of the king. When castling is completed, the castled king and rook are on adjacent squares, as in Diagram 34.

Queenside castling is illustrated in Diagrams 35 and 36. (D)

Before queenside castling

(king and queen rook)

After queenside castling

Requirements for Castling

Castling is permanently impossible if:

(1) The king has already moved (Diagram 37) or;

(2) The rook intended for castling has already moved (Diagram 38). (D)

Black cannot now castle because his king has moved from its original square.

White can castle kingside. (His king rook is still on its original square and has not moved.)

When Castling is Impossible

Castling is impossible when:

(1) The squares between the king and rook are not all vacant (Diagram 39).

(2) A player’s king is in check (Diagram 40).

(3) The king has to pass over a square commanded by an enemy unit (Diagram 41).

(4) The king will land on a square commanded by an enemy unit (Diagram 42).

While castling is impossible as long as any of these conditions apply, castling becomes feasible as soon as all limiting conditions are removed. (D)

White cannot castle because one of the squares between his king and king rook is still occupied.

White cannot castle because his king is at the moment being checked by the black bishop.

Black cannot castle because in order to do so his king would have to pass over a square controlled by White’s dark-square bishop.

White cannot castle because the square on which his king would land is controlled by Black’s dark-square bishop.

Additional Powers of the Pawn

The pawn is the least valuable of all the chess units, yet it has one power which enhances its value considerably in special situations.

Pawn Promotion

If a pawn reaches the last square in a file, it is promoted – must be promoted – to a friendly queen or a rook or a bishop or a knight. White the player has the option here, he usually chooses a new queen, as this is the most powerful of all the chess units. This process, known as promoting or queening a pawn, is illustrated in Diagrams 43 and 44. (D)

White’s pawn is about to advance to the eighth rank and be promoted. White has decided to take a new queen, giving check at the same time.

White has queened his pawn, giving check and forcing the black king to move. White will then capture the black rook.

Pawn Captures en passant (In Passing)

This is a special capturing option which a player can exercise when any of his pawns have reached the fifth rank (for White, or the fourth rank for Black). This is possible only if all the following conditions are present:

(1) The pawn that will do the capturing must be on the fifth rank (for White, or the fourth rank for Black).

(2) The pawns involved must be on adjacent files.

(3) The pawn that will ultimately be captured must still be on its original rank (seventh for Black or second for White).

(4) The pawn that is to be captured advances two squares (Diagram 46).

(5) In reply, the opposing pawn captures the first pawn as if it had advanced only one square (Diagram 47).

Remember that only a pawn can capture in passing, and only a pawn can be captured in passing. (D)

Here is a situation in which only pawns are involved; they are on adjacent files; the black pawn is on its original rank, the White pawn has reached the fifth rank. It is Black to move.

Black exercises his option and advances his pawn two squares. White can now capture Black’s pawn in passing, producing Diagram 47.

White has captured in passing as if the black pawn had only advanced one square and had been captured in the normal manner.

As a rule, capturing in passing is optional. However, if a player does not make the capture in passing at the first opportunity, he loses his option.

There are two cases when capturing or not capturing in passing is compulsory. If the only way to get out of check is by means of an en passant capture, then the capture must be made. Likewise, if capturing in passing would expose one’s king to attack, then the capture cannot be made.

How Moves Are Recorded

Fred Reinfeld’s original work was in what is known as English Description Notation. That method of recording chess games is no longer used. The modern method is called English Algebraic Notation. The following section is reprinted, with permission, from My First Book of Chess Tactics by David MacEnulty.

NAMING THE SQUARES

To understand this book, you must understand algebraic notation.

Fortunately, algebraic notation is easy to learn. The first thing to learn is how we name squares.

The chessboard is a square arrangement of sixty-four smaller squares, laid out in eight rows of eight squares each.

The rows going sideways are called ranks.

Ranks are numbered 1 through 8.

The rows going up and down the board are called files.

Files are named after the first eight letters of the alphabet, a through h.

Squares are named after the file they are on and the rank they are on. Each square has only one name, which is made up of a letter and a number.

As an example of how we name squares, the five-point star in this diagram is on the d-file and also on the 4th rank. So the star is on the square we call d4.

The d is a lowercase letter, and the letter comes before the number. We would not write this as D4, nor would we write it 4d. In chess we always name the file first, and it is always a lowercase letter.

What square is the four-point star on?

The four-point star on the previous page is on g2.

NAMING THE PIECES

There are six different pieces in the chess army. Below are the names of the pieces, the symbol used in notation, and a picture of what it looks like on our diagrams.

Note that we use only upper case letters as symbols for the pieces. That way there is no confusion between the upper case B for bishop and the lower case b for the b-file.

You may have noticed that even though the word knight is spelled with a ‘K’ as the first letter, we use the letter N as the symbol. That’s because we need the letter K for the king.

Other symbols used in chess:

READING AND WRITING CHESS NOTATION

Reading and writing chess notation is simple once you know the names of the pieces and the names of the squares.

There are various forms of notation, but the most popular form, and the easiest to understand, is algebraic notation.

First, we begin with a number. The number simply tells us which move we are on. So, if there is a 1 in front, it’s the first move. If there is a 5 in front, it is the fifth move.

Next comes the symbol for the piece that is moving: K for king, Q for queen, B for bishop, N for knight, or R for rook. We do not give the symbol for the moving unit if it is a pawn.

Finally, we name the square the piece is moving to.

In this diagram, White has moved a pawn from e2 to e4, and Black has moved a pawn from e7 to e5. Since this is the first move for each side, we write this as:

1e4 e5

White’s move is on the left. Black’s is on the right. Since these are pawns, we do not use the symbol for the moving unit.

On move two, both sides brought out a knight. Now the moves are written like this:

1 e4 e5

2 Nf3 Nc6

Note that we use the letter N for knight.

White’s next move will be

3 d4

Diagram after move 3 on the next page.

Is this what you thought it would look like?

The position after 3 d4

For Black’s third move, he takes the pawn on d4. We write this as

3 … exd4 (see diagram)

The 3 means it is the third move of this sequence. The three dots signify that it is Black’s move. The ‘x’ means that a capture has taken place.

This move can also be written as ed. Since no piece is named, we know this is a pawn move. Since the capture involved two files, a pawn has just changed files, which only happens when a pawn is making a capture.

In this book, the moves are often written in paragraph form. The moves we have shown so far would look like this: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4.

If two similar pieces can both get to the same square, you must note which one is moving. For example say you have a knight on c3 and another knight on d2. Since they can each move to e4, if one of the knights moves to e4, we need to know which one. Say the knight on c3 moves to e4. This would be written as 1 Nce4. That way we know it is the knight on c3, and not the knight on d2, that is moving to e4.

One final note: We will be using the figurine icons of each piece. (See the Picture column on page 22.) Using Figurine Algebraic Notation, the moves shown above look like this: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4

Relative Values of the Chess Pieces

It is essential to know the values of the chess units to avoid giving up a unit of greater value in return for a unit of lesser value.

In addition, you will discover that when you have an advantage in the values of your units (a material advantage), it is generally possible to force checkmate or the queening of a pawn. Consequently you have to understand clearly the nature of your material advantage if you capture a hostile unit without giving up one of your own in exchange.

Here are the relative values of the chess units:

(The king is not included in this table, as it cannot be captured.)

The queen is clearly the most valuable piece by far.

Bishop and knight are of equal value. Giving up a knight