Chess terms that start with 'P' (Part 1)
Does the world of chess have you reeling and confused? Does it look like too much effort to try and understand all the chess terminologies? You are not planning to give up the game are you? Well, even if that is the plan, you are about to change your mind
because we have taken it up on ourselves to explain all the commonly used chess terminologies. This is a two-part article in which we will be dealing with the terms that begin with the letter P. So sit back, give it a read and by the end of the two parts,
your mind will be as clear as crystal.
Let’s start with the basics. Most of us who have just started chess, don’t give much importance to the pawn, as it has the least value. However, if used intelligently, pawns can be of indispensable value to a player. A good Pawn centre goes a long way in
establishing a strong position for a player. A good pawn centre usually consists of four pawns in the middle of the board i.e. two ranks or rows ahead of the initial position of the pawns. Developing a pawn centre is one way of using the pawns. There are several
ways in which the pawns can be positioned. Different positions of the pawns are known as Pawn structures. As the positions of the pawns cannot be drastically changed once they have been established - because pawns can only move ahead - pawn structures affect
the nature of the game that is played.
In chess, you can also find a Pawn island. A Pawn island is made when a group of pawns of the same colour are placed on consecutive files. Also, there are no pawns of the opponent on any files nearby. Another pawn position is called the Pawn chain. This
chain is made up of both players’ pawns. The pawns of each player are placed in a diagonal in such a way that each one is supported by a friendly pawn. An enemy pawn is placed directly ahead of each pawn.
Apart from the positional importance of pawns, they can also be used as attacking devices. A Pawn storm is one such tactic. In it, a group of pawns are advanced from one flank in order to break the enemy defences on that side. A pawn can become a very real
threat to the enemy when it becomes a Passed pawn, because it has breached far into the enemy file and has no enemy piece on its way to ‘queening’. A variation of this term is a Protected passed pawn. Clearly, this is a passed pawn that is protected by a friendly
piece.
Now lets move on to P terms that don’t involve pawns. One such term is the Pin. If a player is able to master it, it becomes a very handy strategic device. A player pins an enemy piece to a particular square, since moving it would expose another enemy piece
to attack. This piece which is vulnerable to attack is usually a king or a queen. In case of a king, it becomes illegal to move the pinned piece, as it would put the king under check.
However, sometimes a player can afford to let a piece be captured. This is when the pinned piece is of a higher value than the piece it is shielding. When this happens, it is called the Passive sacrifice. Likewise, there is a Passive piece as well. As the
name suggests, a passive piece has limited mobility and has control over a few squares only.
With this, we come to the end of the first part of the article. During the time that you absorb this, we will churn you another one. Have fun with the P’s.
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