The Chess-Player's Text Book/Chapter 6

THE KING.—Beware of playing your King out early in the game, but rather Castle at once, and generally on the King's side. Be careful, however, when you have so Castled, of permitting an adverse Knight to gain possession unmolested of your K. Bishop's 4th sq.: and never, without due consideration, be tempted to throw forward the Kt.'s and Rook's Pawns on the side you have Castled.

When your King is checked, it is better mostly to interpose a man that attacks the checking Piece, than one that simply covers the check.

Avoid, if possible, subjecting your King to a discovered check.

Do not be over fond of giving check to the adverse King ; but when by so doing you can force him to move, and thus prevent his Castling, it is frequently desirable to check him.

Always bear in mind that however dangerous it may be to play the King into the field during the heat of the fray, when the superior Pieces are exchanged, he should be brought immediately to the support of your Pawns ; the fate of the game in such cases being generally dependent on the rapidity and skill displayed in manoeuvring this then important auxiliary.

The Queen.—It is rarely good to play the Queen out ​early, because she is liable to attack from inferior enemies, and, in retreating her, many moves are lost. Besides, her power is so much greater when she is sustained by other pieces, that to make an attack with her alone is highly injudicious.

Be cautious of playing her in front of your King ; and never employ her to protect or attack any point, if you can do the same as well with a subordinate.

The Rook has not much scope for action at the opening of the game, but towards the end he becomes an all important officer.

One of the strongest inducements to a good player for bringing out the other pieces early is that his Rooks may come into play.

When the game is tolerably developed, it is frequently desirable to get command of an open file by planting a Rook at one end of it : and when possession is thus obtained, if your adversary endeavour to dislodge you by playing one of his Rooks on the same file, you should defend the one Rook with your other, rather than exchange Rooks, or give up the position. This is technically termed Doubling the Rooks : and placed thus one before the other on the same file, where they can mutually sustain one another, they are as strong as a Queen.

The Bishop.—When each party begins by playing his K.'s Pawn to K.'s 4th sq., the King's Bishop is considered somewhat superior to the Queen's, since it can be brought into the game at once, and placed so as to attack the adversary on his weakest point—the K. Bishop's Pawn. If, while in this position, your adversary challenges an exchange of Bishops by moving his Q. Bishop to K.'s 3rd. it is not always desirable to exchange, because, although you double two of his Pawns on the King's file, you give him, at the same time, an opening for his King's Rook when he Castles.

​Seldom or never play your King's Bishop to Q.'s 3rd before the Q.'s Pawn is moved, and, as a general rule, when playing an open game, do not move the Q.'s Pawn one step only before you bring out the K.'s Bishop, as you thereby afford him but the King's 2nd square to go to.

When the other pieces are off the field, and you are left with a Bishop and two or three Pawns, it is often advisable to keep your Pawns on squares of a different colour to those on which your Bishop moves, as he can then prevent the adverse King from coming near them ; but when the game is decidedly against you it is generally better to keep the Pawns on squares which the Bishop can defend.

When strong in Pawns at the end of a game, try to exchange off the enemy's Bishops, since they can impede the march of your Pawns more readily than either the Rooks or Knights : but do not indiscriminately change your Bishops for Knights, or Knights for Bishops. Two Bishops at the termination of a game are stronger than two Knights, and one Knight usually better than a single Bishop.

Towards the end, when you have Pawns only against an opponent's Bishop, it is mostly prudent to get the Pawns as soon as possible on squares of a different colour to the diagonal he travels on.

The Knight.—At the opening of a game the best place for the K.'s Knight is K. B's 3rd sq., for it there attacks your adversary's K.'s P., if it has been moved to K.'s 4th, offers no obstruction to the march of your K.'s Bishop, and effectually prevents the opponent's Queen from being played to your K. B.'s 4th sq.

When you have played your Q.'s Kt. to K. B.'s 3rd sq., it is often serviceable to bring him round by K.'s 2nd to the K. Kt.'s 3rd. whence he may be moved at a proper juncture to K. B.'s 5th.

Remember that a Kt. with three or four Pawns at the ​conclusion of a game is somewhat superior to a Bishop with an equal number of Pawns, since he can spring from White to Black, and thus attack on either coloured squares, whereas the Bishop can attack only on squares of the colour on which he moves.

The Pawn.—It is advisable generally so to play your Pawns that they shall not retard the movements of your own Pieces, and yet obstruct as much as possible those of your antagonist. Most players, therefore, strive to occupy the centre squares of the board with their Pawns pretty early in the game ; but you should not be too eager to advance two Pawns abreast in the middle of the field until you are able to maintain them there, either with superior Pieces or other Pawns.

When you have two Pawns so advanced, should the adversary attack one of them with a Pawn of his, it is sometimes better to push the Pawn attacked another square than to take his Pawn, but you must always be careful of advancing your Pawns too far, because, unless supported, they are almost sure to fall. Pawns, in the game, are usually better at their fourth square than early at their sixth.

In an open game—that is, where both parties play P. to K.'s 4th at the beginning—it is not generally prudent to move the K. Kt.'s Pawn or Q. Kt.'s Pawn early in the opening, but you may do so advantageously in most of the débuts.

As your K. B.'s Pawn is the most vulnerable point, always have an especial eye to that, until, by Castling on your K.'s side, you have given it the support of a R. as well as the K. : and after Castling, be wary of advancing the Kt.'s Pawn that is before your K.

When your Pawns stand in a line, diagonally, take more than ordinary care to preserve the topmost Pawn, and never ​forget that Pawns united have great power, and isolated, very little.

Be careful of advancing your Pawns far forward on either side until you see on which side your adversary Castles.

Keep in mind that a passed Pawn is an advantage almost always, when supported by another Pawn : that a Doubled Pawn is not in every case a disadvantage, if united with other Pawns ; that a Pawn being less in value than a Piece, it is mostly better to defend with it than with the latter, and that two Pawns in any situation can protect themselves against a King ; and, finally, forget not, when the end of the game approaches, where you have Pawns, or even a Pawn against a minor Piece, that you may win, but that your antagonist, except in the rarest cases, never can.