Chess Terminology Trivia Quiz

Answer: Zugzwang

German in origin, the term "Zugzwang" is basically a situation where a player is forced to make a move that will weaken their position if not force them to make a costly sacrifice. Hence the less-common term "Walking the Plank".

Answer: Dunst Opening

This aggressive opening is to move the Queen-side Knight forward and to the right. Players who open this way will often continue in the same pattern by moving their other Knight to f3. All the selections for this question are standard opening moves for the White Knight.

Answer: Desperado

An example of this would be a Rook that will be captured no matter what, but that moves in such a way that to capture it would mean leaving another piece vulnerable. By moving like this, it makes the opponent rethink the capture of that piece.

Answer: Flight Square

Also called an "Escape Square". If there is no Flight Square available, then it is Checkmate. Double Check is where a King is simultaneously threatened by two pieces. An example of a Double Check is if a Rook moves to another square, putting the King in Check, but in turn opens a clear path for their Bishop to also place the King in Check.

Answer: True

An optional rule, a "Maiden's Game" is where a piece must be captured if a capture is possible.

Answer: Discourage the opponent from capturing a piece

Coined by Nimzowitsch, a "Mysterious Rook Move" is where the player moves their Rook to a closed file so that the capture of a certain piece will "free" the Rook... something that most experienced players will try to avoid.

Answer: A King that is the only piece of its color on the board

When a King has been "Bared", then that person cannot win. The reason for this is that a King cannot move itself into Check, and therefore cannot capture the opponent's King. If the opponent's Queen has been captured (and no Pawns are near promotion), a player with a "Bare King" can possibly (but with great difficulty) force a Stalemate by systematically wiping out all the opponent's pieces except for their King. If this happens, then it's called a "Swindle".

Answer: Touch a piece without moving it

"J'adoube", which is French for "I adjust", is an expression that means that you are touching a piece without intent to move it. Usually, this is used to center a piece on the square. If someone touches a piece without preceding it with this phrase, they are obligated to move it (or capture it, if it's an opponent's piece). If someone touches a piece and then does not move it, if they did not precede their action with this phrase, it is considered a "Takeback", which is very bad etiquette.

Answer: Underpromotion

This is a rare move, and usually only used to promote a Pawn to a Knight. Promoting a Pawn to a Bishop or Rook is generally a very unwise decision, as a Queen can move like a Bishop AND a Rook.

Answer: Skewer

This can sometimes (but not always) be a Fork, which is where a piece threatens two pieces at the same time. Basically, a player moves a more valuable piece while allowing the opponent to capture a minor piece.