The Game and Playe of the Chesse Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which of these set of moves characterizes the Alekhine Defense?

Answer: 1. e4 Nf6

The Alekhine Defense is an unbalanced opening championed by past world champion Alexander Alekhine. Black hopes to tear down white's strong center after he advances with 2. e5.

2. In 1862 the pawn had a strange power when promoting. What was it?

Answer: It could remain a pawn

In 1862 the British Chess Association passed a law that pawns could be promoted to any piece on the the board, regardless of the number already on the board, or deciding that it will stay a pawn. Despite Howard Staunton's disapproval, the law passed. Under this law, you could promote pieces to enemy pieces or even kings.

3. What opening did Anthony Miles use to defeat former world champion Anatoly Karpov in 1980?

Answer: St. George Defense

The St. George Defense (1. e4 a6) is considered to be a dubious defense. In Modern Chess Openings edition 14, Grandmaster Nick de Firmian writes "White gains the advantage with accurate play, but less precision allows Black the unclear game he seeks." Most of the research on this defense was done by International Master Michael Basman, who enjoys playing strange openings.

4. Which of these moves is illegal?

Answer: c7=Q

C7=Q is illegal because pawns cannot promote on the seventh rank. The king and bishop can check or mate by discovery and R5f3 is a way of saying that the rook on the fifth rank moves to f3 when both rooks can move there.

5. The strategy of stopping your opponent's ideas before they can be executed is called ________.

Answer: Prophylaxis

Prophylaxis is the process of stopping your opponents most active plan. Aron Nimzowitsch considered this to be the root of positional play. Positional players like Tigran Petrosian or Anatoly Karpov often use prophylaxis. An example of prophylaxis would be to play h3 or h6 to prevent your opponent from setting up a pin with Bg5 or Bg4.

6. What is the most specific term for when a queen checks a king, as well as blocking a check from an enemy queen, forcing a queen trade?

Answer: Crosscheck

A check that blocks a check from another queen to force a trade of queens is called a crosscheck. This technique is often used to simplify into a winning endgame or to stop an opponent's attempt at perpetual check because your opponent cannot avoid the trade of queens. It is especially useful in endgames with two queens against one queen.

7. Which of these opening moves is considered the worst possible opening move for White?

Answer: 1. f3

1. f3 deprives the knight of its most aggressive square, prevents the bishop from developing to g2, and weakens the h4-e1 diagonal. All of the other moves also don't really help white and rid white of his/her first move advantage, but at least create no additional weaknesses. 1. f3 is called the Barnes Defense.

8. How can you double check your opponent in spite of both of the checking pieces remaining on their squares?

Answer: With en passant

With a position with the king on h6, pawn on g5 (just moved) white bishop on f4, white rook on h4, and a white pawn on h5, white can take the g-pawn en passant resulting in a double check.

9. Which of the following is a kind of puzzle where both sides aid each other to checkmate one side?

Answer: helpmate

In helpmates, both sides work together to try and checkmate a certain side (usually Black). The first helpmate was created by German chess master Max Lange in 1854. It had multiple solutions and was deemed unsound. A sound helpmate was not achieved until 1861 by an unknown in a chess journal. Helpmates are now the second most popular type of mating puzzle.

10. A game starting with 1. e4 e5 is called a/an_________ .

Answer: Open Game

Open games are games starting with 1. e4 e5. This term can also refer to games without a locked pawn structure and open lines for pieces. The center is usually open in games starting with 1. e4 e5, so the names is fitting. Closed games are games starting with 1. d4 d5. The game remains more closed than King's Pawn openings so it is referred to as a closed game.

Source: Author ShadowStar889

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

"The Game and Playe of the Chesse" was the first book on chess written in English. This quiz will test your knowledge on chess. Some of it will be general knowledge and others on famous matches or finer details. Chess notation is used for moves/positions

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