This glossary of chess explains commonly used terms in chess, in alphabetical order. Some of these terms have their own pages, like fork and pin. For a list of unorthodox chess … See more

absolute pin A pin against the king is called absolute since the pinned piece cannot legally move out of the line of attack (as moving it would expose the king to check). Cf. relative … See more

Caïssa, the patron goddess of chess (author unknown, 19th century) Caïssa Known as the goddess or muse of chess, whose name is taken from a nymph in a 1763 poem, Caïssa … See more

eat [colloq.] To remove the opponent's piece or pawn from the board by taking it with one's own piece or pawn. See also capture. ECF The … See more

B Symbol used for the bishop when recording chess moves in English. back rank A player's first rank (the rank on which the pieces stand in the starting position). White's … See more

dark-square bishop One of the two bishops that moves only on the dark squares. In the starting position, White's dark-square bishop is on c1; Black's is on f8. Often shortened … See more

family fork A knight fork that simultaneously attacks the enemy king (giving check), queen, and possibly other pieces. Also known … See more