Why is a bishop called a bishop in chess?

The piece's deep groove symbolizes a bishop's (or abbot's) mitre. Some have written that the groove originated from the original form of the piece, an elephant with the groove representing the elephant's tusks. The English apparently chose to call the piece a bishop because the projections at the top resembled a mitre.

What is another name for a bishop in chess?

set design. The bishop was known by different names—“fool” in French and “elephant” in Russian, for example—and was not universally recognized by a distinctive mitre until the 19th century. Depiction of the rook also varied considerably.

Why is a chess piece called a rook?

Rook comes from the Persian term Rukh meaning chariot as this was the piece in predecessor games of chess in India. These Indian chariets had large walled structures on them, more like a fortification. As it spread into Europe, the Italian term rocca (meaning fortress) may have caused the shape to change.

Why is the rook an elephant?

In Europe the castle or tower appears for the first time in the 16th century in Vida's 1550 Ludus Scacchia, and then as a tower on the back of an elephant. In time, the elephant disappeared and only the tower was used as the piece. In the West, the rook is almost universally represented as a crenellated turret.

Where did knight and bishop originate?

The chaturanga pieces later evolved to become the modern-day Knight, pawn, rook, and bishop. The Indian chaturanga later spread along the Silk Road to the west in the form of chatrang in Sassanid Persia and the east in the form of eastern strategic skill games such as xiangqi, shogi, and janggi.

How to Use the Bishop | Chess

Why is the bishop an elephant?

The piece's deep groove symbolizes a bishop's (or abbot's) mitre. Some have written that the groove originated from the original form of the piece, an elephant with the groove representing the elephant's tusks. The English apparently chose to call the piece a bishop because the projections at the top resembled a mitre.

What is an elephant called in chess?

The alfil, alpil, or elephant is a fairy chess piece that can jump two squares diagonally. It is used in many historical and regional chess variants, such as shatranj. It was used in standard chess before being replaced by the bishop in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Why are castles early in chess?

Castling is an important goal in the early part of a game, because it serves two valuable purposes: it moves the king into a safer position away from the center of the board, and it moves the rook to a more active position in the center of the board (it is possible even to checkmate with castling).

Who invented chess?

Chess was invented in India around the 8th century. Then it was known as chatrang, and changed over the centuries by the Arabs, Persians and then ultimately the medieval Europeans, who changed the pieces' names and appearances to resemble the English court.

What's the most powerful piece in chess?

In terms of raw power, the queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and one of the most iconic pieces in any board game, combining the moves of the rook and the bishop in one piece. In terms of material, it's the most valuable piece in the game of chess (apart from the king, of course).

What is the horse called in chess?

The knight is the trickiest piece in chess!

What does castle mean in chess?

To castle, simply move the king two spaces to the left or right, OR move the king on top of the rook you want to castle with. The rook will jump across and to the other side of the king automatically!

Why are rooks better than bishops?

A rook is generally more valuable than a bishop because: it can reach all squares of the board, while a bishop can stay only on squares of the same color. it can mate in KR vs K, while you cannot win KB vs K.

Why do bishops have a notch?

The notch seems to have been popularized in England in the mid 19th century, in St George and then Staunton chess sets, designed to make the pieces easier to recognize. (The St George examples I've seen all have a vertical notch bisecting the top of the bishop.

Why is the bishop a chess piece?

The "bishop" is not a priest, but it stands for a war elephant - hence the piece is shaped like the elephant's trunk, and the slash is the opening. For Staunton pieces you are referring to the hat the Bishop in the Roman Catholic church wears, which is called a "mitre"...as....

Which is the least powerful piece on a chess board?

The chess piece that holds the lowest theoretical value is the pawn. They are considered the least powerful because they can only move one square forward at a time. The pawn is the first line of defense that everybody has on the board and is worth only 1 point.

What does zugzwang mean in chess?

Zugzwang is a German word which basically means, "It is your turn to move, and all of your moves are bad!" There is no "pass" or "skip a move" in chess, so sometimes having to move can lose the game!

Who is the god of chess?

Caïssa, the legendary mythological creature, is now known as the Goddess of Chess, and was later notoriously described in a poem called Caïssa written in 1763 by English poet and philologist Sir William Jones.

Why is en passant important in chess?

Why was the "en passant" rule introduced into the modern chess game? The en passant move was developed after pawns were allowed to move more than one square on their initial move. This was done to make sure they retained some of the restrictions imposed by slow movement, while at the same time speeding up the game.

What is the best move in chess?

Who invented castling in chess?

Here's my guess on how the castling move was invented: Back in the 15th century, a certain king known as Richard the Corpulent offered a challenge to any member of his kingdom: a four game chess match. If the king lost, he would award half his kingdom to the successful challenger.

Where is the chess capital of the world?

The success of the Saint Louis Chess Club and the World Chess Hall of Fame has received attention from the international chess community, making Saint Louis the premiere chess destination worldwide. In fact, the U.S. Chess Federation named Saint Louis “Chess City of the Year” in 2009 and 2011.

What is Chinese chess called?

Chinese chess, Chinese (Pinyin) Xiangqi (Wade-Giles) Hsiang-ch'i, strategy board game played in China from about ad 700. Like orthodox chess, Chinese chess is believed to have been derived from an Indian board game known as chaturanga.