Check/Checkmate rules

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Date: 16 Dec 2008 18:16:59
From: Doogie
Subject: Check/Checkmate rules

Hi,
I have a question on the rules for Check and Checkmate. I've been
playing chess with my kids the last few weeks (they are 7 and 11) and
I want to make sure they (and I) play correctly. A couple times, I
have missed the fact that one of their pieces has my piece in Check
and they've missed it as well (i.e. "Check" was never called). Then
when they notice it on their turn, they take my King and "win the
game".

I want to make sure I understand the rules though so I can teach them
as well. Is it required that "Check" be called before a King can be
taken?

And yes, my kids are already better then me at this game...

Date: 17 Dec 2008 08:31:13
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Dec 17, 6:44 am, Sanny <[email protected] > wrote:

> Ask them to play at GetClub.

Now, why is it that seeing this message was completely predictable?

By all means they should *not* play at GitClub, lest they think chess
is a game for buffons.

Date: 17 Dec 2008 06:19:24
From: Fritz
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Dec 17, 2:16=A0am, Doogie <[email protected] > wrote:
> Hi,
> I have a question on the rules for Check and Checkmate. =A0I've been
> playing chess with my kids the last few weeks (they are 7 and 11) and
> I want to make sure they (and I) play correctly. =A0A couple times, I
> have missed the fact that one of their pieces has my piece in Check
Doogie,

Try to get in the habit of following the files, ranks and diagonals on
the board from the King after each move. After a time this will come
naturally and you will start to spot not only Check instantly but also
potential threats.

Regards
Fritz

Visit Learn to play chess with Fritz at http://www.learntoplaychesswithfrit=
z.com
for more chess tips for beginners and kids.

Date: 17 Dec 2008 06:15:08
From: Fritz
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Dec 17, 2:16=A0am, Doogie <[email protected] > wrote:
> =A0A couple times, I
> have missed the fact that one of their pieces has my piece in Check
> and they've missed it as well (i.e. "Check" was never called). =A0Then
> when they notice it on their turn, they take my King and "win the
> game".

Doogie,

Try to get in the habit of following the files, ranks and diagonals on
the board from the King after each move. After a time this will come
naturally and you will start to spot not only Check instantly but also
potential threats.

Regards
Fritz

Visit <a href=3D"http://www.learntoplaychesswithfritz.com/learn-to-play-
chess-with-fritz/learning-to-play-chess-with-fritz/" >Learn to play
chess with Fritz</a > for more chess tips for beginners and kids.

Date: 17 Dec 2008 05:44:14
From: Sanny
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

> And yes, my kids are already better then me at this game...

Ask them to play at GetClub.

You need to help them Login as It needs autherntication.

Play Chess at: http://www.GetClub.com/Chess.html

You can play with Baby Level, Beginner and Easy Level.

Also there are a few Levels where you can get extra Rook/ Bishop and
even Queen.

Try playing with extra pieces till you get accusromed to Chess.

Once you start winning you can chose the higher levels.

The GetClub Chess plays in just 2 sec / move.

Its free to play and you can play as many as 500 Games for free.

Bye
Sanny

Play Chess at: http://www.GetClub.com/Chess.html

Date: 16 Dec 2008 20:30:20
From: help bot
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Dec 16, 10:14=A0pm, Mike Murray <[email protected] > wrote:

> The last blitz tournament in which I played didn't allow the immediate
> forfeit =A0for an illegal move or capturing the king. =A0Instead, the
> "innocent" side got two extra minutes on the clock. =A0I didn't like
> this rule, =A0since by the time they got done futzing with the clock to
> give me the extra time, =A0my opponent had ample time to reflect on the
> position and all this disrupted the flow of the game.
>
> I liked the old rules where if you made an illegal move, you just
> lost. =A0(Yeah, I guess this also disrupted the flow of the game)

Since my recent reappearance on the chess
scene, I've heard chatter about the strategy of
when to deliberately make such an illegal move,
as the extra time given the opponent will be of
no help whatever in certain types of positions.

As you say, this sort of thing disrupts play
and the fussing with the clock can make a
crucial difference in the outcome. I believe
(though I may be wrong) that in the old days,
the reason a player was forfeited for hanging
his King (if he pressed the clock) was that he
had robbed his opponent of precious seconds
-- not just because he had made a (very) bad
move. Now, they want to use the clock as a
means to penalize/reward, to hush those
whiners who feel forfeiture of the game is too
harsh a penalty; but there will always be
whining, and always there will be whiners,
so attempting to appease them all is silly.

There is also a geographic aspect to this
issue. I recall that in one game, a Brit had
left his King en prise and my old friend, Ben,
had quickly snatched it up, claiming victory.
"We do not take Kings, so" whined his
huffy opponent. "We do in America!", came
the sharp-witted reply.
Ah, but that was a very long time ago-- back
when people knew that "Damiano's Defense"
referred not to 2. ...f6, but rather to ...Nc6.
Today, people get everything backwards.

-- bot help

Date: 16 Dec 2008 19:37:12
From: SAT W-7
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

Glad you are teaching them how to play , besides being a fun game it
really makes you think ..You use your brain allot and that will only
help your kids in the long run i belive ...

What you should do if you both missed check just take back the move
you made which is illegal and then just block the check or move the King
and if you can not do any of those two then it is checkmate ...

You should let them play on line chess too or get them a table top chess
computer ... That will help teach them how to play too..

Date: 16 Dec 2008 19:04:46
From: help bot
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Dec 16, 9:16=A0pm, Doogie <[email protected] > wrote:

> Hi,
> I have a question on the rules for Check and Checkmate. =A0I've been
> playing chess with my kids the last few weeks (they are 7 and 11) and
> I want to make sure they (and I) play correctly. =A0A couple times, I
> have missed the fact that one of their pieces has my piece in Check
> and they've missed it as well (i.e. "Check" was never called). =A0Then
> when they notice it on their turn, they take my King and "win the
> game".
>
> I want to make sure I understand the rules though so I can teach them
> as well. =A0Is it required that "Check" be called before a King can be
> taken?
>
> And yes, my kids are already better then me at this game...

Chess is a strange game...

If you were writing a computer program to play
chess, you could treat King captures as if they
were legal moves, then sneakily cover this up
so that human opponents would never know.

But the reality is that capturing the King is
not legal, and, backing up, leaving one's King
in check is not legal either. In tournaments
played under the official rules of chess, you
would attempt to go back to where the illegal
move was made and replay the game from
there (this can get very messy if, say, both
Kings have been in check at the same time).

It is *not* required that a player announce
check, and in fact this could be taken as an
insult, above a certain level of skill.

In blitz chess (typically, five minutes apiece
for the entire game), capturing the King is
allowed as proof that the opponent has made
an illegal move by leaving his own King in
check. In casual games among family, you
could all agree to announce check, or even
to announce when the Queen has been
placed under attack-- but the official rules
can be a real pain if two players are both
struggling just to determine if either King is
under attack.

One solution might be to play one another
on a computer, letting the GUI or engine
check for legality of moves, on the fly.

-- help bot

Date: 16 Dec 2008 19:14:23
From: Mike Murray
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:04:46 -0800 (PST), help bot
<[email protected] > wrote:

> In blitz chess (typically, five minutes apiece
>for the entire game), capturing the King is
>allowed as proof that the opponent has made
>an illegal move by leaving his own King in
>check.

The last blitz tournament in which I played didn't allow the immediate
forfeit for an illegal move or capturing the king. Instead, the
"innocent" side got two extra minutes on the clock. I didn't like
this rule, since by the time they got done futzing with the clock to
give me the extra time, my opponent had ample time to reflect on the
position and all this disrupted the flow of the game.

I liked the old rules where if you made an illegal move, you just
lost. (Yeah, I guess this also disrupted the flow of the game)you
creatures inhabiting this forum

Date: 16 Dec 2008 19:18:26
From: Mike Murray
Subject: Re: Check/Checkmate rules

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:14:23 -0800, Mike Murray
<[email protected] > wrote:

>On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:04:46 -0800 (PST), help bot
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>> In blitz chess (typically, five minutes apiece
>>for the entire game), capturing the King is
>>allowed as proof that the opponent has made
>>an illegal move by leaving his own King in
>>check.

CORRECTION:

Somehow, something I had copied and pasted from a response I made on
the USCF forum (the phrase: "you creatures inhabiting this forum") got
accidentally pasted on the end of my post. No, I didn't say that on
the USCF forum either. Someone else did, and I was flaming him for
it. Oh well.