Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Chess Terms [U-Z]
  Glossary of Chess Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms Chess has a rich vocabulary with many terms and acronyms ranging from from ACP to Zwischenzug. Here we provide an alphabetical list of chess terms along with their definitions as well as various acronyms and their definitions. It is our intention for this to be the most comprehensive and complete list available on the Internet. Our glossary of terms and acronyms will be updated on a regular basis as our readers inform us of additions. [Zwischenzug] Unclear Definition An uncertain situation. Some players never use this assessment, insisting that every position is either equal or favorable for one side or the other. It has even been said that “unclear” is a lazy way to avoid figuring out what’s really going on in a position. Unification History In the mid-1990s unification of the World Chess Champion title became an issue. Then, in 1993, World Champion Garry Kasparov left FIDE to play a match against Nigel Short, who at that time had emerged as Kasparov's challenger in the FIDE qualifying cycle. The players created the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and played a match which Kasparov won. At that time the PCA set up a system of qualifying events similar to the FIDE system. Meanwhile, FIDE continued to organize its own series of World Championships, eventually adopting a Knockout format, leaving the world with two World Champions. After a few years of initial success, the PCA ran into difficulties with sponsorship. Talks between the PCA and FIDE began to revert to the old system of a single championship. This process, known as unification (or reunification) bogged down in procedural details like who would win in case of a drawn match. In May of 2002, all parties signed the Prague Agreement, a process drafted by GM Yasser Seirawan to culminate eventually in a single World Champion. By 2005, the Prague Agreement had been largely scrapped. USCF Acronym United States Chess Federation. History The national chess organization of the United States founded 1939 whos membership spans every state and territory of the U.S and beyond featuring affiliated chess clubs, events, and the monthly publication of Chess Life. Variation Definition A line of play usually referred to about opening lines; but the term also is used in the other phases of the game. Any alternative to the line actually played is termed a variation. Example Opening Lines -- An opening variation usually means a specific sequence or line in the opening. It does not necessarily mean an alternate line of play unless we consider that all openings start from the initial position. Alternative - A variation in another phase of the game generally means an alternate line of play. Weakness Definition Any pawn or square that is difficult or impossible to defend. Wild Definition A sharp situation or move with unfathomable complications which is extremely unclear. Wing (See also Flank) Definition Wing, or Flank is a generic term that includes both the Kingside and the Queenside on the chess board. Wing is used frequently to mean the same thing. Example When using chess notation, the a-, b-, and c-files make up one flank, while the f-, g-, and h-files make up the other flank. The term is especially useful when discussing operations that can occur on either side : a flank attack, a flank opening, or the development of a flank. Xray Definition An Xray is a tactical device where an enemy piece is attacked by a line piece and forced to move, thereby exposing a second enemy piece to capture. It is also widely known as a Skewer. Zeitnot (Same as Time Pressure) Definition When playing a game with a clock, a time control regulates how many moves a player must make in a certain amount of thinking time. Example A control of 40/2, where a player is required to make 40 moves in 2 hours, means that a player has an average of 3 minutes for each move. There is, however, no requirement for a player to use exactly 3 minutes for each move. Some moves might be played instantly, while others might be played after 20 minutes or more of thought. Zonal Tournament History After World War II, when it first took control of the World Championship, FIDE divided the world into geographical zones. The number of zones and the countries included in each zone have gone through many modifications since the first proposal. As of 2005, the zones were grouped into four continents Europe, Americas, Asia, and Africa, with three to nine zones per continent. From 1948 to 1993, the next stage of the qualifying cycle was the Interzonal tournament. In 1997 and afterwards, the next stage was the World Championship Knockout (elimination) tournament. Definition The FIDE zonal tournaments (also known as 'zonals') are the first stage of the qualifying cycle for the World Chess Championship. Their purpose is to qualify the top players in each zone into the next stage of the qualifying cycle. The number of players qualifying from a zone varies by the individual zones. All of the zonals take place at approximately the same time. In some cases the zonal tournaments are the championships of a single countries comprising the zone. Zugzwang: Definition When you have to move, but any move you make is bad for you. Also refered to as a “Compulsion to move,” referring to a situation in which a player would like to do nothing, or pass, since any move made will damage his or her game. Zwischenzug [Top] Definition An in-between move. A German term for an often unexpected reply thrown into an expected sequence of moves. For example, instead of making the obvious move like an immediate recapture, a player interposes a move to achieve a favorable objective, instead of re-capturing, the player give a check first. Note: This is a work in progress. As more terms are added this will be broken into alphabetical sections from A-Z for terms and definitions, and a separate section will be added for acronyms. You can help us make this the most complete list of chess terms by adding your comments to Chess Speak - What are they talking about? |
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