Q1. Where was the game of "Chess" invented?
India.
Q2. What is a game of "Chess"?
A board game of abstract strategy and mental sports. The game is to be imagined as a battle field where the strategy would be to capture or incapacitate the king.
Q3. What is a chess board?
A square board consisting of 64 squares (8 X 8). The squares are called Ranks and Files, alternatively colored in Dark and light shades, most commonly Black & White.
Q4. What are the "pieces" used for play?
1.PAWNS - 8 pieces : Colloquially called soldiers, 8 numbers arranged in the front row. The weakest of the pieces. They can only make forward moves. Excepting for an initial movement from their original position when they can advance by two squares, all other times they can only advance by one square at a time. Pawns may use their initial two square move to jump over an occupied square or to capture. Any piece in front, friend or foe, blocks its advance. For capturing another opponent's piece, it can be moved diagonally either right or left.
2. KNIGHT - 2 pieces: Normally called a "Horse" because of the horse headed shape. It has an unusual moving pattern. It moves in an "L" shape, that is, two squares vertically and one square horizontally or vice versa. It can jump over all other pieces to it's destination and captures an enemy piece or occupy an empty space as a strategy. By the pattern of it's move, it alternates between the dark & light colored squares in each move.
3. BISHOP - 2 Pieces: Shaped like a "Minar" of a mosque. Placed one in dark and one in light shade in the lower line along the horizontal squares. It can move only diagonally either right or left to any length, unless it's path is obstructed by any other piece of either side. By it's move, it can capture opponent's piece or occupying an empty space as a strategy.
4. ROOK - 2 Pieces: It is also called an elephant. It is placed at each end of lower horizontal row. It can move horizontally or vertically and cannot jump over any other piece. In it's assigned move it can capture any piece of the opponent and occupy that square or any vacant square as a strategy.
5. QUEEN - 1 Piece: Most powerful piece. It contain the move of Rook and bishop, in that it can move horizontally, vertically or diagonally on either right or left, but cannot jump over any piece enroute, but can capture any of opponent's piece and occupy that square, or any empty space as a strategy. Queens of both sides occupy exactly the opposite squares, but different shades.
6.KING - 1 Piece: Important piece but not powerful - It can advance only one square at a time either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, either left or right and occupy an empty space. On a standard basis, the pieces will be in Black and White.
Q5. Who make the first move in a game of chess?
The person having the white piece shall make the first move.
Q6. Which piece in chess cannot move backwards?
Pawn (Soldier)
Q7. Which only piece in chess that can jump over other pieces?
Knight.
Q8. Who is India's first International Master?
Manuel Aaron - 1960.
Q9. How many opening moves are possible in a game of chess?
Twenty
Q10. What is the traditional way of indicating a player's surrender or resignation from the game - accepting a defeat?
Knocking down one's own king.
Q11. What is a "Check-mate"?
A move by which the opponent's king is in peril of capture and cannot make any move to escape the situation.
Q12. How is chess known or called in Urdu/Hindi and in the early days who were mostly playing this game?
Satranj. Played by Nawabs and Kings of Mohammedan rulers, as a passtime sports.
Q13. Who was the youngest Indian to achieve the International Master title?
Parimarjan Negi - at 12+ years. He has also achieved the Grand Master title.
Q14. What is the name of the computer that beat Garry Kasporov?
Deep Blue - Bf5, exf5, 18.rxe7, Bxe7, 19.c4 was the moves by the computer.
Q15. What is the name of the computer programme that beat Vladimir Kramnik - 4 - 2 in Dec. 2006?
Deep Fritz.
Q16. What is the name of the "Defence Strategy" named after the homeland of Pierto Carrera - a famous tennis player?
Sicilian Defence.
Q17. What is the International Governing body for chess?
Federation International des Echecs FIDE - established in 1924 and Headquartered at Paris, France. Framing of rules, championship schedules and awarding of titles etc are it's objectives.
Q18. What is "ELO Ratings" in chess?
A method of calculating the relative skill levels of players, by awarding points on their tournament wise performance which ultimately decide their titles. It is named after Arpad Elo, a Hungarian born American Physics professor who devised the rating system. Rating & Titles: 2200-2399 points - Candidate master 2400-2499 points - International Master. 2500-2599 points - Grand Master.
Q19. Who are the only five players in the world to cross 2800 mark in chess Elo rating?
Garry Kasporov, Vladimir Kramnik, both Russians, Topalov of Bulgaria; Viswanathan Anand of India, Magnus Carlsen of Norway.
Q20. What is "Check" in chess?
A move by which the king of the opponent comes open for attack/capture in front of a piece.
Q21. Who is the most famous and chess -icon of India? What are his achievements?.
Viswanathan Anand : First non-Russian to win the FIDE chess championship. First Brand Ambassador of Bill and Milind Gates Foundation. - Honorary citizen of Spain. First Grand Master of India. First Indian to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991-1992.In June 2012, he won the World Title for the fifth time.Earlier, he has won the world title in 2000, 2007,2008,2010.
Q22. Which island nation is famous for holding the famous "Match of the Century" a chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Sparsky?
Iceland in 1972 in which Fischer won and ended the domination of Russians.
Q23. Who are the only two women to have an ELO rating above 2600 in Chess?
Judith Pdgar - Poland and Koneru Humpy - India.
Q24. What are - Vienna, Catalan, Sicilian, Dutch, Indian, Scotch, Manhattan, Berlin, Belgrade, Leningrad, Dragon, Hedgehog, and stone wall?
Opening Defences / gambits in chess.
Q25. Who is India's first woman Grand Master?
Koneru Humpy. Andhra Pradesh.
Q26. Who is called the "the Beast from the Baku"?
Garry Kasparov of Russia.
Q27. What is "Fool's mate" in chess?
It is the quickest possible check-mate.
Q28. What is the "Adjust" in chess parlance?
Touching a piece without the intention of making a move.
Q29. The word is "chess" derived from?
"Shah"-Persian - Meaning king.
Q30. Who was the author of "Chess Fundamentals" an instructional manual?
Jose Capalalanca, Cuba.
Q31. Who is the youngest to become Grandmaster in chess?
Sergey Karjakim, Ukraine at the age of 12.
Q32. Who is India's first Grandmaster?
Viswanathan Anand , 1987.
Q33. Who is the youngest chess player to be ranked world No. 1?
Magnus Carlsen of Norway. He became a Grand Master at 13+ years. Currently ranked No.1 in Chess in 2012 holding an ELO rating of 2835.
Q34. What is "Chess Oscar"?
An award - a bronze statue known as "a fascinated wanderer", awarded the best chess player (including Grand Masters) from 1967 onwards, with a break between 1988-1994.Now the award is managed by the Russian Chess magazine 64.
Q35. Who has received the "Chess Oscar" the more number of times?
Garry Kasparov - 11 times (1982,1983,1985,1986,1987, 1988,1995,1996,1999, 2001, and 2002). (The Second is Anatoly Karpov - 9 times)
Q36. Who is the only Indian Grandmaster Chess player to receive the "Chess Oscar" and how many times?
Viswanathan Anand - 6 times - 1997,1998,2003,2004,2007 and 2008.
