compelled, therefore, to capture with his Rook, and the Knight then gives the smothered mate at K. B's 7th square.
No. 12.
BLACK.
WHITE.
Stalemate. (See Diagram on page 30.)
Here you observe that White has the great advantage of a Queen against a Rook; but with all this, and the move to boot, it is impossible for him to do more than draw the game. It is evident that he cannot move his Queen from the front of his King on account of exposing him to check with the Rook. If he move his King, Black takes the Queen, and the game is drawn. And lastly, if he take the Rook with his Queen, he places the adverse King in the position before described of stalemate.
No. 13.
BLACK.
WHITE.
ON THE RELATIVE VALUE OF THE CHESS FORCES.
An attempt to establish a scale of powers whereby the relative values of the several men could be estimated with mathematical exactitude, although it has frequently engaged the attention of scientific minds, appears to be an expenditure of ingenuity and research upon an unattainable object. So ever varying, so much dependent on the mutations of position which every move occasions, and on the augmented power which it acquires when combined with other forces, is the proportionate worth of this with that particular man, that it would seem to be beyond the reach of computation to devise a formula by which it can be reckoned with precision. But still an approximation to correctness has been made, and the result arrived at gives the following as the ultimate respective values:—
| Pawn | = 1.00 |
| Knight | = 3.05 |
| Bishop | = 3.50 |
| Rook | = 5.48 |
| Queen | = 9.94 |
The King, from the nature of the game, which does not admit of his being exchanged or captured, is invaluable, and he is not, therefore, included in the calculations.
The Pawn, it is seen, is the least valuable of all the men, the Knight being worth at least three Pawns.
The Bishops and Knights are practically considered of equal value, although there is a difference in the estimate here given.
A Rook is of the value of five Pawns and a fraction, and may be exchanged for a minor Piece and two Pawns. Two Rooks may be exchanged for three minor Pieces.
The Queen is usually reckoned equal, in average situations, to two Rooks and a Pawn, but towards the end of a game she is hardly so valuable as two Rooks.
These comparative values may be of service to the student in general cases of exchanging men, but he will find in practice the relative worth of his soldiers is modified by so many circumstances of time, opportunity, and position, that nothing but experience can ever teach him to determine accurately in every case "which to give up and which to keep."
THE CHESS CODE.
OR, LAWS OF THE GAME.
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED.
Whenever the word "Umpire" is used herein, it stands for any Committee having charge of Matches or Tournaments, with power to determine questions of chess-law and rules; or for any duly appointed Referee, or Umpire; for the bystanders, when properly appealed to; or for any person, present or absent, to whom may be referred any disputed questions; or for any other authority whomsoever having power to determine such questions.
When the word "move" is used it is understood to mean a legal move or a move to be legally made according to these laws.
When the word "man" or "men" is used, it is understood that it embraces both Pieces and Pawns.
THE CHESS-BOARD AND MEN.
The Chess-board must be placed with a white square at the right-hand corner.
If the Chess-board be wrongly placed, or if there is a deficiency in number, or a misplacement of the men, at the beginning of the game, the game shall be annulled, provided the error is discovered before the second player makes four moves.
FIRST MOVE AND COLOR.
The right of first move must be determined by lot.
The right of first move shall alternate, whether the game be won, lost or drawn.
Whenever a game shall be annulled, the party having the move in that game shall have it in the next game. An annulled game must be considered, in every respect, the same as if it had never been begun.
CONCESSIONS.
The concession of an indulgence by one player does not give him the right of a similar or other indulgence from his opponent.
ERRORS.
If, during the course of the game, it be discovered that any error or illegality has been committed in the moves of the pieces, the moves must be retraced, and the necessary correction made, without penalty.
If the moves cannot be correctly retraced the game must be annulled.
If a man be dropped from the board and moves made during its absence, such moves must be retraced and the man restored. If this cannot be done, to the satisfaction of the Umpire, the game must be annulled.
CASTLING.
The King can be Castled only:—
When neither the King nor the Castling Rook has been moved, and
Where the King is not in check, and
Where all the squares between the King and Rook are unoccupied, and
Where no hostile man attacks the square on which the King is to be placed, or the square he crosses.
In Castling, the King must be moved first, or before the Rook is quitted. If the Rook be quitted before the King is touched, the opposing player may demand that the move of the Rook shall stand without the Castling being completed.
The penalty of moving the King prohibits Castling.
EN PASSANT.
Taking the Pawn "en Passant," when the only possible move, is compulsory.
PROMOTING THE PAWN.
A Pawn reaching the eighth square must be at once exchanged for any piece of its own color (except the King) that the player of the Pawn may elect.
CHECK.
No penalty can be enforced for an offence committed against these rules in consequence of a false announcement of "check." When check is given it is not obligatory to announce the check.
"J'ADOUBE."
"J'adoube," "I adjust," or words to that effect, cannot protect a player from any of the penalties imposed by these laws, unless the man or men touched, obviously need adjustment, and unless such notification be distinctly uttered before the man, or men, be touched, and only the player whose turn it is to move is allowed so to adjust.
The hand having once quitted the man, but for an instant, the move must