Two Chess gameplay questions
I recently downloaded a Chess game for DOS, called Bobby Fischer teaches Chess (from http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=2721 ), and it seems very good, but I have two Chess related questions I'd like to pose here:
1) When promoting a Pawn (when you get it to the opposite side of the board), you are given a choice to change the Pawn to a Queen, a Knight, a Rook or a Bishop. Most of the time you'll choose a Queen, though I can see that a Knight might be preferable (for it's ability to "jump" a piece), but why would anyone want to promote a Pawn just to a Bishop or a Rook, when the Queen has both of their abilities anyway? The only reason I can think of is so that the player can limit the power of their new piece, to prevent their own side from becoming too powerful, which may be moral (or allow the person to boast later if they win), but is hardly a good gameplay decision. Am I missing something?
2) What it "En Passant" (or however it's spelt)? I know I could Google for the information, but I'd rather ask here, as it will hopefully provoke a discussion on who uses it. I vaguely remember the move from when I was learning Chess years ago, but no-one I knew ever used En Passant (Castling yes, but no En Passant) and I've never seen it in any game I've played since (dunno if BFtC uses it, I've not seen it yet).
Thanks for any answers.
1) When promoting a Pawn (when you get it to the opposite side of the board), you are given a choice to change the Pawn to a Queen, a Knight, a Rook or a Bishop. Most of the time you'll choose a Queen, though I can see that a Knight might be preferable (for it's ability to "jump" a piece), but why would anyone want to promote a Pawn just to a Bishop or a Rook, when the Queen has both of their abilities anyway? The only reason I can think of is so that the player can limit the power of their new piece, to prevent their own side from becoming too powerful, which may be moral (or allow the person to boast later if they win), but is hardly a good gameplay decision. Am I missing something?
2) What it "En Passant" (or however it's spelt)? I know I could Google for the information, but I'd rather ask here, as it will hopefully provoke a discussion on who uses it. I vaguely remember the move from when I was learning Chess years ago, but no-one I knew ever used En Passant (Castling yes, but no En Passant) and I've never seen it in any game I've played since (dunno if BFtC uses it, I've not seen it yet).
Thanks for any answers.
Post edited by ewgf on
Comments
When pawns capture an opponent's piece he must do it diagonally i.e. if a white pawn is occupying square f5, he can capture any piece occupying either square e6 or g6 (but not f6).
En passant capturing is used in the following circumstance.
A white pawn is occupying position f5 (as before) and it's black's turn to move. Black moves his pawn from e7 - e5. Normally a pawn can only capture diagonally but in this case, since any pawn can move forward two squares if it hasn't already moved, white's pawn can move diagonally to square e6 and still capture en passant black's pawn at e5.
I hope that wasn't too confusing. :)
Necros.