Outline of chess

In a chess game, each player begins with sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns.

Tactics are usually contrasted with strategy, in which advantages take longer to be realized, and the opponent is less constrained in responding.

Some checkmate patterns occur sufficiently frequently, or are otherwise of such interest to scholars, that they have acquired specific names in chess commentary.

School of chess – group of players that share common ideas about the strategy of the game.

Today there is less dependence on schools – players draw on many sources and play according to their personal style.