Knight (chess)

“ The passion for chess was universal at that period, when the favorite forms of recreation were a pantomime of war. The songs of the minstrels, or troubadours, were another source of delightful amusement; and deeds of valor, with maxims how to win a lady’s favor, were the perpetual theme. To play upon the harp, and be able to sing his love in verse, were considered as necessary qualifications to the knight of chivalry, as the knowledge of wielding his sword, or managing his good steed. ”

“ To play the game of chess, to hear the minstrel’s lays, and read romances, were the principal amusements of the knight when the season and the weather did not permit hawking and hunting. A true knight was a chess-player, and the game was played in every country of chivalry ”

“ The fondness of our ancestors for the game of chess appears by the frequent mention of the amusement in the ancient romances. Sometimes a lover procured admittance to the place where his mistress was confined, by permitting the jailor to win from him a game at chess. Again, the minstrels in the baronial hall, spread over their subject all the riches of their imagination. They were wont to fancy the enchanted castle of a beautiful fairy, who challenged a noble knight to play with her at chess. ”

“ The knights’ moves are of an absolutely different kind. They move from one corner of any rectangle of three squares by two to the opposite corner; thus, in diagram 3, the white knight can move to the square occupied by the black one, and vice versa, or a knight could move from C to D, or D to C. The move may be made in any direction. It is no obstacle to the knight’s move if squares A and B are occupied. It will be perceived that the knight always moves to a square of a different colour. ”

“ He cannot say, "Sorry!" as he takes your knight; he does not call it hard luck when your king is surrounded by vultures eager for his death; and though it would be kindly in him to attribute to the bad light the fact that you never noticed his castle leaning against your queen, yet it would be quite against the etiquette of the game.
Indeed, it is impossible to win gracefully at chess. No man yet has said "Mate!" ”

“ The action of the Knight is peculiar, and not easy to describe. He is the only one of the Pieces which has the privilege of leaping over another man. The movements of the others are all dependent on their freedom from obstruction by their own and the enemy's men. For example, when the forces are duly ranged in order of [15] battle before the commencement of the game, the Knight is the only one of the eight capital Pieces which can be played before the Pawns are moved—King, Queen, Bishop, and Rook are all hemmed in by the rank of Pawns, which they cannot overleap ”

“ Fancy what a game at chess would be if all the chessmen had passions and intellects, more or less small and cunning: if you were not only uncertain about your adversary's men, but a little uncertain about your own; if your knight could shuffle himself on to a new square by the sly; if your bishop, in disgust at your castling, could wheedle your pawns out of their places; and if your pawns, hating you because they are pawns, could make away from their appointed posts that you might get checkmate on a sudden. ”

“ The Knight is generally used to best advantage in the Middle Game, as his progress is not hampered by intervening forces, but in this illustration of an End Game, he is used most successfully in conjunction with the Bishop. The student will see that Black's only hope lies in queening his Pawn, for then he will be as well off as if he had not already lost his Queen. His efforts are in vain, however, for White wins in six moves. The game is notated thus:
This example also illustrates White's attacking method of forcing his Opponent
black. ”

“ He is not allowed to Queen the Pawn, and if he loses it, or happens to checkmate his opponent with any other man, he forfeits the game. The Pawn usually capped is the King's Knight's, because it can be more readily and effectually surrounded by protecting Pieces. ”

“ The capture can be made only on the move immediately succeeding that of the pawn to be captured.
“Drawn Game.” This arises from a stalemate (noticed above) , or from either player not having sufficient force wherewith to effect checkmate, as when there are only two kings left on the board, or king and bishop against king, or king with one knight, or two knights against king, or from perpetual check. One of the players can call upon the other to give checkmate in fifty moves, the result of failure being that the game is drawn. ”

“ Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the chess,
And out then came fair Janet
As green as onie glass.
[Pg 7] XIV
Out then spak’ an auld grey knight
’Lay owre the Castle wa’,
And says, ‘Alas, fair Janet!
For thee we’ll be blamèd a’.’
XV
‘Hauld your tongue, ye auld-faced knight,
Some ill death may ye die!
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I’ll father nane on thee.
XVI
‘O if my love were an earthly knight,
As he is an elfin gay,
I wadna gie my ain true-love
For nae laird that ye hae.
XVII
‘The steed that my true-love rides on
Is fleeter nor the wind ”

“ When the adversary has only his king left, it is very easy to checkmate him with only a queen and king, or only a rook and king. The problem is less easy with king and two bishops, and still less easy with king, knight and bishop, in which case the opposing king has to be driven into a corner square whose colour corresponds with the bishop’s, mate being given with the bishop. A king and two knights cannot mate. ”

“ At the commencement of a game, the best place for the King's Knight is at K. B's 3d sq.; it there attacks your adversary's K's Pawn, if it has been moved two squares, and offers no impediment to the playing out your [39] King's Bishop, and prevents the adversary from placing his Queen on your King Rook's 4th sq., where she would often be a source of restraint and danger to your King. Many persons prefer playing the K. Kt. to K's 2d at the second move, from the mistaken notion that the K. B's P. should be moved before the Knight is played to B's 3d ”

“ As a general rule, it is not advisable to move King's Knight's Pawn or Queen's Knight's Pawn early in the game. The former played to K. Kt's 3d square will often allow your adversary to play his Queen's Bishop to your King's Rook's 3d square, a dangerous move when you have castled on King's side.
After castling, it is generally proper not to move the Knight's Pawn that is before your King, until you are obliged.
In a diagonal line of Pawns you should endeavor to preserve the Pawn at the head of them. Pawns, when united, have great strength; but when separated, their power is sensibly lessened. ”

“ Two Rooks are slightly stronger than a Queen. They are slightly weaker than two Knights and a Bishop, and a little more so than two Bishops and a Knight. The power of the Knight decreases as the pieces are changed off. The power of the Rook, on the contrary, increases.
The King, a purely defensive piece throughout the middle-game, becomes an offensive piece once all the pieces are off the board, and sometimes even when there are one or two minor pieces left. ”

“ The rook, knight and bishop on the right of the king are known as King’s rook, King’s knight, and King’s bishop; the other three as Queen’s rook, Queen’s knight, and Queen’s bishop.
Briefly described, the powers of the various pieces and of the pawns are as follows.
The king may move in any direction, only one square at a time, except in castling. Two kings can never be on adjacent squares.
The queen moves in any direction square or diagonal, whether forward or backward. There is no limit to her range over vacant squares; an opponent she may take; a piece of her own colour stops her. ”

“ Concerning the Knight.—The Knight is at once the most striking and most beautiful of all the Pieces. The singularity of its evolutions, by which it is enabled to overleap the other men and wind its way into the penetralia of the adverse ranks, and if attacked leap back again within the boundary of its own, has rendered it the favorite Piece of leading players in every country. ”

“ The weaker the player the more terrible the Knight is to him, but as a player increases in strength the value of the Bishop becomes more evident to him, and of course there is, or should be, a corresponding decrease in his estimation of the value of the Knight as compared to the Bishop. ”

“ Generousness ... Singular Instance of it ... Romantic excess of it ... Liberality ... Humility ... Courtesy ... EVERY DAY LIFE OF THE KNIGHT ... Falconry ... Chess playing ... Story of a Knight’s Love of Chess ... Minstrelsy ... Romances ... Conversation ... Nature and Form of Chivalric Entertainments ... Festival and Vow of the Pheasant.
General array of knights. The knight was accompanied into the field by his squires and pages, by his armed vassals on horseback and on foot, all bearing his cognisance. ”

“ It is true that, when a knight is given, the attack made upon you is not so sudden and so violent, as it usually is when you receive a rook—but your ultimate defeat is much more certain. If, in the one case, you are quickly killed, in the other you will die in lingering torments. ”

“ The art is French, but the ideas may have come from anywhere, like the game of chess which the pilgrims or crusaders brought home from Syria. In the Oriental game, the King was followed step by step by a Minister whose functions were personal. The crusaders freed the piece from control; gave it liberty to move up or down or diagonally, forwards and backwards; made it the most arbitrary and formidable champion on the board, while the King and the Knight were the most restricted in movement; and this piece they named Queen, and called the Virgin:— ”

“ The assault of the Knight is more subtle and dangerous than that of any other Piece, because he attacks without putting himself en prise, and his attack can never be resisted by the interposition of another man. ”

“ The student will see that if the White King remains where he is he can be taken by the Black Knight; if he moves to KBSq. or KKt2, he can be taken by the Black Bishop as both of those squares are commanded by him; and if he moves into KR2 again, he comes within the sphere of influence of the Black Knight whom he is trying to avoid. Thus, it will be seen that he has no means of escape.
Close Game. A game in which the development of the Pieces is effected chiefly behind the Pawns. This method requires the greatest accuracy and judgment and is only adopted by the most experienced players. ”

“ Kt. to R's 4th would be much stronger, the importance of halting the advancing Rook Pawn duly considered. Going from bad to worse, the downright blunder two moves later caps the climax—and more need not be said.
[68] GAME THE SIXTH.
GAME THE SEVENTH.
Counter Gambit in the Knight's Opening.
[69] First Variation,
Beginning at Black's 6th move.
If now Black take the Knight with his Bishop, you retake with the Q. Kt. (ch.) , then exchange Queens, and win the Q. Kt. P. He may, however, move 12. K. to his 2d, whereupon you check with K. Kt. at K. B's 5th, and afterwards liberate your other Kt. ”

“ A course is successfully run if each breaks his lance full on the breastplate or helmet of his adversary, but neither is unhorsed; and they retire amidst the plaudits of the spectators.
If a knight is unhorsed, or lose his stirrup, he is vanquished, and retires from the game. Following that, there is probably a miniature tournament between the home champions and the strangers.
At length, when all have run their courses, the knights remove their helmets before the ladies, make their obeisance, and retire to their lodgings to change. ”

“ The knight is greatly elated when the damsel greets him; though she does not take the words seriously, and the effort costs her nothing. Yet, if he had at this moment been victor in a tournament, he would not have so highly esteemed himself, nor thought he had won such honour and renown. ”

“ The rippling river murmurs low, the dancing
midges swarm;
But far away the pretty may, nor makes the
least alarm,
Sits firm on lofty saddle-bow, within the young
knight's arm.
Now months are come, and months are gone,
with sunshine, breeze, and rain;
The song on grassy river-shore you shall not
hear again;
The proud knight spurs at tournament, in
Germany or Spain,
Or sues in silken bow'r to melt some lady's
high disdain.
And thus in idle hour he dreams—"I've
wander'd east and west;
I've whisper'd love in many an ear, in earnest or
in jest ”

“ Then he strikes him, rushing in like a storm and bringing his sword down close by his head; he pushes and presses him so hard that he drives him from his ground and reduces him to such a state of exhaustion that he has little strength to defend himself. Then the knight recalls how the other had basely reproached him about the cart; so he assails him and drubs him so soundly that not a string or strap remains unbroken about the neck-band of his hauberk, and he knocks the helmet and ventail from his head. His wounds and distress are so great that he has to cry for mercy. ”

“ A worthy knight is a spirit of proof in the advancement of virtue, by the desert of honour, in the eye of majesty. In the field he gives courage to his soldiers, in the court grace to his followers, in the city reputation to his person, and in the country honour to his house. His sword and his horse make his way to his house, and his armour of best proof is an undaunted spirit. The music of his delight is the trumpet and the drum, and the paradise of his eye is an army defeated ”