ChessKid

Who rules? The US Chess Federation rules! Well, at least they do when it comes to chess in the United States. The US Chess Federation is a national organization that takes care of every official chess-related event in the United States. They represent the United States in FIDE, organize official tournaments, keep track of national ratings, and much more! In August, 2020, US … [Read more...] about US Chess Federation – Chess Terms – ChessKid.com

How do you prove you're a strong chess player? Flexing your biceps won't do the trick, that's for sure. But there is a way for you to flex your chess skills, though. A few decades ago, a physics professor and chess master named Arpad Elo created a way of measuring a chess player's strength. Since then, almost every federation and online chess server uses the Elo rating system … [Read more...] about Elo Rating – Chess Terms – ChessKid.com

What if you could get your king out of check and start attacking your opponent's king at the same time? Well, this is what cross-checking is all about! A cross-check happens when a player moves a piece to get out of check, and at the same time, puts the enemy king in check. This kind of movement is important because it can completely turn the tables! Your opponent thought … [Read more...] about Cross-Check – Chess Terms – ChessKid.com

With a pointy head and a mouth that is always open, the bishop is indeed a very funny-looking piece. But did you know that it can also be very powerful? The bishop is a minor piece, just like the knight. Unlike the knight, though, it cannot jump over other pieces. However, different from its horse-like friend, it can go as far as it wants. That's why we say that the bishop is … [Read more...] about Bishop – Chess Terms – ChessKid.com

Don't know the Benoni Defense? Watch this video to learn about this opening that even superstars like GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave play! The Benoni is an opening for Black to use when White plays d4 on their first move. Black responds by developing their knight to f6, and if White plays 2.c4, Black can play 2...c5. There are many different variations of … [Read more...] about Benoni Defense – Chess Terms – ChessKid.com