_____ _
                           / ____| |
                          | |    | |__   ___________
                          | |    | '_ \ / _ / __/ __|
                          | |____| | | |  __\__ \__ \
                           \_____|_| |_|\___|___/___/

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Introduction

Welcome to one of my most recent FAQs, this one covering the PlayStation game of Chess. Based on the world-reknown board game, I shouldn't really have to tell you much more than that. I mean, it is the most famous game of skill and strategy of all, besides the war that it is itself based upon!

Well, that kinda sums it up. Hope you enjoy.

Basics of the Game

Title Menus

At the title screen, you'll see the following options:

• 1P vs. COM: Play a game of chess against a computer of a certain level. Higher level means higher difficulty.

• 1P vs. 2P: Play against a human.

• Rule: Learn how to play chess and the functions of the pieces and such.

• Options: Here, you can mess with the game. You can pause the game to access the menu during a game of chess.
  • Piece: Piece styles. Only seems to allow marble.
  • Board: Board styles. Only seems to allow marble.
  • Background: The background "filler" color for the screen.
  • Cursor: Choose a type of cursor.
  • BGM: Choose a type of background music.
  • Sound: Stereo (two speaker) or mono (one speaker) sound?
  • Voice: Use the narrator's voice for moves and such?
  • Sound Effect: Use sound effects?
  • Hint: Allow hints with the Triangle Button?
  • View: Choose a viewpoint.
  • Character Effects: ???
  • Reverse Function: ???
  • Display Moves: Do moves just happen (OFF) or do the pieces actually move (ON)?
  • Name of Pieces: Obvious.
  • Save: During a chess game, save it for later.
  • Load: Load a saved chess game.

Playing Chess

You'll have an 8-by-8 tiled board. The farthest two rows of two opposite sites are filled with pieces of the colors black or white. Each side has a set number of pieces, each with their own properties. Moves are made by pressing X on the piece you want to move, and then its destination, and each person can only move one piece per turn, except in certain cases.

Below is a diagram of the board, and the pieces:

                   ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [8] | ER | EK | EB | EQ | E! | EB | EK | ER |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [7] | EP | EP | EP | EP | EP | EP | EP | EP |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [6] |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [5] |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [4] |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [3] |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [2] | YP | YP | YP | YP | YP | YP | YP | YP |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
              [1] | YR | YK | YB | YQ | Y! | YB | YK | YR |
                  |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|

                   [A]  [B]  [C]  [D]  [E]  [F]  [G]  [H]

                             • "E_": Enemy piece          
                             • "Y_": Your piece
                             • "_P": Pawn
                             • "_R": Rook
                             • "_K": Knight
                             • "_B:" Bishop
                             • "_Q:" Queen
                             • "_!:" King

In chess notation, it is worth noting that the squares also have certain designations to them. From the white side, if you go left to right, you'll find the columns are given letters A - H, and the rows are labeled, going up, 1 - 8. For example, the White King's starting point is E1, and the Black Queen is D4. If you were to move pieces, say a pawn from A2 to A4; then it is written as "Pawn (A2 -> A4)" in chess notation. That's the main point of that system.

Here are the pieces. Each piece has a certain "value" to it. Consider it like points. If you will lose a 5-point Rook to take out a 1-point Pawn, it isn't worth it, because you lost four points. It is a nice trade value. To extend the aforementioned example, what if you, because that pawn took your Rook, you took out a Queen? Then you should do it, as that is an overall 5 point gain in your favor!

Piece	Value
Pawn	1
Rook	5
Knight	3
Bishop	3
Queen	9
King	Infinite

• Pawn: These can move two spaces forward on their first move (or one, if you prefer), and then one space only afterwards. If an enemy piece is diagonally in front of the pawn, you can take it. It can also capture "en passant" - if you put an unmoved pawn in danger, you can take it if it moves forward two spaces. Finally, if you move a pawn to the opposite end of the board, you can turn it into a Rook, Knight, Bishop, or, most commonly, a Queen. There are eight Pawns per side, all composing the innermost row of the armies. Each is worth one point.

• Rook: These "castles" can move as far in a horizontal or vertical manner as you wish, unless a piece gets in the way. There are two per side, and are found in the corners. These are worth five points.

• Knight: The horsey guys move in "L"-shapes; two spaces in one direction and one more space after a ninety-degree turn. They can bypass any other pieces in the way (there are TWO ways to get to any one space), unlike the other pieces, and capture by landing on a piece. There are two per side, next to the Rooks, and are worth three points.

• Bishops: These holy men will move as far diagonally as you wish, until something gets in their way. There are two per side, between the Knights and the King/Queen, and are worth three points.

• Queen: Like a result of mixed breeding between Rooks and Bishops, the Queen is the most potent piece in the game, able to move horizontally, vertically, or diagonally as far you wish in a straight line until a piece gets in the way. These are worth nine points.

• King: And if the Queen is the most potent, the King is both the most impotent and important. They can travel one piece in any direction, capturing any enemy piece on that space. They obviously move slowly. However, you don't want to lose this piece. If a King is at risk of being taken, it is "check"; if the King is certain to be captured on the next turn, then it is "checkmate" and that King's side loses.

The goal of the game to force the opponent's King into checkmate. As explained earlier, "checkmate" shows that it is guaranteed the King will die on the next turn; "check" merely shows he is at risk, but not necessarily will be taken. If in check, you must do something to protect your King. Mostly, moving one space to the side works, but you often end up also having to sacrifice a piece by putting it in the path of the offending enemy. You cannot execute a move that puts you in check as well.

Strategies/Tips

There are a few techniques one can use.

---

First, capturing "en passant" is not just a way to play magic tricks. It is one of the lesser-known tricks of the chess world, and a good way to boggle opponents' minds. The trick is explained above, in the Pawn section.

---

Castling is another good one. This is how you truly make your King live. You can castle towards either Rook you have; however, there must be nothing in-between, and the King and the Rook chosen cannot have moved at all for this entire game. And, of course, you can't be put in check. You'll move your King two spaces towards the Rook in question and the Rook will move onto the other side of the King.

---

Cornering is a technique in which you force a checkmate using only a Rook and a King. This is by making the rook set up a region with his influence that sort of imprisons the enemy King. The Rook gets as close as he can without being in danger of capture - remember, the Rook can be around his own King, as, if taken by the enemy King, that same King is in check and therefore cannot make the move. Using this idea, you then move the King closer to the rook as protection, and you repeatedly make this prison smaller with the Rook until you have the King in a corner, at which point you set up the Rook and King to checkmate the opponent.

---

The "waiting move": In chess, it is not possible to just skip over your own turns. So, instead, you can try the waiting move. This is a move which has almost no change on the board. This is due to the Rook or Queen or Bishop having an infinite extent of influence in their appropriate directions. So, instead, you move in a way so that your influence in the desired spot remains the same, but still use a turn.

---

Staircase mate: This occurs as the rooks advance forward in such a way that they put the enemy king into check and, due to being unable to move forward or to the side, he must go back repeatedly until he can no more, forcing his checkmate.

Each rook will move towards the king, although from afar (out of risk), two spaces each. One will be giving the actual check, while the other forces a "check barrier" to force back the king. Of course, the king can move towards you and attempt you take you over, in which case you spend two turns moving to the other side of the board! Mwahaha!

---

If a King is forced into a checkmate on his own back rank, or row (1 for the white, 8 for the black), it is called a back-rank mate. This can be easily done with a Rook or a Queen when the King is there, trapped behind his own pieces or the influence of his opponent's pieces. Sacrifice can be used to make this happen as well - since check is a forced thing to get out of, you can lure in pieces to make a double-sided (so to speak) barrier for you, or to get rid of impeding pieces.

---

Another kind of mate is the smothered mate. This takes place when the enemy King is surrounded by his own pieces, or presumably his enemy's pieces' influence, and therefore is unable to move. Thusly, a properly-positioned check from a Knight, so long as said Knight cannot be taken, will force in a checkmate! As usual, sacrifice may be required, but is worth it if you are able to line up the pieces properly.

---

And the point values of the pieces. There are dozens of moves one can execute just by their second turn. Strategizing will come into play, and the point values of the pieces really helps. Luring opponents is not necessarily the best idea. Also try to cover every piece you move from a threat - that way, you will force the opponent to give something up to take you down.

Draws

There are four "draw", or "tie", conditions where no one really wins or loses.

• Upon agreement between players. In other words, you need a human player for this.

• If the same position occurs three times by the same player. For example, you move a king from E2 to D2, then E2, then D2, then that next time you move to E2 in that same type of sequence, that's draw.

• If no pawns are moved AND no pieces captured across fifty moves. Self-explanatory.

• Upon stalemate. Generally, when neither player can a checkmate. This is usually caused by a lack of sufficient pieces. For example, if you just have a King and a Pawn, it's impossible to force a checkmate.

Credits

In no particular order...

• GameFAQs, Neoseeker, and Supercheats:
  • For being the most amazing FAQ-hosting sites I know.

• CJayC, SBAllen, and Devin Morgan:
  • General sucking up to the GameFAQs admins. =P

• Me (KeyBlade999):
  • For making this FAQ. =P

• You, the reader:
  • For hopefully enjoying this FAQ.

Version History

• Final:
  • First and likely only version of this FAQ.
  • Time: 10:27 PM 3/17/2013.

Legalities

This FAQ may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.

© 2013 Daniel Chaviers (a.k.a. KeyBlade999).

If you would wish to contact me concerning this or my other FAQs, use this e-mail: keyblade999.faqs@gmail.com, or PM (Private Message) me on the GameFAQs message boards.

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