General Chess Terms | Part 3
When a player attempts to move a piece to a square it cannot properly move to. Also, a player may try to move a piece while they are in check. This is not permitted at any time. If this occurs during a timed game, the move is taken back and the opponent of the player who committed the illegal move will have 2 minutes added to their clock.
An illegal move can include a player not realizing their king is in check, and they attempt to move another piece. It can also include a player accidentally moving into check. In most cases, the player is not trying to cheat, they just aren’t aware because there are other things they are thinking of while in the game.
If an illegal move is made in a chess tournament, play can continue until either player draws attention to it. If it is discovered that an illegal move is played, then players would go back to the position where the illegal move was made. This is why both players must keep notation in chess tournaments.
Fianchetto
A fianchetto can occur when the kingside or queenside knight’s pawn moves forward one square to make room for the bishop behind it.
Finchettoing a bishop gives it the best diagonal on the board and often more protection for your king, or a nice long range attack on the opponent’s rook or king if castled.
castled = (of the king) moved from its original square two squares along the back rank toward the corner square of a rook, which has been transferred to the square passed over by the king.
See also