For a two-page formated version suitable to print out as a front and back one-sheet handout, copy the pictures at the bottom of the page, or better, download the .pdf. 
Feel free to use and distribute, provided the club logo isn't removed


How to Play Chess
Part Two: Sample Game

Dagenhart/Shaver
Hickory, NC 1/10/06

1.e4,e5 White moves his e-pawn (pawn in front of the King) a double-jump forward, thus claiming a place in the center, and opening a path for the Queen and Bishop to develop, or move out onto the board from the back row, where they aren’t too useful. (Developing pieces in the first 10 moves is essential.) Black does the same. The pawns can’t attack each other or move at all until the other pawn is taken.

2.Nf3 White develops his Knight on g and attacks e5 at the same time.

...Nc6 Black defends e5 by developing his b Knight.

…h6 Guards g5 & prevents white from Ng5, then Nxf7, which would fork (attack simultaneously) the Q and R, losing one of them. The c4 Bishop guards f7, so the King couldn’t take the N. Bxf7 instead would give check while guarded by Ng5, forcing the K to move (preventing him from ever castling) & exposing him to attacks. White wins a pawn either way. However, black has moved a pawn, instead of developing a piece, awfully early in the game.

4.Nc3,Nf6 Both sides develop.

5.a3 Prevents black from …Bb4, then …Bxc3, which is an even trade of material and allows Nxe4.

…Bc5 Develops B, & Allows O-O.

6.b4 Attacks Bc5 while protected by a3-pawn. A Bishop is worth more, so it’s a bad idea to take b4- he must move.

…Bd4 Moves B to relative safety- e5 protects the square- and attacks Nc3.

7.0–0,0–0 Castling moves K away from the action, behind a row of pawns, & R towards the center -in one move-.

8.Nxd4 Captures and removes threat to c3.

…exd4 Equalises material (each side has lost 1 pawn) & restores threat.  This is a trade.

9.Ne2 Moves to safety & attacks d4.

…Nxe4 White’s N move left Pawn e4 unguarded, or hung. It was free. Black is ahead in material by one pawn.

10.d3 Attacks Ne4.

…Nc3 Forks Ne2 & Qd1.

11.Nxc3,dxc3 White was going to lose Qd1 or Ne2- this way it’s even

12.Be3 Develops Bishop.

…a6 Prevents Bb5.

13.d4 Nc6 has one safe move left.

…b5 Attacks Bc4. Covered by a6 & worth less than Bishop, who must move.

14.Bb3 Moves to safety.

…d5 Blocks d4. Opens way for B.

15.h3 Makes an escape hatch for the King later & guards g4.

…Bf5 Develops Bishop.

16.Qf3 Attacks unguarded Bf5.

…Be4 Counterattacks Queen.

17.Qg4 Please note that this attacks g7 in front of the King-- black didn’t

…a5 Not a sound move, but threatens 18 ...axb4 19.axb4, Rxa1 20.Rxa1,b4 which gains only a pawn & leaves white with a R on an open file, although it guards c3. Or- 18.bxa5, Nxa5 threatening Bb3 & moving the N to a guarded square- it‘s pretty useless where it is.

18.Bxh6 Equalizes. Since It’s illegal to expose the King to check, (from Q on g4) the B can’t be taken- g7 is pinned. This not only picks off a pawn, it threatens 19.Qxg7++. Black was asleep at the switch, & is in trouble. 18...g6 would prevent checkmate (guarded by f7), but surely lose the Rf8 for a mere Bishop.

...Qf6 Protects g7 (19.Bxg7,Qxg7 20.Qxg7,Kxg7 wins Q & B for Q & P). Attacks Bh6, d4 & f2, and guards Nc6.

19.Bg5 Had to move or be lost. Counterattacks Q, forcing her to move

…Qg6 Re-enforces Be4, so taking e2 should be safe (20..Bxc2 21.Bxc2, Qxc2 wins the exchange by a pawn)- promoting c3 becomes a possibility.

20.f3 Chases Bishop off e4.

…Bxc2 Black is up a pawn.

21.Bxd5 Equalizes -d5 was hung- & attacks Nc6. Exchanging B’s would leave black ahead, as already explained.

…Bd3 Since Qg6 guards Nc6, it’s safe to attack Rf1, clear the way for c3 & guard b5. The best moves tend to do more than one thing at once.

22.Rfc1 Safe now, & attacks c3.

…axb4 Temporarilly guards c3

23.h4 Probably planning h5 to chase black’s queen.off g6.

…c2 Guarded by Bd3. c1 queens it.

24.Be4 Guarded by f3 & Qg4. Attacks Bd3, Qg5 &, still, Nc6.

…Bxe4 Best way to save Qg6.

25.fxe4 Even trade; guarded by Qg4 and blocks Qg6’s guard of c2

…Nxd4 d4 was hung. Guards c2. Black is up two pawns.

27.Rxa1 White wins the exchange by a pawn & puts Rook on an open file. It still commands the promotion square.

…Nc6 Attacks b4- c2 is temporarilly not attacked. N can protect it from b4.

28.Qe2 h4 guards Bg5- Q still guards e4. Since there is no safe way to cover b4, counterattacks c2 & b5.

29.Qxb5 Compensates for b4 and attacks Nb4.

…Qb6+ Makes Qxb4 impossible. Note c7 guarding Q. Since black is up a pawn, he’s glad to trade pieces- if they all cancel out, one pawn can make the difference in the endgame, & who wins.

30.Qxb6 White’s only way to protect the K without leaving his Q hung.

…cxb6 -And black’s still up a pawn.

31.Rc1 Attacks c2- which white mustn’t allow to promote on c1.

…Re8 Attacks e4. c2 is guarded from b4. Possibly better: 31...Rc8.

32.Bd2,Rxe4 Takes, & guards b4.

34.Rxc2,Rxh4 White trades minor pieces to remove the guard on c2. Black picks off another hung pawn to win the exchange. Despite losing c2, his advantage going into the endgame is large; not only up two pawns, b6 is passed (has no opposing pawns blocking its path to the far side of the board or able to take it), and is widely separated from f7 & g7. This matters because the Kings will have to get involved soon, and they move one space at a time. The strategy now revolves around pawn promotion.

35.Rb2,Rh6 Attacks & defends b6.

36.Kf2,Re6 White’s King moves towards the action & Re6 hems him in. Kings can’t pass through ranks or files commanded by the enemy, of course.

37.g4,g5 Black’s happy to block white’s g pawn from advancing.

38.Kf3,Kg7 Inching into action.

39.Rb5,Kg6 Attacks & defends g5.

40.Kg3 Notice white’s King can’t get out of the corner. g5 commands f4 & h4; Re6 commands the entire e file.

…Kf6 Inching…

41.Rf5+ Forks g5& f6; covered by g4. 40...Kf6 was a mistake. 40...f6 would have guarded g5, & been guarded by Re6. Rf5 also attacks f7 (a skewer).

…Kg6 Has to guard both g5 & f7 from Rf5. Two moves wasted, there.

45.Rb4,Kd7 White is low on options & is playing for time, hoping black will give him an opening. Black is trying to get his King next to b6, to escort it to the first rank, and promotion; promoting a Queen should quickly end the game.

46.Rc4 Blocks the c file for black’s King, but removes the attack on b6...

…b5 …which can now advance/attack.

47.Rc5 Counterattacks b5.

…Re5 Counter-counterattacks, & guards b5, covered by f6. Black would love to trade. 48.Rxe5,fxe5 yields another passed pawn, & black’s king is in better position to react. White still has to go around f4 to get at e5 or g5.

49.Rc6+,Kf7 Has to cover f6.

50.Rb6,f5 Now he doesn’t.

52.Kg4 But white’s King has a way out of the box now.

53.Kh5,Ke7 Creeping over to chase away white’s Rook.

56.Rh6,b4 At last advances.

58.Rh1 Has the disadvantage of no longer closing the 6^th rank to black’s King- but 58.Rb6 loses the Rook & nothing else does any good.

59.Rb1,Rb5 White’s R can’t move to c1 or a1 without being taken by b2. With b2 & g5 guarded by Rb5, if black carefully advances his King to c2 or a2, he should have it in the bag.

60.Kf3,Kc6 Better- 60...Rb4. Keeps white away from g4.

61.Kg4 Can’t let g4 advance. White King is stuck guarding. Stll playing for time, hoping black will foul up.

66.Rh2 It’s only safe to stop covering b2’s queening square because b2 is pinned.

…Ka1 Unpins b2.

68.Rxb1+,Kxb1 Black is ahead in material by a pawn & a Rook, and would have to blunder horribly -twice- to lose them. He can’t do worse than draw now. Since white has only one piece left to move, he’s hoping black will miscalculate, and leave him no legal move- a stalemate. It could happen.

70.Kg3,Rb4 Traps King in the first three ranks.

72.Kg3,Rf4 Shrinking the box.

74.Kg3 But g5 covers Rf4.

…Ke2 Closing in.

78.Kg1 Forced- the only legal move.

…g4 Delaying move avoids stalemate. White sees mate in one, but to give black the satisfaction of a checkmate, he doesn’t resign (surrender).