THE

GAME THEORY
OF
CHESS
HAFSA JAHAN
THE GAME THEORY OF CHESS
HAFSA JAHAN
Before we even learn about what chess theory is about, let’s
recall what chess is. The sixth century in India is when
chess first appeared. This forerunner, known as
chaturanga was played on an 8x8 grid and had pieces that
were usually comparable to those in current chess. As we
all know already, chess is a game for two parties in which
each party moves 16 pieces across a checkerboard in
accordance with established rules while attempting to put
their opponent's king in an inaccessible position. All ages
enjoy playing chess, which is a game of skill and strategy.

Figure 1: Chess, © 08/05/2018, Shutterstock

Now, let’s learn how the pieces move:

Figure 1: Chess, © 08/05/2018, Shutterstock

Now, let’s learn how the pieces move:

 1) The pawn: There are 8 pawns per player in the game of

chess. It is also considered as the lowest-value piece on the
chessboard. Pawns only advance ahead on their first move. A
pawn can move one or two spaces on its first move, but it
can only advance one space on each subsequent move.
Pawns take down enemies by moving diagonally. The pawn
is the only piece that can capture in a manner distinct from
how it usually moves and is the only piece that cannot go
backwards. If an enemy piece is in the way, a pawn cannot
advance and cannot also capture pieces that are right in
front of them. Pieces positioned one place diagonally in front
are captured by pawns. A pawn is upgraded to a higher piece
if it moves to the other side of the board (except king). The
number of pawns that can be promoted has no upper bound.

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - White pawn, Staunton design Created: 30 December 2007
 MichaelMaggs - Own work
Chess piece - White pawn, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - White pawn, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 2) Rook: It is frequently referred to as a "castle." It can move

through as many open places, both horizontally and vertically.
In its course, it can seize enemy pieces. Two rooks are placed
in each corner on each player's side of the board at the
beginning of the game. It is worth around 5 pawns and cannot
jump over other pieces. When pawns are in a stationary
position and rooks have control over a significant portion of
the board, they are most effective at the end of a game.

 2) Rook: It is frequently referred to as a "castle." It can move

through as many open places, both horizontally and vertically.
In its course, it can seize enemy pieces. Two rooks are placed
in each corner on each player's side of the board at the
beginning of the game. It is worth around 5 pawns and cannot
jump over other pieces. When pawns are in a stationary
position and rooks have control over a significant portion of
the board, they are most effective at the end of a game.

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - White rook, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black rook, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 3) The knight: The knight is a chess piece that, historically,

has been shaped like a horse. It moves in the "L" form and may
move however many squares either horizontally or vertically
without jumping. It can also grab an opponent piece in its
path. Only the knight is able to leap over other pieces (of
either color). The knight in chess is worth three pawns. The
knight, however, can only seize an adversary piece if it is in
the area where it has settled.

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - White knight, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black knight, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 4) The bishop: Two bishops are used by each player to

start the game of chess. The bishop may both safeguard
a player's pawns and pose a threat to the pawns of their
opponent. This is due to its extended range. It can only
move in one direction, diagonally, and in that direction
it can move an infinite number of spaces. Each bishop
can only move on its own light or dark squares, which
limits it to half of the board. It can seize any opposing
pieces that cross its path. Similar to a knight, the
bishop is a minor piece that only contributes three
points to the game.

It is also significantly more valuable than a pawn which

is only worth one point, about equivalent to a knight
which is worth three points, and less valuable than a
rook which is worth five points or a queen which only
consists of nine points.

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black bishop, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black bishop, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black bishop, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 5) The queen: The queen is the strongest piece in the game of

chess, combining the abilities of the rook and bishop to move any
quantity of squares either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. A
queen has a total of 28 squares under her control. The queen also
starts on the first rank, adjacent to the king. It is frequently
employed in aggressive, early attacks and is worth nine points.
Because it combines the rook and bishop's moves into a single
action, it is obvious that the queen is incredibly strong. Except in
extremely exceptional circumstances, trading a player's queen for
another piece is almost always a negative move. However, if the
queen is blocked (as in the starting position), it is unable to move
and cannot jump over pieces.

 5) The queen: The queen is the strongest piece in the game of

chess, combining the abilities of the rook and bishop to move any
quantity of squares either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. A
queen has a total of 28 squares under her control. The queen also
starts on the first rank, adjacent to the king. It is frequently
employed in aggressive, early attacks and is worth nine points.
Because it combines the rook and bishop's moves into a single
action, it is obvious that the queen is incredibly strong. Except in
extremely exceptional circumstances, trading a player's queen for
another piece is almost always a negative move. However, if the
queen is blocked (as in the starting position), it is unable to move
and cannot jump over pieces.

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - White queen, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black queen, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 6) The king: The king is the most important piece in the game of
chess. The queen's vacant seat is taken by the king. He can only
travel one square every turn in either direction, and he also
captures similarly. It has the ability to travel diagonally, up, down,
left, or right. It is limited to moving one square at a time. The act of
a player putting his own king into check is forbidden. One of the
most interesting chess-related facts is that the king is the only
piece that cannot be captured. The king, who has poor mobility in
comparison to most other pieces, is unable to escape danger very
quickly. The game is also often considered to be over when a king
is placed in checkmate.

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - White king, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 MichaelMaggs - Own work

Chess piece - Black king, Staunton design
Created: 30 December 2007

 Check- When an opponent's king is in danger of being captured

during the present player's turn, a condition is created which is
known as a check.

The study of competitive situations where a participant's choice of

action has a significant impact on the actions of other participants
is the focus of the mathematical field known as game theory. Game
theory is used to map out actions in accordance with a game tree
that details each move's benefits and drawbacks for all players,
from the novice to the expert. Chess is a finite game because
certain rules prevent games from going on indefinitely.

 Check- When an opponent's king is in danger of being captured

during the present player's turn, a condition is created which is
known as a check.

The study of competitive situations where a participant's choice of

action has a significant impact on the actions of other participants
is the focus of the mathematical field known as game theory. Game
theory is used to map out actions in accordance with a game tree
that details each move's benefits and drawbacks for all players,
from the novice to the expert. Chess is a finite game because
certain rules prevent games from going on indefinitely.

Combinatorial games are those in which no one has any imperfect

knowledge and in which there is no element of chance.
Additionally, both players are aware of the game's rules, which
haven't changed, making it a perfect information game.
Chess is a good example of game theory because both players are
aware of the potential actions and their consequences. It is a
deterministic game since the results are determined without the
use of chance.

Theoretically, there must exist a perfect move that either:

1) Ensures white's victory because it initiates the game, or

2) Results in a draw.

3) Or more unconventionally, guarantees black's victory.

It is a sequential, non-cooperative game that requires perfect

information to play because you must be aware of the entire
game's past before you make a move. Chess is a deterministic
game since it relies more on tactical and strategic thinking
than probability and chance. The players essentially develop a
mental picture of their strategies for attack and defense by
outlining all the possible outcomes that a chessboard could
experience. All the variants must be taken into account in
order to choose the best strategy.

Backward induction is a method commonly used to resolve

games like chess. In order to solve finite extensive form and
sequential games and infer a sequence of optimal actions,
backward induction in game theory is an iterative technique
of reasoning backward in time from the conclusion of a
problem or circumstance.

 According to this hypothesis, the player who makes the final

move in a game employs the best possible strategy. Using this
knowledge, one can then decide what to do in the next-to-last
decision-making stage. We can begin by enumerating all of
the possible game outcomes for the game of chess.

After that, we can proceed backward, presuming that no

player will make a decision that will result in a loss. There isn't
really a negotiation going on, and there's no point of
equilibrium where there shouldn't be a winner and a loser (or,
rarely in chess, draws). There can be no equilibrium.
Returning to the backward induction, we can start by
eliminating options that result in a loss immediately, then go
back a step and delete options that would result in a mate in
two, and so on, until we reach the game's start.

 There are numerous ways that chess could finish, and that
must be acknowledged. Combinatorial game theory examines
the mathematical principles and two-player games like chess
that need complete knowledge. There are unmistakable
parallels between the decision-making process of a chess
player and many facets of game theory.

The rollback equilibrium of the game is the consequence of

using this collection of derived tactics, and it is known as the
rollback equilibrium. The best tactics for each player to utilize
are determined through backward induction. Theoretically,
there must exist a perfect move that either ensures white's
victory since it initiates play, ensures a draw, or, less typically,
ensures black's triumph. All the variants must be taken into
account in order to choose the best strategy.

References:

Professor Scott P. Stevens, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State

University, James Madison University. Lecture on: Games
People Play: Game Theory in Life, Business, and Beyond

A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Chess: Basic Rules and Tips to

Get You Started, Co-authored by Vitaly Neimer, wikiHow

The Game Theory of Chess, May 18, 2020, Tidings Media