Chess Terms in Modern Language

The more one learns about chess, the more one sees terms from chess applied to everyday life:

Gambit: This has come to mean any action that sacrifices something to gain an advantage in some other way; or some kind of gamble, usually a wager that loses the advantage but made in such a way your opponent is made to believe you have the upper hand. Also, the name of an X-Men character.

Rank and File: Referring to the enlisted troops in an army. Also, the people forming the majority of a group, excluding the officers and higher ranking officials.

To keep something in check: This phrase often refers to ones emotions, but can be extrapolated to almost anything; to keep something in check is to render it useless.


Are there any other chess terms that have permeated natural language?

Originally posted by Kaaosaste
The more one learns about chess, the more one sees terms from chess applied to everyday life:

Gambit: This has come to mean any action that sacrifices something to gain an advantage in some other way; or some kind of gamble, usually a wager that loses the advantage but made in such a way your opponent is made to believe you have the upper hand. Also, ...[text shortened]... to render it useless.


Are there any other chess terms that have permeated natural language?

Originally posted by FabianFnas
"Stalemate" when two things are locking eachother so no progress can be made.

"Sacrifice a pawn" when unsignificant people with low value in an organisation can be blamed of various things, in order to hide the ones with the real responsability.

Originally posted by Kaaosaste
The more one learns about chess, the more one sees terms from chess applied to everyday life:

Gambit: This has come to mean any action that sacrifices something to gain an advantage in some other way; or some kind of gamble, usually a wager that loses the advantage but made in such a way your opponent is made to believe you have the upper hand. Also, ...[text shortened]... to render it useless.


Are there any other chess terms that have permeated natural language?

Pawns. Disposable people

the queen - the most powerful piece on the chess board, but without the support of her friends she is vulnerable. (sorry about this my monitor is not working an the screen is in a kind of convex shape with my sentences appearing large at the ends and tiny in the middle so i only got about half of the posters original comments)

"It's like a game of chess."

Football pundits often use this term when describing a dreary game.

i'm rooked

(a Glaswegian term meaning I have no money, or i am skint, or the bum is hanging oot my troosers)

A Swedish way of telling that two things should be swapped is "Let's do a castling!" ( "Vi gör en rockad" ).

Exchequer (as in "Chancellor of"😉 originally meant "chess board".

In the 1930's the term "prophylaxis" was used in the USSR to refer to the process of exterminating political "undesirables". Krylenko, who was the chief prosecutor in Moscow at the time, was a useful chess player (and great friend and ally of Botvinnik). He was himself shot (after a 20 minute "trial"😉 in 1938.

When people are trying to decide upon the best course of action, it's often asked "What's our next move?"

I seem to have inadvertently inserted smileys instead of parentheses.

'That previous post was below grade 🙂

Originally posted by FabianFnas
"Stalemate" when two things are locking eachother so no progress can be made.

"Sacrifice a pawn" when unsignificant people with low value in an organisation can be blamed of various things, in order to hide the ones with the real responsability.

Thread 83872

I have read and remembered every thread/post on here.


Edit 1:
I had the book in my hands at a book stall and although I have
written a book with Nigel....Oooo Chandler you name dropping bast***

I changed my mind and bought a book on opening traps!!!