Why are there red chessmen on the demonstration board instead of white, like an ordinary chess set?
White chessmen would be the same colour as the white squares in the background. This would make them more difficult to see, as opposed to the “red on white” or the “black on green” which is the case with the black chessmen. • 4. Why are there numbers and letters along the edge of the chessboard? The numbers & letters are used to identify the names of all the squares on the chessboard. This is known as Algebraic Notation. • 5. What is meant by “ranks & files”? Ranks are the rows of squares that run horizontally and are identified by the numbers 1 through 8. Files are the columns of squares that run vertically and are identified by the letters a through h. • 6. Why is it important to place the white men on the 1st & 2nd rank and the black men on the 7th & 8th rank in the starting position? The placement of the men on these ranks in the starting position is necessary in order to keep a record/score of the game and to determine the direction in which the pawns are moving. In most diagrams
