A B C D E F G-H I-L M-N O P Q-R S T U-Z

Major Pieces: Also called heavy pieces. The term applies to Queens and Rooks.

Maneuver: A series of quiet moves that aim to favorably reposition one’s pieces.

Master: A player becomes a master when he reaches an Elo rating of 2200, though he will lose this title if his rating drops below that point.

Mate: Short for checkmate. It means that you are threatening to capture the enemy King and nothing your opponent can do will prevent its loss. When this happens, you have won the game.

Material: The pieces and pawns, excluding the King. A material advantage is obtained by winning a piece of greater value than the one you gave up. For example, giving up a pawn to win a Rook means that you have an advantage in material.

Mating Attack: An attack on the King that is expected to lead to a checkmate.

Middlegame: The phase of the game that sits between the opening and the endgame. Grandmaster Tarrasch once said, “Before the endgame, the Gods have placed the middlegame.”

Minor Pieces: The Bishops and the Knights.

Minority Attack: A plan based on the use of two or more pawns (the minority) to act as battering rams against the opponent’s three or more pawns (the majority) in order to create a weakness in the opposing camp.

Here is the most common opening sequence by which a minority attack is reached: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nf3 0-0 7.e3 c6 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.Qc2 Re8 10.0-0 Nf8 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.b4 Be7 13.b5 Bd6 14.bxc6 bxc6. White has carried out his minority attack and has left Black with a weak pawn on c6 and a weak square on c5. After a further Rfc1, Rab1 and Na4 White will have great pressure against Black’s queenside. This plan is very important to understand, and situations for its use are constantly arising.

Mobility: To have freedom of movement for one’s pieces.

Mysterious Rook Move: A move with a Rook that seems to have no threat or purpose, but which actually discourages the opponent from a certain type of action (see Prophylaxis), or sets up a very deep, well-concealed plan.

A B C D E F G-H I-L M-N O P Q-R S T U-Z