Checkmate
Introducing checkmate a new series by Ian Campbell
fine art meets chess
Welcome to Ian Campbell’s latest body of work.
The Checkmate series is printed by the Artist on Canson Infinity Rag Photographique Matte Fine Art archival paper, with signed and numbered editions of 20 for each of 3 sizes.
the photos
century
The Game of the Century is a chess game that was won by the 13-year-old future world champion Bobby Fischer against Donald Byrne in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament at the Marshall Chess Club in New York City on October 17, 1956. select single photos are available as are sets. the pictured position sets the tone for the series.
The Pawn
is the most numerous piece in the game of chess and, in most circumstances, the weakest. It historically represents soldiers or infantry, when used correctly it can be a game changer.
the Bishop
Bishops are long range pieces that should be placed on long open diagonals. Unlike the knight, the bishop doesn’t necessarily need an outpost in the centre of the board – it can exert influence on the centre all the way from the edge. The best position for a bishop is one where it commands an open diagonal, and cannot be attacked by enemy pawns or knights.
the Knight
Bishops are long range pieces that should be placed on long open diagonals. Unlike the knight, the bishop doesn’t necessarily need an outpost in the centre of the board – it can exert influence on the centre all the way from the edge. The best position for a bishop is one where it commands an open diagonal, and cannot be attacked by enemy pawns or knights.
the Rook
like bishops, rooks are long range pieces that can have an influence even from the edge of the board. As with bishops, you should try to place your rooks on open lines where their firepower can be directed at the enemy. Rooks are more valuable than bishops and knights, so you should keep them in reserve in the early part of the game. Moving rooks out into the middle of the board too early can be a big mistake, as the enemy bishops and knights can attack your rooks and chase them about. A rook that goes on an adventure too early can easily become surrounded and trapped.
the Queen
As the most powerful of the pieces and therefore the most valuable, the queen has the difficult combination of being the ideal attacker, while also being vulnerable to attack by the enemy. New players are often divided into two camps on how to use the queen; some novices are so enamoured by the queen’s power and mobility, that they use their queen almost to the exclusion of the other pieces, while others are so afraid of losing the queen that they keep her locked away safe from harm and miss out on the opportunity of using their most powerful piece. Of course, the ideal approach is somewhere in between.
the King.
when discussing the king’s role in chess strategy, we are mostly interested in how to keep him safe from attack. Only in the endgame, when there are few pieces left on the board, is it safe for the king to emerge from his fortress and join in the attack.
checkmate
the last photo of the series.