John McCrary

Queen Bishop
The history of Western society suggests some answers on how bishops became soldiers and how queens became the strongest warrior in the chess army.
Perpetual Check
Early attempts at these rules were too ambiguous for proper enforcement, and later attempts were made to provide clarity on… Read More »
The Chess Player by George Walker
The 50-move draw rule took centuries to reach its modern definition.
Stalemate
Though the concept of stalemate had long been recognized, there was no universally accepted rule on its significance before the 19th… Read More »
En Passant
For centuries, pawns could move forward two squares on their initial move. But the rules were debated when the move bypassed… Read More »
The Evolution of Modern Chess Rules
Throughout the history of chess, the only direction a pawn could move is forward. The only variable left was what happened when a pawn reached the… Read More »
Chess Castling
Part Three of former US Chess President John McCrary's historical series tracks the progression of the modern-day castling maneuver.
White on Right
Former US Chess President John McCrary continues his historical series by examining when and how White received the first move.
Former US Chess Federation President John McCrary
Former US Chess President John McCrary digs up the origins of chess' rules as we know them, beginning his historical series discussing the draw.
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