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D

De scriptive Notation: System of recording the moves of a Chess game based on the names of the pieces and places they occupy before the game begins. A move is given by the name of the piece or Pawn moving, followed by the square to which it moves. This notation is now almost completely replaced by algebraic notation.

Development: The process of moving pieces from their starting positions to new posts, from which they control a greater number of squares and have greater mobility.

Diagonal: A row of squares running obliquely across the board rather than up and down (a file) or side to side (a rank).

Discovered attack: A player, by moving a piece, uncovers an attack on an opponent's piece.

Discovered check: A discovered attack that involves checking your opponent's King by moving a piece so that the piece behind it can give check.

Distant opposition: Kings that oppose or are separated by more than one square, rank or file one another and still have the relation of opposition (e.g. Kings on g1 and g5) are said to be in "distant opposition ." Kings in distant opposition can often maneuver to a more simple position of direct opposition but such maneuvering often requires careful calculation.

Double attack: An attack against two pieces or Pawns at the same time.

Double check: A powerful type of discovered attack, which checks the King with two pieces. The King is forced to move and the enemy army is thus frozen for at least one tempo or move.

Double lever: Kmoch's term for the situation where a Pawn may be captured by either of two Pawns, each in a different lever .

Double Pawns: Two Pawns of the same color lined up on a file. This doubling come about only as the result of a capture.

Double Rooks: Two Rooks of the same colour positioned on the same file or rank.

Draw: A tied game. A draw can result from a stalemate, the 50-move rule, the three-move repetition rule, if neither side has enough material to mate, by adjudication or by an agreement between the players.

Duffer: Disparaging term to describe a very poor player.