A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

L

Ladder: A fluid method of ranking Chess players within a club or other group. The ladder is usually established by listing players according to their Chess rating. Any player may challenge someone one step above them on the ladder (sometimes two or more places). If the challenger wins, he moves up the ladder and his opponent moves down.

Lasker Trap: A trap in the Albin Counter-Gambit, resulting in a winning position for Black: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. e3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 dxe3 6. Bxb4 exf2+ 7. Ke2 fxg1=N+.

Laws of Chess: The rules which govern the play of the game. During the 1850s, Staunton was one of many players who first sought to establish a unified set of Chess laws. FIDE established its own laws of Chess in 1929.

Le Palamede: The first Chess magazine, published in Paris from 1836 to 1840. La Bourdonnais was the editor and claimed he had 236 subscribers.

L'Échiquier: Belgian magazine published from 1925 to 1939. It was the first to use Figurine Notation.

Lee: Kmoch's expression for the part of a rank divided by a Pawn having the fewer number of squares.

Legal move: Move permitted by the Laws of Chess.

Légal's Mate: A mating sequence appearing in the game between M. de Kermar Légal and Saint Brie in about 1750: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 d6 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Nc3 g6 5. Nxe5 Bxd1 6. Bxf7+ Ke7 7. Nd5 mate.

Leucopenia: Kmoch's expression for a lack of control of the light squares.

Lever: Kmoch's term for a white and a black Pawn which are diagonally adjacent so that either can capture the other.

Lewis Chessmen: Chess pieces made of walrus tusk discovered on the Isle of Lewis (outer Hebrides) in 1831. They were probably made in the 11th or 12th century and now are on display in the British Museum.

Light Bishop: A Bishop which moves on light-colored squares.

Light Piece: Another expression for minor piece: a Bishop or a Knight.

Lightning Chess: Another term for speed or Blitz Chess.

Linares: Small city in south-central Spain which has been the site of numerous strong, International tournaments.

Little Bare King: A win which includes baring the King, but in which the capture which bares the King does not also deliver checkmate.

Living Chess: The performance of a Chess game where the Pawns and pieces are represented by real people. The performance may be a re-enactment of a famous game or a new game.

Long Algebraic Notation: A form of algebraic notation. A move is designated by a letter indicating the piece moved, plus the square the piece moves from as well as the square the piece moves to (e.g. Bc1-g5). Pawn moves are designated by the starting square an the destination square (e.g. e2-e4).

Long Castling: Expression sometimes used to describe castling Queen-side.

Longest Game: The longest game played by top players was played in Belgrade in 1989. I. Nikolic and Arsovic drew in 269 moves.

Loose Lever: Kmoch's term for a lever such that either side have the option of capturing or moving past the opponent's Pawn.

Losing on Time: A player loses on time if he has not completed the required number of moves in the allotted time. If the opponent does not have sufficient material to prove a win, the game is drawn.

Losing the Exchange: To exchange a rook for either a Bishop or Knight.

Lucena Position: A well-known and well-analyzed Rook and Pawn ending first analyzed in a book by Lucena, published in 1497.

Luff: Kmoch's expression for the part of a rank divided by a Pawn having the greater number of squares.

Luft: A German term that means 'air'. In Chess, it means to give the King breathing room .  It describes a Pawn move made in front of the King of the same color to avoid back rank Mate possibilities.