The English Language

[soheil_hooshdaran]

What's the difference between challenging a file and challenging on a file?

[E Michael White]

What's the difference between challenging a file and challenging on a file?

Neither of these is very meaningful as regards chess.

The writer should probably write: - challenging for control of a file rather than the file itself as in your first phrase.

The second phrase suggests the piece doing the challenging is on a file but all pieces are on a file. You sometimes see written:- defending/attacking along a file but that means that both the relevant attacking piece and defended piece/square are on the same file.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

What does it mean that attaking [...] is an strategic undertaking?
means it is a duty or something?

[Michael Farthing]

strategic comes from Greek strategos: an army general

The general plans the battle: decides which troops and how many to put in particular places. When and where they should attack. (or even if he should have a battle at all).

This is different to 'tactics' that might be used by the soldiers in the field: "There's a man charging at my friend Fred with a lance. Perhaps I should kill him before he kills Fred". (That, of course, is a very simple tactic)

I suspect the author is trying to say that when you start an attack it should not just be about what happens in the next couple of moves (tactics) but that you should also have a general plan behind it: things like making sure that you have sufficient pieces engaged; that the pawn moves are ordered to help you and hinder the opponent; that where possible you do things that hinder the opponent in getting his pieces to the defence.. Indeed, that you've worked out these areas are going to be in your favour - otherwise you should consider not doing it. Basically, all the things I regularly get wrong.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

The word I was thinking of was 'commitment'. Did he mean attacking is a commitment?
since if your attack doesn't succeed, your are normally left with static weaknesses

[Michael Farthing]

Well I think he probably meant it was a strategic undertaking.
If he meant commitment he should have said it. Not something with an entirely different meaning.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

undertaking can mean commitment, isn't it?

[Michael Farthing]

It can, but not in this sentence.

He undertook to post the letters = He made a commitment to post the letters

I think the difference is that in this sentence undertake is being used as a verb meaning 'to promise to do something' but in the one you quote it's a present participle used as a noun and just means 'something being done'. In context it might mean 'something being done that's been promised' but the only hint of a promise in your sentence is that the person doing the attack might have promised to himself.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

I mean, does he mean has to succeed in his attack? why not?

[soheil_hooshdaran]

What does it mean to rip the head off the enemy king?

[Roger de Coverly]

What does it mean to rip the head off the enemy king?

A metaphor for delivering checkmate probably.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

Hi.
What is the point of this combination?
[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2rq1rn1/4bbk1/7p/ppp1pPp1/3pP1P1/1P1P1NKN/n1PBQ1BR/7R w - - 0 1"] 1. Nhxg5 *

[Barry Sandercock]

The point is to mate with the use of the Rooks on the h file if the Knight is taken.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

I don't see how it would get mated after 1...Bxg5.

Edit:Oh, thanks

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2rq1rn1/4bbk1/7p/ppp1pPp1/3pP1P1/1P1P1NKN/n1PBQ1BR/7R w - - 0 1"] 1. Nhxg5 Bxg5 2. Nxg5 hxg5 3. Rh7+ Kf6 4. R1h6+ Nxh6 5. Bxg5+ Kxg5 6. Qd2+ Kf6 7. Qxh6+ Ke7 8. Qe6# *

[soheil_hooshdaran]

What does 'tickle' mean in
a fight, indeed, such as would tickle the nerves of coarser natures ?