AboutTony D'Aloisio Expertise I've read a good deal on the subject and I can answer a lot of chess history questions (or at least I'll know where to look them up). Also questions regarding analyzing specific positions (although with the advent of powerful chess software, this isn't likely to have the importance it once did).
Experience I was a national master in the US for a number of years. My peak USCF rating was 2290, and I was ranked in the top 150 in the state of California. My current published rating is 2177.
Education/Credentials B.A. Sonoma State University 1984 (English major with Communications emphasis)
Question I am a chess rookie and mainly play just for fun. Recently a question came up during a game: In regulation chess, can a pawn ever capture a king? I was alwasy taught that it could not, but somewhere I vaguely remember hearing/reading about certain circumstances where it can. What is the answer? Thanks so much!
Answer Well, technically no piece can really ever capture a king (once the king is put in checkmate, the game is over). However, a pawn is certainly able to deliver checkmate: either on its own directly, or indirectly, by what's called a "discovered check" (i.e., its movement unmasks a check--and mate--from another piece, generally a bishop or queen).
