Definition

1. Noun:
   • A piece used in the game of chess: A "chessman" is any one of the 32 individual pieces (16 white and 16 black) that players move on a chessboard according to specific rules. It is a synonym for "chess piece."

Usage

• The term "chessman" is used to refer to any piece in the set, regardless of its type (e.g., pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, king). It is a formal and somewhat traditional term.
• It is typically used in singular form to refer to a single piece or in plural ("chessmen") to refer to multiple pieces.

Examples

• Noun:
  • He carefully picked up the captured chessman from the board.
  • The set was missing one black chessman.
  • The value of each chessman determines its importance in the game.

Advanced Usage

• "To lose a chessman": To have one of your pieces captured by your opponent.
  • He was ahead in material until he lost a key chessman.
• "To sacrifice a chessman": To deliberately allow a piece to be captured to gain a strategic advantage.
  • The grandmaster sacrificed a central chessman to launch a decisive attack.

Variants and Related Words

• Chess piece (n): The more common modern synonym for "chessman."
  • She moved her chess piece to a safer square.
• Piece (n): In the context of chess, "piece" is often used informally to mean "chessman," though it can sometimes exclude pawns.
  • He developed his pieces quickly in the opening.

Synonyms

• Chess piece: The direct and most frequent synonym.
• Game piece: A more general term that can apply to pieces in other board games.

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym for "chessman." Contextual opposites could be:
  • Empty square: A square on the board not occupied by a chessman.
  • Player: The person moving the chessmen, as opposed to the pieces themselves.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "To be a mere pawn/chessman": Used metaphorically to describe a person who is being used or manipulated by others, like a pawn in a game.
  • In the corporate struggle, he realized he was just a chessman for the executives.
• "To move the chessmen": Can be used figuratively to mean to strategically manipulate people or situations.
  • The politician was adept at moving the chessmen behind the scenes.

Noun

1. any of 16 white and 16 black pieces used in playing the game of chess