Chess can be a confusing game if you don't know the proper terms and what those chess terms actually mean. To keep yourself "in the know" try the following glossery containing some of the most often used chess-related terms.
'Blunder' : To totally miss something which is obvious, so that the opponent will now benefit.
'Patzer' : A player who can not improve his play, though he is playing for years. A patzer is blundering all the time.
'Trap' : A move that is trying to induce a mistake.
'Opening' : the first 10-15 moves of the game. It is the first phase of the game.
'Endgame', 'Ending' : The last of the three phases of the game, when only a few pieces are left on the board.
'Middlegame' : The second phase of the game. Most of the action is taking place in the middlegame.
'File' : a column in the chessboard.
'Rank' : a row in the chessboard.
'Wing', 'Side' : The board can be divided into two halves : the queen's wing or queenside (including files a-d) and the king's wing or kingside (including files e-h).
'Light piece' : A bishop or a knight.
'Heavy piece' : A queen or a rook.
'Light-squared bishop' : A bishop, either white or black, that moves on the white squares.
'Dark-squared bishop' : A bishop, either white or black, that moves on the black squares.
