Black

Definition

In chess, “Black” refers to the player who moves second and commands the dark-colored pieces. While the physical color can vary by set (often dark brown or another dark shade), the side is universally called “Black.” In notation, Black’s moves appear after White’s moves, often written with an ellipsis (e.g., 1. e4 ... c5 or simply 1... c5).

Usage in Chess

Players and commentators use “Black” in several contexts:

Side-to-move and planning: “Black to move,” “Black must equalize,” “Black’s queenside majority.”
Opening selection: “As Black against 1. e4, she plays the Sicilian.”
Evaluation language: “=/+” indicates a small advantage for Black; “-+” indicates a winning advantage for Black.
Notation: Black’s first reply is written as “1... move” (three dots show it’s Black’s move after White’s first).
Tournament formats: In Armageddon tiebreaks, Black typically gets draw odds (a draw counts as a win for Black) in exchange for less time.

Do not confuse “Black” (the player with the dark pieces) with “black squares” (the dark-colored squares on the board) or a “black-squared bishop” (a bishop operating on dark squares). Context resolves ambiguity.

Strategic Perspective

Because Black moves second, the side often aims to neutralize White’s initiative and then counterattack or outplay in the middlegame or endgame. Two broad approaches guide Black’s strategy:

Classical and solid: Contest the center directly and reach a sound structure, e.g., 1... e5, 1... e6, 1... c6. Plans emphasize development, king safety, and timely central breaks (…d5, …c5).
Dynamic and counterattacking: Allow White space initially, then strike with pawn breaks and piece activity, e.g., the Sicilian (…c5), King’s Indian (…g6, …e5 or …c5), Benoni/Benko (…c5, …b5).

Typical Black pawn breaks and ideas:

Against 1. e4: …c5 (Sicilian), …e5 (Open Games), …e6 (French’s …d5), …c6 (Caro-Kann’s …d5), …d6 (Pirc setups).
Against 1. d4: …d5 (Queen’s Gambit Declined/Accepted), …Nf6 (Indian Defenses), …c5 (Benoni), …f5 (Dutch).
Counterplay themes: Timely …d5 or …e5 to hit the center, minority attack ideas in QGD structures, …f5 in Dutch/King’s Indian, queenside pressure in Benko structures.

Historical Notes and Significance

Historically, chess theory acknowledged White’s “first-move advantage,” prompting Black to develop robust methods to equalize. Over time:

Classical era: Symmetrical replies (…e5, …d5) and solid defenses (e.g., French, QGD) showed Black could reliably fight for equality.
Hypermodern ideas: Systems like the King’s Indian and Grünfeld demonstrated that Black can concede space early and later undermine the center.
Computer era: Engines refined defensive and dynamic resources for Black, proving that many once-suspect lines are playable. Elite results still show White scores slightly better overall, but Black drawing rates are high at top level.

Match and game highlights for Black:

Kramnik’s Berlin Defense vs Kasparov, World Championship 2000: The “Berlin Wall” as Black proved extremely resilient, reshaping top-level 1. e4 e5 theory.
Topalov vs Shirov, Linares 1998: Shirov produced the famous …Bh3!! endgame resource as Black, a modern brilliancy.
Marshall’s legacy: The Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez (…d5 pawn gambit ideas) popularized aggressive Black counterplay against 1. e4 e5.
Armageddon formats: Black’s draw odds reflect the practical value of moving second with strong defense.

Examples

Notation and the role of Black’s move shown after ellipses (here without comments):

Sicilian Defense: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
Queen’s Gambit Declined: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7
Benko Gambit idea for active queenside play as Black: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6
“Fool’s Mate” pattern where Black delivers mate quickly after White’s loosening moves:
1. f3 e5 2. g4 Qh4#

Practical Tips for Playing Black

Choose a coherent repertoire vs 1. e4 and 1. d4 (e.g., Sicilian + Nimzo/Queen’s Gambit Declined, or Caro-Kann + Slav) to avoid constant re-learning.
Know your equalizing plans: Identify key pawn breaks (…d5, …c5, …e5, …f5) and the piece maneuvers that prepare them.
Aim for asymmetry when you need winning chances; opt for solidity when a draw is acceptable.
Don’t overreact to early pressure—often the best reply is timely development and counterattack rather than premature pawn moves.
Endgames: Study standard drawing setups as Black (e.g., Philidor rook-defense) and typical opposite-colored bishop drawing techniques.

Interesting Facts and Anecdotes

At elite level, long-term databases show White scores slightly above 50%, but the margin is modest; Black holds many lines with precise play.
Armageddon games grant Black draw odds to compensate for moving second; this often shapes opening choices toward very solid defenses.
Engine evaluations: Positive numbers favor White; negative numbers favor Black. For example, -0.50 suggests a small advantage for Black.
Berlin Defense’s resurgence around 2000 made it a go-to “Black wall” against 1. e4, influencing world championship praxis for decades.

Common Misconceptions

“Black must always play for a draw.” In reality, many Black openings (Sicilian Najdorf, King’s Indian, Benko) yield rich winning chances.
“Black is lost out of the opening.” While White moves first, sound opening choices give Black equality or dynamic counterplay.
“Black means dark squares.” “Black” (the side) is distinct from “black squares” and from a “black-squared bishop.”

Black | Chess Glossary