The Basics of Chess

Chess Rules – Chess is a two-player strategy game played on a chessboard, a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. The objective of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, which means putting it under an inescapable threat of capture. The game is played by millions of people worldwide and has been enjoyed for centuries.

Setting Up The Board

The board should be set up with a light square at the bottom-right corner from each player’s perspective. Each player starts with 16 pieces that are arranged on the two closest rows to them.

Placement of Pieces

• Rooks are placed on the corners.
• Knights are placed immediately inside of the rooks.
• Bishops sit next to knights.
• The queen is placed on the remaining square of its own color.
• The king takes the last empty square next to the queen.
• Pawns are placed on the entire second row.

How Each Chess Piece Moves

Kings

The king moves one square in any direction. The king can also not move into check, where it would be attacked by an opposing piece.

Queens

The queen can move any number of squares in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) as long as she is not obstructed by other pieces.

Rooks

The rook can move any number of squares along a rank or file but cannot leap over other pieces.

Bishops

Bishops can move any number of squares diagonally but cannot jump over other pieces.

Knights

Knights move in an ‘L’ shape: two squares in one direction and then one square perpendicular. They are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces.

Pawns

Pawns move forward one square, but they capture diagonally. On their first move, pawns can move forward two squares. Pawns have a special move called “en passant” and can promote when reaching the opposite side of the board.

Special Chess Moves

Castling

This is a move that involves the king and either rook. It is the only move that allows two pieces to move simultaneously. The king moves two squares towards a rook, and that rook moves to the square over which the king crossed. Castling can only occur if neither the king nor the chosen rook have previously moved, if the king is not currently in check, and if the squares that the king passes over are not attacked by an enemy piece.

En Passant

En passant is a move where a pawn can capture an opponent’s pawn if it advances two squares from its original position and lands beside the player’s pawn. The capture must be made on the very next turn, or the right to do so is lost.

Promotion

When a pawn reaches the far side of the board (the eighth rank), it is promoted to any other piece (except for a king), typically a queen.

Understanding Check and Checkmate

A king is in check if it is under attack by at least one enemy piece. It is illegal to make a move that places or leaves one’s king in check. To get out of check, a player must make a move that captures the threatening piece, blocks the check, or moves the king to safety.

A player’s goal is to put the opponent’s king in a position known as checkmate. This is where the king is in check, and there is no legal move that the player can make to remove their king from attack. Checkmate ends the game and the player whose king has been checkmated loses.

Draws

Chess games do not always end with a winner and a loser. Sometimes games end in a draw, where neither player wins. This can happen in several ways: stalemate, agreement between the players, the fifty-move rule, insufficient material, or threefold repetition.

Conclusion

Understanding the rules of chess is the first step towards becoming a skilled player. Remember to practice regularly, study grandmaster games, and play with opponents who challenge your skills. Enjoy the journey of improving your chess acumen!