The Basics of Chess

How to Play Chess – Chess is a two-player strategy game believed to have originated in India in the 6th century. The game is played on an 8×8 square grid, which is the chessboard, with a total of 64 squares. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The primary objective is to checkmate the opponent’s king, whereby the king is under immediate threat of capture and there is no way to remove or defend it from attack on the next move.

Setting Up the Board

Firstly, place the board so that each player has a white (or light) square at the bottom-right corner. Set up the pieces at the two nearest rows to the players. In the front row, place all pawns. In the back row, the arrangement should be as follows from left to right: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook. Make sure the queen is on a square of her own color (white queen on white, black queen on black).

Understanding the Pieces and their Moves

The Rook

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

The Knight

The knight’s move is unique. Knights move in an ‘L’ shape: two squares along a rank or file and then a single square perpendicular. Knights are the only pieces that can leap over other pieces.

The Bishop

Bishops can move diagonally any number of squares, but must stay on the same color square as they started on.

The Queen

The queen is the most powerful piece and can move any number of squares along a rank, file, or diagonal, but cannot leap over other pieces.

The King

The king can move one square in any direction. The king also has a special move called castling that involves moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player’s first rank, then moving the rook to the square next to the king that it just crossed.

The Pawn

Pawns can move forward one square, with the option to move two squares forward on their first move from their starting position. Pawns capture diagonally, one square forward. A special en passant capture is possible under certain circumstances.

Special Rules

• Castling: This move helps protect your king and involves the rook and king as explained above.
• En passant: A pawn may capture an opponent’s pawn that has moved two squares from its original position, landing beside the first pawn, as if it had moved only one square.
• Promotion: When a pawn reaches the opposite side of the board, it can be promoted to any other piece (usually a queen).

Winning the Game

The goal of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king. This happens when the king is put in a position to be captured (in ‘check’) and cannot escape from capture on the next move. You can also win by trapping your opponent in a position where any move they make will result in a checkmate, a situation known as ‘stalemate’, though this is a draw, not a win.

Basic Strategies and Tips

• Control the center squares: They provide more mobility for your pieces and can make it difficult for your opponent to maneuver their pieces.
• Develop your pieces: Bring your knights and bishops into the game during your opening moves, not just pawns.
• Keep your king safe: Use castling to your advantage and avoid unnecessary exposure of your king.
• Plan ahead: Try to anticipate your opponent’s moves and plan your strategy several moves in advance.