Welcome to Chess!
This guide will walk you through the fundamental rules, the pieces, and the objective of the game. The goal is to provide an interactive way to learn the basics, one concept at a time. Click any topic in the navigation bar to begin.
1. The Objective
The goal in chess is to checkmate your opponent's King. This happens when the King is in a position to be captured (in "check") and there is no legal move that can save it.
2. The Board & Setup
Chess is played on a square board with 64 alternating light and dark squares, arranged in an 8x8 grid. Before the game starts, the 32 pieces are placed on the board as shown below.
Key Setup Rules
- "White on Right": From each player's perspective, the square in the bottom-right corner must be a light-colored square.
- "Queen on Her Color": The White Queen starts on a light square, and the Black Queen starts on a dark square.
- Each player gets 16 pieces: 1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, and 8 Pawns.
3. The Pieces & How They Move
Each of the 6 types of pieces moves in a unique way. Pieces "capture" an opponent's piece by landing on its square. Below is an interactive guide to each piece.
♙ The Pawn
- Forward: Normally moves one square forward.
- First Move: Has the *option* to move two squares forward.
- Capturing: Captures one square diagonally forward.
- Promotion: If it reaches the other end of the board, it becomes a Queen (or other piece).
- En Passant: A special capture rule related to the two-square advance.
♘ The Knight
- Movement: Moves in an "L-shape": two squares in one direction (horizontal or vertical), then one square perpendicular.
- Key Feature: The only piece that can jump over other pieces.
♗ The Bishop
- Movement: Moves any number of squares diagonally.
- Key Feature: A Bishop always stays on the color it started on (one light-square Bishop, one dark-square Bishop).
♖ The Rook
- Movement: Moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
- Key Feature: Rooks are very strong when they control open "files" (columns).
♕ The Queen
- Movement: Moves any number of squares in any straight-line direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal).
- Key Feature: The most powerful piece on the board.
♔ The King
- Movement: Moves one square in any direction.
- Key Feature: The most important piece. If it is checkmated, you lose.
- Castling: A special move to protect the King by moving it two squares toward a Rook.
4. How to Play: Basic Rules
Once you know how the pieces move, you just need a few basic rules to start playing.
- Starting: The player with the White pieces always moves first.
- Taking Turns: Players alternate turns, moving one piece at a time (except for the special "castling" move).
-
Check: When a King is attacked by an opponent's piece, it is in "check." The player whose King is in check must get out of check on their next move. This can be done in three ways:
- Move the King to a safe square.
- Block the check with another piece.
- Capture the piece that is giving check.
- Checkmate: If a player's King is in check and there is no legal move to get out of check, it is checkmate, and the game is over.
- Stalemate (Draw): If a player is not in check, but has no legal move they can make, this is a stalemate, and the game is a draw (a tie).
5. Quick Tips for Your First Game
Keep these four simple ideas in mind as you play your first few games.
-
►
Control the Center
Try to place your pawns and pieces in the four central squares. This gives them more power and mobility.
-
►
Develop Your Pieces
On your first few moves, try to move your Knights and Bishops off the back rank to active squares.
-
►
Protect Your King
"Castle" early in the game (usually within the first 10 moves) to move your King to safety behind your pawns.
-
►
Don't Give Pieces Away
Every piece is valuable. Before you move, always check if your opponent can capture your piece for free.