How to play chess: Rules and basics
It's never too late to learn how to play chess - the most popular game in the world! Learning the rules of chess is easy:
Step 1. How to install the board
Before the game, the board is set up so that each player has a white (or light) square in the lower right corner. Then the pieces are placed on the board each time on the same squares. The second row is occupied by pawns. The rooks stand in the corners, then next to them are the horses, after the knights are the bishops, then the queen is placed on a square of the same color as himself (white queen on a white square, black queen on a black one), and finally, the king takes place on the remaining cell.
Step 2. How the pieces move
Each of the 6 pieces moves differently. Pieces cannot jump over other pieces (only a knight can do this), they can never stand on a cell where a piece of the same (own) color is already standing. However, they can take the place of an opponent's piece that they capture (take prisoner). Pieces are usually placed in positions where they can capture other pieces (by taking the place of a captured piece and replacing it on the board), defend their own pieces when they are in danger of being captured, or control important squares in the game.
How to move in chess
The king is the most important piece, but also one of the weakest. The king can move only one square in any direction - up, down, sideways and diagonally. The king can never move to a square that is in check (where the opponent's piece can take it). When the king is attacked by another piece, it is called "check".
How to move in chess
The queen is the strongest piece. He can walk in a straight line in any direction - forward, backward, sideways or diagonally for any number of squares, but he cannot jump over other pieces. If the queen or any other piece captures the opponent's piece, the turn ends. Notice how the white queen captures the black queen, forcing the black king to move.
How to move in chess
The rook can move any number of squares, but only forward, backward and sideways (not diagonally). Rooks are especially strong when they protect each other and work together!
How to move in chess
The elephant can move in a straight line to any number of squares, but only diagonally. During the game, each elephant always walks on squares of the same color (light or dark). Elephants work well together as they cover each other's weaknesses.
How to move in chess
The horses move differently from the rest of the pieces - two squares in one direction and then one square at an angle of 90 degrees. The knight's move resembles the letter "G". The knight is the only piece that, when making a move, can jump over other pieces.
How to move in chess
A pawn is an unusual piece, it moves and captures in different ways: a pawn can only move forward, and capture only diagonally. A pawn can only move one square per move, except on the very first move, when it can move forward one or two squares. A pawn can only capture diagonally one square in front of it. A pawn cannot move or take back. If another piece is directly in front of the pawn, the pawn cannot move forward and cannot capture that piece.
Step 3: Learn the Special Rules of Chess
There are a few special rules in chess that may seem illogical at first. They were invented to make the game more fun and interesting.
How to promote a pawn in chess
The pawn has one remarkable feature - if it reaches the opposite side of the board, it can become any other piece (this is called "pawn promotion"). A pawn can be promoted to any piece. There is a misconception that a pawn can only promote to one of the previously captured pieces. This is wrong. As a rule, a pawn is promoted to a queen. Only pawns can transform into other pieces.
How to capture en passant in chess
The last rule regarding pawns is called "capturing on the aisle". If on the first move a pawn moved two squares and at the same time stood side by side with an opponent's pawn (having slipped a square on which the opponent could capture it), the opponent's pawn has the opportunity to capture this slipped pawn "on the pass". Such an opportunity can only be used immediately (on the next move) after the slipping pawn has moved two squares forward. If this opportunity was not used immediately, it is lost, and in the future it will be impossible to capture the passed pawn "on the pass". Click on the example below to better understand this tricky but important rule.
Another special chess rule is called castling. Castling allows you to do two important things in one move: to secure (if possible) your king and to get your rook out of the corner, thereby including it in the game. When castling, a player can move his king two squares to the right or left and move the rook from the corresponding corner to the square next to the king on the opposite side (see example below). Castling can only be done if the following conditions are met:
- before castling, the king never moved
- before castling, the corresponding rook never moved
- When castling, there should be no other pieces between the king and the rook on the squares
- the king cannot be in check or cross a square attacked by an opponent's piece
Note that when castling towards the kingside, the king is closer to the edge of the board. This move is called "castling short". Castling the other way across the square where the queen was located is called "castling long". In both short and long castling, the king moves only two squares.
Step 4. Find out who goes first in the game
The player with the white pieces always goes first. To decide who will play white, the players usually flip a coin or one of the players guesses the color of the pawn hidden in the opponent's hand. Then White makes a move, then Black makes a move, then White again, then Black, and so on in turn until the end of the game. Being able to go first is a small advantage that gives the player the ability to immediately launch an attack.
Step 5. Look Again at the Rules for Winning a Game of Chess
A game of chess has only two possible outcomes: checkmate or draw.
The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. A checkmate occurs when the king is in check and cannot get away from it. The king has only three ways to get away from the check: run away to another square (but not by castling!), hide from the check with another piece, or capture the piece that attacked the king. If the king cannot avoid checkmate, the game is over. Usually the king is not taken or removed from the board, the game is simply declared over.
How to draw in a game
Sometimes a chess game ends not in a victory, but in a draw. There are 5 reasons why a game can end in a draw:
- A stalemate occurs on the board when one of the players has a turn to move, but he does not have a single possible move and his king is not in check
- Players can simply agree to a draw and stop playing
- There are not enough pieces on the board to checkmate (e.g. king and bishop against king)
- A player declares a draw if the same position on the board is repeated three times (not necessarily three times in a row).
- Made 50 moves in a row, during which none of the players moved a pawn and did not capture a single piece
Step 6. Learn basic chess strategies
There are four simple things that every chess player should know:
Protect your king
Move your king to a corner of the board, where he is usually in less danger. Don't postpone castling. Generally, you should castle as early as possible. Remember: it doesn't matter how close you are to checkmating your opponent's king as long as your king is checkmated first!
Don't give away figures
Don't lose your pieces just like that! Each figure is valuable. You cannot win the game without pieces to checkmate. There is a simple system by which most players determine the relative value of each piece: How much are the figures?
- Pawn - basic unit - 1 point
- Horse is worth 3 points
- Elephant is worth 3 points
- Rook is worth 5 points
- The queen is worth 9 points
- The king is priceless
These points do not affect the result of the game in any way - it is only a system that you can use to make decisions during the game. It helps you to understand when it is better to capture an opponent's piece, exchange pieces or move in some other way.
Control the center of the chessboard
You need to try to control the center of the board with your pieces and pawns. If you control the center, you will have more room to advance your pieces. At the same time, it will be more difficult for the opponent to find good squares for his pieces. In the example above, to control the central squares, White makes good moves and Black moves badly.
Use all your shapes
In the example above, White has used all his pieces in the game! Your pieces are useless as long as they are stuck on the first rank. Try to develop all your pieces in such a way as to gather more strength to attack the opponent's king. In a game with a worthy opponent, attacking the king with one or two pieces will not work.
Step 7 Practice Playing As Much as You Can
The most important thing you can do to improve your game is to play a lot! Whether you play at home with friends or online, you need to play a lot to improve. It's easy to find a game of chess online these days! .
How to play chess variants
How to play Fischer Chess (960)
Chess-960 is chess by standard rules, with the exception of the initial position of the pieces on the last rank, where the pieces are placed randomly in one of the 960 possible positions. Castling occurs in the same way as in regular chess - with the location of the king and rook on their usual squares (g1 and f1, or c1 and d1). Chess-960 is played in the same way as regular chess, but with more variety in the opening.
How to play by the rules of chess tournaments
Many tournaments use a set of common, similar rules. These rules do not apply to games you play at home or online, but you may still want to play them.
- Touched - go- If a player touches his piece, he must move with this piece if the move is possible. If a player touches an opponent's piece, he must take it. A player who wants to touch a piece in order to correct it must first declare his intention by saying "correct".
- Clocks and Timers- Most tournaments use timers that regulate the time per game, not per move. Each player gets the same amount of time for the whole game and can decide how to use this time. Having made a move, the player presses a button or lever that starts the opponent's clock. If a player runs out of time and the opponent starts his clock, the player whose time runs out loses the game (if the opponent has enough pieces to checkmate, otherwise it's a draw).
Frequently Asked Chess Questions (FAQ)
How can I improve my chess level?
Getting to know the rules and fundamentals of strategy is only the beginning: there are so many aspects to chess that a lifetime is not enough to learn them all! To improve your level of play, you need to do three things:
- Play a lot - just keep playing! Play as much as possible. There are lessons to be learned from every game, whether you win or lose.
- Learn with Chess Lessons - If you really want to improve your game quickly, you need to take a number of online lessons. Online chess lessons are here.
- Enjoy - Don't be discouraged if you can't win all the games at once. Everyone loses - even world champions. If you enjoy the game and know how to learn from losing games, you will love chess forever!
What is the best first move in chess?
Although there is no single best move in chess, it is important to try to control the center of the board from the very beginning. For this reason, most players make the first move of one of the central pawns (in front of the king or in front of the queen) two squares forward 1. d4 or 1. e4. Other players prefer 1. c4 or 1. Nf3. Most of the other moves are not so good. Bobby Fischer thought the king pawn move 1. e4 was the best move.
Which color chess player goes first?
The player with the white pieces always goes first.
Can a pawn move backwards?
The pawn cannot move backward. But when a pawn reaches the opposite side of the board, you can turn it into another piece (for example, a queen). After that, she walks like the figure you turned her into, and can walk backwards.
Is it possible to move more than one piece at a time?
During your turn, you can move only one piece, but there is one exception! When you castle, you move the king and rook in one move.
What is the most important piece in chess?
The king is the most important chess piece. If you lose the king, you lose the game. However, the most powerful chess piece is the queen.
When was chess invented?
The origin of chess is not completely known. According to the most common version, chess appeared in India almost two thousand years ago as a result of the development of other games similar to chess. The chess we know today dates back to the 15th century, when the game became popular in Europe.
What is the purpose of chess?
Chess is a game between two opponents on opposite sides of the board, lined with 64 cells alternately in light and dark colors. Each player has 16 pieces: 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights and 8 pawns. The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. Checkmate is a situation where the king is threatened by an opponent's piece (the king is in check) and he cannot avoid this threat.
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