While basic chess rules are simple, games can become complicated affairs calling for planning and cunning. Chess is a game with a long and storied history, but at is core it is a very simple game with one objective: capture the opponent's king. As an abstraction of war, chess has become the most popular strategic game in the world.
The Chess Board
A chess board is a square divided into 64 smaller squares arranged in a pattern of 8 rows (called "ranks") and eight columns (called "files"). For easily recording chess moves and positions, the ranks of a chessboard are numbered 1 - 8, and the files are lettered a - h. The squares of a chessboard alternate light and dark colors. A properly positioned board will have a light square at the lower right position.
The initial placement of chess pieces is as follows: in the first rank, rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook; in the next rank, pawns fill all of the spaces. Typically, white has the first move.
Chess Piece Movement
Pawn - The pawn may move forward one or two squares on its opening move and can only move one square thereafter. The pawn can only attack another piece with a forward diagonal move.
Rook - The rook may any number of squares, but only in the vertical or horizontal direction.
Knight -The knight's move comes in two parts: the first part is a two square move in either the horizontal or vertical direction, the second part is a one square move at a 90 degree angle to the first. In other words, if a knight moves two squares to the right, it must then move one square either forward or back.
Bishop - The bishop may move any number of squares, but only in diagonal directions.
Queen - The queen is considered the most powerful piece in the game. The queen may move any number of squares, in any direction.
King - The king may move one square in any direction.
The following special moves are also available:
Promoting. If a pawn successfully crosses the board into the 8th rank, it may be exchanged for another, more powerful piece (but not the king). This process is called "promoting".
Castling. The king may make a move to safety called castling. Castling works by moving the king to the right or left two squares and then moving the rook to the opposite side of the king. Castling can only take place if neither of the pieces has moved before and if all of the squares between the two pieces are empty.
En passant. If a pawn moves two squares and ends its turn next to an opponent's pawn, the opponent may (on her next turn) take the pawn and occupy the square the pawn jumped over.
End Game
A chess game can end in one of three ways:
Checkmate - The king is said to be in "check" when it is under attack. If the king cannot move to a safe location, then he is in "checkmate" and is removed from the game. The player whose king is checkmated loses the game.
Resignation - A player who surveys the board and realize she has no way to win may resign the game, conceding the win to her opponent. The traditional symbol for resignation is to tip the king onto its side.
Draw - When neither player may win, opponents can agree to call the game a draw.
 | Chess for beginners will teach you the rules; the challenge of the game can last a lifetime. |
 | Learning basic chess strategies can help you raise the level of your game. |
 | Learning the art of setting up a chess board is fast and easy -- you'll be on your way to a great game in no time! |
Want a brief chess history? Variations of chess have been played for thousands of years, but the history of chess we play today developed in the 15th century in southern Europe. |
Surprisingly, chess pieces haven't changed very much since the origin of the game almost 1,500 years ago. |
