Setting Up the Board

Place the board so a white square is in the bottom-right corner. The back row from left to right: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook. Pawns fill the entire second row. The queen always goes on her own colour (white queen on white square, black queen on black square).

How Each Piece Moves

  1. 1

    King — one square any direction

    The king moves one square in any direction (forward, backward, sideways, diagonal). The king is the most important piece — if it is trapped, the game ends. The king can never move into check (a square attacked by an opponent's piece).

  2. 2

    Queen — any number of squares in any direction

    The queen is the most powerful piece. She moves any number of squares in any direction — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — as long as her path is not blocked by another piece.

  3. 3

    Rook — any number of squares horizontally or vertically

    The rook moves in straight lines — left, right, forward or backward — any number of squares. Rooks are very powerful in open files (columns with no pawns blocking).

  4. 4

    Bishop — any number of squares diagonally

    Bishops move diagonally any number of squares. Each bishop stays on its starting colour for the entire game — one bishop always on light squares, one on dark.

  5. 5

    Knight — L-shape (two squares one direction, one square perpendicular)

    Knights move in an L-shape: two squares in one direction then one square to the side (or one square then two). Knights are the only piece that can jump over other pieces. This makes them uniquely useful in crowded positions.

  6. 6

    Pawn — one square forward (two on first move)

    Pawns move one square forward. On their very first move, they may move two squares. Pawns capture diagonally one square forward — never straight. Special rules: en passant (capturing a pawn that just moved two squares) and promotion (a pawn reaching the opposite end becomes any piece, usually a queen).

Key Rules

  • Check: When the king is under attack, it is in check. The player must get out of check immediately — block, capture the attacker, or move the king.
  • Checkmate: The king is in check with no possible escape — the game ends and that player loses.
  • Stalemate: A player has no legal moves but is not in check — the game is a draw.
  • Castling: A special move — the king moves two squares toward a rook, and the rook jumps to the other side of the king. Allowed only if neither piece has moved and there are no pieces between them.
Beginner strategy tipsControl the centre (the four middle squares) with pawns and pieces early. Develop your knights and bishops before making attacking moves. Castle early to protect your king. Do not bring your queen out too early — it gets chased around. Think about what your opponent is threatening before making your move.

Learn by Playing

Chess.com and Lichess.org (both free) let you play against beginners and the computer. Lichess is completely free and open-source. Both have lessons, puzzles and analysis tools. Playing regularly against the computer on easy settings and reviewing your mistakes is the fastest way to improve.

Frequently Asked Questions

It varies enormously depending on the time control. A Bullet game is 1–2 minutes per player. Blitz is 3–5 minutes. Rapid is 10–30 minutes. Classical games can take hours. For beginners, 10-15 minute games give enough time to think without waiting too long. Online games default to 10+0 (10 minutes each) or 10+5 (10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move increment).
For beginners, 1.e4 (moving the king's pawn two squares forward) is excellent — it immediately controls the centre and opens lines for the queen and bishop. It is the most popular first move at all levels and leads to the widest variety of interesting games. Alternatives like 1.d4 are equally valid but slightly more complex for beginners.