Understanding the Chess Board
Before you move a single piece, take a moment to understand your battlefield. A standard chess board consists of 64 squares arranged in an 8x8 grid, alternating between light and dark colours. When setting up the board, always ensure that each player has a light-coloured square in their right-hand corner—remember the phrase "white on the right."
The board uses a coordinate system called algebraic notation, with letters (a-h) marking the columns (called files) and numbers (1-8) marking the rows (called ranks). This system allows players to record and communicate moves precisely, which becomes invaluable as you progress in your chess journey.
💡 Quick Tip
The white queen always starts on a light square, and the black queen starts on a dark square. An easy way to remember: "The queen likes her own colour."
The Chess Pieces and How They Move
Chess features six different types of pieces, each with unique movement patterns. Understanding these movements is fundamental to playing the game effectively.
The King (♔ ♚)
The king is the most important piece on the board—if your king is checkmated, you lose the game. However, the king moves only one square in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Despite its limited mobility, protecting your king while threatening your opponent's is the essence of chess strategy.
The Queen (♕ ♛)
The queen is the most powerful piece, combining the movements of the rook and bishop. She can move any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, making her invaluable for both attack and defence. However, her power means losing your queen early often leads to defeat, so protect her wisely.
The Rook (♖ ♜)
Rooks move any number of squares along ranks (horizontally) and files (vertically). They're particularly powerful in the endgame and work beautifully together. Each player starts with two rooks, positioned in the corners of the board.
The Bishop (♗ ♝)
Bishops move diagonally any number of squares. Each player has two bishops—one travels only on light squares, the other only on dark squares, throughout the entire game. This limitation makes the "bishop pair" (keeping both bishops) valuable, as they can control squares of both colours.
The Knight (♘ ♞)
Knights have the most unusual movement pattern, jumping in an "L" shape: two squares in one direction and then one square perpendicular to that. Crucially, knights are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces, making them excellent for complex tactical situations.
The Pawn (♙ ♟)
Pawns are the soul of chess. They move forward one square at a time, but capture diagonally. On their first move, pawns have the option to advance two squares. If a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it promotes—typically becoming a queen, though you can choose any piece except a king.
♔ Key Takeaway
Each piece has unique strengths. The queen offers power, knights offer surprise, bishops offer range, rooks offer control of open files, and pawns offer the potential for promotion. Mastering when and how to use each piece is the foundation of chess mastery.
Special Moves You Need to Know
Beyond basic movements, chess includes several special rules that add depth to the game.
Castling
Castling is a special move involving the king and one of the rooks. The king moves two squares toward a rook, and that rook jumps to the square the king crossed. This move serves two purposes: it moves your king to safety and activates your rook. You can castle kingside (short castling) or queenside (long castling), but only if neither piece has moved, no pieces stand between them, and your king isn't in check or passing through threatened squares.
En Passant
This French term means "in passing." When a pawn advances two squares from its starting position and lands beside an opponent's pawn, that opponent can capture it as if it had moved only one square. This capture must occur immediately on the next move or the opportunity is lost.
Pawn Promotion
When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it must promote to another piece—queen, rook, bishop, or knight. Most players choose a queen due to its power, but promoting to a knight (called "underpromotion") occasionally offers tactical advantages.
The Goal: Checkmate
The objective of chess is to checkmate your opponent's king. Checkmate occurs when the king is under attack (in "check") and has no legal move to escape. The game ends immediately—there's no capturing the king.
A game can also end in a draw through several mechanisms:
- Stalemate: When a player has no legal moves but isn't in check
- Insufficient material: When neither player has enough pieces to force checkmate
- Threefold repetition: When the same position occurs three times
- Fifty-move rule: When 50 moves pass without a pawn move or capture
- Agreement: When both players agree to draw
📝 Important Note
Check is not checkmate. When your king is in check, you must address the threat immediately—by moving the king, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacking piece. Only when none of these options exist is the king checkmated.
Basic Strategy for Beginners
While chess strategy could fill entire libraries, these fundamental principles will serve you well as you begin.
Control the Centre
The four central squares (d4, d5, e4, e5) are the most valuable real estate on the board. Pieces placed in or near the centre control more squares and have greater mobility. Your opening moves should generally aim to control these squares with pawns and develop pieces toward the centre.
Develop Your Pieces
Get your pieces off their starting squares and into active positions early. Knights and bishops should typically move before rooks and queens. Avoid moving the same piece multiple times in the opening unless there's a good reason.
Protect Your King
Castle early to tuck your king away safely behind a wall of pawns. An exposed king in the centre becomes a target for attack, especially as more pieces enter the game.
Think Before You Move
Before each move, ask yourself: What is my opponent threatening? What am I threatening? Is my move safe? Does it improve my position? Taking a few moments to consider these questions will dramatically reduce mistakes.
Your First Steps Forward
Learning chess is a journey that rewards patience and practice. Start by playing games—against friends, family, or computer opponents at beginner levels. Don't worry about losing; every defeat teaches valuable lessons.
Consider these next steps to accelerate your improvement:
- Practice basic checkmate patterns (king and queen vs. king, for example)
- Learn one or two simple openings for both white and black
- Solve tactical puzzles to sharpen your pattern recognition
- Review your games to identify mistakes and missed opportunities
- Watch instructional videos or read beginner-friendly chess books
Chess offers unlimited depth, but you don't need to master everything at once. Focus on the fundamentals, play frequently, and enjoy the process of gradual improvement. Welcome to the wonderful world of chess!