Understanding the Chessboard
The chessboard has 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. The squares alternate between light and dark colors. The board is set up so that each player has a light-colored square on their bottom-right corner. Each player starts with 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 1 queen, and 1 king. The pieces are set up the same way for both players, with pawns in the front row and the other pieces on the back row. White always moves first. When you learn chess, it’s important to get familiar with the board and how the pieces move so you can start planning your strategy right from the beginning..
How the Pieces Move
Each piece in chess moves differently, and learning how each one moves is like learning how to use different tools in a toolbox
Pawn: Pawns are like foot soldiers. They move straight forward one square at a time, but on their very first move, they can move forward two squares. Pawns are special because they capture other pieces by moving diagonally, not straight ahead like they normally do. Even though pawns may seem weak, they can be very important later in the game!
Knight: Knights are the only pieces that can “jump” over other pieces. They move in an L-shape: two squares in one direction, then one square to the side. Because of their jumping ability, knights can reach places on the board that other pieces can’t.
Bishop: Bishops move diagonally on the board, and they can go as far as the board allows, as long as they don’t run into another piece. You’ll notice that each player has two bishops—one moves on light squares, and the other moves on dark squares. Bishops can be very powerful if they have open lines to move along.
Rook: Rooks are like powerful cannons. They move in straight lines—either up and down (vertically) or side to side (horizontally). Rooks are especially important in the endgame because they can control entire rows and columns.
Queen: The queen is the most powerful piece in the game because she can move like both a rook and a bishop. She can go straight in any direction—up, down, sideways, or diagonally. This makes her very strong in both attacking and defending.
King: The king is the most important piece because if you lose your king, you lose the game. The king can move one square in any direction, but since he’s slow, you need to protect him with your other pieces. The whole game is about keeping your king safe while trying to capture your opponent’s king.
What is the Goal of Chess?
The main goal of chess is to checkmate your opponent’s king. “Checkmate” means the king is trapped in a position where it is being attacked (in check), and no matter what the player does, the king can’t escape. When you checkmate your opponent, the game is over, and you win. During the game, you’ll also hear the term check, which means your king is under attack, but you still have a way to protect or move him to safety. The trick to winning chess is to protect your own king while looking for chances to trap your opponent’s king.
Some Special Moves in Chess
There are a few special moves in chess that can make the game more exciting.
Castling: Castling is a move that lets you protect your king and bring one of your rooks into play at the same time. To castle, you move your king two squares toward one of your rooks, and then move that rook to the square next to the king. However, you can only do this if neither the king nor the rook has moved yet, and there are no pieces between them. Castling helps to keep your king safe by moving him to a corner of the board.
En passant: This is a special pawn capture that can happen if an opponent’s pawn moves two squares forward from its starting position, and it lands next to your pawn. If this happens, you have the option to capture that pawn “in passing” as if it had only moved one square. This move has to be done immediately, or you lose the chance.
Pawn promotion: When a pawn reaches the far end of the board (the 8th rank), it can be promoted to any other piece, except for a king. Most players choose to promote their pawn to a queen because it’s the strongest piece, but you can choose a knight, rook, or bishop if that helps you in your strategy.
Basic Strategies for Beginners
When you’re starting out, it’s important to think ahead and plan your moves carefully. Here are a few simple strategies to keep in mind:
Control the center of the board: The four squares in the middle of the board are the most important because controlling them gives your pieces more room to move around. Try to move your pawns and knights toward the center early in the game.
Develop your pieces: In the opening (the first few moves), try to move your knights and bishops out from behind your pawns and into good attacking positions. Don’t waste too much time moving the same piece over and over again unless it’s necessary.
Protect your king: Castling is a great way to get your king to a safer spot on the board. After you castle, try to keep a few pawns and other pieces around your king to block any attacks.
Think ahead: Chess is a game of thinking about what might happen next. Before you move a piece, try to think about how your opponent might respond. This helps you avoid traps and find opportunities to win.
Winning the Game: Checkmate
To win a game of chess, you need to checkmate your opponent’s king. This means putting the king in a position where it is under attack, and no matter what the opponent does—whether they try to block the attack, move the king, or capture the attacking piece—the king can’t escape. A common beginner checkmate is the “back-rank checkmate,” where a rook or queen attacks a king that is trapped on the back row, unable to escape because its own pawns are in the way.
Practice and Patience
Chess is a game that takes practice and patience to get better at. The more you play, the more you’ll start to see patterns and understand how to plan ahead. A good way to improve is by playing against friends or using chess apps that can give you puzzles and challenges to solve. Don’t worry if you lose a few games at first—each game you play is a chance to learn something new!
