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Learning how to play chess is easier than its reputation. Two players each control 16 pieces on an 8 by 8 board. Each kind of piece moves in its own way, and the goal is to trap the other player’s king so it cannot escape. That trap is called checkmate. You can learn every rule in an evening. Getting good takes longer, and that is the fun part.
The quick answer: set up the board with a light square in each player’s right corner. White moves first, then players alternate, one move each. Pieces capture by landing on an enemy piece. If your king is attacked (in check), you must get it out of danger. If you attack the enemy king and it has no way out, that is checkmate, and you win.
Chess also has a reputation for being serious and quiet. It does not have to be. At heart it is a two-player game night pick: one board, one friend, and as much talk across the table as you like.
How to play chess: what comes in a chess set?
A chess set has a board of 64 squares (8 by 8, alternating light and dark) and 32 pieces, 16 in each color. Each player gets:
- 1 king
- 1 queen
- 2 rooks
- 2 bishops
- 2 knights
- 8 pawns
The colors are called White and Black, whatever shade the pieces really are.
How do you set up a chess board?
1. Light on the right
Turn the board so each player has a light square in the near right corner. This is the one setup step people most often get wrong, and it changes the whole game, so check it first.
2. Pawns on the second row
Each player lines up all eight pawns on the second row from their side.
3. Back row, outside in
Fill the back row from the corners toward the middle: rooks in the corners, knights next to them, then bishops.
4. Queen on her color
The two middle squares are left for the king and queen. The queen goes on the square of her own color: the white queen on a light square, the black queen on a dark square. The king takes the last square. When you are done, the two queens face each other across the board, and so do the two kings.
How do chess pieces move?
Every piece except the knight moves in a straight line and is blocked by any piece in its way. A piece captures by moving onto a square held by an enemy piece, which is removed from the board. You can never land on your own piece.
The king
One square in any direction. The king can never move into a square where it would be attacked. It is the one piece you cannot lose.
The queen
Any number of squares in a straight line: across, up and down, or diagonally. She is the most powerful piece on the board.
The rook
Any number of squares across or up and down. No diagonals.
The bishop
Any number of squares diagonally. A bishop stays on its starting color all game, so each player has one light square bishop and one dark square bishop.
The knight
The knight moves in an L shape: two squares in one straight direction, then one square to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over other pieces. A knight always lands on a square of the opposite color from where it started.
The pawn
Pawns are the strangest pieces, so take a minute with them:
- A pawn moves straight forward one square. It never moves backward.
- On its very first move, a pawn may move forward two squares instead of one.
- A pawn captures diagonally, one square forward to the left or right. It cannot capture straight ahead, and a piece directly in front of it blocks it.
What are the special moves in chess?
Three special rules trip up new players. Each one is simple once you see it.
Castling
Castling moves your king to safety and brings a rook into play, all in one turn. The king moves two squares toward a rook, and that rook jumps over to the square on the king’s other side.
You can castle only if all of these are true:
- Neither the king nor that rook has moved yet this game.
- No pieces stand between them.
- Your king is not in check right now.
- The king does not pass through or land on a square that an enemy piece attacks.
You can castle on either side. Castling on the king’s side (the shorter side) is the most common.
En passant
En passant (French for “in passing”) is a special pawn capture. When an enemy pawn moves two squares forward on its first move and lands right beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square. Your pawn moves diagonally to the square the enemy pawn skipped over, and the enemy pawn is removed.
The catch: you must do it on your very next move. If you wait, the chance is gone. En passant only happens between pawns, and only when your pawn is on its fifth row.
Pawn promotion
When a pawn reaches the far side of the board, it promotes. You replace it right away with a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of your color. Almost everyone picks a queen. You can promote even if you still have your original queen, so it is possible to have two or more queens at once.
Check, checkmate, and stalemate: what is the difference?
These three words sound alike and mean very different things.
Check
Your king is in check when an enemy piece attacks it. You must get out of check on your next move. You have three ways to do it:
- Move the king to a safe square.
- Block the attack by putting a piece in between (this does not work against a knight).
- Capture the attacking piece.
You may never make a move that leaves your own king in check. Saying “check” out loud is a polite habit, not a rule.
Checkmate
Checkmate is check with no way out. The king cannot move to safety, nothing can block, and nothing can capture the attacker. The game ends at once, and the player who delivered checkmate wins. The king is never actually captured.
Stalemate
Stalemate happens when the player whose turn it is has no legal move, but their king is not in check. Stalemate is a draw, not a win.
This matters most when you are far ahead. If you have a queen and your opponent has only a king, be careful to leave that king a move. Box it in without checking it, and the game you were winning ends in a tie.
How else can a chess game end in a draw?
Besides stalemate, a game is drawn when:
- Both players agree to a draw.
- Neither side can checkmate with the pieces left, such as king against king, or king and one bishop against king.
- The same position repeats three times with the same player to move. A player can claim the draw.
- Fifty moves pass by each player with no pawn move and no capture. A player can claim the draw.
A game also ends when someone resigns, which is common once a position is hopeless, or when a player runs out of time in a timed game.
How should a beginner start a chess game?
You do not need to memorize openings to play a good first game. Follow these opening principles and you will be ahead of most casual players.
Take the center
Move a center pawn two squares on your first move. The four middle squares are the most valuable real estate on the board, because pieces there reach the most squares.
Develop your pieces
Bring out your knights and bishops early. A piece still sitting on its starting square is not helping.
Castle early
Get your king out of the middle and tucked behind its pawns, usually within your first ten moves.
Do not rush the queen out
An early queen gets chased around by smaller pieces, and every move spent running away is a move wasted.
Before every move, ask two questions
What does my opponent’s last move threaten? And is the piece I am about to move safe where it lands? Most beginner games are lost to a simple oversight, not a deep plan.
How do you keep getting better at chess?
The best way to improve is to play a lot of games, then look back at the ones you lost. A few other good steps:
- Solve puzzles. Short tactical puzzles train you to spot forks, pins, and checkmates.
- Learn basic checkmates. Practice mating with a king and queen against a lone king until it is automatic.
- Play slower games. Fast games are fun, but longer ones give you time to think, which is where learning happens.
- Find people to play with. Many towns have chess clubs that meet at libraries, cafes, and schools, and nearly all of them welcome new players. Ask around, check your local library, or search for a club near you.
Chess has always been a social game. Clubs meet in parks and coffee shops all over the world, and that is the kind of group The Ludarium wants to give a home. The Ludarium is building toward a membership game lounge in Indianapolis, a place where chess clubs and every other kind of table can meet under one roof.
FAQ
Which color moves first in chess?
White always moves first. Players then alternate, one move each turn. Swap colors between games so both players get a turn going first.
Where does the queen go when setting up a chess board?
On the square of her own color, in the middle of the back row. The white queen goes on a light square and the black queen on a dark square, so the two queens face each other.
Can you castle out of check?
No. You cannot castle while your king is in check, and the king cannot pass through or land on an attacked square while castling.
Is stalemate a win or a draw?
A draw. Stalemate means the player to move has no legal moves but is not in check. Neither side wins.
How long does it take to learn chess?
You can learn all the rules in an evening. Playing well is a lifelong project, which is part of why people love it.
Find a partner and play
Chess is a great pick for a quiet two-player night, and it gets better the more you play with the same person. If you like games that are all skill and no dice, read our take on luck vs skill in board games, then try how to play checkers or backgammon next. Ludarium Letters, just below, sends ideas for what to play and who to play it with.
The game is the reason. The people are the point.
Sources
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