How is the chessboard set up?
Each player has a light square in their near-right corner ("light on right"). Pawns fill the entire second row on each side. The back row, from one edge to the other, runs rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook, with each queen starting on a square matching her own colour, the white queen on a light square and the black queen on a dark square. White moves first.
How does each piece move?
| Piece | How it moves |
|---|---|
| King | One square in any direction |
| Queen | Any number of squares, in any direction |
| Rook | Any number of squares, horizontally or vertically |
| Bishop | Any number of squares, diagonally only |
| Knight | An "L" shape: two squares in one direction, then one square perpendicular; the only piece that can jump over others |
| Pawn | One square forward (two squares on its first move), and captures diagonally forward only |
What's the difference between check, checkmate, and stalemate?
- Check: the king is under direct threat but can still escape by moving, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacking piece.
- Checkmate: a check with no legal escape. This ends the game immediately, and the checkmated side loses.
- Stalemate: the player to move has no legal move anywhere, but their king is not in check. This ends the game as a draw, distinct from checkmate.
What are castling and en passant?
Castling moves the king two squares toward a rook, and that rook to the square the king crossed, in a single move. It requires all of the following: neither the king nor that rook has moved before in the game, no pieces sit between them, the king is not currently in check, and the king doesn't pass through or land on a square attacked by an opponent's piece.
En passant is a special pawn capture. It's allowed only immediately after an opponent's pawn advances two squares from its starting position and lands directly beside your pawn — you may capture it as if it had only moved one square, but only on your very next move. Waiting even one turn forfeits the option.
Beginner strategy tips
- Control the centre of the board early, typically with a pawn move.
- Develop your knights and bishops before bringing your queen out.
- Castle within your first ten moves or so, to get your king to safety.
- Before every move, check what your opponent's last move threatens, not just what you want to do next.
People also ask
How is the chessboard set up?
A light square in each player's near-right corner, pawns on the second row, and the back row running rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook, queen on her own colour.
What's the difference between check and checkmate?
Check can still be escaped by moving, blocking, or capturing. Checkmate has no legal escape and ends the game.
What is en passant?
A special pawn capture allowed only immediately after an opponent's pawn advances two squares and lands beside yours, and only on your very next move.