Introduction to the Game of Chess
History:
Chess is an ancient game with almost unlimited possibilities. Estimates place the age of the game 1500 to 2000 years old. Its origin is still debated today and most scholars believe the game to have come somewhere from India to Iran . At the time the area was known as Persia . The game offers simple rules yet its complexity expands soon after the first few moves that the estimated total number of positions possible is more than all the atoms in the known universe. Its popularity is world wide and more books are written about chess than any other game. The most attractive part of the game is that anyone can enjoy it regardless of their playing strength. And the enrichment will last a lifetime.
The Board:
Chess is played on an 8 by 8 board also referred to as a map. When you first place the board in front of you, check to see if the board has letters and numbers surrounding the border. If not, place the board so that there is a white square in the lower right hand corner on your side of the board.
Notice the white square in the lower right hand corner. "White on the right is right!"
All examples from here on out will be described as if you have a board with letters and numbers around the border. These boards make the identifying of squares easy and also aid in locating pieces. We will be using a coordinate system that is used internationally in the chess world.
Ranks, Files and Diagonals:
A rank is the name given to the squares in rows from left to right. On a board with letters and numbers, the numbers indicate the ranks. A file is the name given to the squares in rows from the top to the bottom. On a board with letters and numbers, the letters indicate the files.
For example: a4 to h4 indicated by the orange arrows is the fourth rank and d1 to d8 indicated by the green arrows is the d file .
A diagonal are the squares in a row of the same color going at an angle.
The green arrows point out the a1 to h8 dark squared diagonal while the brown arrow shows the c8 to h3 light squared diagonal.
The Pieces:
Chess is played with 16 team pieces on each side of the board. There is a white side and a black side. Some sets use other colors but most sets make it easy to distinguish between the light and dark pieces.
Each piece has special properties that determine its strength and abilities. It is these properties that make the game so variable. The value of each piece is discussed at the end of this lesson.
Official Names of the Pieces:
pP
nN
lL
rR
qQ
kK
The Initial Setup:
When setting up the chessboard and pieces for the first time there are a few things you will need to remember to get it right every time. This description assumes you have a board with coordinates and you are playing from the white side of the board.
When you place the empty board in front of you make sure the 1st rank a1 to h1 is closest to you.
This is the starting position of a typical chess game. The White Pieces on the 1 st and 2 nd ranks and the Black Pieces on the 7 th and 8 th ranks. I suggest placing the Queens and Kings on first. Remember that the Queen always goes on her own color in the middle of the first and eighth ranks. For white d1, for black d8. Then the Kings are placed next to the Queen on e1 for white and e8 for black. On each side of the King and Queen place the two Bishops. On c1 and f1 for white and c8 and f8 for black. Then the Knights go on b1 and g1 for white and b8 and g8 for black. Finally the Rooks go in the corners. On a1 and h1 for white and a8 and h8 for black. Now place the pawns on the ranks directly in front of the pieces.
Movement:
The process to move any piece is to pick up that piece from its original square and place it on the square you intend to move it to. Naturally each piece has its own rules governing their movement. Some are quite peculiar and thats what make chess so interesting.
Capturing:
Capturing is the process when a piece of one color, if the rules allow, removes and takes the place of a piece of the opposing color. "Seeing is believing" A piece that can capture an opponent's piece by the rules is said to be threatening that piece. I call it "seeing". The seeing piece is stating "Get off my square you don't belong there." If a piece is captured and the capturing unit is not in turn taken in a reasonable time the captured piece is said to have been hung and lost. Losing a piece like this is bad as it leads to a reduction in the size of your army and can lead to a fast ending of the game with disastrous results. This also generates a huge temptation for the beginner. Many beginners see every opportunity to capture as a gift or a duty. And they take anything offered. In time they learn that many of the gifts were not gifts at all but are bitter medicine to teach them that few things in chess are really free.
Since each piece has a set value it is usually a good idea not to lose a piece without getting something back in return. Good players know this and if a good player offers you something for free; it is usually not. In chess this is called trading. "Lose a piece? Don't get mad get even!" Simply trade when the return is even or to your advantage. And always watch out for your pieces so they don't become hung for free. You will soon learn that chess, like life, has an economy. Make good deals and keep your bank even or richer than your opponent.
The Piece Rules:
Special Rules:
Etiquite:
Tournament Rules
Variants:
Clock Rules:
Official USCF Rules:
Official FIDE Rules:
World Blitz Association Rules
Myths: