If you want to get better at chess, you must learn the fundamentals. We’ll explain the chess rules in an understandable manner in this guide. We’ll go over everything you need to know to get started playing, from arranging the board to understanding how each piece moves.
What’s the Goal of Chess
Checkmate, or trapping your opponent’s king in a position from which it cannot escape, is the primary goal of chess. The Persian expression “Shah Mat,” which translates to “the King is ambushed,” rather than “the King is dead,” as many people think, is where the word “checkmate” originates.
General Chess Rules
Players take turns moving one piece at a time, with White always moving first. Every piece travels in a different way, and movement is required. With the exception of en passant, pieces can either move to a new position or land on the square of an opponent’s piece to capture it. No piece, except for knights, may jump over or pass through other pieces.
Stalemate
If a player´s turn is to move, he is not in check but has no legal moves, this situation is called “Stalemate” and it ends the game in a draw.
Check
A check occurs when a king is in danger of being captured but is able to defend himself or leave. When a king is in check, the player cannot leave the king in check and must take a move that removes the possibility of capture.
Checkmate
Checkmate happens when a king is placed in check and there is no legal move to escape. Checkmate ends the game and the side whose king was checkmated loses. Chess for kids would be a great option to help the kid enhance his thinking capability with the chess strategies involved. Visit our affiliate chess online lessons website for scheduling an evaluation session with one of our experienced chess coaches.
The Initial Position Setup
The chessboard is made up of eight rows and eight columns for a total of 64 squares of alternating colors. Each square of the chessboard is identified with a unique pair of a letter and a number. The vertical files are labeled a through h, from White´s left (i.e. the queenside) to White´s right. Similarly, the horizontal ranks are numbered from 1 to 8, starting from the one nearest White´s side of the board. Each square of the board, then, is uniquely identified by its file letter and rank number. In the initial position setup, the light queen is positioned on a light square and the dark queen is situated on a dark square. The diagram below shows how the pieces should be initially situated.
How the Various Chess Pieces Move
King
King can move exactly one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. At most once in every game, each king is allowed to make a special move, known as castling.
Queen
Queen can move any number of vacant squares diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.
Rook
Rook can move any number of vacant squares vertically or horizontally. It also is moved while castling
Bishop
Bishop can move any number of vacant squares in any diagonal direction.
Knight
Knight can move one square along any rank or file and then at an angle. The knight´s movement can also be viewed as an “L” or “7″ laid out at any horizontal or vertical angle.
Pawn
If a square is vacant, pawns can advance one square. The pawn can advance two squares if it hasn’t already, as long as both of the squares in front of it are empty. It is impossible for a pawn to go back. The only pieces that capture differently from their movement are pawns. If the two squares diagonally in front of them are empty, they are unable to travel to them, but they can capture an enemy piece on any of the two adjacent spaces. The two special movements, promotion and en passant, also include the pawn.
Special Rules of Chess
Castling
Castling is the only time in the chess game when more than one piece moves during a turn. This chess move has been invented in the 1500s to help speed up the game and improve the balance of the offense and defense. During the castling, the king moves two squares towards the rook he intends to castle with, and the rook moves to the square through which the king passed. Castling is only permissible if all of the following conditions hold:
- Neither king nor rook involved in castling may have moved from the original position;
- There must be no pieces between the king and the rook;
The king may not currently be in check, nor may the king pass through or end up in a square that is under attack by an enemy piece (though the rook is permitted to be under attack and to pass over an attacked square)
En Passant
Only when a pawn moves two squares on its initial movement does En Passant occur. The moved pawn might then be taken “en passant” by the opposing player, as if it had merely moved one square. However, this option is only available for one move. After pawns were permitted to move more than one square on their first move, the En Passant move was created. This rule was designed to speed up the game while maintaining the limitations imposed by sluggish mobility.
Pawn promotion
A pawn will be promoted if it reaches the opponent’s edge of the table; the player can choose to transform the pawn into a queen, rook, bishop, or knight. Pieces that have already been captured are not the only options. Therefore, if all pawns are promoted, it is theoretically feasible to have up to nine queens or up to ten rooks, bishops, or knights.
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When Were the Rules of Chess Established
Chess is believed to have been invented 1500 years ago in India. The game has changed only slightly since then with the advent of the queen in the 15th century and some minor movement adjustments in the 1800s.
How to Implement the Rules of Chess Effectively
When they play chess seriously, beginners frequently feel overpowered. Their opponents can intimidate them at times. This occurs when chess players lack confidence in the early stages of the game. Here is where studying chess from the best mentors can be accomplished through online chess coaching sessions. Experts in chess advise learning the finest moves for beginners in order to increase confidence and control.
Tips for Your First Steps in Chess
1. Control the central part of the board
If you observe very closely, you will find that all the master chess players always maintain control on the central part of the chess board. It is the place where all the pieces will eventually move and occupy positions. If you lose the central part, you will not be able to move your pieces and the opponent will win. This is the first rule for beginner’s chess.
2. Developing pieces faster
Your prime aim is to develop the pieces with their fullest might as fast as possible. Try avoiding playing the same piece over and over again. You are actually missing the chance to ripen your chess pieces on the central part of the board. The more pieces you develop, the better chances you will get to control the board and to defeat the opponent.
3. Keep the queen safe for the time being
Do not play the queen in the middle board immaturely. The opponent will take this advantage and will sacrifice his less-powerful pieces to kill your queen and win the game. Concentrate on the other pieces and use the queen later as strength.
Training Tips
Playing chess will never be old when you have the right platform and partner. You need to learn exciting moves and give a twist to your game plan. This will surely make every board you play more fascinating and exciting. If you are a newbie, learn from the best platform regarding how to play chess for beginners.
Chess is a game of two minds. Reading the mind of the opponent and thinking of what his next move will be is no less than an adrenaline rush. In fact, your calculations related to every single move will give you satisfaction when they come true. Here is how you can make yourself an outstanding chess player someday. Learn how to play chess for beginners and give it a good start:
- Learn how to set up the board
Follow the international rules and earn how to set up a chessboard. Find out where the pieces go and how they move. This is the first step of learning chess. Practice and remember the moves of all pieces and kick-start a fascinating journey in the chess land.
- Think of it as an army
Whether you like to start with black or white, consider the chess pieces as your army. Learn how every soldier, the queen, and the king move on the chessboard. This is the way to start and learn how to play chess for beginners.
- Practice online
You will find a plethora of software and digital platforms where you can play chess and practice. Don’t get disheartened if you lose. It is a part of the learning process.
Start Learning Openings
It is essential to know how to learn chess openings effectively because your initial moves will determine your game’s direction. If you are playing against an excellent opponent, one wrong opening move can mean losing.
There are many ways to learn opening strategies. One common technique is to memorize the moves simply. However, this is boring for many players and according to experts, it can be counterproductive because there’s always the danger of mixing things up.
So, how do you learn a chess opening the right way? Here are some tips for you.
Choose a chess opening that looks interesting
You need to select a chess opening that interests you rather than one that seems uninteresting right away. You will be more motivated to comprehend that chess opening and take pleasure in the learning process in this way. You might start with the simplest openings or ones that players at the grandmaster level employ. Another option is to use openings that are tactical, very aggressive, and include a lot of attacking. Choose more ones with gradual buildup if you’re a quiet person.
Focus on the core concepts of the opening
If you want to know how to learn chess openings, then shift your focus. Understand the basic ideas and goals of an opening instead of memorizing every nuance and variation. These technical details will follow as you develop a firm grasp of the fundamentals.
Learn the main lines for both sides
The mainline refers to the first eight to ten moves of the opening. These are the only things that you must memorize, and these will be enough to get started.
Look for games where your chosen chess opening is used
Search for games played by a very strong chess player who uses the variation of your choice and then analyzes every move. For example, if you want to learn Petroff, then the best games to watch are those of Vladimir Kramnik because he is the strongest contender is an expert in this opening.
How Kids Should Practice With the Rules of Chess
Today’s kids are greatly impacted by the virtual world. Making the most of their interest by signing them up for chess lessons will help make learning enjoyable. Children’s chess rules are comparable to those for adults. However, the techniques can be changed to fit their needs if they are novices who are here to learn the fundamentals of the game.
The best way to ensure the player learns the chess rules for the kids is to check out the videos and expert tutorials online. Many virtual chess coaching classes have videos and tutorials exclusively for children. This beginner level video has separate moves and strategies according to the level of understanding of the player.
As a beginner, the kids might first want to understand the significance of the pieces on the board, the squares, and what they represent. The kids need to:
- Acquire a deep knowledge about the board and what they imply,
- Understand how each piece is exclusive and their moves vary
- Learn why white and black moves are different
- To study what happens at the end of the game and how some pieces acquire more significance at the end and much more.
Also, the kids can study the beginner’s game played by their seniors, and understand the significance of an opening or how to get a perfect closure at the end.
Enrolling children in an online chess lesson is the most effective way to teach them the game’s rules. They can witness a beginner’s level game and be gradually led through the fundamentals of the game by an experienced instructor from the online courses. These online coaching classes have the advantage of offering a variety of packages and time windows. It is good to pursue and keep your children away from the typical electronic games because they are also economical and effective.
Alternative Rules in Playing Chess
To ensure fair play when playing chess, a set of rules must be followed. Nonetheless, there are entertaining alternatives to this game, albeit with slightly different rules. These variants could differ in terms of the number of pieces or time limits. By studying these variations, you can improve your versatility as a player and have more fun playing games with others.
Another option is “Odd Chess.” This update makes gaming more equitable for players of different skill levels. The stronger player in an odd-sided chess game takes a handicap, which can range from anything as simple as letting the weaker player move first to something as complex as the stronger player losing pieces next to their queen. Sometimes certain rules are used, including checking mate for the strongest player, checkmate on a particular square, or checkmate with a particular piece.
Played on a 6×6 board without bishops, an additional option called “Los Alamos Chess”. This version was first developed for the earliest computers, which lacked the processing ability to play a complete game of chess.
Played on a larger board (10×10 or 10×8), “Capablanca Chess” features additional pieces such as the Archbishop, which moves like a combination of a bishop and a knight, and the Chancellor, which moves like a combination of a rook and a knight.
“Blitz Chess” is just like regular chess, but with fast time limits—usually five minutes per game. This version makes the game quicker and more intense. Some versions even have players play blindfolded, which tests how well you can remember the board without looking at it.
These different types of chess can help you improve while making the game more interesting!
