King
Moves one square in any direction. It cannot move onto an attacked square.
INF 250 · Technical Documentation
How to Play Chess
A simple rulebook for learning the board, pieces, turns, and basic strategies.
I chose chess because it is easy to start but difficult to master. I first became interested after seeing people play and learning the simple rules online. I like that every piece has a different job. The game makes me slow down and think before moving. It does not depend on luck, so each decision matters. I would recommend chess to students and anyone who enjoys strategy or wants to practice patience.
Chess is a two-player strategy game played on an 8-by-8 board. One player controls the white pieces and the other controls the black pieces. White always makes the first move.
The main goal is to checkmate the opponent's king. Checkmate means the king is under attack and has no legal move that can make it safe.
A standard chess set contains one board and 32 pieces.
- One 8-by-8 board with alternating light and dark squares
- Two kings and two queens
- Four rooks, four bishops, and four knights
- Sixteen pawns
- Two players, or a chess app for solo practice
Place the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. The second row closest to each player is filled with eight pawns.
- Place a rook in each corner.
- Put the knights next to the rooks.
- Put the bishops next to the knights.
- Place the queen on the square that matches her color.
- Place the king on the last open square beside the queen.
When both sides are ready, White moves first. A common first move is written as e2-e4, meaning the white pawn moves from e2 to e4.
Players alternate one move at a time. A piece normally cannot move through another piece, except for the knight. You capture an opponent's piece by moving onto its square.
Queen
Moves any number of open squares in a straight line or diagonal.
Rook
Moves any number of open squares forward, backward, left, or right.
Bishop
Moves any number of open squares diagonally.
Knight
Moves in an L shape: two squares in one direction and one to the side.
Pawn
Moves forward but captures one square diagonally. Its first move may be one or two squares.
Move notation often uses a letter for the piece. For example, Nf3 means a knight moves to f3, while Q represents the queen.
Chess does not use points to decide a normal game. You win by checkmating the opponent, when the opponent resigns, or when the opponent runs out of time in a timed game. A completed win may be recorded as 1-0 for White or 0-1 for Black.
A game can also end in a draw. Common draws include stalemate, agreement between the players, repeating the same position three times, or not having enough pieces left to force checkmate.
These habits can help a beginner avoid preventable mistakes.
- Look for threats before moving. Ask what your opponent attacked on the previous turn.
- Do not bring the queen out too early. It may be chased around while the opponent develops pieces.
- Protect the king. Castle early when it is safe. Castling is written as
O-O. - Use more than one piece. Develop knights and bishops instead of moving the same pawn many times.
- Check the whole board. Before finishing a move, make sure you are not leaving a valuable piece unprotected.
Can I move into check?
No. A move is illegal if it leaves your king under attack. You must move the king, block the attack, or capture the attacking piece.
When can I castle?
You may castle when the king and chosen rook have not moved, the squares between them are empty, the king is not in check, and the king does not cross an attacked square.
What happens when a pawn reaches the last row?
The pawn is promoted and becomes a queen, rook, bishop, or knight. Most players choose a queen, but another piece may be useful in a special position.
What is stalemate?
Stalemate happens when a player is not in check but has no legal move. The game ends as a draw.
The best way to remember these rules is to play slowly, ask questions, and review the position after each game.