How to play Chess
Chess is played on an 8x8 board. Each player has 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. White moves first. The goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning it is attacked and cannot escape.
- Pawns move forward one square (two from their start) and capture diagonally.
- Knights move in an L shape and can jump over pieces.
- Bishops move any distance diagonally. Rooks move in straight lines.
- The queen combines rook and bishop moves. The king moves one square.
Special moves
- Castling: move the king two squares toward a rook and the rook jumps over it, if neither has moved and the path is clear and safe.
- En passant: a pawn can capture a pawn that just moved two squares past it.
- Promotion: a pawn reaching the far row becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
Beginner tips
- Control the centre with pawns and develop your knights and bishops early.
- Castle early to keep your king safe.
- Before each move, check what your opponent is threatening.
- Do not move the same piece twice in the opening without a reason.