How To Set Up A Chess Set

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Chess is an ancient game that humanity still plays—and enjoys—to this day. Although chess has merely a few rules, games can become remarkably complex. Luckily, setting upward a chessboard is straightforward, and learning the rules of play is not hard. This wikiHow volition help you get started.

1. ane

   Set the board so that the bottom-right square is a light square. Both players will have a light square in the right corner on the edge of the board closest to them. The setup for each player looks identical from their perspective.

   • You set up up your pieces on the 2 horizontal rows ("ranks") closest to you. The major pieces get on the first rank. The pawns go on the second rank.
   • Unlike in checkers, chess uses every unmarried square on the board.
   • When setting upwards your chessboard, a tip to continue in mind is that White is always on rank one and 2 and that Black is ever on ranks seven and eight.

2. two

   Place your rooks in each corner. Beginning with your rooks (sometimes called castles), which are alpine pieces that movement in straight lines horizontally (along "ranks") and vertically (forth "files"). Identify a rook on each of your two corners.

   • On a novelty lath, such as Ceremonious War sets or picture show-themed pieces, it may be impossible to tell what a piece is without knowing the icons (or rule-book symbols) which may exist marked on the bottom of the pieces. The symbol for a rook is ♜.

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3. 3

   Place the knights next to the rooks. The knights, which look similar horses, go just to the correct and left of the rooks. Knights motility three squares in an "50" shape, start two spaces in one direction, then ane infinite in another, or showtime i infinite in 1 management, then ii in some other. Knights can hop over pieces to brand their moves, beingness the just pieces allowed to do so.

   • The symbol for a knight is♞.

4. 4

   Place the bishops to the within of the knights. The tall, round-topped bishops start next to the knights. Bishops move merely along diagonal lines.

   • The symbol for a bishop is♝.
   • The left bishop will start on a dark foursquare (and e'er remain on dark). The right bishop starts on a calorie-free square (and always remains on light).

5. five

   Place the queen on the remaining, matching-color square. If yous are the white side, your queen goes on the remaining white square in the center of the offset rank. If you are playing blackness, your queen goes on the remaining black square. The queen is ane of the tallest pieces in the game and has a spiked crown. She tin can move horizontally, vertically, or diagonally whatsoever number of spaces, making her the virtually powerful piece on the board.

   • The symbol for the queen is ♛.

6. 6

   Place the king on the last open square of the first rank. The king is usually the tallest piece on the board and appears to wear a rounded crown often topped with a cross. The king can motion in any direction but only i space at a time. Yous employ the remainder of your pieces to protect your king. If you lose your king, you lose the game.

   • The symbol for the king is ♚.

7. 7

   Identify the pawns forth the second rank. After yous've put your major pieces on the kickoff rank, line up the lowly pawns like a protective wall on the 2nd rank. Pawns motility forward i infinite at a fourth dimension, only they can make a variety of special moves, too.

   • The symbol for pawns is ♟.
   • One time both players place their pieces like shown in a higher place, they're gear up to play.

8. viii

   Review your pieces. Your first two rows should expect like this (black side):

   ♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟
   ♜♞♝♚♛♝♞♜

   EXPERT TIP

   Sahaj Grover is a Chess Grandmaster, World Champion, and coach, who attained his Grandmaster title at the age of 16. He has been a World Junior Bronze Medalist, Globe U10 Champion, South African Open 2022 & 2022 Champion, and the Winner of the Arnold Archetype 2022 & 2022.

   

   Sahaj Grover
   Chess Grandmaster

   Attempt this variation: There'southward a variant of chess called Chess960. In this format, the pieces are set randomly on the starting time rank, and the pawns remain the same. This was developed so players aren't able to prepare beforehand, and so they have to be more creative when they play.

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1. i

   Win the game by "checkmating" your opponent'southward king. This occurs when the rex cannot escape cheque no thing what. By dissimilarity, your opponent'due south king is merely "in bank check" if you could capture him on your next movement but the opponent has a means of escaping. A thespian must immediately movement their king out of bank check if it'south possible to do so. ^[1]

   • You never actually capture a male monarch. One time it'southward apparent that a king cannot avoid existence captured on the next movement, checkmate is immediately alleged, and the game is over.
   • Some players like to say "check" when they brand a move that puts the opponent's king in immediate danger.
   • You may not place your own king in bank check. Such a move is considered "illegal" and must be immediately rescinded. ^[2]

2. 

   2

   Capture the opponent'southward pieces to remove them from the game. If one of your pieces makes a motion that ends on a square already occupied by an opponent's slice, yous "capture" that piece and remove it from the game. Your piece so takes the captured piece's place on that square. Y'all cannot capture your ain pieces or occupy whatever square with more than ane piece. In other words, yous cannot move a piece through or to a square already occupied by one of your pieces—with the exception of your knights. They may move over any other piece (but may not end a move on a square already occupied by i of your pieces).

   • With the exception of the pawn, you can capture pieces only with a "normal" motion. For example, rooks can capture but with vertical or horizontal moves.
   • Yous cannot move over a piece to capture another one. If your piece "hits" another slice during its move, information technology stops, captures the piece, and stays on that square. The knight is the simply exception to this, as it takes a slice only when it ends a move by landing on that piece'south foursquare.

3. 3

   Begin with White. White e'er makes the first move, and the players alternate after that. For players of equal ability, there is a slight advantage to going start. Each turn consists of one player moving one piece. ^[3]

   • A player must motility a slice every turn. They cannot skip a turn simply considering they don't know where to move. If a player has no legal moves and is not in cheque, the game is a stalemate (see below).
   • The only exception to the "move ane slice" rule is called "castling," which allows a histrion to move two pieces at once in a specific design to protect the male monarch. See below for more on castling. ^[4]

4. 4

   Watch out for stalemate. A game can cease in a necktie "draw". Stalemate occurs when neither king is in check and the next player to motion has no legal movement bachelor. If you are in an advantageous position, you would want to avoid stalemate. (The reverse is true if you lot are in a weak position and would dear to force a draw.) Stalemate typically may occur when at that place are only a few pieces left such every bit pawns blocked by other pawns, and kings that tin can't move without putting themselves in check.

   • Think that y'all can never put yourself in check. Thus, if it's your turn to move and your simply bachelor motility would put your king in check, the game is over, and a stalemate is declared. ^[5] In some tournaments this means y'all lose, although well-nigh players call this a draw.
   • Stalemate does not occur if either king is currently in cheque.

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1. i

   Move pawns one infinite forwards. That is usually all they can practise, so they're not very useful. All the same, in certain circumstances, they get quite constructive:

   • If your pawn gets all the style to the first rank (for White) or eighth rank (for Black), you lot tin can '"promote"' the pawn to any piece other than the male monarch or pawn. That means that a pawn that has advanced very far along its file becomes quite powerful. Players typically promote to a queen but may promote to another piece to avert stalemate or utilise the knight'due south move (promoting to a slice other than the queen is chosen "underpromotion").
   • In its very first move, a pawn may (merely does not accept to) move two spaces forward instead of ane.
   • A pawn can capture a piece that is diagonally one foursquare in front of information technology. It cannot capture an otherwise adjacent piece.
     • En passant, or "capture in passing", can occur when the opponent moves their pawn two spaces ahead to avoid moving into your pawn'due south capture position (forward-diagonally adjacent). If this happens, simply on your very next turn y'all can motility your pawn diagonally into the space they skipped and take that pawn anyway.^[6]

2. 

   ii

   Motility rooks an unlimited number of spaces vertically or horizontally. Rooks move in straight lines forward, backward, or sideways. They can cross equally many vacant squares as they want merely must stop if they come to another piece (or, of class, the edge of the board).

   • If an enemy piece is in the way, the rook must finish before the slice or capture it. If it's your own piece, it must stop earlier it comes to that square.^[7] (You cannot capture your own pieces.)

3. 

   three

   Move knights in an "50"-shape. Knights have the most distinctive movement in the game: they "hop" iii times, first 2 spaces in ane direction and then one space in a perpendicular direction, or start i infinite in whatever direction and then ii spaces perpendicularly.^[8]

   • Knights are the only pieces allowed to hop over other pieces of either color. They capture a slice just past finishing their movement on a foursquare occupied by an enemy piece. (They cannot finish on a square already occupied by a piece of their own color.)

4. 

   iv

   Move bishops whatever number of spaces diagonally. Bishops tin move in iv directions: diagonally right or left (either forward or backward). This means a bishop e'er stays on the same color squares. For case, if information technology begins on a light square, there is no way for a bishop always to get onto a night square.

   • Bishops cannot hop over pieces. If in that location is a slice in the mode, the bishop must either end or (if it'southward an opponent's piece) capture it.

5. 

   5

   Motion the queen in a straight line in any direction and any number of spaces. She tin move forward, backward, sideways, and diagonally as many vacant spaces as she wants. This makes her your most powerful slice.

   • A queen cannot movement in the knight's L-shaped design.
   • A queen cannot motility over pieces. She must complete her move either by stopping before coming to another slice or past capturing that piece.

6. 

   6

   Motility the male monarch in any direction i space at a time. Kings can move one space forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally. The only exception is called castling, whereby a king and one of the rooks switch positions to assistance defend the rex. In order to castle:

   • Neither the king nor the rook can have moved at whatever betoken in the game thus far.
   • In that location can be no pieces in between the rook and the king.
   • The rex cannot be in check at the time of castling, nor can the king in castling motion through or to a square in which he would be in check.
   • In 1 turn, motility the male monarch 2 spaces towards the rook, then slide the rook into the square the king skipped over. They will now exist on reverse sides and right side by side to each other. ^[nine]

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Chess Aid

Add New Question

• Question

  Which colour goes first, white or black?

  

  White ever goes first, simply the role player black has the advantage of choosing which side of the table to sit down on and on which side should the clock be. I skilful way to decide who plays white and who plays black is to have ane person takes one pawn of each color, put them behind his back, mixes them, and the other player chooses a hand. The color that role player picked is the colour he gets to play with. Later the first game, the role player who lost plays white.

• Question

  What is the rule on castling?

  

  Barter is a defensive tactic involving moving your king and one of your rooks at the same time. If barter to the king'due south side, the king moves 2 squares to his right, and the rook moves two squares left to stand to the left of and next to the king. If castling to the queen'south side, the king moves two squares to the left, and the rook moves three squares to the the right to stand to the right of and next to the king. Castling can exist washed only when there are no pieces between the male monarch and the rook you lot will move. The king and rook cannot take moved previously. You cannot castle if your king is in check or if doing so would move your rex through or to a foursquare where he would exist in bank check.

• Question

  Is there a mode to castle with any other pieces?

  

  No. Only the male monarch and rooks can castle.

• Question

  When a pawn reaches the opponent's back row, can it become whatsoever piece - or but a captured piece?

  

  This is known as a "promoted pawn." A pawn that reaches the eighth (or back) row tin immediately become whatever other slice (except a king). This includes uncaptured pieces. This means that after promotion a player could have two queens or three rooks, bishops or knights. Typically a player would promote his/her pawn to a queen just can choose some other piece instead (if doing so would be advantageous in a particular situation).

• Question

  When yous get a queen back where does she get?

  

  She is placed on the foursquare where your promoted pawn was when information technology was promoted.

• Question

  Can I castle out of check?

  

  No, you lot cannot castle if your king is in bank check. You tin castle only nether these circumstances: (1) Your rex is not in check; (2) You take not previously moved either your king or the rook yous want to castle with; (3) There are no pieces continuing between your king and that rook; and (4) Your male monarch will not move through or to a square in which the king would be in check. Also, as a matter of chess etiquette, if your opponent is inexperienced, you should brand him/her aware of the possibility of castling before the game begins.

• Question

  Can any chess pieces move backward?

  

  Yep. Every chess piece tin can move backward except the pawns.

• Question

  Can I accept more than ane queen if I promote a pawn?

  

  Yes. You tin can accept two queens -- the i y'all started with, and the promoted pawn. In fact, you could wind upward with more two queens if you promote more than than 1 pawn.

• Question

  What tin the queen do?

  

  The queen tin motility ane or more spaces in a straight line in whatever direction. This makes her a payer's well-nigh powerful attacking piece. She must stop earlier reaching a infinite occupied by a piece of her colour. She may non move beyond a space in which she captures a piece of the reverse colour. (She, of grade, must end at any edge of the board.)

• Question

  If I am moving a knight, does the entire L shape need to be vacant?

  

  No. A knight may jump over other pieces of either color. The knight may not finish its move by landing on a square already occupied by a piece of the knight'due south color. Information technology may, still, land on a square occupied by a piece of the opposite color (in which example the knight captures that piece).

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VideoRead Video Transcript

• Larn chess notation. Chess notation allows you to write down in a kind of "shorthand" both your own and your opponent's moves, allowing you lot to study and re-create your game later on.

• Acquire chess tactics. Chess is an amazingly complex game. It has very few rules, just those rules accept given nativity to whole books total of tactics and strategy. Read every bit many as you can to become a ameliorate chess player.

• Know the values of chess pieces. Chess pieces are assigned values as a matter of convenience for players trying to evaluate opportunities to surrender a player in exchange for an opponent's role player.

• Acquire how to open up in chess. The opening stage of a game lays the background for the rest of the game. Slip upwardly here and y'all're likely to pay for it later. Openings are fun to written report. An experienced opponent volition be aware of many opening patterns.

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Things Yous'll Need

• Chess Board
• Chess Pieces

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Article Summary Ten

To fix a chessboard, position the lath and so that the bottom-correct square is white, and identify a rook in each of your 2 corners. Then, identify the knights next to the rooks, and the bishops side by side to the knights. Identify the queen on the remaining cake in the back row that matches the color of your pieces, and position the male monarch in the remaining block. Fill in the 2nd row, or rank, with pawns to protect your other pieces. For more than tips, including how to move the pieces during the game, read on!

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