THE BASICS OF CHESS

By Mike Hetherington Jan. 19, 2000

THE BOARD AND PIECES

The game is played on a square board, with 64 squares, 8 on each side. There are 2 players, one with white pieces, one with black pieces. Each player has 16 pieces.

THE PAWN

There are 8 pawns on each side. They start the second rank, in front of the major pieces that are on the first rank. Pawns move forward in a straight line, 1 square at a time.

PAWNS

Although a pawn normally moves straight ahead, when capturing they move forward diagonally 1 square. A pawn is normally the weakest piece on the chessboard.

PAWNS

A pawn can turn into a much more powerful piece through Pawn Promotion. A pawn that safely reaches the far end of the board can be promoted into any other piece.

THE KING

The King is the most important piece on the chessboard. If your King is under attack, and cannot escape from attack, You are checkmated and you lose!

THE KING

The King can move in any direction, but normally can move only one square at a time. The only exception to the one move limit is during a special king move called castling.

THE KNIGHT

Each side has 2 Knights. They are shaped like a horse head. The Knight moves in an L-Shaped pattern, two squares in one direction and then one square at 90 degrees.

THE KNIGHT

The Knight is the only chesspiece that can jump over another piece.

THE BISHOP

The Bishop can move forward or backward in a straight line from one side of the board to the other, but only on diagonal squares.

THE ROOK

The Rook, like the Bishop, can move the entire length of the chessboard, both forward and backward. Unlike the Bishop however, the Rook moves along horizontal or vertical squares, but not diagonally.

THE QUEEN

The Queen is the most POWERFUL piece on the Chessboard. The Queen can move the length of the chessboard, forward and backward, in any direction, horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

RELATIVE STRENGTH

KNIGHT

BISHOP

QUEEN

PAWN

ROOK

KING

The relative strength of the chess pieces : Pawn - 1 King - 2 Knight/bishop - 3 Rook - 5 Queen - 10

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

CASTLING

You Castle to protect your King. To Castle, you move your King 2 squares toward your rook and move your rook to the other side of your king.

CASTLING

You can only castle if: The are no other pieces between your King and your Rook. You have not moved your King or Rook prior to Castling. Your King does not move through check during castling.