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Chess Basics how the pawns and pieces move and . capture. The C&O Chess Journal The following rules will help you to remember the proper board orientation Part 1 and setup: The Basics 1. A white square should always be in each player‟s right corner (remember Chess, one of the oldest existing “light on right”). board games, had its origins in India around 1500 years ago. It is a game for 2. The opposing Kings and Queens two players, one using the white go directly opposite each other, with the chessmen and one using the black. The “Queen on her own color” (ie: White‟s board represents a battlefield and the Queen on a light square, Black‟s on a chessmen are two armies. Chess is a fight dark square). For children I say “the and the objective is to capture (or Queen likes her dress to match her “checkmate”) the opposing King. shoes.” XABCDEFGHY 3. When the board contains letters, that identify the “files” (rows of squares 8rsnlwqkvlntr( running across the board, from White‟s 7zppzppzppzpp' side to Black‟s side – vertical in a 6-+-+-+-+& diagram), and numbers, identifying 5+-+-+-+-% “ranks” (rows running from left to right – 4-+-+-+-+$ horizontal in a diagram), the white pieces 3+-+-+-+-# should be placed on the 1st rank and pawns on the 2nd rank. The black pawns 2PzPPzPPzPPzP" th th 1tRNvLQmKLsNR! and pieces are placed on the 7 and 8 ranks, as shown. xabcdefghy The Starting Position Each square is named for the intersecting file and rank on which it is located. For example square “a1,” the Board Geography dark square on White‟ left corner, and By tradition, the playing pieces and “h1,” the light square on his right. players are identified as “White” and In addition to the files and ranks, the “Black” (no matter the actual color of the board contains “diagonals” (rows of chessmen used). The same is true of the squares of the same color connected at the squares on the chessboard, although they corners). Diagonals are identified by the are often referred to as “light” and “dark.” names of the squares at each end (for At the beginning of the game the example, the “long diagonals” a1-h8 and chessmen are set up as shown in the first a8-h1, or a short diagonal such as a2-b1). diagram. The next section will describe The printed letters and numbers are a The C&O Chess Journal: A guide… 2 simple aid in “recording the moves” of only a few men. “Handicaps” are a good the game for later replay, coaching and way for more experienced players to play study (see “Notation”). If no letters and against those with less. numbers are printed on a board the names Players who approach mastering the of the ranks, files and squares remains the basics in this way will have an advantage same, determined by board orientation as they add the remaining pieces, one by rules and the setup of the chessmen. one, to the board. When they have The White player always moves first. learned the various moves and captures Then the players alternate turns. A player they will already have a grasp of how the may not “pass” or skip his turn. Only one pawns and pieces can be coordinated to man may be moved per turn (except in the fight together as a well trained, complete case of “castling,” a special move which army, should. is explained later). By convention, the six Chess is NOT about memorizing how types of chessmen are divided into the men move. It is about “ideas” and “pieces” and “pawns” and they all move how to plan and coordinate. It is about and capture in different ways. The pieces how to visualize a strategy and foresee are further divided into “major pieces” an outcome. Chess cannot be mastered in (Rooks and Queens) and “minor pieces” an hour, or a week, or a year. But it can (Knights and Bishops). and should be fun, and a challenge, The Knights are the only pieces which from the beginning. may jump over other chessmen. All other A word about the “Touch-Move pieces may move only along unblocked Rule.” In most “club” chess, and in all lines (ranks, files, and diagonals). No tournaments, a player who touches a piece chessman may be moved to a square or pawn “must” move it unless he first already occupied by another man of the states “I adjust” or some clear equivalent same color. But a player may capture an (“j‟adoube” in French). That is the enemy man that occupies any square to “default” (normal) rule and we always use which one of his men may move. it at the Center. It helps develop the skill Capturing is done by simply removing the of “visualization” and the habit of opposing man from the board and “thinking before moving.” Of course replacing it with the capturing one. courtesy may allow a “warning” (or two) The moves of the various pieces and for a first offense, particularly with new pawns are presented in a specific order. players. While adults and those of you with some Before going too much further, you previous knowledge of chess may wish to should have a, full sized, “club-quality” learn all of them at once and begin (or better) chess set (a board with 2¼ in. playing with a “full board,” I recommend squares, solid plastic chessmen, and a 3½ that new players learn them in the order in. tall King), not a cheap “toy store” set. presented. As they learn, students should These are available from many internet also play the “tactical problems” using sources at a reasonable cost. The C&O Chess Journal: A guide… 3 The Moves of the Chessmen There are two exceptions to this simple move. First, the King is never XABCDEFGHY allowed to capture on, or move to, a 8-+-+k+-+( square on which he is being “checked” (attacked) by an enemy piece. For 7+-+-+-+-' example, a King may never move next to 6-+-+-+-+& 5+-+-+-+-% XABCDEFGHY 4-+-+-+-+$ 8-+-+-+-+( 3+-+-+-+-# 7+-+-+-+-' 2-+-+-+-+" 6-+-}{}-+& 1+-+-mK-+-! 5+-+{mk{+-% xabcdefghy 4-+{+-}-+$ K The King k 3+-}K}-+-# 2-+{}{+-+" The King is the most important piece. 1+-+-+-+-! When either King is trapped, or xabcdefghy “checkmated,” the game is over and that Neither King may move player loses (in regular chess the King is next to the other. never actually “captured”). The King‟s move is one of the two easiest to learn. the opposing King. In the diagram, above, neither King may move to d4 or e4, as XABCDEFGHY that would place both Kings in “check.” 8-+-+{mk{+( A King which is attacked is said to be “in 7+-+-}{}-' check” and must get “out of check” 6-+-+-+-+& immediately (see “Check and Checkmate”). 5+-+-+-+-% The other exception is the special 4-+{}{+-+$ King move, “castling.” Both of these are 3+-}K}-+-# explained later. 2-+{}{+-+" 1+-+-+-+-! xabcdefghy The King’s move Basically, he may simply move one square in any direction (as represented by the squares with dots in the diagram). He captures opposing pieces or pawns the same way he moves. The C&O Chess Journal: A guide… 4 XABCDEFGHY pawn has the option, or choice, of moving 8-+-+-+-+( forward one or two squares. 7zppzppzppzpp' XABCDEFGHY 6-+-+-+-+& 8-+-+-+-+( 5+-+-+-+-% 7+-+-+-+-' 4-+-+-+-+$ 6-+-+-+-+& 3+-+-+-+-# 5+-+-+-zp-% 2PzPPzPPzPPzP" 4-+{+-;{;$ 1+-+-+-+-! 3+,},+-+-# xabcdefghy 2-+P+-+-+" P The Pawns Z 1+-+-+-+-! xabcdefghy The pawns are the “most difficult” The Pawns’ move and capture. chessmen to learn, and the most under- estimated by beginners. This is primarily In the diagram, White‟s pawn (on because they differ from the “pieces” in square c2) has not yet moved. It may several very important ways. I also move to either of the two squares in front consider them to be the “second most of it (marked with dots), c3 and c4, or it important” men for beginners to learn, may capture an enemy piece on either of primarily due to one “special ability” that the two squares diagonally forward no regular piece has. While it is true that, (marked with stars), b3 and d3. It may not individually, they are the weakest men on move to the starred squares unless there is the board, they also have a “group an enemy piece or pawn on that square. dynamic” that makes them unique and, Black‟s pawn, on g5, may only move to when working together, they may be as g4 (it has already moved at least once), or powerful as any other single piece. When capture on f4 or h4 (if an enemy occupies teaching beginners I always begin with the square). the pawns and Kings, as an understanding of how they may interact is fundamental The reason I call pawns the “second to chess mastery. most important” men is that if a pawn advances all the way to the opposite side As noted above, the pawns have a of the board it is “promoted” right away, number of features which, taken together, usually to a Queen (but possibly to a make them more difficult for beginners to Rook, Knight, or Bishop) which master. For example, they are the only immediately replaces it on the square it men who move differently from the way has reached. Because of the usual choice, they capture. A pawn may “move” only promotion is often referred to as straight ahead (never sideways or “queening” a pawn. It may not remain a backward) but it “captures” diagonally pawn or become a King and it is possible forward. Its “basic move” is one square for either, or both, sides to have more at a time, but on its “first move” each The C&O Chess Journal: A guide… 5 than one Queen (two Rooks, etc.) on the XABCDEFGHY board at the same time.
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