Understanding the Game, Board and Pieces Guides

Chess is an incredibly fun, addicting game that requires skill and strategy. It's been around for centuries as a game for intellectuals and scholars; however, playing does require a level of genius -- but that doesn't mean children can't beat adults. Read on to learn and play this ancient game, which has been considered as one of the best board games around.

1. Learn what each piece is and how it moves. Every type of piece moves differently. Here are the names of every piece and how they move (with one or two exceptions, that we'll cover in a bit):

• The pawn: The most basic piece in the game (you have 8 of them). On its initial move, it can move forward one or two spaces, but it is only allowed to move forward by one space afterwards. Pawns are only allowed to attack other pieces one space diagonally from it, and cannot move backwards.
• The rook: It looks like a castle tower. It can move horizontally and vertically as many spaces as are available. It can attack pieces in its path.
• The knight: It's represented by a horse and is the most complicated unit. It moves in an 'L' shapes that consist of two spaces horizontally then one space vertically, or one space horizontally then two spaces vertically, in any direction. The knight is the only piece that can jump other pieces. He attacks only the pieces that are in the spaces he settles.
• The bishop: It can only move diagonally, but it can move an unlimited amount of spaces until it attacks. It's shaped like a bishop's hat.
• The queen: She is the most powerful piece (usually has a more feminine crown). She can move either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally by any number of spaces and attack from any of those directions.
• The king: He can only move one space each turn in any direction and attacks in the same manner. He is the unit you do not want to lose at all costs, as it will make you lose the game.
•     Remember the strong points of the pieces.

1. The king is invaluable and must be protected.
2. The queen is the most versatile piece and is the most useful for supporting pieces, and often used for forking. The queen combines the power of a bishop and a rook in one piece. She is considered to be the most valuable, next to the King.
3. Knights are excellent for surprise attacks and forks.Their pattern of movement is often missed and confusing to novice players.
4. Bishops tend to be an excellent in an open position. However many novice players often underestimate bishops and do not make full use of them.
5. Rooks are strong and have a long range of movement. They work best on open files.
6. Pawns may seem insignificant, but they can be great for trapping an opponent when sacrificed to capture a more valuable piece. If played right, a pawn can even checkmate the King!

2. Understand what is meant by "check". If your king is in check, he is under attack from your opponent's pieces. When your king is in check, you must move out of check on your very next turn. You can move out of check by three methods:

•     By moving your King to a safe square. A safe square is one, where your king will not be in check.
•     By capturing the checking piece.
•     By blocking with one of your pieces. This does not work for Pawns and Knights.

 If you cannot do any of the above, and your king is still in check, the game is over and you have lost.

 

3. Understand the concept. In chess, you are trying to capture your opponent's king and they yours. While this is the primary objective, the auxiliary aim one is to protect your king from getting captured. This is done by either capturing as many of your opponent's pieces as you can or avoiding the capture of your own pieces.

• Chess is a game of intelligence and strategy. There are many moves and rules that beginners will not be able to foresee or understand initially. Be patient! It gets more and more fun the more and more you play.

4.  Set up the board. Now that you know each piece you can place them on the board. Align it so each player has a light-colored square on the bottom right. Here's how to set up your pieces:

• Place all the pawns on the second line in front of you so that you have a wall of pawns between you and your opponent.
• Place each rook on a corner of your side of the board.
• Place a knight next to each rook and a bishop next to each knight.
• Place the queen in one of the two spaces that remain, according to her color (i.e. if you have a black queen, she should go on the black square; if it's white, then she should go on the white square).
• Finally, place the King on the last remaining space. Check that your opponent has the same arrangement of pieces. The queens should be opposite each other and so should be the Kings.

5. If you're serious, consider learning the rank and file system. Each square on the board has a corresponding letter and number. When someone says something like, "Knight to C3," that C3 is part of this system; it makes reference a whole lot easier. Here is how it works.