Chess is a two-player abstract strategy game played on an 8×8 board with 32 pieces (16 per side). The objective is checkmate: deliver an attack on the opposing king from which there is no legal escape. Recorded in essentially its modern form since the 15th century, chess is the most-played and most-studied board game in the world.
Each side starts with 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns. White moves first; players alternate one move per turn. A move must either place the king out of check, prevent check, or simply develop a piece toward the opposing position. Three special moves — castling, en passant, and pawn promotion — round out the standard rules.
| Piece | Movement | Approx. value |
|---|---|---|
| King ♔ | 1 square in any direction; also castling, once per game | — |
| Queen ♕ | Any distance along ranks, files, or diagonals | 9 |
| Rook ♖ | Any distance along ranks or files | 5 |
| Bishop ♗ | Any distance along diagonals | 3 |
| Knight ♘ | L-shape (2+1); the only piece that jumps over others | 3 |
| Pawn ♙ | Forward 1 (or 2 from starting rank); captures diagonally; promotes on rank 8 | 1 |
King: 1 square in any direction (also castling). Queen: any distance along ranks, files, or diagonals. Rook: any distance along ranks or files. Bishop: any distance along diagonals. Knight: L-shape (2+1), the only piece that jumps. Pawn: forward 1 (or 2 from starting rank), captures diagonally, promotes on rank 8.
A special king + rook move done on one turn. Conditions: neither piece has moved; no pieces between them; the king is not in check; the king does not pass through or land on a square under attack. Kingside puts the king on g-file and the rook on f-file; queenside puts the king on c-file and rook on d-file.
When an enemy pawn advances two squares from its starting rank and ends beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square — but only on your very next move.
Checkmate ends the game with a win for the checkmating side. Stalemate — no legal moves but the king is not in check — ends the game in a draw. A common way beginners throw away winning positions.
For White, 1.e4 leads to open tactical games — try the Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4) or Ruy Lopez (3.Bb5). For Black against 1.e4: Caro-Kann (1...c6) or French (1...e6) are solid. The principles — control the center, develop minor pieces, castle early, connect rooks — matter more than memorized lines below ~1500 Elo.
If 50 consecutive moves go by with no capture and no pawn move, either side may claim a draw. The counter resets on every capture or pawn push.
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