Chess rules for beginners: how to play chess
Chess is played by two people on a board of 64 squares. Each side has sixteen pieces, and the aim is to trap the opponent's king so it cannot escape. This guide covers everything you need for your first full game.
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Chess rules in 30 seconds
Each player starts with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. White moves first and players take turns, one move each. You win by checkmate: attacking the enemy king so it has no legal way to escape. If a player has no legal move but is not in check, it is stalemate and the game is a draw.
Setting up the board
Place the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. The rows are called ranks (numbered 1 to 8 from White's side) and the columns are called files (lettered a to h from White's left).
Each player's back rank holds, from left to right as White sees it: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook. The queen goes on the square of her own colour, so the white queen starts on d1 and the black queen on d8. All eight pawns stand on the rank in front. White moves first, then the players alternate one move at a time.
How each chess piece moves
| Piece | How it moves | Captures |
|---|---|---|
| King | One square in any direction. | The same way. It can never move onto a square that is attacked. |
| Queen | Any number of squares in a straight line: along ranks, files or diagonals. | The same way. |
| Rook | Any number of squares along a rank or file. | The same way. |
| Bishop | Any number of squares diagonally, so it stays on one colour all game. | The same way. |
| Knight | In an L shape: two squares in one direction and one at a right angle. It is the only piece that jumps over others. | The same way, on the square where it lands. |
| Pawn | One square straight forward, or two squares forward on its very first move. | One square diagonally forward. Pawns never move backwards. |
Apart from the knight, no piece can jump. A piece captures by moving onto a square occupied by an enemy piece, which is then removed from the board. You can never capture your own pieces.
Special moves
How to castle in chess
Castling moves the king two squares towards a rook, and the rook jumps to the square the king passed over. It is the only move where two pieces move at once. You may castle only when all of these are true:
- Neither the king nor that rook has moved yet in the game.
- All squares between them are empty.
- The king is not in check, does not pass through an attacked square, and does not end on one.
Castling on the king's side is called short castling (written O-O); towards the queen's side it is long castling (O-O-O). On our board, select the king and the castling square is shown as a legal move.
En passant
If a pawn moves two squares forward from its starting rank and lands beside an enemy pawn, that enemy pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one square. The capturing pawn moves diagonally to the square the other pawn skipped. This must be done on the very next move or the chance is gone.
Pawn promotion
A pawn that reaches the far rank must be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. Most players choose a queen, but a knight is sometimes better. You can have more than one queen.
Check, checkmate and stalemate
Check means the king is under attack. The player in check must get out of it on their next move by moving the king, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacking piece. A move that leaves your own king in check is illegal.
Checkmate is check with no way out. The game ends at once and the side that delivered checkmate wins. The king is never actually captured.
Stalemate is when the player to move is not in check but has no legal move at all. Stalemate is a draw, not a win, which is why a player with a big material lead needs to be careful in the endgame.
Other ways a game can be drawn
- Agreement: both players agree to a draw.
- Threefold repetition: the same position occurs three times with the same player to move.
- Fifty-move rule: fifty moves by each side pass with no capture and no pawn move.
- Insufficient material: neither side has enough pieces to checkmate, for example king against king, or king and bishop against king.
Reading chess notation
The move list beside our board uses standard algebraic notation. Each square has a name made of its file and rank, such as e4. Pieces are written with capital letters: K for king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop and N knight. Pawns have no letter.
- Nf3: a knight moves to f3.
- exd5: the pawn on the e-file captures on d5 (x means capture).
- O-O and O-O-O: short and long castling.
- e8=Q: a pawn promotes to a queen.
- + marks check and # marks checkmate.
Tips for your first games
- Move your centre pawns and develop your knights and bishops early.
- Castle within the first ten or so moves to keep your king safe.
- Before each move, check what your opponent's last move is threatening.
- Do not bring your queen out too early, where it can be chased around.
- Keep "Show legal moves" switched on while you learn; it shows exactly where each piece can go.
Common questions about chess rules
Who moves first in chess?
White always makes the first move. After that the players alternate, one move at a time.
What is the difference between checkmate and stalemate?
Checkmate is when the king is in check and has no legal way out, and the attacking side wins. Stalemate is when the player to move is not in check but has no legal move at all, and the game is a draw.
Can you castle out of check?
No. You cannot castle while your king is in check, through a square that is attacked, or onto an attacked square. You also cannot castle if the king or that rook has already moved.
Can a pawn move backwards?
No. Pawns only move forward. They move one square straight ahead (two on their first move) and capture one square diagonally forward.
What happens when a pawn reaches the other side?
It must be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. Most players choose a queen.
Is the king ever captured?
No. The game ends at checkmate, before the king could be taken. A move that would leave your own king in check is not allowed.
Practise what you have learned
The quickest way to learn the rules is to play. Our free chess game only allows legal moves and highlights where each piece can go. Start against the computer on Easy, or play a friend on the same device.
Play a game of chess