BASIC RULES of Chess for Beginners!!!
BASIC RULES of Chess for Beginners!!!
Introduction
Chess is one of the oldest and most popular board games played worldwide. It involves strategy, skill, and intense concentration. In this guide, we will cover all the rules of chess, from how the pieces move to special moves and tournament rules.
1. The Board
A chessboard is an 8x8 square grid, with alternating black and white squares. The board is oriented so that each player has a white square in the bottom right corner. The columns are labeled A through H, and the rows are numbered 1 through 8.
2. The Pieces
Each player starts with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Here's how each piece moves:
2.1. King
The king can move one square in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
2.2. Queen
The queen may move any number of squares in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
2.3. Rook
The rook may move any number of squares along a rank or file, but cannot leap over other pieces.
2.4. Bishop
The bishop may move any number of squares diagonally, but cannot leap over other pieces.
2.5. Knight
The knight moves to any of the squares immediately adjacent to it, then makes a 90-degree turn and moves two squares in a straight line in that direction.
2.6. Pawn
The pawn moves straight forward one square, but on its first move, it may move two squares forward. After that, pawns only move one square forward. Pawns capture diagonally, moving one square forward diagonally into a square occupied by an opponent's piece.
3. Castling
Castling is a special move involving the king and one rook of the same colour, that can be made once per player per game. The king is moved two squares towards the rook on its starting square, and that rook moves to the square the king crossed.
4. En Passant
En Passant is a special capture that can only occur after a pawn of one player moves two squares forward from its starting position, and an opponent's pawn captures it diagonally "en passant" (in passing).
5. Pawn Promotion
When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it can be promoted to any other piece, except for a king.
6. The Objective
The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king. This means the king is in a position to be captured (in check), and there is no safe way to move it out of capture on the next move.
7. Draw Conditions
A game of chess can end in several draw conditions:
7.1. Stalemate: when the player to move has no legal move and is not in check.
7.2. Insufficient material: when there are not enough pieces left on the board to checkmate the opponent.
7.3. Repetition: when the same position occurs three times with the same player to move.
7.4. 50-move rule: when there have been 50 consecutive moves by both players without a pawn move or a capture.
8. Tournament Rules
In tournament play, some additional rules apply:
8.1. Touch-Move rule: if a player touches a piece, that player must move it if it is a legal move.
8.2. Time controls: players have a set amount of time to make all of their moves.
8.3. Illegal moves: making an illegal move, such as leaving the king in check, results in a forfeit.
8.4. Electronic devices: players are not allowed to use any electronic devices during their games.
Conclusion
Chess is a complex game with many rules, but the more you play and study the game, the more comfortable they will become. Remember, the focus is always on placing the opponent's king in checkmate – so keep your eye on that objective at all times. Good luck!
