How to play Chess: rules and setup

A chessboard has 64 alternating light and dark squares in eight ranks and eight files. Each player has 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.

A legal chess move follows the piece's movement rule and leaves its own king safe. A capture replaces an opposing piece on the destination square. Except for knights, pieces cannot jump over other pieces; pawns have separate capture rules.

1. White starts, then alternate

   Make one legal move per turn; passing is not allowed. Castling is a special single move involving both king and rook.

2. Move or capture

   Capturing is optional. You cannot land on your own piece. In an ordinary capture, remove the enemy on the destination square and place your piece there; en passant is the exception.

3. Check your king's safety

   A move with the correct movement pattern is still illegal if it leaves your king in check. When checked, choose a move that removes every check; then the opponent takes their turn.

A king is in check when attacked. The next move must remove every attack by moving the king, capturing the attacker or blocking the line where possible. A king is never captured, and two kings cannot stand on adjacent squares.

• 8♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎7♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎65♝︎♗︎♟︎4♟︎♙︎32♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎1a♜︎♖︎b♞︎♘︎c♝︎♗︎d♛︎♕︎e♚︎♔︎fg♞︎♘︎h♜︎♖︎

  Before the moveAfter the move

  Block a check with a pawn

  The white bishop on b5 checks the black king on e8 along b5–c6–d7–e8. Black plays c7 → c6 to block that line. Show the position after the move: Black is no longer in check.

A king cannot move onto an attacked square, including one attacked by a pinned enemy piece. The kings cannot be adjacent. The aim is checkmate, not making a move that captures the king.

• 8♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎7♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎6♞︎♞︎5♟︎4♝︎♗︎♟︎♙︎3♞︎♘︎2♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎1a♜︎♖︎b♞︎♘︎c♝︎♗︎d♛︎♕︎e♚︎♔︎fgh♜︎♖︎

  Before the moveAfter the move

  Castling

  Castling moves the king two squares toward a rook and places that rook on the square the king crossed. The king and that rook must never have moved, and the squares between them must be empty. The king cannot castle while in check, through check or into check.

  The diagram shows kingside castling: e1 → g1 and rook h1 → f1. Queenside: king e1 → c1, rook a1 → d1. Black does the same on rank 8. Returning a king or rook to its starting square does not restore lost castling rights.

• 8♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎7♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎6♟︎5♟︎♟︎♙︎432♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎1a♜︎♖︎b♞︎♘︎c♝︎♗︎d♛︎♕︎e♚︎♔︎f♝︎♗︎g♞︎♘︎h♜︎♖︎

  Before the moveAfter the move

  En passant

  A pawn beside an opposing pawn that has just advanced two squares may capture it as if it had advanced only one. The capturing pawn moves diagonally to the passed-over square. This is allowed only on the immediately following move.

  Black has just played d7 → d5. White's pawn on e5 may play e5 → d6 and remove the pawn from d5. Choosing another move loses this opportunity; the capture must still keep White's king safe.

• 8♚︎7♟︎♙︎6♚︎♔︎54321abcdefgh

  Before the moveAfter the move

  Promotion

  A pawn reaching the last rank must become a queen, rook, bishop or knight of its own colour. The new piece takes effect immediately. Promotion is not limited to previously captured pieces and cannot create another king.

  The example promotes a7 → a8 to a queen. A rook, bishop or knight is also a valid choice when the move is legal. You cannot leave a pawn on the last rank or wait another turn to promote.

• 8♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎7♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎65♟︎4♟︎♙︎3♟︎♙︎2♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎♟︎♙︎1a♜︎♖︎b♞︎♘︎c♝︎♗︎d♛︎♕︎e♚︎♔︎f♝︎♗︎g♞︎♘︎h♜︎♖︎

  Before the moveAfter the move

  Checkmate: the checked side loses

  Checkmate means the king is attacked and the player to move has no legal way to escape. The game ends immediately. Here, after f2–f3, e7–e5, g2–g4, Black's queen d8 → h4 gives mate: White cannot move the king to safety, capture the queen or block the check.

• 8♚︎7♛︎♕︎6♚︎♔︎54321abcdefgh

  No legal move, no check: a draw

  Stalemate means the player to move has no legal move but their king is not in check; the game is drawn. Here Black is to move: the king on a8 is not checked, but a7, b7 and b8 are all attacked.

• Resignation and running out of time

  Under FIDE 5.1.2 and 6.9, resignation or running out of time normally loses. Exception: it is a draw if the opponent cannot checkmate by any possible legal sequence. A time loss requires a clock; competition procedures and penalties follow the event regulations.

• Dead position

  The game is immediately drawn if neither side can checkmate by any possible legal sequence. Two bare kings are a simple example. A small number of remaining pieces does not by itself establish a dead position.

• Agreement

  FIDE 5.2.3 permits an agreed draw after each player has made at least one move. An offer alone does not end the game; it must be accepted. Tournament regulations may restrict draw offers.

• Claim: threefold repetition or 50 moves

  The player to move may correctly claim a draw after the same position has appeared at least three times, or after 50 moves by each side without a pawn move or capture. An intended move may establish the condition. Repetition requires the same side to move, piece placement and legal move rights, including castling and en passant.

• Automatic: fivefold repetition or 75 moves

  No claim is needed after the same position appears at least five times, or after 75 moves by each side without a pawn move or capture. Checkmate on the last move takes precedence. The 50- and 75-move counts mean moves by each player, not both players' turns combined.

Stalemate, explained above, is also a draw. ChessPlayX recognises insufficient material and some locked-pawn dead positions; automatic detection does not cover every complex dead position. FIDE remains the reference: continued play on a digital board is not proof that the official position is still live.

• Mistake: Moving pawns backwards or capturing straight ahead.

  Instead: A pawn moves into an empty square ahead; its initial two-square move requires both squares to be empty. It captures an enemy one square diagonally forward, except for en passant below. Pawns never move backwards. White advances towards rank 8, Black towards rank 1.

• Mistake: Putting kings next to each other or waiting to capture the king.

  Instead: A king cannot move onto an attacked square, including one attacked by a pinned enemy piece. The kings cannot be adjacent. The aim is checkmate, not making a move that captures the king.

• Mistake: Castling through an attacked square.

  Instead: Castling moves the king two squares toward a rook and places that rook on the square the king crossed. The king and that rook must never have moved, and the squares between them must be empty. The king cannot castle while in check, through check or into check.

• Mistake: Treating every position with no legal moves as a loss.

  Instead: Stalemate means the player to move has no legal move but their king is not in check; the game is drawn. Here Black is to move: the king on a8 is not checked, but a7, b7 and b8 are all attacked.

1. Look for threats before moving

   Check whether your king is attacked, which pieces are threatened, and whether your intended move leaves a piece unprotected.

2. Develop pieces and protect your king

   Practise developing knights and bishops so your pieces can work together. Consider castling when legal; avoid repeatedly moving one piece while neglecting the others.

3. Practise one situation at a time

   Select each piece in the movement section, then compare the special moves before and after. Explain why a move is legal before trying a complete game.

These are practice suggestions, not compulsory moves. There is no single opening you must play in every game.

1. 8 × 8 board, 16 pieces per side, White moves first.
2. Follow each piece's movement and keep your king safe; captures are optional.
3. Castling, en passant and promotion have specific conditions; promotion takes effect immediately.
4. Checkmate wins; no legal move without check is a draw. Separate claimable draws from automatic draws.

1. 1Practise both sidesOpen a local board and move both sides to check movement and captures.›
2. 2Practise with puzzlesFind a move in positions with a specific objective.›
3. 3Play against AIChoose a suitable level and apply the rules in a complete game.›
4. 4Compare Chess and XiangqiLearn how the pieces, boards and game endings differ.›