Chessboard Setup
The setup to begin a game of chess is shown in the image above. The number one thing to remember before placing any pieces on the board is that there should be a white square in the bottom right corner of the board for both Black team and White team. Black is on one side of the board, while White is on the other. The first row of pieces are all Pawns (for both black and white). The second row varies since the king and queen are on different squares depending on what color is chosen.
An easy way to remember what color square the King and Queen belong on is: “The Queen always has her color” in meaning that if the team chosen is white, the White King is on a black square, and White Queen is on a white square. If the team chosen is Black, the Black King goes on a white square and the Black Queen goes on a black square. The King and Queen are also always in the middle columns of their side of the board surrounded evenly by their team pieces.
Knowing this information, the second row of the chessboard setup can be completed. For the way the Chessboard is setup in the image above:
- White from left to right – Rook, Knight, Bishop, Queen, King, Bishop, Knight, Rook.
- Black from left to right – Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook.
Rules:
- White always moves first
- Only one piece can move per turn
- Alternate moves between players
- “You touch it, you move it” Note: Doesn’t apply to every game.
- Can only move pieces in their specific way of movement Ex.: Can’t move a Pawn like a Bishop.
- Can’t make a move that put’s your own King in Check.
Main Objective:
- Checkmate the opponent’s King
- Protect your own King
Congratulations! You’ve learned the basics of Chess. You’ve learned how pieces move, how they work and capture, basic terms, and how to setup a chessboard and begin to play.
As a review: using everything learned on this website, can you spot the mistakes in the pictures throughout the lessons? Mistakes could be from piece movement to improper board setup!
Note: The hidden mistakes don’t involve misinformation about any of the lessons.
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