Chessboard and pieces

Board. A chess game is played on a board consisting of 64 squares, alternating light (white squares) and dark (black squares).
Rows of fields are called lines, which can be verticals, horizontals and diagonals.
Each horizontal line is numbered from 1 to 8. Each vertical line is numbered in Latin letters from "A" to "H". Each field of the board has its own coordinates, which are formed by writing the name of the vertical and the number of the horizontal. For example: h2
d7

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	During the game, the board is positioned so that each partner has a white corner field on the right. If this requirement is violated, the resulting position is considered impossible. The game should be interrupted. The position of the board is corrected. Then the created position is transferred to it. After this, the game continues.	A	B	C	D	E	F	G

H Figures.

There are kings, heavy (queens, rooks), light (knights, bishops) pieces and pawns. Sometimes pawns are not considered pieces.

The initial position of the figures is shown in the diagram. If they are located differently, the position is considered impossible.
Move concept
The partner who has the white pieces (the right to speak) starts. Then, until the game ends, moves are made alternately. The color of the partners' pieces in amateur games is determined by lot, and in competitions - by the rules. If a game is mistakenly started by a participant playing with black pieces, it is canceled and played again. When counting moves made, White's move followed by Black's response is counted as one.
The player is the partner whose turn it is to move. Determination of the move.
A move is the movement of a piece from one square to another, either free or occupied by an enemy piece. When castling, the position of the king and rook changes. Apart from the knight and rook, when it moves over the king during castling, pieces cannot cross occupied squares.
A move to a square occupied by an opponent's piece means capturing it, and it must be immediately removed from the board (see below about capturing “on the pass”). Moves of the pieces.
Castling is a two-pronged move involving the movement of the king and the rook: first, the king moves two squares towards the rook, which is then transferred across it to the square adjacent to it. If the player touches the rook and then the king, then castling is impossible. The move must be made in accordance with the “Touching a Piece” rule.
If the player touches first the king and then the rook (or both pieces at the same time), but castling is impossible, then a move with the king or castling in the opposite direction must be made. It may turn out that these requirements are impossible to meet. Then touching the figure does not entail any consequences. The player has the right to continue the game with any move. Castling is completely impossible: 1) if the king has already moved 2) with a rook that has previously moved.
When castling, the king cannot cross a square attacked by enemy pieces.
If the king of one of the sides was attacked on the previous move (check was declared), then on the current move the player is obliged to eliminate the king’s attack: escape with the king from under attack, cover the king from the attacking piece, or cut down the attacking piece.
The queen moves to any square vertically, horizontally and diagonally on which it is located.

The rook moves to any square vertically and horizontally on which it is located.

The bishop moves to any square along the diagonals on which it is located.

The horse moves in a kind of zigzag - through an adjacent field (even an occupied one) vertically or horizontally, then moving away from its original position to one of the adjacent fields diagonally.

The pawn can only move forward. In the general case - vertically to the adjacent free field, and from the initial position - and through one. Capturing with a pawn is possible only diagonally on an adjacent square and, again, moving forward.

A pawn attacking a square that is crossed by a move of two squares by an opponent's pawn can take the latter as if it had come under its attack. Such a capture “on the pass” is permissible only on the first counter move.

White moves the pawn b2-b4, and immediately in response to this, Black can capture en passant by moving his pawn from c4 to b3 and removing White’s pawn from the b4 square.

Upon reaching the last (eighth for white and first for black) rank, the pawn is immediately replaced (as part of the same square) by a queen, rook, bishop or knight of its color. The choice of a new piece does not depend on those remaining on the board. She can be, for example, the second queen, the third knight, etc. Such a replacement is called pawn promotion. The action of a piece that appears on the board begins immediately.
End of turn. A move is considered made when: the player, having moved a piece to a free field, took his hand away from it; the opponent's piece was removed from the board when captured, in the place of which the player put his own, interrupting the contact of his hand with it; when castling, the player took his hand away from the rook placed on the square crossed by the king; the pawn moved to the last rank is replaced by a new piece, from which the player has removed (broken contact) his hand. If the hand is released from the pawn placed on the promotion square, the move is not completed, but moving the pawn is different, i.e. It is impossible to change the place of its transformation.
When it is determined whether a set number of moves have been made in a given time, the last (control) is not considered completed until the player switches the clock. This rule does not apply to certain situations noted in the Code article “Finished Batch.”
If a checkmate or stalemate position has arisen on the board, and the player, having moved a piece, did not have time to switch the clock before the flag fell, the game is considered to have ended in checkmate or stalemate, respectively, regardless of the clock reading.
Touching the figure. Having warned in advance about his intention (by saying “I’m correcting”), the player can correct the placement of the pieces on the fields. Otherwise, when intentionally touching: one or more pieces of the same color, he must go first touched, and if it is an opponent’s piece, then take it; one of your own pieces and one of your partner’s pieces, the latter must be captured, and if this is not possible, a move is made with the touched piece or the enemy’s piece, which the player touched, is captured. If it is impossible to establish which figure was touched first, we must assume that it is its own figure.
When touching pieces that have no possible moves and cannot be captured, the player has the right to make any move. A statement about a partner’s violation of the Code article “Touching a figure” must be made without touching the figures.

The task of the game. Mat.
The goal of the game of chess is to checkmate the opponent's king.
Mat- an irresistible attack on the king. When checkmate, he cannot evade or be covered from a blow; defense by capturing an attacking piece is also excluded.

Impossible positions
The occurrence of impossible positions is caused by a violation of the rules of the game. The Code addresses a number of such cases. In other cases, it is recommended to make decisions by analogy.
General principle: correction of impossible positions is made only if irregularities are discovered before the end of the game (including when the result is determined by an award). Depending on the nature of the violations, the game may be continued or canceled and replayed.

Situation	Solution
An impossible move was made	The position in which the error was made is restored. The game continues with the “Touching a Piece” rule applied. If the error cannot be identified, the game is played again.
Pieces are moved out of place and then placed incorrectly	If the position cannot be restored, the game is played again.
While making a move, the player unintentionally knocks over one or more pieces	The player must restore the position of the pieces without switching the clock, otherwise the judge may change the clock readings.
The pieces were placed incorrectly in the initial position	If an error is discovered before the end of the game, the rest of the game starts again.
The game started with the wrong color of pieces	If a quarter of the time has elapsed before the general control, then the game continues. If the error is discovered earlier, the judge may order a replay of the game (in this case, the competition schedule should not be significantly disrupted).
Incorrect position of the chessboard	The resulting position is transferred to the correctly positioned board, after which the game continues
The move with the promotion of a pawn was executed incorrectly	The move is cancelled. The error should be resolved by applying the "Touching the figure" rule
Castling performed incorrectly	Same
The “Touching a Piece” rule was violated: one is touched, and the move is made by another	The referee may consider the move impossible and impose sanctions if he witnessed the violation.
A move was made after a checkmate or stalemate position appeared on the board, but the flag fell on the opponent’s clock	The move is considered impossible. The game ends immediately as soon as the position of checkmate or stalemate occurs. Dropping the flag doesn't matter.
A move is made after a time delay	The referee stops the clock and, if necessary, checks the number of moves actually made. The partner who is overdue is considered a loser.

Win and draw. Finished batch.

Situation	Solution
Checkmate given	The game is won by a partner who checkmates the opponent's king
One of the opponents gave up	An opponent who surrenders is considered defeated
The player stopped the clock	Stopping the clock is equivalent to surrendering the game. If this happened due to a misunderstanding, the judge may limit himself to a remark or leave the incident without consequences.
The player has no moves and his king is not in check	There's a stalemate on the board. The game is considered to end in a draw.
The partners agreed to a draw	Draw. A draw proposal can only be made by the player in the interval between making a move and starting the clock.
A draw is offered to the player	The player's opponent committed a violation, for which the referee must give him a warning. But a draw is considered offered. The partner can accept or reject it
The player proposed a draw without making a move	The partner can accept or reject the offer or defer the decision until the move is made
At least 50 last moves were without capturing a piece and without moving a pawn	At the request of the player, the game is considered a draw. This rule increases to 75 moves in positions with the following balance of forces: 1. King, rook and bishop versus king and rook 2. King and two knights versus king and pawn 3. King, queen and pawn in front of the promotion square against the king and queen 4. King and queen versus king and two knights 5. King and two bishops versus king and bishop
Any partner was late for the start of the game by more than 1 hour	The game is considered lost to those who are late
A position has arisen where the possibility of winning due to the nature of the remaining material is excluded for both sides (King against King, etc.)	A draw is recorded
The partner ran out of time when the opponent had only one king left	A draw is recorded. A partner who has one king cannot win the game.
The same position appeared on the board for the third time	If the player demands, a draw must be recorded.
The player makes a move without requiring a draw due to the position being repeated three times	The party continues. The player receives the right to demand that a draw be recorded in connection with a three-time repetition of a position if the same position on the board occurs again.

In all cases, a draw offer can be rejected verbally or by making a counter move. Until the partner's decision, the one who proposed the draw cannot refuse it.
When a player requests a draw due to a position being repeated three times or based on the 50 or 75 move rule, the referee stops the clock to check the validity of the claim (if the referee is not present, the player has the right to stop the clock and appeal to him). If the demand turns out to be fair, the game ends in a draw. If it turns out that the request is erroneous, then 5 minutes are added to the applicant's watch. In this case, the time limit may be overspent. If this does not happen, then the game continues. Moreover, exactly the move with which the player associated the requirement for a draw must be made.
The validity of the draw requirement when the position is repeated three times and according to the 50 or 75 move rule is checked on another board.
If the judge mistakenly recognizes the validity of the claim, and the applicant's partner does not point out the error during the review, no one's result is changed.
If the claim for a draw is rejected, the claimant may request additional verification at the expense of his time or, after stopping the game, appeal to a higher authority. In the latter case, if the claim is confirmed to be erroneous, he is credited with a loss.
For winning a game, a participant in the competition receives 1 (one point), in case of a loss - 0 (zero), and in case of a draw, each partner is awarded 1/2 (half a point).

Chess clock.
Each partner must make the appropriate number of moves at a given time. The conditions are determined in advance and included in the regulations. For control, a watch with a special device – a flag – is used.
The game begins with the start of the clock of the participant playing with white pieces.
The time remaining after completing the required number of moves accumulates. If, for example, 15 minutes are saved, and an hour is allotted for the next part of the game, then the chess player has one hour and a quarter before the second control.
There are also competitions where a time limit for thinking is set for all moves at once. In this case, the game ends when one of the flags falls.
The watch's readings, in the absence of obvious defects, are undeniable. There may be situations that require a judge's decision. It happens, say, that the flag remains in a hovering position, although the minute hand has passed the corresponding mark on the dial. Has the control time really expired? The judge has the final say here. Taking into account the actual reading of the clock, he may consider the flag to have fallen.
In the absence of a judge, a statement about the expiration of the opponent's control time must be made by the partner.
A watch defect should be reported as soon as it is discovered. The participant's reference to their malfunction later than immediately after the control flag drop may be rejected.
Defective watches must be replaced. The time used by the partners is precisely set on the new ones. If the judge decides to change it to one or both partners, then they must have at least 5 minutes left or 1 minute for each move.
Having evidence that only one partner’s watch incorrectly reflects the time spent, the judge corrects only their reading. If there are no such reasons, the time is adjusted equally on both watches.
The clock is stopped by the referee when the game is interrupted for reasons beyond the control of the partners - to correct impossible positions, when replacing a defective clock, etc., as well as when the player demands to fix a draw due to a three-time repetition of a position or according to the 50 (75) move rule . In these cases, if there is no judge nearby, the participant can stop the clock himself to appeal to him.
If the game continues after an impossible move or errors in the placement of shifted pieces and it is impossible to determine the time used by each partner, it is awarded to them in proportion to the time spent by the time the error occurred.
Example. After Black's 30th move, when the clock showed 90 minutes for White and 60 minutes for Black, it was discovered that there was an error on the 20th move. The time used for the first 20 moves is set as follows: white: 90:30x20 = 60 minutes, black: 60:30x20 = 40 minutes. In this case, partners must have at least 5 minutes left before control, or 1 minute for each move.
The surrender of the game or agreement to a draw remains valid if it is later discovered that the flag has fallen.
If both flags fall and it is impossible to determine which one comes first, the game continues. From the next move, a new countdown begins until the next control.
The judge should not draw the partners’ attention to the fact that the opponent made a move, forgot to change the clock, warn how many moves need to be made before the control time expires, etc.

Part recording
When conducting a game, partners are required to keep a record of the game. The recording must be kept legibly and step by step. A partner who has less than 5 minutes left before the time control expires can interrupt the recording of a game. After the flag falls, the missing moves must be added immediately.
There is an international and national party recording system. Which, in turn, are divided into full notation and short notation.

In the international system, in full notation, a move is written as follows: The number of the move is indicated, the piece by which the move is made, the square from which the piece moves, and the square to which the piece moves are indicated.
The figures are represented by the following letters:
K is king
Q – Queen
R – Rook
N - horse
B - elephant
The pawn is not designated as anything.

For example entry
22.Qh2-h8
It means the Queen's move from square h2 to square h8.

If it is necessary to indicate a black move, either the previously made white move or an ellipsis is indicated before the move.
For example:
23. … Rd2-d6
This is the black rook's move from square d2 to square d6.
1. e2-e4 e7-e5
White's first move is from square e2 to square e4, in response to this Black moves a pawn from square e7 to square e5.

If a piece is captured, an “x” sign is placed between the field from which the piece moves and the field where it moves.
For example
2. e4xd5
Pawn e4 cuts to d5.
If the opponent’s king is checkmated by the current move, then a “#” sign is placed after the move. If there is a check, then the “+” sign is indicated.
Short castling is designated as “O-O”, long castling – “O-O-O”.
If a pawn makes a move to the last rank (white to the eighth, black to the first), then after the move the piece into which it has become is indicated.
For example
8. e7-e8Q
The pawn made a move to square e8 and became a queen.
16. O-O-O g2xh1Q
This notation means: On the sixteenth move, White made a long castling, Black, with a pawn standing on g2, cut down the piece standing on h1 and the pawn turned into a Queen.
When writing in short notation, the field from which the move was made is not indicated.
For example,
1. e4 e5
This notation means that White moved his pawn to e4, and in response Black moved his pawn to e5.
However, when a record in short notation can be interpreted ambiguously, either the move is indicated in full notation or the part of the field from which the move was made is additionally indicated, which allows the move to be identified.
For example, on the first rank there are only two white rooks on squares a1 and h1.
Let's say you need to indicate the move of the rook from square h1 to square d1. But with this arrangement of pieces on square d1, both rooks and the entry can go
12. Rd1
It won't be correct. It is necessary to indicate the part of the square from which the rook comes, in this case:
12 Rhd1
There may be different situations that lead to different entries. For example:
34. N4e5 Rff5
If during a move the opponent’s piece is captured, then the “x” sign is indicated after writing the piece’s symbol. If a pawn captures, then only the vertical from which the pawn moved and the vertical on which the pawn captured the piece are indicated.
For example:
13. de
The pawn standing on the d-file cut down the piece standing on the e-file. In this case, identification must be unambiguous. If, for example, there are two white pawns on the d-file and both can capture on the e-file, then it is necessary to accurately indicate the capture square.
Castling when written in short notation is indicated in the same way as in full notation.

The Russian notation system differs from the international one in the designation of figures:
Kr - king
F – queen
L – rook
C – elephant
K - horse
The pawn is also not marked.
The sign for capturing a piece is “:”
Shah – “+”
Checkmate - "x"

Behavior of partners
It is prohibited during the game:
Use records or printed materials, ask someone for advice; this requirement also means a ban on any conversations with anyone other than the judge or in his presence;
Take notes for memory, in addition to recording moves and clock readings;
Analyze in the tournament room (in particular, your game on another board);
Distract or disturb a partner in any way (this also applies to cases where the partner who offered a draw repeats the offer without sufficient reason before the opponent, in turn, exercises this right).
Violation of the rules of conduct may entail sanctions, including loss of the game.
Compliance with the norms of sports ethics is a condition for a normal competition environment. It is the tradition of chess players to shake hands before starting a game and congratulate their partner on their success. Being late for a game without good reason, “advising” the opponent to agree to a draw, demonstrating dissatisfaction with an unsuccessful game, etc. should be considered a sign of bad manners.
Partners' opinions about each other, as well as their relationships, can be different. But during competition there must be mutual respect.

Our step-by-step instruction will help you easily master the game of chess.

It's never too late to learn to play chess - the most popular game in the world! It's easy to learn the rules of chess:

Step 1. How to install the board

Before the game, the board is positioned so that there is a white field in the lower right corner in front of each player.

Step 2. How the pieces move

Each of the 6 figures moves differently. Pieces cannot jump over other pieces (with the exception of a knight) or stand on a field where there is already a piece of the same color. However, they can take the place of an enemy piece that is considered captured. Pieces are usually placed so that they threaten the opponent's pieces with a capture (stand on the square where the captured piece stood and replace it), defend their own pieces that are in danger of being captured, or control important squares on the board.

How to move the king in chess

The king is the most important figure, but also one of the weakest. The king can only move one square in any direction: up, down, sideways and diagonally. The king can never stand on a broken square (where it can be captured by an opponent's piece). When the king is attacked by another piece, it is called "check".

How to move a queen in chess

The queen is the strongest piece. He can move in a straight line in any direction - forward, backward, sideways or diagonally on any number of squares, but he cannot jump over other pieces. If the queen or any other piece captures the opponent's piece, the move ends. Watch as the white queen takes the black one, forcing the black king to move.

How to move a rook in chess

The rook can move any number of squares, but only forward, backward and sideways (not diagonally). Rooks are especially strong when they protect each other and work together!

How to move the bishop in chess

The bishop can move in a straight line for any number of squares, but only diagonally. During the game, each elephant always moves to squares of the same color (white or black). Bishops work well together because they cover each other's weaknesses.

How to move a knight in chess

Knights move differently than other pieces - two squares in one direction and then one square at an angle of 90 degrees, in the letter "L". The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces.

How to move a pawn in chess

A pawn is an unusual piece; it moves and captures in different ways: a pawn can only move forward, but can only capture diagonally. A pawn can only move one square at a time, except for the very first move, when it can move forward one or two squares. A pawn can only capture diagonally one square in front of itself. The pawn cannot move or recapture. If another piece is directly in front of a pawn, the pawn cannot move forward and cannot capture that piece.

Step 3: Learn the special rules of chess

Chess has several special rules that may seem counterintuitive at first. They were invented to make the game more fun and interesting.

How to promote a pawn in chess

A pawn has one great feature - if it reaches the opposite side of the board, it can become any other piece (this is called "pawn promotion").

A pawn can be promoted to any piece. There is a misconception that a pawn can only transform into one of the previously captured pieces. This is wrong. As a rule, a pawn is promoted to a queen. Only pawns can transform into other pieces.

How to perform an en route take

The last rule regarding pawns is called "". A pawn that has just advanced two squares in one move from its original position can be taken by an opponent's pawn occupying a square on the same rank and on an adjacent rank, as if the last move of the captured pawn was only one square that it passed.

Such a capture is only possible in a move following an advance two squares, and is impossible subsequently. Study an example to better understand this unusual but important rule.

How to castle

Another special rule of chess is called. Castling allows you to do two important things in one move: secure (if possible) your king and move your rook out of the corner, bringing it into play. When castling, a player moves his king two squares towards a rook, then that rook moves onto the square that the king just crossed (see example). Castling can only be performed if the following conditions are met:

• the king never moved before castling
• before castling, the corresponding rook had never moved
• there should be no other pieces between the king and the rook
• the king cannot be in check or cross a square attacked by an opponent's piece

Please note that when castling to the kingside, the king is closer to the edge of the board. This move is called "short castling". Castling to the other flank, across the square where the queen was located, is called “long castling.” Both with short and long castling, the king moves only two squares.

Step 4. Who goes first?

The chess player playing with white always goes first. To decide who will play as white, chess players usually flip a coin or one of them guesses the color of a pawn hidden in the opponent's hand. Then the whites make a move, then the blacks, then the whites again, then the blacks, and so on in turn until the end of the game. The ability to move first is a small advantage that gives White the opportunity to immediately launch an attack.

Step 5. Let us remind you how to win a game of chess

A chess game can end in several ways: checkmate, draw, surrender, defeat by time...

How to checkmate in chess

The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. Checkmate occurs when the king falls into check and cannot escape. There are three ways to protect yourself from check:

• retreat to another field (not castling!),
• protect yourself from the check with another piece
• or take the piece that attacked the king.

If the king cannot avoid checkmate, the game is over. Usually the king is not taken or removed from the board, the game is simply declared over.

When the game ends in a draw

Sometimes a chess game ends not in victory, but in a draw. There are 5 reasons why a game can end in a draw:

• " " appears on the board if the player who must move does not have any possible moves and his king is not in check

When moving the queen to c7, Black is not in check, but he cannot make a move either. The board is stalemate and the game ends in a draw.

• Players can simply agree to a draw and end the game.
• There are not enough pieces on the board to checkmate (for example, a king and a bishop against a king).
• A player declares a draw if the same board position is repeated three times (not necessarily three times in a row).
• The last 50 moves were completed by each player without advancing pawns and without capturing.

Step 6: Learn Basic Strategic Techniques

There are four simple things that every chess player should know:

Protect your king

Move your king to the corner of the board, where he is usually in less danger. Don't delay castling. Usually castling should be done as early as possible. Remember: it doesn't matter how close you are to checkmate your opponent's king if your king gets checkmate first!

Don't give up the pieces

Don't lose your pieces just like that! Every figure is valuable. You can't win the game without pieces to checkmate. There is a simple system by which most players determine the relative value of each piece:

• Pawn - basic unit - 1 point
• A horse is worth 3 points
• Bishop is worth 3 points
• A rook is worth 5 points
• The queen is worth 9 points
• The king is priceless

These points do not affect the outcome of the game in any way - it is just a system that you can use to make decisions during the game. It helps you understand when it is better to take an opponent's piece, exchange pieces, or make a different move.

Control the center of the chessboard

You need to try to control the center of the board with your pieces and pawns. If you control the center, you will have more room to maneuver your pieces, and it will be more difficult for your opponent to find good squares for his. In the above example, White, trying to control the squares in the center, makes strong moves, and Black makes weak ones.

Use all your shapes

In the example above, White has used all of his pieces! Your pieces are useless as long as they are on the first rank. Try to develop all your pieces so as to gather more forces to attack the enemy king. In a game with a worthy opponent, attacking the king with one or two pieces will not work.

Step 7: Practice by playing as much as possible

To improve at chess, the most important thing for you is to play! Whether you play at home with friends or family or online, you need to play a lot to get better. Nowadays it's easy to find opponents online!

How to play chess variations

Although most people play chess using standard rules, some people like to play chess with modified rules. These are called "chess variations". Each option has its own rules.

• Chess-960: In chess-960 (Fischer chess), the initial arrangement of pieces is chosen randomly. The pawns are positioned as in regular chess, and the remaining pieces behind them are placed randomly.
• King of the Hill: In this variant of chess, you can achieve victory by occupying with your king one of the squares in the center of the chessboard, the so-called “top of the mountain.”
• Swedish chess: This game is played in pairs. When one player takes an opponent's piece, his partner can use it. For example, if I play white, and my partner, playing black, takes the white knight from his opponent, then with any future move I can place it on any free square of the board.
• Crazyhouse: Very interesting game, where you can use pieces taken from your opponent. For example, if I play white and take a black pawn, it turns into a white pawn, which I can put on the board as my piece with any future move.
• Up to three checks: In this game, the first one to give three checks to the opponent's king wins.

Enjoy these amazing chess variations.

How to play chess-960

How to play according to the rules of chess tournaments

Many tournaments use a set of general, similar rules. These rules do not apply to games played at home or online, but you may still want to use them.

• Touched - go- If a chess player touches his piece, he is obliged to make a move with this piece, if possible. If a chess player touches an opponent's piece, he must take it. A chess player who wants to touch a piece to correct it must first indicate his intention by saying “correcting.”
• Chess clock- Most tournaments use a chess clock, which allows you to set the time for the game, not for the move. Both opponents receive the same time for the entire game and decide independently how to spend it. After making a move, the chess player presses a button or lever that starts the opponent's clock. If a player runs out of time and the opponent declares this, the player who overstayed loses the game (if the opponent has enough pieces to checkmate, otherwise a draw is awarded).

Frequently Asked Questions about Chess (FAQ)

This amount of information may be a little confusing. That is why we provide answers to the most frequently asked questions that people who are just starting their journey into the world of chess usually face. We hope you find them useful!

How can I improve at chess?

Knowing the rules and basic strategy is just the beginning: chess is so difficult that a lifetime would not be enough to master everything! To improve, you need to do three things:

1. Play a lot- just keep playing! Play as often as possible. Learn from every game, won or lost.
2. Learn chess lessons- if you really want to make progress quickly, you should take some online lessons. You can find it here.
3. Enjoy- Don’t be discouraged if you can’t win all the games in a row. Everyone loses - even world champions. If you enjoy the game and know how to learn lessons even from lost games, you will always love chess!

What is the strongest first move in chess?

Although there is no universally recognized strongest move in chess, it is important to fight for the center of the board from the very beginning. For this reason, most chess players make the first move of one of the central pawns (from the king or from the queen) two squares forward: 1. d4 or 1. e4. Others prefer 1. c4 or 1. Nf3. Most of the other moves aren't as good. Bobby Fischer considered the best move with the king's pawn to be 1. e4.

What color goes first?

The player with white pieces always goes first.

Can a pawn move backward?

The pawn cannot move backwards. Once it reaches the opposite edge of the board, it can transform into another piece (for example, a queen). The piece you promoted the pawn to can, of course, move backwards.

Is it possible to move more than one piece at a time?

During your turn, you can only move one piece, but there is one exception! When you castle, you move the king and rook in one move.

What is the most important piece in chess?

The king is the most important chess figure. If you lose the king, you lose the game. However, the most powerful chess piece is the queen.

When was chess invented?

The origins of chess are not completely known. According to the most common version, chess arose in India almost two thousand years ago from other similar games. Modern chess has been known since the 15th century, when the game became popular in Europe.

What was the longest game in the history of chess?

The longest tournament game (by number of moves) in chess history was played by Ivan Nikolic and Goran Arsovic in Belgrade, Serbia in 1989.

What is chess notation?

The notation was invented so that it was possible to analyze the played chess games. Thanks to it, we have the opportunity to record all the moves of the game and play it back as many times as we like. You just need to correctly record your own moves and your opponent’s moves.

Chess notation allows you to store all your games...

Each square has coordinates, and each piece is designated by a capital letter (K ​​- knight, C - bishop, F - queen, L - rook and Kp - king).

What is the purpose of chess?

Chess is a game between two opponents on opposite sides of a board lined with 64 squares of light and dark colors. Each player has 16 pieces: 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights and 8 pawns.

A board, two chess players and 32 pieces are all you need to start the game.

The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. Checkmate is a situation where the king is threatened by an opponent's piece (the king is in check) and he cannot avoid this threat.

Chessboard and pieces

A chess game is played by two opponents 1 on 1. One player controls the white pieces, the other controls the black ones. The game takes place on a square board, each side of which consists of 8 cells, or fields. Accordingly, the total number of cells is 8x8=64. To make it easier to distinguish the boundaries of the fields, they are painted alternately in light and dark colors. For simplicity, light fields are called white fields, and dark fields are called black fields. There is always a black field in the lower left corner of the board:

Vertical columns of fields are designated by Latin letters from a to h. And the horizontal rows are numbers from 1 to 8. Accordingly, each field of the board can be designated by the letter of the vertical and the number of the horizontal at the intersection of which it is located. For example, b3, d5, f2, h6, etc. In addition to verticals and horizontals, there are also diagonals - field lines at an angle of 45 degrees. To call a diagonal, we say the starting and ending fields. For example, diagonal a1-h8, diagonal h3-c8, etc.

Each player has 8 pieces (king, queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights) and 8 pawns:

The initial arrangement of the pieces on the board, or the so-called. starting position:

Piece moves and captures.

The game consists of moving pieces around the board, or moves. The moves are made one by one. White makes the first move in the game. A move may consist of capturing an opponent's piece other than the king. At the same time, it is removed from the board, and the piece that captured is placed in the place of the captured piece. Let's look at how each of the figures moves.

King

The king can move to any one square adjacent to himself vertically, horizontally and diagonally.

Queen

The queen moves to any number of squares vertically, horizontally and diagonally.

Rook

The rook moves vertically and horizontally.

Elephant

The bishop moves only diagonally.

Obviously, a bishop standing on a white square cannot in any way get onto a black square, no matter how many and what moves it makes. And vice versa. Looking at the initial position, you will see that each side has one bishop moving on white squares, the other on black squares. Accordingly, one bishop is called light-squared, the other - dark-squared.

Horse

This figure has an unusual move. The horse moves in the letter "G". More precisely, on the field located “at the tip” of this imaginary letter: two cells vertically or horizontally, plus one cell sideways. Look at the diagram and then everything will become clear:

Pieces cannot “jump over” other pieces, their own or others. The horse can. For example, in this diagram, even if there are some pieces or pawns on squares c4, c3, d3, the knight can still go to b3 or c2 (Unless, of course, b3 and c2 are occupied by their own pieces. If they are strangers, then they can be taken) .

Pawn

A pawn can only move one square forward. Pawns don't move back. In the starting position you have a choice: go 1 or 2 fields forward.

Special Moves

Castling

Castling is a simultaneous move of the king and rook. It is possible if both pieces are in the starting position. The king moves two squares towards the rook. The rook occupies the square that the king "jumped over". Depending on which direction the castling is made, it can be short or long. The diagram shows, as an example, the final position of the king and rook with white castling long and black castling short:

Castling is not possible in the following cases:

1) The king or rook participating in the game has already been played in the game
2) The king is in check (see below)
3) After castling, the king falls into check
4) Between the king and the rook participating in castling there is one’s own or someone else’s piece
5) The king (but not the rook) crosses a square attacked by an opponent’s piece

Castling is the most unusual move in chess. Beginners are often confused about when castling is possible and when it is not. For better remembering, let's give a clear example:

Let's assume that neither the white nor the black king, nor any of the rooks have yet moved in the game. Then White can castle short. They cannot castle long, since after the move is completed the white king will be on c1 under the attack of the black queen g5. Black cannot castle short, since in this case the black king would cross the f8 square, which is controlled by the white queen a3. Black can castle on the long side. Please note: the fact that the rook a8 is under the attack of the bishop g2, and the square b8 is under the attack of the bishop g3, does not in any way interfere with castling.

Taking on the pass

If a pawn, having made a move 2 squares from its initial position, becomes next to the enemy’s pawn, then it can be captured “on the pass”, since it has passed the square under the attack of this pawn.

Suppose that in a position on the diagram, White makes a pawn move from c2 to c4. In this case, Black can take the pawn en passant if he wishes. In this case, the black pawn will move to square c3, and the white pawn will disappear from the board.

The right to such a capture can only be exercised immediately in response to a double pawn move. In the future, this right is lost.

Pawn promotion

If a pawn steps on the last rank (for white - on the eighth, for black - on the first), then it must be transformed into one of the pieces of its color: queen, rook, bishop or knight. The choice of piece does not depend on what pieces are currently on the board. The pawn is removed from the board and replaced with a new piece on the same square.

Purpose of the game and possible options end of the game

The main figure in chess is the king. According to the rules, they are not allowed to go onto the field beaten by their opponents. An attack on the king is called check. Under Shah, the party to whom he was declared is obliged to protect the king. For example, move it to another square (not under fire from enemy pieces), or destroy an enemy piece that gives check, or place your piece on the line between the attacking piece and the king. If none of the methods is possible, then on the board mat, and the game immediately ends with the victory of the side that declared it. Checkmate implies that the opponent's king would inevitably be captured on the next move. Thus, the final The goal of the game is to declare checkmate the opponent's king.

Here are a few examples in which White declared checkmate.

If you are offered to play chess, never say: “I can’t.” Say: “I can, but I don’t want to.”

Vladimir Vysotsky, “A Story about the Game of Chess”

My desire to learn to play chess appeared precisely after such a situation. True, I was able to say “I can,” but I couldn’t continue “but I don’t want to.” I had to play. Several stunning defeats after short games made it clear: knowing the rules of the game is not enough to win. There was something else that only chess players knew about. Something that helped them see the board from a different angle, as if looking into the future and commenting with disappointment: “Well, what have you done!” I wanted to know this secret, and I decided to understand...

How an adult can learn to play chess

First we needed to find out whether it was possible to learn to play chess on our own: using the Internet, mobile applications or a tutorial. A thorough survey of those who already know how to play showed: you can try to learn to play yourself, but it is better to do it with a friend or teacher.

However, the first steps can and should be taken alone. Desirable:

• find or buy a board;
• get to know the figures;
• learn the rules of the game.

This will take you no more than an hour. Use YouTube videos, there are many videos on this topic. If there is a desire, excuses are unnecessary. Even a child (from four years old) can start playing.

After you understand this stage, you should look for a teacher. Why can't you learn to play on your own? The answer is very simple. You can try to do it yourself, and you will even start to succeed. It's just a matter of learning speed. What you figure out in a few days, the teacher will explain in an hour. Moreover, an experienced player or teacher will help you see on the board what you simply won’t notice due to lack of experience.

How to find a teacher

Enroll in a chess school or club

The only problem you may have is the age limit. But it can also be solved.

When I tried to enroll in the nearest chess schools, I was refused due to the fact that they only accept children. But instead they offered to come and try to negotiate with the teacher about private lessons.

Even if there is only one in your city chess school, go there and try to find yourself a coach.

There are also chess clubs. Most often, they are played by older people, united by a great desire and passion for the game. This is a great choice for those who love chess, but not always a good option for a beginner.

Find a chess friend

When I tried to do this, it turned out that the chess players belong to some kind of “Fight Club”. Simple post in in social networks showed: more than half of my friends have played or are playing chess. They just don't tell anyone about it. Try asking your friends too. I'm sure you'll be surprised.

As for my personal experience, among my acquaintances and friends I found one who turned out to be a candidate master of sports in chess. We quickly agreed on lessons, and I got a little closer to my goal.

Hire a teacher

Without contacting organizations, schools, clubs and clubs, you can simply find a teacher for private lessons. Try to meet him in person before you agree on the first lesson to make sure that you can study with this person and will not be afraid to ask him several times about unclear points. If you feel discomfort, embarrassment, awkwardness, try to find another teacher.

“Anyone who plays better than you can already teach. But the teacher should not be a bore. And it’s not worth spending money on super-professionals right away,” advises Vladimir Khlepitko.

Peter Miller/Flickr.com

What to read

While your coach will tell you what the opening, middlegame and endgame are, teach the theory and practice of chess, and simultaneously demonstrate the art of composition, you can already begin to help yourself move even faster. For example, with the help of books. Literature by itself will not teach you how to play, but it will become a powerful aid in this difficult task.

1. For beginners, self-instruction books and collections of problems are suitable. For example, “Collection of Chess Combinations” by S. D. Ivashchenko, “Textbook of the Chess Game” by H. R. Capablanca and “Journey to the Chess Kingdom” by Yu. Averbakh. Feel free to open books for children or those marked “For those just starting to play.” After all, it is in them that the complex chess system is explained very clearly and clearly.

2. Once you've got the introduction down and you've had a few productive lessons with your teacher, move on to the strategy and tactics books. Understand each stage of the game of chess, fortunately a lot has been written about them. Knowing which book to choose can be difficult, so be sure to ask your coach for advice. You can pay attention to these works:

• “My system”, A. I. Nimtsovich;
• “Strategic techniques in chess”, A. I. Terekhin;
• “In the wake of debut disasters”, Ya. I. Neishtadt;
• “Transition to the endgame”, Y. Razuvaev, G. Nesis.

3. Look for inspiration. Read not only chess textbooks, but also books related to this great game. For example, Vladimir Khlepitko says that he likes Garry Kasparov’s book “Chess as a Model of Life.”

Watch films about chess and chess players, for example:

• “Bobby Fischer against the World” is about the biography of the American champion and his legendary match with Boris Spassky.
• “The Defense of Luzhin” is a film in which you should not look chess boards looking for interesting combinations, but you can immerse yourself in its unique atmosphere.
• “Chess Fever” is a black and white Soviet comedy, of course, almost nothing about chess. But Capablanca himself appears in the frame!

What else?

Of course, you shouldn’t ignore online help. As long as you practice in reality, all other ways to make your lessons more effective are also valid.

iChess.net- a channel that makes chess understandable, adds excitement and inspires new achievements.

« ShahMatChannel" is a channel that specializes in holding video tournaments between bloggers and everyone, after which it analyzes in detail the mistakes and successes of players.

I will say this: if you really want it, you will definitely succeed. For me, trying to learn to play chess was a real challenge. The game is, to put it mildly, not easy. But beautiful. Therefore, if you really like chess and are willing to devote a little time to it every day or at least every week, everything will definitely work out.

Success will come from desire and love for the game, and there are many ways to achieve success, the main thing is to keep moving the pieces!

Vladimir Khlepitko, head of the Wisdom chess club

If you don't know how to have a fun evening with the whole family, try playing chess. In order to master this intellectual old game, it is not at all necessary to have a high IQ. It is important to learn the basic rules of chess - and with some effort, you will soon be able to come up with new combinations of moves just as well as experienced players.

Basics of the game for beginners

The chessboard includes 64 squares, where white fields alternate with dark ones. Horizontal lines are numbered from one to eight, and vertical rows are designated by Latin letters a through h. Each field of the board is assigned its own coordinates, formed from the name of the vertical stripe and the number of the horizontal stripe on the board, for example, a7, f5, etc.

Before starting a game, you should not only learn the rules of the game and understand how to play chess, but also correctly place the board. It is placed so that each participant has a white corner field on the right side. There are two players: one controls white pieces, and the second controls dark (black) pieces. All pieces have their own unique names: king, queen (queen), bishops (officers), rooks (rounds), knights and pawns. The game involves one king (designation when writing K) and a queen (F), two knights (K), two rooks (R), two bishops (C) and eight pawns (p) on each side - a total of 16 pieces.

Rules of playing chess for beginners and children: simple about complex things

Initially, all the pieces are placed on the board as shown below.

They all walk in a special way that is unique to them:

Execution of checkmate

Check is an attack of enemy pieces on the king. In this situation, knowing the rules of the game is very important in order to understand how to learn to play chess. You will not be able to make a move with a piece other than the king until you take it out of check. With the help of the black bishop, you can easily create a check situation for the white king, as well as vice versa: the white officer threatens the black king.

In the following pictures, the black pieces are in check, but they defend against it by moving the bishop to c5.

Checkmate is a check that cannot be neutralized. An announced checkmate is considered a win. Classic version: the queen attacks the king, who has no escape route. The king is also unable to remove the queen from the board, since she is protected by the white king.

Checkmate can also be achieved using the rook: Black's key piece is prevented from escaping from the attack by the black pawns f7, g7 and h7.

List of literature on learning to play chess:

1. Levenfish G. Ya. “The Book of a Beginner Chess Player” (1957).
2. Rokhlin Y. G. “Chess” (1959).
3. Podgaets O. A. “Walks through white and black fields” (2006).
4. Volokitin A., Grabinsky V. “Self-instruction manual for child prodigies” (2009).
5. Yudovich M. M. “Entertaining chess” (1966).
6. Euwe M. “Textbook chess game"(2003).
7. Halas F. “Adventures in the Chess Kingdom” (2016).
8. Kalinichenko N. M. “Lessons of chess tactics for young champions” (2016).
9. Trofimova A. S. “Secrets of mastery for young chess players” (2016).
10. Chandler M. “Chess for children. Checkmate dad!” (2015).

We also invite you to familiarize yourself with the rules of the game and

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