Objective of the Game
The objective of Chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king. Checkmate occurs when the king is in a position to be captured and there is no way to move the king out of capture on the next move.
Game Materials
- Chessboard: An 8x8 grid with alternating light and dark squares.
- 32 chess pieces, divided into two colors (usually white and black), each with:
- 1 King
- 1 Queen
- 2 Rooks
- 2 Bishops
- 2 Knights
- 8 Pawns
Setup
The board is positioned so that each player has a white square on their near right corner. Then, the pieces are arranged in the first two rows: - White starts on the first two rows from the perspective of the white player. - First row from left to right: Rook, Knight, Bishop, Queen, King, Bishop, Knight, Rook. - Second row: 8 Pawns.
Movement Rules
- King: Moves one square in any direction.
- Queen: Moves any number of squares in any direction.
- Rook: Moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
- Bishop: Moves any number of squares diagonally.
- Knight: Moves in an “L” shape: two squares in one direction and then one square perpendicular.
- Pawn: Moves one square forward, captures one square diagonally. Can move two squares forward on its first move.
- En passant: A pawn that moves two squares forward can be captured "en passant" by an opposing pawn.
- Promotion: A pawn reaching the opponent’s end of the board is promoted to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight.
Special Moves
- Castling: Allows the king to move two squares towards a rook while that rook moves to the square the king crossed. Conditions:
- Neither the king nor the rook has previously moved.
- No pieces are between the king and the rook.
- The king is not currently in check, nor will pass through or end up in check.
End of the Game
- Checkmate ends the game, and the player who checkmates the other wins.
- Stalemate is a draw if a player has no legal move but isn’t in check.
- Draws can also happen via the 50-move rule or threefold repetition.
Strategic Considerations
- Control of the center is often advantageous.
- Development of pieces (especially bishops and knights) is important in the opening.
- The king should typically be secured via castling.
Basic Strategies
- Opening: Quickly develop pieces; control the center.
- Middlegame: Execute tactical and strategic moves to gain advantages.
- Endgame: Maximize king’s safety and promote pawns.
Chess is a game with simple initial rules but deep strategic complexity, studied by players over a lifetime.
