How to Play

Board & Setup

There are 32 pieces in total, 16 for Black, and 16 for White.
The board is comprised of 8x8 grid for a total of 64 squares.
- Files: The columns (x axis) are labeled a through h.
- Ranks: The rows (y axis) is labeled 1 through 8.
The board is in the correct orientation when the right most square is white.
Assume the point of origin is at the bottom of the board.
- White pieces are placed at the bottom of board and always move first.

Goal

Checkmate the Opposing King

Checkmate the opponent's King by preventing it from making any moves.
- It's rare to checkmate with a single piece.
- Often a checkmate will involve attacking and supporting pieces.
  - R, R Two Rooks can Rook Roll a King into a corner by attacking multiple files or ranks.
  - Q, K? A Queen can shadow the King by staying a knight's move away, using another piece to prevent stalemate.
  - R, K A Rook can create a box around the opposing King, shrinking the box when it is safe to do so, or using the King to get closer to the opponent, until the opposing King is backed into a corner.

Avoid Fool's Mate

White can checkmate in 3 moves, while Black can checkmate in as few as 2. This is called the Fool's Mate.
- The fastest checkmate for Black can be notated as:
  1. f3 e5: White plays f3, Black plays e5.
  2. g4 Qh4#: White plays g4, Black's Queen plays h4, securing checkmate.
- The fastest checkmate for White can be notated as:
  1. e4 f6: White plays e4, Black plays f6.
  2. d4 g5: white plays d4, Black plays g5.
  3. Qh5#: White's Queen plays h5, securing the checkmate.
The weakest point to defend from checkpoint is:
- f7 for Black.
- f2 for White.

Avoid Check

Check is a warning to the opponent that the King can be captured next turn.
- When a King is in check, the next move must defend it.
- Get out of check by blocking the checking piece or capturing it.

Strategy

Control the Center

Try to control the center of the board. e4 d4 d5 e5
- Plant pawns in the center of the board.
- Protect the outer center with more powerful pieces.
Castle early, castle often.

The Four-Move Checkmate

e4 e5
Qh5 Nc6
Bc4
Qxf7#

Game Phases

Opening

Establish control of the center.
Get pieces on active squares by developing pieces from the back ranks.
Get the King to safety by castling to remove the piece from the center, and developing the Rook to open files.

Mid-Game

Improve your position by developing pieces from the back ranks.
Ask yourself, if your opponent had another move, what would they play?

Endgame

In games with equal defenses, look to promote a pawn.
With another Queen in play, seek checkmate.

Tactics

Techniques that can be used for an immediate advantage.

Capture hanging or free pieces that are isolated from defenses.
Always ask yourself if a square is safe before you make a move.

A board at initial setup.

The Language of Chess

Chess has an algebraic notation system that labels pieces and moves.

Pieces

Pieces are notated with capital letters.
- The pawn is notated only by the space it occupies.
- Knight is sometimes notated with Ng.
Each piece has a numerical value to help you evaluate whether exchanging it for another piece makes sense.
- When you are ahead on material, trades are good.
- When you are behind, avoid trades.

<aside> 👑 King [K] (1/16): Can move to any adjacent space in any direction, including diagonals.

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<aside> 👸🏽 Queen [Q] 9 (1/16): Can move any number of spaces in any direction, including diagonals.

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<aside> 🗼 Rook [R] 5 (2/16): Can move up, down, right, and left.

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<aside> ⛪ Bishop [B] 3 (2/16): Can move in diagonals. Both Bishops are on opposing colors, and cannot block each other.

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<aside> 🐴 Knight [N] 3 (2/16): Can move in an L shape, two spaces up, down, right, and left, then one space on the opposite axis. It is the only piece that can jump over other pieces. It switches colors with each move.

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<aside> ♟️ Pawn [p] 1 (8/16): Can only move forward. On its first turn, it can move up to two spaces. It can capture opponents in the diagonal space. It is promoted when it reaches the end of the board, usually to a Q.

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Matches

Results