Chess Basics
Before strategy, tactics, and opening ideas, make sure the ground under your feet is solid.
This page covers the true beginner essentials: the board, coordinates, how each piece moves, check, checkmate, stalemate, and the difference between legal and illegal moves.
- How the board is set up
- How to read board coordinates like e4 or d5
- How each piece moves and captures
- What check means
- What checkmate means
- What stalemate means
- How to spot a legal move versus an illegal one
The chessboard has 64 squares
A chessboard has 8 rows and 8 columns, for a total of 64 squares. The squares alternate between light and dark. Each side begins with 16 pieces.
The letters a to h run across the board, and the numbers 1 to 8 run vertically. That is how we get square names like e4 or c6.
How the pieces begin the game
Back row order
From left to right, the back row is: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook.
- White major pieces start on row 1
- White pawns start on row 2
- Black pawns start on row 7
- Black major pieces start on row 8
Queen on her own color
This is the classic setup clue.
- White queen starts on a light square
- Black queen starts on a dark square
- The king starts on the remaining center square
Know your chess army
Pawn
Pawns move forward one square, but capture one square diagonally forward.
- On the pawn’s first move, it may move forward two squares
- Pawns cannot move backward
- Pawns do not capture straight ahead
Rook
The rook moves any number of squares in a straight line horizontally or vertically.
- Rooks cannot jump over pieces
- Rooks are strongest on open files and ranks
Knight
The knight moves in an L-shape: two squares one way, then one square to the side.
- The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces
- Knights are tricky and love forks later on
Bishop
The bishop moves any number of squares diagonally.
- A bishop stays on the same color squares for the whole game
- Bishops cannot jump over pieces
Queen
The queen combines the powers of rook and bishop.
- She moves any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
- She is powerful, but beginners often bring her out too early
King
The king moves one square in any direction.
- The king may not move into check
- If the king is trapped in check, that is checkmate
- Protect your king early
Three important game states
Check
Check means your king is under immediate attack. You must respond right away.
- Move the king away
- Block the attack, if possible
- Capture the attacking piece, if possible
Checkmate
Checkmate means the king is in check and there is no legal way out. The game is over.
- You cannot ignore check
- You cannot leave your king attacked
- No escape means checkmate
Stalemate
Stalemate happens when a player is not in check, but has no legal move. That game is a draw.
Not every possible move is allowed
A move is legal if it follows the movement rules of the piece and does not leave your king in check. A move is illegal if it breaks either of those rules.
Examples of legal moves
- A bishop moving diagonally through open squares
- A rook moving straight along an open file
- A king stepping out of check to a safe square
- A pawn moving forward one square into an empty square
Examples of illegal moves
- A bishop moving like a rook
- A rook jumping over another piece
- A king moving into check
- Ignoring a check and playing something else
- A pawn capturing straight ahead
- Can I name the square I want to move to?
- Does this piece actually move that way?
- Is another piece blocking the path?
- Am I in check right now?
- Would this move leave my king in danger?
Once these basics feel comfortable, the next goal is not fancy chess. The next goal is survival: opening principles, blunder reduction, and simple tactical awareness.