Chess is a captivating abstract strategy game played on an 8×8 grid called a chessboard. Let’s dive into the basic rules and how to play:
Setup:
The chessboard has 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid.
Each player controls 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns.
White moves first, followed by Black.
Set up the pieces as follows:
The second row (rank) is filled with pawns.
Place the rooks in the corners, followed by the knights, bishops, queen (matching her color), and finally the king.
Piece Movement:
Each of the six types of pieces moves differently:
King: Moves one square in any direction (up, down, sideways, diagonally). Cannot move into check.
Queen: Moves in any straight direction (forward, backward, sideways, diagonally) as far as possible without passing through other pieces.
Rook: Moves as far as it wants forward, backward, or sideways.
Bishop: Moves as far as it wants diagonally, always staying on the same color.
Knight: Moves in an L-shape (two squares in one direction and one square in a perpendicular direction).
Pawn: Moves forward one square (two squares on its first move), captures diagonally, and promotes when reaching the opponent’s back rank.
Objective:
Surround your opponent’s king to achieve checkmate (where the king is threatened and cannot escape capture).
Avoid putting your own king in a position where it can be captured (called check).
Special Moves:
Castling: A king and rook move together to protect the king and activate the rook.
En passant: A pawn captures an opponent’s pawn that advances two squares from its starting position.
Promotion: When a pawn reaches the opponent’s back rank, it can be promoted to any other piece (except a king).
Chess is a game of strategy, tactics, and foresight. Enjoy exploring the intricate world of chess!