India is now one of the world's strongest chess nations, with world-class grandmasters and a growing number of young players. If you have been inspired to learn, the good news is that the basic rules take less than an hour to understand. This guide covers everything you need to play your first game.
Setting up the board
- The board has 64 squares in an 8 by 8 grid. Place it so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner.
- Each player has 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.
- Rooks go in the corners, then knights, then bishops. The queen goes on the square of her own colour (white queen on a light square), and the king goes next to her.
- Pawns fill the row in front.
- White always moves first.
How each piece moves
| Piece | How it moves | Rough value |
|---|---|---|
| Pawn | Moves one square forward (two on its first move), captures one square diagonally forward | 1 |
| Knight | Moves in an "L" shape: two squares one way and one square sideways; it can jump over pieces | 3 |
| Bishop | Moves any number of squares diagonally | 3 |
| Rook | Moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically | 5 |
| Queen | Moves any number of squares in any straight line or diagonal | 9 |
| King | Moves one square in any direction | Priceless |
Special moves
- Castling: the king moves two squares towards a rook, and the rook jumps to the other side of the king. It is allowed only if neither piece has moved, the squares between them are empty, and the king is not in check or passing through an attacked square.
- Pawn promotion: a pawn that reaches the far end of the board becomes any piece you choose, usually a queen.
- En passant: if a pawn moves two squares and lands beside an opponent's pawn, that pawn can capture it as if it had moved only one square. This must be done immediately on the next move.
Check, checkmate and draws
- Check: the king is under attack. You must get out of check immediately.
- Checkmate: the king is in check and has no legal escape. The game is over.
- Stalemate: the player to move has no legal moves but is not in check. The game is a draw.
- Games can also be drawn by agreement, by repeating the same position three times, or when neither side has enough pieces to checkmate.
Three golden rules for the opening
- Control the centre with your pawns and pieces.
- Develop your knights and bishops early instead of moving the same piece repeatedly.
- Castle early to keep your king safe.
Three simple openings to try
- Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4): develops quickly and aims the bishop at Black's weak f7 square.
- Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4): offers a pawn to gain central control. A solid choice for players who like steady positions.
- London System (1.d4, then Bf4, e3, Nf3): a simple set-up you can play against almost anything.
How to improve
- Play regularly, online or with family, and review your losses.
- Solve a few tactics puzzles every day.
- Learn basic checkmates, such as king and queen against king.
- Join a local club or school chess programme.
The bottom line
Chess is cheap to start, good for concentration and enjoyable at every age. Learn the moves, follow the opening principles and play as often as you can; improvement comes quickly.
