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How to Play Chess : the Rules

How to set up a chess board, move the pieces, castle, capture, checkmate, and more. Chess by the rules!

Chess #57 Copyright © 2002 by GinaMarie™ Reprinted with permission; may not be reproduced. This series of pages will teach you the rules of chess : how to set up a chess board, move the pieces, capture, and castle. It will also explain how to recognize check, checkmate, and stalemate. Chess by the rules! Introduction Here is a simple description of how to play chess by the rules. 'A moment to learn; a lifetime to master.' Start here and follow the 'Next Page' link at the end of each page to continue. How to Set Up a Chess Board Chess rules start with setting up the board. White on right. Queen on her color. With diagrams. The Rules of How the Chess Pieces Move -- Pawn, Knight, Rook, Bishop, Queen, and King. How to Castle The rules for castling. With this one move, you get your King into safety, develop one Rook, and connect the Rooks to each other. How to Capture En Passant The rule of en passant. The term 'En passant' is French for 'in passing'. It's a tricky pawn move that some players don't know. How to Promote a Pawn The rules for Pawn promotion. Pawns only move forward. What happens when they reach the last row? How to Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate The rules of ending the game. How do you know when the game is over? Here are different ways to finish a chess game.