While it is not possible to outline
every rule of chess in a single article, you should be able to learn
some of the basics without ever sitting down at the board. Speaking
of the board, it is a square that is made up of eight columns and
eight rows. There are a total of 64 squares and the colors alternate
from dark to light.
The pieces are divided
between the two players, with each one getting 16. One player will
use the white pieces, and the other will use the black ones. The 16
pieces include eight pawns, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, one
queen, and one king. The color that each player uses is decided by a
mutual agreement, director of the game, or a game of chance. When it
comes down to it, the color that you use has nothing to do with the
way that you play the game; except for the first move.
In a game of chess, the white player has the benefit of making the
first move. The players will then alternate back and forth moving
one piece at a time. The only exception to this is known as
castling. This is when both the king and a rook are moved at the
same time. Pieces can be moved to squares that are unoccupied, or
one that is occupied by the opposition. Obviously, the only way that
you can move to an occupied square is if you have the more powerful
piece. This will allow you to capture the other player’s piece, and
in turn, remove it from the board.
When a king is under attack by the opposition, it is referred to as
being in check. A player is not allowed to move in any way that will
put his own king in this position. When a king is in check, the game
requires that the player makes an immediate move to change this. If
a player does not have the ability to move his king out of check,
this is known as a checkmate. And when this happens, the game is
over.
These are nothing more than the basic rules of chess. When it comes
down to it, your main goal is to checkmate your opposition. Simply
put, if you are successful in doing this you are going to be
victorious. Although there are many other minor rules that you must
be aware of, these should help to get you started with the game of
chess.
