Chess Intro
Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. Played by millions worldwide, chess is believed to have originated in India during the Gupta Empire, where its early form was known as chaturanga
The game is played by two opponents who alternate moves. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture.
Intro to the Chess Pieces
Pawn
In chess, a pawn is the most numerous and, initially, least powerful piece. It can move one or two squares forward on its first move and one square forward thereafter, and captures diagonally one square forward. Pawns are crucial for controlling the center of the board and forming pawn structures, which significantly impact strategic play.
Knight
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, represented by a horse's head and neck. It moves two squares vertically and one square horizontally, or two squares horizontally and one square vertically, jumping over other pieces.
Bishop
Bishops are long range pieces that should be placed on long open diagonals. Unlike the knight, the bishop doesn't necessarily need an outpost in the centre of the board - it can exert influence on the centre all the way from the edge.
Rook
The rook is a major piece that moves horizontally or vertically any number of squares without jumping over other pieces. Each player starts with two rooks, one in each corner of their side of the board. Rooks are valuable pieces, worth five points, and play a crucial role in controlling open files and delivering checkmates, especially in the endgame.
Queen
The queen is the most powerful piece, combining the movement of both the rook and the bishop. It can move any number of squares diagonally, vertically, or horizontally. Each player starts with one queen, positioned on the middle square of the first rank, next to the king. Rule queen on her matching color square.
King
The King is the most crucial piece. It can move one square in any direction (forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally) and is the only piece that cannot be captured. The game is lost when the King is in checkmate, meaning it's under attack and there's no way to remove the threat.
Starting the Game
The player with the white pieces always moves first. Players alternate turns, moving one piece per turn (except for castling, which involves moving two pieces).
Special Moves
- Castling: The only move that allows two pieces (king and rook) to move at the same time.
- En passant: A special pawn capture that can occur immediately after a pawn moves two squares forward and lands beside the opponents pawn.
- Promotion: When a pawn reaches the opposite side of the board, it can be promoted to any other piece (usually a queen. Never a king).